Published on: 12/05/2026
In Luke 5:1-11, Jesus enacts a parable, its often called the miraculous catch of fish. This part of the narrative has a lot to teach us about mission, New Congregations and church growth.
It’s an enacted parable because it teaches like a parable but its an actual event. The disciples have used their human wisdom and ingenuity to try and catch fish but have come up with nothing. Jesus tells them where to put down their nets and they get a huge catch. Jesus then tells them that he will make them fishers of people. These two things are inextricably linked. Jesus has just demonstrated how the disciples will fish for people and then he invites them to do it.
As previously mentioned in these blogs, the growth of the church is directly linked to the growth of God’s kingdom and both are the responsibility of God through the Holy Spirit, the Missio Dei. In this enacted parable, human wisdom doesn’t work but listening to Jesus does. Jesus knows where the fish are and simply putting the nets down where he says results in a great catch. This is the way mission is supposed to work, this is how mission works in the New Testament. First Jesus sends out the disciples as 12 and then 70/72 and then the Holy Spirit in Acts sends the church out. In both cases the result is growth and multiplication of the kingdom and the church.
For us, this then should also be our pattern. Where are we fishing? Is it where the Holy Spirit is leading or where we think we should do it? Taking time to listen to the Holy Spirit is really what we should be doing however confident we feel in our own abilities. The fish are his, he knows where they are, putting the nets there is both obedient and fruitful. Notice the disciples didn’t have to get into the water and herd the fish in, the fish swam into the nets of their own accord because the nets were in the right place.
How does this look in practice? In our society, less and less people are coming to church on Sunday morning of their own accord, some are, but not many. It’s entirely possible that the nets are in the wrong place or that other nets in other places might be needed. This is the heart of the idea of a Mixed Ecology, of new missional activities, and of New Congregations. What we need is to listen to the Holy Spirit and see what a new gathering place might look like and where it might go. It might be a coffee morning, a toddler group, a café church, a messy church, a youth group, a church meeting in the local school. Whatever it is and wherever it is, more nets, placed under guidance from God will result in more fish.
Perhaps you’d like to think about this a bit more, have a look at our discipleship pathway page.
If you want a grant to help start a new initiative, you can apply for a Small Sparks Grant.
And if you have people in your church, or you yourself, if you are a lay person would like to get some help and training starting something new, head over to our Pioneer Learning Network event to find out more.
This week’s Blog post was written by John Marsh, Mission Development Adviser