Our Mission & Vision
Our mission is to plant a network of disciple-making missional communities in Montcalm County, Michigan to provide or aid in the housing of those without a permanent home and those coming out of prison. It is our vision to have a Christ-centered presence in each homeless shelter, low-income residence, and rehab facility in every city we exist.
Schedule
On UP and IN nights, we most often gather at the McNaught's house on Wednesdays at 7PM .
OUT nights are typically dictated by the immediate needs of our MC or neighborhood which means they will be planned the week before the gathering. But while our MC is always looking, listening, and praying for other missional opportunities, we will always gather on the last Monday of the month with Greenville First Church of God in their building's parking lot to hand out food and clothing.
Each week we gather formally to practice one of our three rhythms, UP, IN, or OUT; however the day of the week and time of our gathering are always subject to change from week to week, depending on the needs of our community.
The best way to join our gathering is to contact the individual(s) who first told you about Refuge Church or to contact us at the bottom of this page.
Leadership
Refuge Missional Community Church is co-pastored by Claire and Peter McNaught.
Peter is an ordained pastor through the Wesleyan Church. He has a Masters in Practical Theology and a B.S. in Christian Ministries from Indiana Wesleyan University. He is a certified Spiritual Director through Sustainable Faith School of Spiritual Direction. He also works part time at the local hardware store where he meets and ministers to his coworkers.
In addition to her pastoral duties, Claire works full time as an interior designer. One of her hobbies is carpentry which she seeks to use a blessing for others. She loves cookies also cookie cakes.
Claire and Peter also volunteer weekly at a local prison, where they gather to worship God
Church Multiplication
To conclude His ministry, Jesus said to those who choose to follow Him, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth," (Acts 1:8).
In 2019, Refuge Missional Community Church was planted by Encounter Community Church. Both churches are a result and member of Greenhouse, a church multiplication network that exists to holistically support multiplying pastors and churches.
Just as Refuge was originally planted by another church, it is our desire to multiply our church through the vehicle of missional communities. Structurally, missional communities meet in a house within the neighborhood it exists and has no need for a mortgage on a building. When the space in our homes grow beyond capacity, then it is time for another household to take leadership and plant a new MC in their home. Whenever we multiply into new homes, all MC's will remain part of Refuge Church which can be comprised of an infinite number MC's. As leaders of the church, Peter and Claire McNaught will aid in discerning the next leaders who may plant an MC in their home, as well as the training necessary for planting a new missional community.
Our congregations will never grow larger than our houses can hold but planting a network of missional communities allows the church to continue to grow while still caring for the members of our MC's intimately. As long as we live in houses, our families will gather to worship in them. This multiplication model allows us to be debt free, use our resources on human needs with no overhead, and always worship in an environment where everyone knows each others name.
