How do we start …

Mission Shaped Church

Presented by The Sheffield Centre Church Army’s Research Unit

They said it …

“God calls us to help people in every place and culture respond to the love and grace in his Son, Jesus Christ. To do that well in our time we need to grow many different fresh expressions of church life within and alongside our traditional parish churches: a mixed economy. I hope every Church Council and home group in the land will engage creatively with this material and take action as a result.” The Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams “The Spirit is seeking to make the Church into the vibrant vehicle of God’s tomorrow, not the museum piece of yesterday” The Revd. Tom Stuckey, President of the Methodist Conference

How do we start ?

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Build in mission-centred values Listen, pray, form vision – Feed your imagination – in cooperation with the Spirit what calling emerges Prune a little – how do we travel light?

Form a team – to learn the context & grow together go visit other examples 6.

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Explore partnerships – Form community – and obtain permissions serving, speaking worshipping Allow growth to maturity – aim to raise further “adult” churches Maintain Connection – with the wider church 10.

Share what you are doing – lets all learn

1: Mission-shaped: Whose out there ?

 What groups in society is your church in contact with ?

– Bearing in mind age, culture, area, socio-economic group  So who is not connecting with locally? the church  Whose is moving into – your area/ network?

Are there any discernible groups and particular locations

3 key questions ...

“What is the mission to this area ?” “What kind of community is needed to sustain the mission?” “What set of spiritual disciplines is required to sustain the community in that mission?”

Questions asked by Church of Saviour Washington DC

2: Each church planted is a unique story

Principle Place People Prayer Process

Product

3: Prune a little What overly church-centred attitudes may need changing?

Too much focus on the building All we need is fund raising Lay ministry is helping the clergy do their job “Father” knows best There’s only one way – and we are it Attendance is enough Everything centres round Worship We should change, but what we have will see me out Only Sunday congregation is the real thing

Steps 4-7: Key question

 In each context is the church being called – – to change what is already ?

or to create what isn’t yet ?

  Renewal and Re-ordering are not the same as..

Creating Fresh Expressions & Church Planting

Why does creating something alongside help? • Less conflict with existing • Don’t have to try to shift the immovable • Moves beyond the view – “any colour as long as its black” • Avoids culture wars over music and style • The new thing is itself • It is freer to be shaped by mission • It offers more choice and diversity • Those present are volunteers not conscripts • Teaches useful factors for the future – need for Catholicity across old and new – Need for unity across diversity

Changing the Christendom model

Worship

Community Mission Changing this looks like hard work

It seems to be easier to have babies than raise the dead.

“but I told you to get up”

The Mission-shaped process

Community

Mission Worship

Nurturing the charism

8: Maturity& the 3 “self” movement

Self-Financing Self-Governing Self Propagating •Visible •Viable Pastoral Structures

Identity

Leaders becoming legal?

or not ? •Churches •Gifts •Ministries •Leaders

8: Trust the DNA ….

You can’t know the results first !

Future

Now M1 T M2 D1 T D2 S S2

A Change model ?

Key: M = mainstream D = deviation T = tension S = sideline/sect e.g. Jewish to Gentile Roman Empire to Celtic Monastic Orders arise Reformation post 1790 world wide Mission And now in “Western” Church ?

Change equation : c=(d-m)t !!

Questions

   How would you know whether you are called to start the process towards creating a fresh expression of church ?

What role do the venues have to play What role do the small groups have to play

Help ? !

 www.freshexpressions.org.uk

 www.encountersontheedge.org.uk