▁group ▁is ▁multip lied , ▁the ▁essential ▁element ▁is ▁expand ing ▁the ▁reach ▁of ▁the ▁church ▁into ▁a ▁new ▁context . ▁ ▁History ▁Miss ional ▁Commun ities ▁emer ged ▁in ▁England ▁in ▁the ▁mid ▁ 1 9 9 0 s , ▁primarily ▁through ▁the ▁experiment ing ▁of ▁the ▁church ▁St . ▁Thomas ’ , ▁Cro okes ▁in ▁She ff ield . ▁ ▁Although ▁they ▁were ▁first ▁experiment ed ▁with ▁in ▁inner ▁city ▁London ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁they ▁became ▁more ▁fully ▁formed ▁when ▁Mike ▁B reen ▁became ▁the ▁senior ▁past or ▁of ▁St ▁Thomas ’ ▁She ff ield ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 . ▁They ▁were ▁described ▁as ▁being ▁multip lying ▁mission ary ▁con greg ations ▁and ▁called ▁‘ Cl ust ers ’ . ▁ ▁The ▁focus ▁of ▁the ▁Cl ust ers ▁was ▁on ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁Christians ▁operating ▁as ▁a ▁community ▁together ▁in ▁mission . ▁Le aders ▁were ▁encourag ed ▁to ▁seek ▁God ▁for ▁a ▁vision ▁for ▁a ▁new ▁expression ▁of ▁church ▁and , ▁with ▁training ▁and ▁support , ▁they ▁could ▁be ▁released ▁to ▁gather ▁a ▁team ▁and ▁purs ue ▁that ▁dream . ▁ ▁As ▁St ▁Thomas ’ ▁grew , ▁many ▁MC s ▁were ▁plant ed ▁into ▁the ▁urban ▁center ▁of ▁the ▁city . ▁The ▁church ▁met ▁for ▁Sunday ▁celebr ations ▁in ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁large ▁r ented ▁facilities , ▁ending ▁up ▁in ▁a ▁huge ▁dis used ▁night club , ▁the ▁Ro xy , ▁where ▁the ▁Rol ling ▁St ones ▁had ▁once ▁played . ▁In