Transcript Slide 1

Surprise and lessons from Antioch
One scriptural story of re-imagination
October 2013
Church Army’s Research unit
Two threads
• The Gospel – from edge of Empire to its centre
• The Church – from the centre to its edge
• The Holy Spirit
– Empowers the missionary journey
– Disturbs the church
• The Spirit … is Lord over the Church, guiding the
Church from its limited, partial and distorted
understanding of, and embodiment of the truth, into
the fulness of the truth in Jesus …
Lesslie Newbigin
NT Concentration & Dispersal: Phase 1
Acts 1 – Acts 8
Concentration
in Jerusalem
Dispersal by
Persecution
Acts 6.7 “So the Word of God spread
The number of disciples increased rapidly”
Concentration & Dispersal: Phase 2
Acts 11.19f – Acts 18
Concentration
in Antioch
Dispersal by
Calling
Acts 12.24 “So the Word of God
continued to increase and spread”
Concentration & Dispersal: Phase 3
Acts 19ff
Concentration
in Ephesus
Dispersal by
Design
Acts 19.24 “the Word of the Lord
spread widely and grew in power ”
In and out
• ‘Gathered’ church = ½ the story
• ‘Dispersed’ church is normal too
• Wesley’s story illustrates this
Surprises continue
• They spoke to
Greeks also – what!
Bruce: ‘some daring spirits…took a momentous step
forward’ in speaking to Greeks.
Dunn: ‘a truly astonishing break with the past’.
Newbigin: ‘this strange and at first shocking reversal of
deeply held religious beliefs’.
More surprises
About how things are done:
• From only one way
• To a diversity
How you talk about Jesus
• From Messiah
• To Lord and Saviour
It is the 2nd journey – from the church’s centre to its edge
Arbuckle: ‘The new belongs elsewhere..’
Samaria, Joppa, now Antioch
And yet more surprises
Mission and Church
• Not by authorised apostles
– Anonymous ones
– Lay people
– No one knows who started
the 3 great early churches
• But they were bi-cultural
– At home in the host culture
– They thought beyond a
physical temple
Ways forward for church
• Not franchise
• Not replication
• But … reproduction
– Of Church DNA
– Leading to fresh expressions of
Church
– Related to us, but different
Antioch: two sources meet
• Gospel & Ecclesial [church dna] content … and
• Missional Context – leads to diversity
• Genuine creation, not copying, from 2 sources:
• like with God creating humans– dust and breath
The role of Barnabas:
good, full of the Spirit
From Cyprus – so bicultural too
saw evidence of the grace of God
and holds links with the wider church
Christ and the Church
Some Theology foundational to re-imagining Church
Church Army’s Research Unit
Finding Foundations
Community-in-Mission
Facing some criticisms
MSC = ‘Church-shaped mission’: John Hull, 2005
Rather Kingdom should be central and determinative
‘Kingdom’
• Shorthand for the priority of social justice
within mission
• The dynamic within/ pointer leading to,
what church should aspire to
Offering an alternative
Christ is more foundational than Kingdom
Limits to Kingdom-shaped-Church
1. Without Christ, no Kingdom would have been preached
Kingdom without King is vacuous
2. Without encounter with the risen living Christ, Kingdom
is powerless idealism
3. Acts and Epistles shift from Kingdom language to Jesus’
death and Resurrection
4. In those accounts any mention of Kingdom is to Jews. To
any one else it meant political revolution
5. Today it is not a universal or helpful metaphor – take
republics, ex empire nations, democracies, ministry to
women – kingdom sounds patriarchal and imperial…
Christ and the Church:
Why Christology shapes Ecclesiology:
Christ is the founder – he is foundational
Church belongs to Christ – the Christian Church
It is to be shaped by his dynamics
We are called to reproduce his patterns
Is it idle that we call Church ‘the body of Christ’?
Easy to say in theory – but what do we mean?
In carnation?
• A much used word
• Usually means a pastoral style of
mission; coming alongside people
• Literally In Carnate = En Fleshed
Christ and the Church:
1: Incarnation
A] A typically bipartite process
•
•
•
•
Like humans made from breath and dust
In the covenants: Abraham, Mosaic, Davidic
Intervention for 3 generations of barren matriarchs
The partnership of Spirit and Mary
Christ himself: God the Son and Son of Mary
• The creeds insist on their connection
• Luke’s genealogy embraces them
Implications of bipartite thinking
•
•
•
•
The Incarnation was not a transplant
Christ the eternal son has Mary’s DNA
Incarnation models intimate engagement with context
And the coming of content from beyond
•
•
•
Bipartite working is diagnostic in creating church
Neither imposition from outside
Nor derived solely from context
•
Neither ‘incarnational’ ministry nor creating church should
be cloning, but bi-partite…
Christ and the Church cont …
Can church be fresh and still be really church?
The Incarnation …
B] Exhibits continuity and change:
 cf Philippians chapter 2
 a list of changes
 That we are called to emulate in spirit
 Christ Jesus - a fresh expression of God the Son?
 Who came from heaven - Jesus of Nazareth? No
 God the Son became incarnate
 The Son’s ID was not damaged yet this was new
 It was even novel !
Continuity and Change
The Jesus story contains a contrast:
1 Jesus’ call: the intended / the proactive
2 Jesus’ openness to change / the reactive
cf varied reactions to people
Real suffering
Paradox: ‘the immortal dies’
Raised by the Father
– Continuity : his ID, relationship to Trinity etc
– Change: Enfleshed, ministry, Death and Resurrection
So church should not be photocopied – but rather
created from two sources, [content and context]
while holding continuity and change together …
1c Limits to incarnation
Is the term illegitimate?
The references to ‘the Anglican incarnational principle’ and
‘incarnational mission’ should be dropped. The
incarnation, God becoming Man, was a unique and
unrepeatable event.
There can therefore be no ‘incarnational principle’ or
‘incarnational mission’. God becoming Man is not a principle
and the mission of the Church does not involve God taking
human nature upon Himself.
What we are really talking about in both cases is local
delivered, culturally relevant, mission and ministry.
Martin Davie: submission to MSC writing group : 2003
Objection: Church is the Body of Christ…?
But which body – pre or post Resurrection?
Is Incarnation the controlling factor?
• Or should it be Death and Resurrection?
–
–
–
–
–
Romans 6
Baptism
Dying to live is truly central
Communion
The characteristic sign – the Cross
The basis of hope – the Resurrection
Self recognition by the church of what it means to be the church is
fostered by images that focus upon participation in the death and
resurrection of the Messiah: Minear: Images of the Church p 227
The Incarnation
Thanks Lesslie Newbigin
The Household of God pp 147ff
–No extension
–No command
–No possibility
Time to discuss and feedback
• You have 4 minutes
• Turn to your neighbour
• Feedback to one another your thoughts from
Christology and Christ’s incarnation, thus far
Re-imagining Church
Explorations : October 2013
Andrew - admin
Elspeth - stats
Church Army’s Research Unit
George - ?
1
What is Anglican?
When I was a lad …
• Parish
• Special ‘Church’ building
• On a Sunday
• Male Clergy take services
• 1662 BCP
• Bishop – ordains & confirms
And now it might be …
• In secular venues
• Churches for networks
• Either gender clergy & lay
• Any day of the week
• Liturgical creativity
• And the Bishop…
Today …
 what a Bishop approves of
and has relationship with
“Question time”
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Think back over your personal story of church:
– what changes stand out?
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2 Why the need for any re-imagination?
Changing Sundays
Changing relationships
Changing cultures
Church at different times
Church for different networks
Church in different cultures
Less knowledge of faith
Church for beginners
Deeper spiritual hunger
Church for disconnected
explorers
Reasons from the Bishop of Sheffield, Steven Croft
2
The internal wake up call
Data - - - - - - - Decisions
Danger: Porcine aviation zone
Church of England Penetration of its Parishes: 1974
1.6
20000 plus
15000-19999
1.8
10000-14999
1.8
2.4
8000-9999
3.2
6000-7999
4.1
4000-5999
6.1
2000-3999
10.6
1000-1999
12.8
500-999
17.4
250-499
21.4
<250
0
Parish
population
5
10
15
20
Percentage of the parish who attend
25
Church of England Penetration of its Parishes 2011
0.9
20000 plus
15000-19999
1.1
10000-14999
1.3
8000-9999
1.8
6000-7999
1.9
2.4
4000-5999
3.2
2000-3999
4.0
1000-1999
5.1
500-999
6.8
250-499
11.9
<250
0
Parish
population
3
6
9
Percentage of the parish who attend
12
15
Here’s a cheerful thought
1971 One stipendiary to 3048 people
2011 ditto
6745
1976: 12000 Stipendiaries
2011: <8000
+ 2000 ssm etc
In 1971 usual Sunday attd
In 2011 ditto
1.5 million
898,300
Ah but AWA?
2000 Average Weekly attd
2011 ditto
1,25 million
1091,500
NB Population increase 2001-11 7.9%
42% are growing
58% are declining
10 Year Comparisons (2001– 11
smoothed)
% National Change
Populatio
n
7.9%
AWA
-7.2%
Resource Strategy & Development Unit – National Church Institutions
Doctor, doctor …
I have this great treatment for you all …
Yeah right
4 broad local church scenarios
Those that are …
Resource Growth
Willing
• Sustainable
Yes
Yes
Yes
• Static
Yes
No
No
• Strategic
No
----
Yes
• Unsustainable
No
No
No
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4 broad local church scenarios
Those that are …
• Sustainable
= resource and growth, so
encourage and cheer
• Static
= resource and stuck, so give
them a boot - push
• Strategic
= lack of resource but willing,
so give them help - pull
• Unsustainable
= lack of resource and will,
so arrange palliative care
See Resourcing Mission Bulletin, July 2012 and October 2012
Diocesan Mission and Finance
Strength
+ Income-Ministry Costs
+2.5 million
Static
Sustainable
Mission:
5 yr attd
change
-
-15%
-10%
-5%
5%
10%
Strategic
Unsustainable
-2.5 million
-
15%
+
A move to evidence based thinking?
• Will we dare to differentiate?
• Will we challenge what is draining &
parasitic?
• Can we see this as more than economic
realism, and part of kingdom ethics –
the talents parable?
• Can we avoid unbridled ecclesial
capitalism?
Mission
& Parish
ministry
Plonk
Plonk
1984
2013

Sorry: R. Allen, TCE 1945, L. Paul,
V. Donovan, PIM 1981, J. Tiller etc.
Great books & reports, but …

Signs of a grass roots voice: we must do something
“Question time”
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What signs of a wake up call do you see?
To what do you attribute it: desperation, realism, hard- nosed
finance, God, other?
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Signs of hope in the Body of Christ
Leaner but fitter?
Loss of nominals
Signs of health
But …
Tried health treatments
GHC – Warren
NCD – Schwarz
Good cos … But …
Blood tranfusions & cosmetic surgery?
Evang’istic campaigns, Cell, Seeker, Kidz Club
Toronto, Turn-around teams, Mid sized communities etc
All Good … But …
More signs of hope …
We agree fitness is key
discipleship is > following Jesus
‘… following is not so much about trotting along some distance
behind Jesus as about emulating his way of travelling’
Stephen Cherry
We’ve gone on retreats
Monasticism old & new
New ‘orders’
Resources rhythms & rules
We’ve had some babies
lots of small CP & fxC, so noise and mess
Will they survive? Will they mature?
They will be different to us
Churches worth staying for, or creating …
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Offer authentic community not institutional belonging
Treat adults as such
Allow dialogue as well as monologue
Are self critical, especially in relation to power politics
Allow doubts, anger and lament as well as joyful certainty..
• Provide space for spiritual development not spoon feeding
• Focus on God – not the leader or programs
• Offer holistic vision not privatised spirituality..
• Equip members for world of work
• Engage creatively/sensitively with culture & social/ethical issues
• Are realistic about rhythms and pressures of modern life..
Stuart Murray, The Exodus Conference Sept 2003: Order adapted
“Question time”
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How do you think the [C of E] Body of Christ is doing?
How does Stuart Murray’s list strike you?
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What are we learning from fxC?
Rowan Williams and a dynamic discovery
“… what has been so extraordinary, so life giving and
wonderful in the last decade or so, is more and more
stories coming in of how those fresh encounters
happen….. God is showing us examples of what the
church is, in startling new ways, because we are
seeing what corporate forms of life actually happen
when people meet Jesus.”
Archbishop Rowan at UK Church Planting conference June 2004
How fxC are changing assumptions re Church: 1
Assumption challenged
By what kind of fxC
Discontinuity or
Development?
• Day, time, and venue are
chosen more by context,
than tradition
• Mid week Ch, Messy Ch,
School based Church,
Traditional church plant
• Context is more significant
for inculturated mission
than territory
• Network Ch, Special
• Chaplaincy, x
Interest Group Ch, <5s Ch, cultural mission
Youth Church
• Diocese/Parish
& small group
• Cell Ch & Clusters/Mid
movement
sized communities
• Church is multi-level, so
congregation is an option
not a necessity
• Midweek HC,
House Churches
How fxC are changing assumptions re Church: 2
Assumption challenged
By what kind of fxC
Discontinuity or
Development?
• Passivity is replaced by
participation & Quality
Control by trust in the
people, word and Spirit
• Alternative worship, Cell
Church, Clusters, Messy
Church, New Monasticism,
Youth Ch.
• Family Services,
writings of
Roland Allen,
Vincent Donovan
• Community round Jesus is
central, from which
authentic worship springs
• Community development
plants, New Monasticism,
Messy Church, Cell Ch
• BEC movement
• Leader is not necessarily
clergy or pastor/teacher
• More than half of all
kinds of fxC
•Tiller report of
1982
How fxC are changing assumptions re Church: 3
Discontinuity or
Assumption challenged
By what kind of fxC
Development?
 Discipleship, not
attendance, is core
 78% of fxC take steps
in discipleship
 Wesley &
Methodism
 Non ID reproduction
of church is normal
 many fxC do not clone
but create
 3 self teaching
by Henry Venn
 Church at edge not
centre of society
 Community Developm’t
plants, & Special interest
group fxC
 Desert Monastics
Anabaptists
What is Church?
‘Church is the event of Jesus' presence
with its characteristic effect of gathering
people around him and making them see
one another differently as they see him.’
‘The Church exists for nothing else but to draw
people into Christ, to make them little Christs.’
C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity p. 166
What is the greatest re-imagination?
That we become more and more like Jesus
Book recommendation:
By the Renewal of your Minds, Ellen Charry
“Question time”
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Across the list of changes brought by fxC, which do
you think are most important and why?
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