Our Mission, Vision & Values
Our Misson
Oxygen Network exists to breathe new life and hope into diverse inner city communities. It is a multiplication movement of the Wesleyan Holiness Church British Isles district dedicated to working in partnership with Jesus-centred organisations.
Our Vision
Our vision is to plant three churches from the year 2020. Oxygen Network will be aiming to be regarded as one of the leading church planting networks focused on developing people from inner-city/urban leadership, and from diverse backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, cultures and communities. Ensuring they are involved in reaching the communities across generations for Christ. (Isaiah 61)
Our Misson
Oxygen Network exists to breathe new life and hope into diverse inner city communities. It is a multiplication movement of the Wesleyan Holiness Church British Isles district dedicated to working in partnership with Jesus-centred organisations.
Our Vision
Our vision is to plant three churches from the year 2020. Oxygen network will be aiming to be regarded as one of the leading church planting networks focused on developing people from inner-city/urban leadership, and from diverse backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, cultures and communities. Ensuring they are involved in reaching the communities across generations for Christ. (Isaiah 61)
Our Core Values
CHRIST-CENTRED – (ACTS 2:42-47)
Working with churches and organisations that promote accessible, Bible-based teaching, promotes discipleship and multiplication through the fivefold ministry (Ephesians 4:11-12) using the foundations of Acts 2:42 -47 as a model for church
Community Transformation
Collaboration and partnerships that meet the needs of the community through the promotion and implementation of good practice.
Communication is simple
‘Not complicating the Gospel’ so it is accessible to a wide range of people using a variety of methods.
CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE
Using creative and radical approaches to church planting which isn’t business as usual.
Children & Youth Focused
Young people are actively encouraged to be involved and lead at all levels reaching young people for Christ. A place where there is a healthy respect for the contribution of people of all ages.
Cultural Diversity
The church planting network actively promotes diversity in ethnicity, in age and background.
Continual Growth
Thriving not just surviving, building a sustainable network with a lasting legacy. Training leaders in churches and organisations to have a church planting strategy.
Meet the director
Rev. Cassius Francis
Director of Oxygen Network
Reverend Cassius Francis is a minister with the Wesleyan Holiness Church, and Church Trainer & Resourcer with Loss and HOPE, a Christian coalition project of the UK’s bereavement signposting and information website, AtaLoss. He also works as a chaplain at Birmingham Women’s & Children’s Hospital. In addition to these roles he has been the Director of ON since its inception.
In 2020, Cassius developed an independent forum and Facebook group called Pandemic Bereavement Recovery , and in 2022, he coordinated a special service to mark the National Day of Reflection for Black communities affected by the pandemic. He has followed up with a second service of reflection this year, Coming Together in Hope II. Alongside the Wesleyan Holiness Church the service is supported by key partners Aberdeen Street Church of God of Prophecy, Majonzi Fund, The Ubele Initiative, One People Commission (Evangelical Alliance) and AtaLoss. Cassius also participated in the panel discussion, A Question of Life and Death organised by the Marie Curie team.
Having grown up in WHC Cassius embraced the church planting initiative after reading Pastor Troy Evans’ book, The Edge of Redemption. He said, “There was a clear sense to me that church planting could provide a way to engage people in relationships with Jesus in ways that we have not done before.”
He is a proud Brummie, Spurs supporter and has been married to Vanessa for 25 years.
The Journey Of Oxygen
Oxygen Network was established in November 2017 following an interactive training day led by Pastor Troy Evans, Co-founder of Nitrogen Network US. Oxygen Network is a church planting initiative and is a project of the Wesleyan Holiness Church British Isles. The Wesleyan church tradition has a history of church planting and missionary work.
Shortly after the initial training day a team was constructed to lead on creating a church planting network that would identify, equip and work alongside prospective church planters. Along the way the team organised training days in which they engaged with members of the Wesleyan Holiness church alongside people of other denominations. During these sessions Pastor Troy Evans would share his expertise and experiences of church planting. There were also other speakers from other denominations and theological schools who came along to contribute to the discussion of church planting within the UK context.
Overtime the network’s processes and procedures became more streamlined and clearly defined roles were designated to members of the team. In February 2019, Oxygen Network bid farewell to Pastor Troy Evans and continued the work they had started. The goal of Oxygen Network was to launch three churches from the year 2020. The first church plant was launched in May 2020.
