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Finding the Way. Day Conference with 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. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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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is no longer that it is ‘boring’or ‘out of date’ or ‘irrelevant’.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