When Fiona Mayne put up a poster advertising a community barbecue in her window, she had no idea it would be the first step toward planting a thriving church. As a former financial advisor who had only recently discovered faith herself, church planting was probably the last thing she imagined doing. Yet that simple invitation brought 100 neighbors together and began a journey that would transform a new housing development into a vibrant faith community.
“I wasn’t a Christian at all growing up,” Fiona shares. “I thought Jesus and all the stories were like a really sweet fairy story. I didn’t think it had any relation to reality.” Her own faith journey began unexpectedly during a holiday at a Christian hotel, where she experienced a conversion over dinner in the context of a welcoming community. “Before dinner, I was an atheist. After dinner, I was a Christian.”
That personal transformation sparked a passion for sharing faith with others, leading Fiona to pioneer Haywood Village Church in rural North Somerset. Here are the key insights from her journey that any church leader or ministry volunteer can apply.
Start Where People Already Are
Rather than waiting for people to come to church, Fiona went where they were. She began simply by walking her dog in the new housing development, talking with neighbors, and asking what they needed. When the community expressed a desire for gathering spaces, she started a weekly pop-up café called Take Five at the local school.
“I’m not just spending time waiting in a dusty church for people to come to me,” Fiona explains. “I’m out in the pubs or in the gym or wherever it is, just talking to people and taking my faith wherever I go.”
Let the Community Shape the Church
When people at the café asked about church, Fiona asked, “If there was a church here, what would you want it to be like?” Their answer—”We’d like it to be just like this, but we could ask questions about God”—became the blueprint for their first church gathering format, Tea and Toast Church, which launched in 2017.
This initial gathering evolved into what is now Haywood Village Church, a thriving community. The church maintains its commitment to accessibility and relationships through two main weekly gatherings: Wednesday evening meals with Bible study and discussion, and Sunday afternoon services with a slightly more formal structure that still keeps the welcoming, café-style approach.
“I wanted to know what they wanted, not what I wanted,” Fiona says. “It’s like, how are they going to connect with it?” This approach of listening and adapting has led to a church that truly fits its context, meeting around tables over meals and emphasizing relationships and discussion. Currently meeting in the local school, the church is planning a permanent home called Haywood Hub, which will enable them to expand their community impact while maintaining their core values of hospitality and accessibility.
Create Multiple Entry Points for Engagement
One of the most striking aspects of Haywood Village Church is how it creates natural pathways for involvement. Non-Christians often start by helping with practical tasks – moving chairs, helping with technology, or assisting at events. “I’m not afraid of asking for help,” Fiona shares. “And then they say, ‘Is there anything else I can do?'”
This organic approach has led to remarkable stories of transformation. “We had some people come who were caregivers for others because we have many people with special needs in our community,” Fiona explains. One woman initially came only in her professional role as a caregiver, supporting someone else who attended their church. “She ended up wanting to get baptized,” Fiona says. “She just came as a caregiver but found Jesus.”
Remove Barriers to Understanding
A key part of the church’s success is its intentional accessibility. “I always try not to use any Christian jargon at all,” Fiona notes. “I always explain everything. I explain communion. I always pitch it like I’m talking to an 11-year-old sort of child really, but not in a patronizing way.”
This approach creates an environment where people feel comfortable asking questions and acknowledging what they don’t understand. As Fiona puts it, “I try and think what questions they might have and try and preempt that. If somebody’s new, I get them to come a bit early and talk them through what might happen.”
The result is a church that truly reflects its community – intergenerational, welcoming to people with special needs, and deeply relational. Now, with plans for a permanent building called Haywood Hub, the church is poised to expand its impact while maintaining its core values of hospitality and accessibility.
For church leaders looking to connect more authentically with their communities, Fiona’s journey offers an encouraging reminder: sometimes the most effective approach is also the simplest. Start where you are, listen deeply to your community, and let God’s vision unfold one relationship at a time.
