Transcript 2. What kind of church for evangelism? http://davemale.typepad.com/churchunplugged/ ‘The reality is that mainstream culture no longer brings people to the church door.

2. What kind of church for evangelism?
http://davemale.typepad.com/churchunplugged/
‘The reality is that mainstream
culture no longer brings people to
the church door. We can no longer
assume that we can automatically
reproduce ourselves, because the
pool of people who regard church as
relevant or important is decreasing
with every generation’
Mission shaped church report p11
“The real voyage of discovery consists
not in seeking new landscapes
but in having new eyes.”
Marcel Proust
Acts 10 Peter and Cornelius
‘Are there structures and patterns which let
that basic event of encounter
happen again and again?
Because if not , the church has become
something very different from where it started;
it’s become a community which says once there
was an encounter with Jesus and we like to
remember that.
We have to ask much more radically , how do
we structure a community in which it goes on
being possible ,even likely ,that people will
meet Jesus and in meeting Jesus will want
more people to meet Jesus.’
What shape of church
do we therefore need
to be?
Six basic principles for
remodelling church
“From Safety nets
to
Fishing nets”
32. Evangelism and the passing on of faith to
children and young people are the primary means
by which the church grows.’
Intentional Evangelism
1
There is no return address
or we will not be going back….
‘ The defining aspect of this change of epoch
is that things are no longer in their place……
we cannot simply wait for what we are
experiencing to pass under the illusion
that things will return
to being how they were before.’
Pope Francis.
In working with young
people . . . do not try to call
them back to where they
were, and do not try to call
them to where you are, as
beautiful as that place might
seem to you.
You must have the courage
to go with them to a place
that neither you nor they
have ever been before.
Christianity Rediscovered: An Epistle from the
Masai (1978)
Half the picture
Jerusalem
Judea
Samaria
Ends of the Earth
The eccentric effects…
Samaria
The ends
of the earth
Judea
The centre and the Acts story shift
Samaria is not a return ticket
story moves from a focus on Peter to Paul
the Church goes west
church is done differently among Gentiles
2
Public worship services probably
are not the best starting point
Prayer
Love
Relate
Prayer
Create
The big picture
Community
context
Word
Event
3
Who is church for?
Why are we here ?
The church is Gods gift to the world.
‘ the church is missionary
by it’s very nature…….
the church does not have
a mission
but the mission has
a church.’
Prophetic Dialogue.
Bevans and Scroeder
•Who is the church for?
•Who is the church by?
•Who is the church with?
For further reflection
Talk about what has particularly struck you from the first
three points
• There is no return address
• Public worship services probably
are not the best starting place
• Who is church for?
4
Disciples
of Jesus
rather than
‘discipleship’
or attendees
at church
‘ We would intend to make disciples
and let converts happen rather than
intending to make converts
and let disciples happen.’
The Divine Conspiracy, p334.
•How we see God
•How we see ourselves and others
•How we see our community
•How we see creation and society
•instruction
•imitation
•participation
The two key questions
1. What kind of people are we called to be
as disciples of Jesus ?
2. What kind of community is capable of
raising people like that?
5
Church is multi level
or ‘it depends what you mean by church’
“ the theological doctrine of the church
cannot be simply expressed in abstract terms
about the churches timeless nature. It will
have to provide points of departure for
reforming the church, for giving it a more
authentic form. Faithfulness and the fresh
start are not antitheses in
the history of the Spirit.”
Jurgen Moltmann, The Church in the Power of the Spirit
Church as four sets of relationships.
up
of
out
in
Moynagh, Church for Every Context p 106.
‘not leaving the tradition
but driving to it’s heart’
Gerald Arbuckle, Refounding the Church
Pablo Picasso
‘ If you want to preserve tradition
don’t wear your grandfathers hat,
have grandchildren.’
6
This might change US
actually it does!
Dying to live
“ I tell you the truth, unless a grain of wheat
falls to the ground and dies, it remains only
a single seed. But if it dies, it produces
many seeds.”
John 12; 23-6
You can’t predict the outcome
anymore
Control to chaos
Answers to questions
Certainty to risk
What might this mean for the structures
and shape of your church?
Disturb us Lord,
when we are too well pleased with ourselves,
when our dreams have come true
because we have dreamed too little,
when we arrived safely
because we sailed too close to the shore.
Sir Francis Drake
http://davemale.typepad.com/churchunplugged/