IMG_4894-2_Jeff-Lothamer-scaled-e1650478953955

Jeff & Christie Lothamer (Misty, Aiden, Kaci)

United Kingdom

Our Story

"Our story together began in 2001. After a decade of ministry in University Settings and mega church pastoral ministry, we answered God’s call to become church planters in the UK. We moved to England, fully funded, in 2011 with a call to press into the new wineskin of church for the next age – one that needed to be accessible for a post-Christian culture. We have three children: Misty (20), Aiden (18), and Kaci (13). Misty is currently studying theology at Hillsong College, Australia. Aiden in in his senior year of high school and plans to study Business at university in the United States in the fall, 2022. Kaci is in year 8 (7th grade) at Whitelands Academy, a UK public school in our neighbourhood."

Where We Work

"We live in Bicester, England (about 9 miles north of Oxford). Bicester is one of the fastest growing towns in England that currently has a population of just over 40,000 people. We helped plant Journey Communities (www.journeycommunities.org, @journeycommunities), a church with a vision to extend the culture of heaven to ordinary places by the means of planting missional communities. After 10 years, Journey has grown into a network of Microchurches with multiple micro missions.

In April, 2017, God gave us the vision to open FLTR Coffee (www.fltrcoffee.co.uk, @fltrcoffee), a community specialty coffee shop in our neighbourhood. FLTR is formed around three passions: Coffee, Community, and Generosity. For 5 years, we have been extending God's Kingdom in this place. The FLTR Community Microchurch (@theFLTRcommunity) meets and regularly engages in and around this space providing a tangible expression of the Gospel to hundreds each week.

In August, 2021, in response to a renewed sense of our call to be a part of the new wineskin of church, we launched the Microchurch Network UK (www.microchurchnetwork.uk). This network is becoming a physical and virtual ecosystem where independent missional communities, micro and house churches can grow and thrive. This network allows a tangible outworking of the priesthood of all believers and an adaptive church that is accessible in the everyday places of society."