Some more thoughts to get the juices going for the new year
As I said in a previuos blog I'm reading Sturat Murray's Book Church after Christendom,
In it amongst oter things he looks at the place of Believing, Belonging and Behavior and comments on the fact that the plac eof behaviour is becomming ever important in the changing climate. A while back i read Harvey Cox's book on When Jesus came to Harvard, and the sudden popularity of a course on ethics he did. While i hated ethics when I was theological college the importance of forming the mind atttitude and behaviour to be Christ like can not be overlooked, and I suspect that when we are saying we need confirmation to be taken seriously by the Church it is the formation of identity and ethics rather then dogma.
"Post-Christendom catechesis will require more than induction course - even courses that explore 'behaving' in far greater depth than any course currently available. It will mean rehearsing the 'big story' and core values of the community, so these are deeply internalised. It may include a form of cultural excorcsim, confronting the norms os a cynical, individualistic, patriachal, consumerist culture, built on global injustice and sustained by institutional violence. And it will involve mentoring, apprenticeship and accountability processes."
Stuart Murray page 35
I think this is what is missing, excorcism was always apart of the catechesis rites of the anicent church, a cultural excorcism could be very impotant now also. Though balance is needed I think the development of a behavioural confirmation course might be worth pursuing
Friday, January 27, 2006
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Free book and other news
Just started reading a free book that I found on the net by a guy in the UK called Lee Jackson,
the book is Effective Schools Work, and it's pretty darn good.
Click on the magic link to access the down load
http://www.networkleeds.com/index.pl?z=42&s=426
In other News it looks like we will be running a inter parish sports weekend during the Easter Holidays, should be a lot of fun....
the book is Effective Schools Work, and it's pretty darn good.
Click on the magic link to access the down load
http://www.networkleeds.com/index.pl?z=42&s=426
In other News it looks like we will be running a inter parish sports weekend during the Easter Holidays, should be a lot of fun....
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
wow factor
Someone once said if you want to see how good a movement is look at how it survives a disaster.
While in the Uk I spent some time at the ruins of Whitby Abbey, I say ruins very loosely because although the bricks and stones are failing the place still drips with the pressence of God, it is to me a subtle reminer that despite the Church often failing an falling, God still shines through the cracks...
Found this very interesting observation on Bishop Spong and his Diocese, despite it's failure and falling I suspect God may still have work for them to do - though I doubt Spong would belive that.
http://www.steveaddison.net/2006/01/21/shifting-the-deck-chairs.html
Post Christendom
Just started reading Stuart Murray's book Church After Christendom. Never ceases to amaze me that there are books like this that seem to have so much to say to the Church but people still get stuck in reading feel good books like 40 days fo purpose. While i think there is a place for these works, i can't help think that were palying crads with the wrong deck when it is all we offer to the Church, when are we going to fess up to the fact that the world has changed and the church is moving further and further into a gheto of self....
Pinched this from Ian McDonalds blog : http://oxford.anglican.org/youthblog/
From an evalgelism day seminar
Quote of the day was when Bishop Stephen was telling us about him being challenged on, when all this 'new' (implication = wishy washy/un-Biblical) talk about 'our christian journey' became a feature of evangelism?
His reply,
"Well ........ it is difficult to put an exact time on it, but probably ... around Tea Time on the FIRST Easter day!"
Pinched this from Ian McDonalds blog : http://oxford.anglican.org/youthblog/
From an evalgelism day seminar
Quote of the day was when Bishop Stephen was telling us about him being challenged on, when all this 'new' (implication = wishy washy/un-Biblical) talk about 'our christian journey' became a feature of evangelism?
His reply,
"Well ........ it is difficult to put an exact time on it, but probably ... around Tea Time on the FIRST Easter day!"
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Wisdom from a Strip club
We had a discussion this morning over how we respond to issues in the local community, the issue in hand was the opening of a Strip club. A suggestion was made that we should be doing soemthing about it, and I guess the we should be doing something about it is a typical repsonse. We always seems to really mean you, and rarely does it include I.
In my role the we should be doing soemthing about it is a line I think i have used to often to churches, when I say we I mean you and I rarely include I.
I'll be quite honest I still don't know what we should do about this Strip Club, but I think I'll be a bit more careful to mean what I say.
In my role the we should be doing soemthing about it is a line I think i have used to often to churches, when I say we I mean you and I rarely include I.
I'll be quite honest I still don't know what we should do about this Strip Club, but I think I'll be a bit more careful to mean what I say.
Monday, January 23, 2006
Mission Shaped Church, my thoughts....
For anyone who has an interest in these things here are my thoughts
During my recent trip to the UK I was fortunate enough to meet with Bishop Graham Cray[1] (Maidstone), Dr Peter Ward (Kings College London and former Youth Adviser to Archbishop of Canterbury) and several of my counterparts in the CofE. A main point of these meetings was to chat over the Mission Shaped Church report and it’s implication for Youth Ministry
The following summary from Jonny Baker I think explains nicely the gist of the report::
“The report argues that a 'mixed economy church' is what is needed in the new context we find ourselves in. One size no longer fits all. Parish churches and traditional models of ministry and church are to be encouraged and developed but alongside these we need a whole set of 'fresh expressions' of church. Examples talked about include youth congregations, network church, alternative worship, base communities, cell church, new monastic orders, traditional church plants, cafe church, multiple and midweek congregations, church in school and so on...
The report unifies all of this under an emphasis on all these expressions being mission-shaped at their heart. The theology for a missionary church underpinning it is outstanding both in its content but also in the way that it drives home the case that being mission shaped and a diversity of expressions of church is actually right at the heart of what it means to be Anglican. This canny move is a really welcome shift. The days of bishops saying to groups doing new things that it's fine but they don't want to know about it (i.e. 'it's fine but I'll turn a blind eye') need to be over - it's no longer good enough. This gives the church the opportunity to say wholeheartedly that the emerging/fresh expressions of church are to be celebrated, supported and welcomed as real church and not something to turn a blind eye to.”[2]
In Bishop Graham Cray’s words:
“The working group that developed the document was an attempt to be a strategic and logistical work that would bring the cutting edge of the Church more into the heart of the Church.” It is an attempt to support and encourage the church to be Creative, Inventive Agents of Change
While the intended outcome of the report is about starting a movement of strategically and logistical change as much as it was celebrating and describing the emerging models of Church it does so from a different theological stand point to what we might expect drawing more so on Missiology than Dogmatics (more influenced by Newbiggin than Karl Barth). Subsequently producing an ecclesiology that is far more of a go to rather than the often favoured attractional model that has been in vogue through the influence of the Church Growth Movement. This Theological shift probably has more in common with Vatican 2 and inculturation theory than the Willow Creek, Saddleback approach of if we build it properly then they will come. A major reason given by Cray for this shift has been the gradual movement of the established Church to the fringes of established Society. The attractional model does not work anymore. As the Structures of our Church are the servants of Ecclesiology as one might expect the changing ecclesiology has generated a need for the structure to change.
Key Outcomes of this report:
A key person in every region who is responsible for implementation in that region of the finding of the mission shaped Church, I met with one such person in Oxford - Andrew Gear - Parish Development Adviser, Andrew was very positive of the changes that MSC offered but given that Oxford is known for being an innovative Diocese then that is not surprising.
In the report there was a call for: “Priority and attention needs to be given by the Church of England to the identification and training of leaders for pioneering missionary projects. The possibility of a call to such work needs to be specifically identified in the vocational process.”[3] Subsequently a paper on guidelines for the identification, training and deployment of Ordained Pioneer Ministers has been drawn up with Fresh Expression[4] and theological education and the relationship between to two to become a priority amongst ministry educators. [5] In order for this movement to carry on momentum it will become necessary to find a new type of ‘priest’ a pioneer type.
Some of the canon laws relating to what is and what isn’t a ‘church’ have been and are being reviewed to allow for recognition of these Fresh Expressions of Church.
The development of a fund to encourage Mission initatives is being developed this will help with setup of relevant Fresh Expressions.
A website has been developed that will not only serve as a network for those involved in fresh expressions but will also serves as a resource centre
This in not just about flavour of the month but it is a genuine attempt to put structural changes in place that will carry the MSC movement forward. In discussion with Graham I described what I thought was happening in terms of surfing where the surfer looks for the right wave to ride into the beach. Graham commented that the changes that are happening are taking that a step further ridding the wave but ensuring that the wave is not just a one off, through structural change there is now an artificial reef in place to help the wave of change continue, this does not negate the work of the Spirit but rather ensures the work of the Spirit is not ignored.
The down side – in an attempt to make it bland rather than brand a lot of initiatives have been drawn into the fresh expressions basket, some of which may have been going for decades – Whether we should consider a craft group or kids play group as a fresh expression will be a point of contention[6]– hence it could distract from the real cutting edge that is in desperate need of the support.
Do We Need to take seriously the Mission Shaped Church Report?
While the New Zealand context is very different to the UK, I believe that the Mission Shaped Church report has a lot to offer. Firstly it’s proposed ecclesiology would better fit our context than our current North American influenced attractional model. While many of the growing Churches in NZ assume an attractional model the ‘pond’ of which they ‘fish’ in is limited and to reach the rest of society we too will need to come to terms with how go to models of Church might look.
Implications for Youth Ministry.
While the Space that Mission Shaped Church has produced certainly allows room for youth ministry to develop further it is worth noting that even prior to the changes this report has proposed a large proportion of Youth ministry in the UK was creative, inventive and certainly produced Agents of Change. [7]
Without it youth ministry would probably continue in much the same way, however it is worth noting that many of the people behind the report have quite a major section of their CV devoted to youth ministry, Graham Cray put this down to the fact that the Youth Ministry of the CofE that being the breeding ground for the Mission Shaped Church, noting that over the past 30 years the youth ministry of the Church has held a torch for the wider church through its attempts to keep evangelism alive. Engaging with the surrounding culture while maintaining the message of Christ – through the Mission Shaped Church youth ministry is returning that flame that gift to the wider Church. On the same note Ward commented that Youth ministry has tended to be a test bed for much of what happens in Church life with many major moves in the Church finding their roots in youth ministry. In order for a Youth Ministry to succeed it must be creative, inventive and involved people who would become change agents, if it has failed anywhere it is its inability to develop and/or change the structures that would support it and nurture its growth, the Mission Shaped Church could certainly offer that structure.
Youth Ministry then has played a key role in the development not only of the ecclesiology that has birthed the changes that a mission shaped church offers, but it has been a test bed for many of the recognised Fresh Expressions.[8] Given it’s value then the question then must be asked if youth ministry is such a key part of the future shape of the Church how much time and energy should the church be putting into it?
[1] Bishop Graham Cray was the chairperson of the working group that formed this report, but is also a strong advocate for youth in the Church of England.
[2] Jonny Baker article The Angli-CAN Church, http://www.emergingchurch.info/reflection/jonnybaker/angli-can.htm
[3] Page 134 Mission Shaped Church
[4] Fresh Expression is the term that is being used to describe the outcomes of the Mission Shaped Church; it is taken from standard Priest installation document in the CofE.
[5] Available from http://www.freshexpressions.org.uk/section.asp?id=1195 attached appendices
[6] All those I met who were youth officers at a diocesan level commented that this was concern
[7] Soul Survivor, Oxford Youth Works and many similar programmes that have their heart in the CofE but have remained at a distance from her structures
[8] One of note is a group set up to cater for retired professional people, it is modeled on an youth after school club.
During my recent trip to the UK I was fortunate enough to meet with Bishop Graham Cray[1] (Maidstone), Dr Peter Ward (Kings College London and former Youth Adviser to Archbishop of Canterbury) and several of my counterparts in the CofE. A main point of these meetings was to chat over the Mission Shaped Church report and it’s implication for Youth Ministry
The following summary from Jonny Baker I think explains nicely the gist of the report::
“The report argues that a 'mixed economy church' is what is needed in the new context we find ourselves in. One size no longer fits all. Parish churches and traditional models of ministry and church are to be encouraged and developed but alongside these we need a whole set of 'fresh expressions' of church. Examples talked about include youth congregations, network church, alternative worship, base communities, cell church, new monastic orders, traditional church plants, cafe church, multiple and midweek congregations, church in school and so on...
The report unifies all of this under an emphasis on all these expressions being mission-shaped at their heart. The theology for a missionary church underpinning it is outstanding both in its content but also in the way that it drives home the case that being mission shaped and a diversity of expressions of church is actually right at the heart of what it means to be Anglican. This canny move is a really welcome shift. The days of bishops saying to groups doing new things that it's fine but they don't want to know about it (i.e. 'it's fine but I'll turn a blind eye') need to be over - it's no longer good enough. This gives the church the opportunity to say wholeheartedly that the emerging/fresh expressions of church are to be celebrated, supported and welcomed as real church and not something to turn a blind eye to.”[2]
In Bishop Graham Cray’s words:
“The working group that developed the document was an attempt to be a strategic and logistical work that would bring the cutting edge of the Church more into the heart of the Church.” It is an attempt to support and encourage the church to be Creative, Inventive Agents of Change
While the intended outcome of the report is about starting a movement of strategically and logistical change as much as it was celebrating and describing the emerging models of Church it does so from a different theological stand point to what we might expect drawing more so on Missiology than Dogmatics (more influenced by Newbiggin than Karl Barth). Subsequently producing an ecclesiology that is far more of a go to rather than the often favoured attractional model that has been in vogue through the influence of the Church Growth Movement. This Theological shift probably has more in common with Vatican 2 and inculturation theory than the Willow Creek, Saddleback approach of if we build it properly then they will come. A major reason given by Cray for this shift has been the gradual movement of the established Church to the fringes of established Society. The attractional model does not work anymore. As the Structures of our Church are the servants of Ecclesiology as one might expect the changing ecclesiology has generated a need for the structure to change.
Key Outcomes of this report:
A key person in every region who is responsible for implementation in that region of the finding of the mission shaped Church, I met with one such person in Oxford - Andrew Gear - Parish Development Adviser, Andrew was very positive of the changes that MSC offered but given that Oxford is known for being an innovative Diocese then that is not surprising.
In the report there was a call for: “Priority and attention needs to be given by the Church of England to the identification and training of leaders for pioneering missionary projects. The possibility of a call to such work needs to be specifically identified in the vocational process.”[3] Subsequently a paper on guidelines for the identification, training and deployment of Ordained Pioneer Ministers has been drawn up with Fresh Expression[4] and theological education and the relationship between to two to become a priority amongst ministry educators. [5] In order for this movement to carry on momentum it will become necessary to find a new type of ‘priest’ a pioneer type.
Some of the canon laws relating to what is and what isn’t a ‘church’ have been and are being reviewed to allow for recognition of these Fresh Expressions of Church.
The development of a fund to encourage Mission initatives is being developed this will help with setup of relevant Fresh Expressions.
A website has been developed that will not only serve as a network for those involved in fresh expressions but will also serves as a resource centre
This in not just about flavour of the month but it is a genuine attempt to put structural changes in place that will carry the MSC movement forward. In discussion with Graham I described what I thought was happening in terms of surfing where the surfer looks for the right wave to ride into the beach. Graham commented that the changes that are happening are taking that a step further ridding the wave but ensuring that the wave is not just a one off, through structural change there is now an artificial reef in place to help the wave of change continue, this does not negate the work of the Spirit but rather ensures the work of the Spirit is not ignored.
The down side – in an attempt to make it bland rather than brand a lot of initiatives have been drawn into the fresh expressions basket, some of which may have been going for decades – Whether we should consider a craft group or kids play group as a fresh expression will be a point of contention[6]– hence it could distract from the real cutting edge that is in desperate need of the support.
Do We Need to take seriously the Mission Shaped Church Report?
While the New Zealand context is very different to the UK, I believe that the Mission Shaped Church report has a lot to offer. Firstly it’s proposed ecclesiology would better fit our context than our current North American influenced attractional model. While many of the growing Churches in NZ assume an attractional model the ‘pond’ of which they ‘fish’ in is limited and to reach the rest of society we too will need to come to terms with how go to models of Church might look.
Implications for Youth Ministry.
While the Space that Mission Shaped Church has produced certainly allows room for youth ministry to develop further it is worth noting that even prior to the changes this report has proposed a large proportion of Youth ministry in the UK was creative, inventive and certainly produced Agents of Change. [7]
Without it youth ministry would probably continue in much the same way, however it is worth noting that many of the people behind the report have quite a major section of their CV devoted to youth ministry, Graham Cray put this down to the fact that the Youth Ministry of the CofE that being the breeding ground for the Mission Shaped Church, noting that over the past 30 years the youth ministry of the Church has held a torch for the wider church through its attempts to keep evangelism alive. Engaging with the surrounding culture while maintaining the message of Christ – through the Mission Shaped Church youth ministry is returning that flame that gift to the wider Church. On the same note Ward commented that Youth ministry has tended to be a test bed for much of what happens in Church life with many major moves in the Church finding their roots in youth ministry. In order for a Youth Ministry to succeed it must be creative, inventive and involved people who would become change agents, if it has failed anywhere it is its inability to develop and/or change the structures that would support it and nurture its growth, the Mission Shaped Church could certainly offer that structure.
Youth Ministry then has played a key role in the development not only of the ecclesiology that has birthed the changes that a mission shaped church offers, but it has been a test bed for many of the recognised Fresh Expressions.[8] Given it’s value then the question then must be asked if youth ministry is such a key part of the future shape of the Church how much time and energy should the church be putting into it?
[1] Bishop Graham Cray was the chairperson of the working group that formed this report, but is also a strong advocate for youth in the Church of England.
[2] Jonny Baker article The Angli-CAN Church, http://www.emergingchurch.info/reflection/jonnybaker/angli-can.htm
[3] Page 134 Mission Shaped Church
[4] Fresh Expression is the term that is being used to describe the outcomes of the Mission Shaped Church; it is taken from standard Priest installation document in the CofE.
[5] Available from http://www.freshexpressions.org.uk/section.asp?id=1195 attached appendices
[6] All those I met who were youth officers at a diocesan level commented that this was concern
[7] Soul Survivor, Oxford Youth Works and many similar programmes that have their heart in the CofE but have remained at a distance from her structures
[8] One of note is a group set up to cater for retired professional people, it is modeled on an youth after school club.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Budhism?
Last week a prominent tibettan budhist leader was invited ot our region to promote world peace. I don't wish to offend people but i do need to ask the question what do these people do to promote world peace. It seems to me they offer a smile, encourage people to be happy and pray for blessings and that is about it..
Part of me looks at that and thinks it's a joke, but part of me looks at that and says well does the church offer anymore??
so often what we do can be viewed in the same way, a smile a word of encouragement and a prayer, while these in themselves are important, there must be more to the message of Jesus, and the message of the Church.
When i look at soem of the cries comming out of the emerging church conversations i see cries for something more, to do justice also.
I think at the end of the day that is what makes us more relevant to the needs of the world when we offer a prayer, a smile, and the coat of our back.
Part of me looks at that and thinks it's a joke, but part of me looks at that and says well does the church offer anymore??
so often what we do can be viewed in the same way, a smile a word of encouragement and a prayer, while these in themselves are important, there must be more to the message of Jesus, and the message of the Church.
When i look at soem of the cries comming out of the emerging church conversations i see cries for something more, to do justice also.
I think at the end of the day that is what makes us more relevant to the needs of the world when we offer a prayer, a smile, and the coat of our back.
Sunday, January 15, 2006
it's grim up north
My home team Middlesbrough have just suffered their biggest premier leagur defeat ever at the hands of Aresnal - 7 - 0
ouch, any team but Arsenal...
still it could be worse - they face the might of Nuneaton on Tuesday night in the FA Cup, how will a team of overpayed proffesionals fare against a bunch of amateurs in the FA cup you never can tell
Still two shinning lights from this side of the world are starting to make an impression on the beautiful game in the Premiership, Nelsen - well he just rocks - saw him play against boro before Xmas.
and Simon Elliot is the latest import
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Excuse my sarcasm
I wrote a very sarcastic blog about the emerging conference phenomena yesterday, some more thoughts....
I had a conversation in England with Pete Ward about the shape of youth ministry, and the fact that there seems to be a growing sense of sameness about youth minitry - he put it down to a the way that groups come together and from into cartels to survive and promote themsleves. Alpha being a major cratel with many churches adopting the label an Alpha Church, while this is not all bad it does tend to produce what can be an unhealthy sameness. I suspect that there is a danger in the emerging conference scene of a cartel forming, it seems that Brian Mclarens inisitance on calling the whole this a converstaion rather than a movement may be a way of counteracting that, but human nature does tend to seek safety in numbers...
I had a conversation in England with Pete Ward about the shape of youth ministry, and the fact that there seems to be a growing sense of sameness about youth minitry - he put it down to a the way that groups come together and from into cartels to survive and promote themsleves. Alpha being a major cratel with many churches adopting the label an Alpha Church, while this is not all bad it does tend to produce what can be an unhealthy sameness. I suspect that there is a danger in the emerging conference scene of a cartel forming, it seems that Brian Mclarens inisitance on calling the whole this a converstaion rather than a movement may be a way of counteracting that, but human nature does tend to seek safety in numbers...
Mission Shapped Church
While on holiday in the UK, I spent an afternoon with Bishop Graham Cray one of the people behind the Mission Shapped Church report. At the moment I am writting a report ot my Bishop about it, including making some recommendations of areas to explore. While the meeting was great, the thing that really struck me was how those involved had tried to put structures behinf emerging church type concepts allowing them to be as Graham said, "drawn from the fringes into the main stream life of the Church." I guess these possibilites fill me with excitement that there may finaly be a palce for recognition of the value to 'church' life of the fringes, but I also have a sense of fear. From my time of involvement with soem of these fringe groups on of the values of them was that they were fringe - they were church without the trimmings, the politics and full of freedom. My fear is with this then that through drawing soem of these things in they will cease to be of value to those on the fringes.
just a thought....
just a thought....
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
the emerging church becomes a conference church
Not sure whether anyone has noticed lately but there is a new movement happening amongst the conference circuit, gone are the days of 20 steps to being a better ladder (sorry that should say leader) to be replaced by emerging church conferences.
With the threat looming of being set upon by some people i view as friends I want to ask a question.
is this all about money prestige and fame?
or
is this all about selling another formula?
or
is this a genuine attempt to draw the firnges of the church into the center?
I am not sure of the answer - maybe there is no answer but there is something to be said about a church movement remaining on the fringes -or am i just being an elitist snob.
answers on the back of a postcard (very emerging Church) to my PO BOX
With the threat looming of being set upon by some people i view as friends I want to ask a question.
is this all about money prestige and fame?
or
is this all about selling another formula?
or
is this a genuine attempt to draw the firnges of the church into the center?
I am not sure of the answer - maybe there is no answer but there is something to be said about a church movement remaining on the fringes -or am i just being an elitist snob.
answers on the back of a postcard (very emerging Church) to my PO BOX
It's alive
hallelujah
my blog has finaly let me back in after my holiday.
On my desk at the moment are lots of things I should be doing, lots of things i shouldn't be doing and about 50 letters that needs signing - it's back to work again - hurrah....
where else would i rather be when the sun is hsinning but my windowless office
my blog has finaly let me back in after my holiday.
On my desk at the moment are lots of things I should be doing, lots of things i shouldn't be doing and about 50 letters that needs signing - it's back to work again - hurrah....
where else would i rather be when the sun is hsinning but my windowless office
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