A pastor is setting up a new church in Lincoln, but it will have bike studies rather than bible studies.
The Ignite Elim church will open in September this year in the Moorlands Community Centre on Moorland Avenue, focusing on fun hobbies and giving ordinary people a place to feel special.
The quirky venture came about after the Pastor Darren Edwards was inspired to do more for people when he spent time in a typical church.
He said: “I suddenly realised I wanted to do more than just sit in church, so I decided to set up my own ministry to help the homeless; we try to treat them like princes.
“After my pastor said I couldn’t go back home, I felt God said Lincoln was the place to go. In 2009, I went to Bible College.”
Darren’s own church will not be like a typical congregation though, inspired by modern times and people’s lifestyles.
He said: “I’ve basically set up what I like to call a ‘chav church’ and it’ll be a little more fun and working class.
“I won’t be wearing robes, I’ll be wearing a hat. Instead of book studies, I’ll be doing barbecues and instead of bible studies, we’ll be doing motor bikes.”
For funding, Darren Edwards put a lot of his own money into the project.
“I put £2,000 of my own money. I then put £800 of my student finance into an ISA for a few years.
“Also, a woman wrote to me and sent £4,000 out of her funeral fund ‘because God told her to’ and that she now believed the dead should bury the dead.
“We’re going to use all this money to show people that they are special and they’re not worthless.”
