Finding the Way

Day Conferencewith Canon Robert Warren

The marks of a healthy church is energised by faith has an outward-looking focus seeks to find out what God wants faces the cost of change and growth operates as a community makes room for all does a few things and does them well

Leadership implications

The call to leadership is a callto the adventure of creativity

in a unique context.

Mike Starkey: Ministry Rediscovered.

What’s it all about?The pursuit of the knowledge of God

The great fact for which all religion stands

is the confrontation of the human soulwith the transcendent holiness of God.

John Baillie, Our knowledge of God

UP to Godin personal faith,corporate worship and daily living

INto one another

as a life-givingcommunity

OUTto all around

usengaging in God’sloving purposes

spirituality

The gospel for today’s culture

God’s way of being fully humanhas been demonstrated in the life of Jesus

Christ,is available to all through the work of the Spirit

and is currently being demonstrated in your nearest local church

or is it?!

Exploring together...

Our response to what has been said so far

Identify key questions, issues, comments

Church and spirituality...

fewer and fewer peopleare attracted to Christianityin the ‘First World’ countries

because there isso little spirituality in religion.

 Matthew Fox, Creation Spirituality

Church and spirituality...It is disturbing and revealing to hear

that the criticism of the churchby spiritual seekers outside

is no longer that it is ‘boring’or ‘out of date’ or ‘irrelevant’. It is criticised instead for being

‘unspiritual’. David Runcorn, Spirituality Workbook

Facing obstacles

tyranny of the urgentsilo thinking

confusing means and goalsloosing sight of God’s agenda

I am persuaded that religious people do notwith sufficient seriousness count on God

as an active factor in the affairs of the world. ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock’,

but too many well-intentioned people areso preoccupied with the clatter of effort

to do something for Godthat they don’t hear Him asking

that he might do something through themThomas Kelly, A Testament of Devotion

exploring together...

Which obstacle most affects your church?

Is there another one apart from these?

Questions, issues, comments

Developing Distinctives

listening

To really listen...To really listen and to understand their needs

is a profoundly Christian activity,since it takes others seriously

and does not presume we knowwhat makes them tick.

It is also the first step in understandinghow we can enter into other people’s world.

Alan Smith: God-shaped mission

listening to God...Many churches overwhelm themselveswith actions, meetings and projects...

which are often a squandering of their resourcesrather than a faithful commitment

to engage with God’s call on their life together.

Laurie Green, Let’s Do Theology

Developing Distinctives

listeningvocation

generosity

exploring together...

what might be the distinctive characteristic,God is calling us to give expression toin and through the life of our church?

Mission is......the good news of God’s love,

incarnated in the witness of a community,

for the sake of the world.

David Bosch, Transforming Mission

Mission weaknessesSilo thinking

Means not goals

Loss of distinctiveness

Lack of creativity and imagination

Doingthrough churchorganisationsand activities

Livingout of the faith by

church members in the whole of their

lives.

Beingcommunicating faiththrough the church’sethos, values and quality of relationships

Developing mission distinctives

Prayer

Listening

Quality of

relationships

Self-giving love

exploring together...

What does all this say aboutyour church’s engagement in mission?

What might be the next steps for your church in its engagement in God’s mission?

What issues and questions remain?

Mission terminologyKingdom: God’s action in bringing humanity and

all creation to its intended fulfilment in Christ.Mission: sharing in God’s loving purposes for the

wholeness of humanity and all creation. 

Evangelism: the processes whereby people become disciples of Jesus Christ.

 

Spirituality: how encounter with God is experienced, expressed and nurtured.

 

Church: lived embodiment and outworking of mission, evangelism and spirituality

Current weaknessesLimited to physically needy

Plus crisis management‘comfort’ the goal

Hierarchical assumptions/expectationsLack of help to the healthy/able

Growing whole church pastoral care

Growing whole-church/life pastoral cultureMutuality principle

Awakening dynamicListening focus: ‘market research’

Small team: 3 people 3 times yearAgreed area of exploration

Development of culture of faith explorationTeam growth out of the visited

exploring together...

Key insights from the day

Next steps back home

issues and questions remaining

Spirituality

Buildings Mission

Spiritualityenabling people to have

such a relationship with Godthat they live out of a sense of

wonder, generosity and vocationin the whole of life,

and, through the life of the church,share in generous service of others.

BuildingsBringing our activities onto one site

in a building that speaks ofwonder, peace and generous welcome

that provokes people toseek God

and is a great facility through which the service of the wider community

takes place.

MissionTo find ways in which to

engage with, learn from, and work forthe good of the people of this townin such a generous God-given way

as to provoke curiosity, wonder

andthe pursuit of the knowledge of God

and practical expressionof the goodness of God

UP to Godin personal faith,corporate worship and daily living

INto one another

as a life-givingcommunity

OUTto all around

usengaging in God’sloving purposes

spirituality