This new church is the vision of George Linney, a Duke Divinity School graduate, father of three, former youth minister at an Episcopal church in Chapel Hill and recently one of eight Durham cyclists in Durham Cares' Race Across America.

Running and cycling are in his blood, just as his passion for following the lead of the Holy Spirit in his life.

The vision for "an outpost in the body of Christ focusing on the people and land near the American Tobacco Trail" came to him on Maundy Thursday when he woke in the middle of the night. Over the next six hours wrote an outline for the new church.

The model for worship, he said, is fourfold and includes Gathering, Word, Practice and Sending Forth.

It requires no building, no special trappings, only folks who gather to listen to Scripture and preaching and to participate in ancient practices of the church such as the Lord's Supper, foot washing, anointing and baptism of new believers.

These are people, he envisions, who will be set loose to be "God's people in the world and to share the body of Christ in all that they do."

Linney sees the new church claiming all the historic Christian traditions of worship and both mimicking and renewing these practices through their own gifts of imagination, creativity and restoration.

Worship on the trail will take place at different spots every week and will give worshippers opportunity to celebrate the outdoors actively, walking, running and biking.

"But we are not limited in terms of how the trail might be used more creatively," he said. "We are called to go forth and enjoy the creative wonder that is God's world. We take note of the details of nature. We share the glories of God's creation by making friends with our neighbors be they perceived friend or foe," he said.

Linney believes that the Holy Spirit has given him the force and energy to imagine the church based on traditional models as well as models outside of traditional models.

"For now, we are blessed with mobility and simplicity, gathering in no one plot or building, but staying mobile and creative, listening to where the Spirit tells us to gather in order to begin our liturgy or the work of the people."

At this time Linney does not have a vision for a church with a building, he said, only to be outdoors and mobile with the option of going inside during winter months, partnering with Hillside High School and Southwest Elementary during months of December through February.

"While churches are places I love to worship and pray, many people tell me churches are intimidating and they get nervous when they go inside. We want to reach churched and un-churched people in a creative way. I have seen such beautiful diversity, activity and happiness on the trail," he said.

Holding services in such a public place is an invitation for interruption, he said, but this church gathering welcomes interruptions as they welcome those who are passing by to join in worship, Linney said.

"God can disrupt us reading the Scripture or listening to the sermon because we need to invite a stranger to be with us. Out here it is different."

Attendance has grown from seven at the first service on May 22 to 20 at the last gathering. Since its beginning TTC has included almost 100 participants in six gatherings.

A recent Saturday's service at Solite Park, 4704 Fayetteville Road, included the Eucharist and for the first time child care activities that his wife will be planning from now on.

His wife is Kristen Nevins of Chapel Hill. Their three children are George, 6, Kathryn, 5, and William, 3.

Linney, 35, who grew up in Charlotte and was ordained to the ministry in 2008 at Myers Park Baptist, has a mixed background of experience. He taught at the Durham Nativity School where he was both teacher and chaplain, was a camp director in Brevard and was minister of youth at Church of the Holy Family in Chapel Hill, where the family was members for six years.

The Tobacco Trail Church is a natural outgrowth of Linney's dedication to his own passion for athletics and to having seen others embrace athletics.

"I believe God has gifted me with talents to weave athletics and the church together. I remember watching "Chariot's of Fire" and hearing Eric Liddell say, 'When I run I feel god's pleasure.' This is true for me. When I came to sports I had the kind of drive that I can only hope to bring to pastoral ministry. This is a piece of my life story and has been since I was a little boy.

"I'm not giving up on the church or trying to create a biking church or a running church, but I believe the church is ready to meet people in new and creative and inventive ways," he said.