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REC100:RevitalizingMissionintheParish:Part3

ToRevitalizeMissionintheParishMeans...

• RemainingCommittedtoPrayerBookWorshipaswehaveapprovedintheREC

• ReachingOutWithoutDumbing Down (Marva Dawnbooktitle),theworshipofGodorthecontentofthefaith

• RisingfromapreservationmindsettopromotionoftheGospel...ThedualfocusofHolyAltarTabletoMissionandMissiontotheThroneofGodshoulddriveeverythingwedo...Thereforemission/evangelismismorethanacommitteetackedontoeverythingelse...

• ResultinginthemakingofdisciplesintheAnglicanWayintotrueworshippersthroughthemultiplicationofprayerbookcongregations

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FirstPresentationFishingWithANet:TheWholeCommunityofthePeopleofGod

ReachingtheWorld...

Jesus’andHisDisciplesFishedwithNetsnotHooksTranslatinginaCommunityFishingwitha

VarietyofAspectsofaLargeNet....

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SecondPresentationFishingWithANet:TheWholeCommissionBytheWhole

Congregation

TheGreatCommissioninEachoftheGospelsProvidesaCompleteViewofAllFourPartsoftheNet

WithWhichtheChurchFishes...

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TheGospelNetoftheFourGospelsIncludesVariousWaysForThoseOutsidetoParticipateWithoutBeing

Members• St.Matthew’sGreatCommission:“MakingDisciples”by“catechizing”totheFontandtheTable,translatingvariousteachingministries

• St.Mark’sGreatCommission:The“Kerygma”orproclamationapproachoftheGospel,translatingintospecialeventevangelism(i.e.preachingmissions)

• St.Luke’sGreatCommission:Thehospitality/benevolenceapproachofwelcomingtoamealandhealingministries

• St.John’sGreatCommission:ThesacramentallifeofthesignsofthemysticalpresenceofChrist(i.e.EasterEvenBaptismsandBaptismalRenewal)

Thus,theWaysofBelongingBeforeBelievingareDefinedbytheWholeGreatCommissionPresentedintheFourGospels...CastingaWide

Net...

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TheGospels ModeloftheWholeGreatCommissionTranslatesIntoMultipleMinistriesOutofAndBytheCommunityofthePeopleofGod...AbleToReachManyDifferentKindsofDisciples...

Thosenear,ThoseFatherAwayandThoseFarthestAway...

ThereWereDisciplesNeartoJesus...Thetwelveandeventhethree...

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ThereWereDisciplesWhoCamealongbutWhoWereCloseButFartherAway...TheSeventy,Nicodemus,

theWomenattheEmptyTomb,the500etc.

DisciplesWhoAreFarthestAway...TheRemotestPeople...Gentiles...TheMagi

...

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TheThreeCategoriesofDisciplesCanBeSpirituallyandGeographicallyNear,FartherAway,andFarthestAway...Whichmakesfishingforhumans

challenging...

Sohowdoestheparishextenditscommunitytofinddisciplesnear,farther

awayandfarthestaway?

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WeHavePresentedHowTheChurchisCalledaHouseinHolyScripture...TogetdisciplesintotheHouseoftheLordtomeettheHost,Jesus,wefirsthavetoinvitethemtothefrontporch...Which

MeansWeNeedFrontPorchMinistriesinourParish

FrontPorchMinistriesAreSquaresintheNet...TheMoreSquarestheWiderthe

Net...TheBiggertheCatch...

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ButUndoubtedlyOurTraditionalAnglicanWayUsuallyFindstheMostDifficult

PotentialDiscipleToReach:theSeeker...

BringingUsToTheThirdPresentation:ReachingthoseFarthestAway...Unbelievers,Un-Churched,andthe

Seekers...

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Somanyofourtraditionalministriesdofairlywellreachingthosenear...Lesseffectivefartheraway...Andnot

verysuccessfulinreachingtheunbeliever...(Ofcoursenooneisdoingallthatgreatofajobinourculturereachingtheunbeliever)

TheGreatChallengefortraditionalAnglicanChurches,otherliturgicalchurchesandincreasinglyforallchurchesisreachingthelostandtheun-churched...Whatare

calledtheseekers...Specificallyadultconverts...

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Thechallengefortraditionalprayerbookchurches...Wearenowtwoto

threegenerationsfromotherAnglicanswhoknewthetraditional

prayerbook...Itusedtobewecouldadvertiseforthosewhoknowthetraditionalprayerbookandreceiveimmediateresponseadinterest...ButwhatnowwhenfewifanyknowtheGreatTraditionoftheAnglican

Way?

Itmeanswecannolongerrelyonotherstomaketheconverts...

WehavetomakeAnglicanstheoldfashionedway...WehavetobetheonestodotheevangelismandmakedisciplesforJesusChristin

theAnglicanWay...

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TheChallengesforTraditionalAnglicansDoingEvangelism...AndReachingseekers...

• AnglicansasagroupandforthemostpartintheWesthaven’tdonemuchevangelisminoverahundredyears...Weusedto...Thentodaythewordevangelisminthemindsofmanymeansdoor-to-door,orcrusadeapproachesusedbyvariousChristianmovementsandgroupsduringthelastcentury...MethodsthathadappealupuntilthePostWWIIdecadesofourculture...Nownolongeraretheyaseffective...Besides...Anglicanstypicallydonotresonatetothesekindsofapproaches...Norwilltheydothem...

• Theinfluenceofseparatistmodelsofholiness...Sinceholinesshasoftenbeenonlydefinedasbeingseparatetotheexclusionofbeingmadewhole,“ThelongerpeopleareChristiansthefewerunbelieverstheyknoworevenhavecontactwith.”WesternChristiansaremanytimessoseparatethey’velosecontactwithunbelieversinanyeffectivewayofreachingthemforChrist...Theresultisthattheydon’tknowwhattodowiththeirunbelievercontacts,iftheyevenhavethem,norhowtoleadthemtobecomebelieversandchurchmembers

• SomanyoftheseekermodelsarenotconsistentwithwhoweareasBiblicalandclassicalAnglicans...SomanyapproachespresenttheGospelwithoutcatechesis,withoutaviewtomakingdisciplesintotrueworshippers,withoutthesacramentandwithouttheChurch...Evenbeingoverlydecisionalinanalltoooftenmechanisticsense...

AWordAboutATooMechanisticApproachtoMakingaDecisionforChrist...

• I’mnotsayingthatpeoplewhoreceiveChristdon’thavetruesavingcommitment...It’sjustthatnotallbelieversareawareofwhentheybecameabeliever.ThensomebaptizedasinfantsactuallygrowinChristtheirentirelivesandarenoteverconsciousofa“decisionmoment”apartfromtheirbaptismeventhoughtheystillhavesavingfaith...Scripturehasexamplesofboth...Thosewhobelievebeforebaptismandthosewhobelieveafter(i.e.Householdbaptisms)...

• SomehaveaDamascusRoadexperiencebutmost,especiallyinapostmodernculture,comebywayoftheEmmausRoaddiscoveryandgradualcommitmenttoChrist...

• Itisgracethroughfaiththatsavesusnotthedecision...Adecisioncanbeanexpressionofwhatisalreadythere...Faithintheheartcanevenbetherewithoutconsciousdecisionsbeingmade...

• Thedangerthereforewithadecision-equals-faithapproachisthatsometimesitcanmakepeoplethinktheybelievewhentheydon’t...“thedecisionsavedme”...Anditcansometimesmissthemorenormal,gradualwayofcomingtosavingfaithintheLordJesusChrist...

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TakeSt.PeterAsAnExample• Andrewleadshimtomeet

Christ...• Butitisprobablynotuntil

later,hisfamous,“ThouarttheChrist”momentwhenhetrulyexpresseshisfaith(Matthew16)

• Thentherewashisgreatfallingaway

• ThentherewashisinvolvementwiththeJudaizers whobelievedoneneededcircumcisiontobesaved...ThatresultedinthefirstChurchCouncil...

• SowhenwasPetersaved?

TakeC.S.LewisAsAnExample...• “Youmustpicturemealoneinthatroomin

Magdalen [College,Oxford],nightafternight,feeling,whenevermymindliftedevenforasecondfrommywork,thesteady,unrelentingapproachofHimwhomIsoearnestlydesirednottomeet.ThatwhichIgreatlyfearedhadatlastcomeuponme.IntheTrinityTermof1929Igavein,andadmittedthatGodwasGod,andkneltandprayed:perhaps,thatnight,themostdejectedandreluctantconvertinallEngland”(SurprisedbyJoy)

• Afewdaysafterthatlate-nightwalk,Lewis,stillponderingtheconversation,gotintothesidecarofhisbrother'smotorcycleforatriptothezoo.Helaterwrote,"WhenwesetoutIdidnotbelievethatJesusistheSonofGod,andwhenwereachedthezooIdid.”Timeofsalvationisnotalwaysknown!

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SomeSeekerModelsAreWorkingBecauseTheyAreIncarnational ...

• Alphawonderfullybuildsaseekermodelaroundameal,aseriesofpresentationsofwhoJesusChristisandanintroductiontotheBlessedTrinity,andaretreatthatcreatesasenseofcommunity...TheseaspectsaretheheartoftheAlphamodelthatisgood,Biblicalandright...Wecanbuildonthispartoftheprogram...ThechallengeiswhatappearstobemissinginalltheGreatCommissionsoftheGospels,suchasreferencetothesacraments(especiallyBaptismandtheEucharist),thegoalofdiscipleshipbeingworship,especiallywiththeancientliturgy...andtheChurch...

• ChristianityExploredbrilliantlyutilizestheGospelofMarktopresenttheGospel...It’smodelofaGospeltosharetheGospel...ButthisGospel(Mark)emphasizestheproclamationapproachtotheGreatCommission...Matthew’s,Luke’sandJohn’sapproachesthatbringoutthecatechetical,hospitality,socialandsacramentalaspectsofproclaimingtheGospelarenotthere...PerhapsoneoftheotherGospelscouldbeusedtobemorecomprehensive...

• Therefore,AlphaandChristianityExploredaregoodseekermodelsthathaveandcanbeusedeffectively.Theyarebetterthannothing.

• Nevertheless,wehaveseentheneedtodevelopaseekermodelutilizingthebestoftheseapproaches,yetalsoincludingtheotheraspectsoftheGreatCommissionintheGospelsthatareimportanttousasclassicalAnglicans...

Therefore...WhatIf...• Amealmodelcouldbeformulated...• Thatcreatesacommunityeasilyaccessiblefortheunbelieverandtheunchurched,tocomeintoacontextwherethepersonwouldbewelcome,freetoexpressdoubtsandconcerns,andbeacceptedasis...

• AndinthissamecontextbepresentedanIncarnationalmodeloftheTruth,andalsoheartheGospelaccordingtotheGospels,oratleastaGospelthatgivesthemthecompleteGreatCommission...ThroughChrist’sencounterswithvariousindividualsthatbringoutcatechesis,sacrament,worshipandthechurchaspects,involvedinbecomingatruediscipleofJesusChrist...Wecallit,Veritas:WhatIsTruth?

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Veritas:WhatIsTruth?

• Offeredinthehomeoratthechurchoranywherewhereawarm,open,comfortablecommunitycontextcanbeprovided...

• Offeredoverfiveevenings...Ofanhourandahalfincluding...• Beginningwithrefreshments,lightChristianmusicconsistentwiththe

musicofthechurchbutfrontporchinfeel...• Ameal...• ApresentationbasedonJesus’encounterwithPontiusPilateinwhichthe

questionisaskedthatisasrelevanttodayasitwas2,000yearsago,“WhatisTruth,”followedupbypresentationsfromtheGospelofJohnandJesus’encounterswithvariouspeoplesuchasNicodemus,thewomanatthewell,theblindmanandLazarus...

• Eachpresentationisendedwithadiscussionledbyatrainedleaderaskingcarefullypreparedquestions...Whereallareallowedtoparticipate...Butnoanswersnecessarilyprovidedatthispointtopermittheunbelieverfreelytoputhis/herthoughtsforward...Belongingbeforebelieving...Withthelongviewofmakingadiscipleovertime...

First:APresentationonPeopleStrugglingtoanswerthequestion,

“Whatistruth?”

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Second:Let’stakealookatanactualpresentationofoneofthepowerpointsusedinVeritas ...

Third:WhereDoesYourParishBegin?1.TheParishMustBecomeaCommunityDesiringtomovefrom

preservationtoproclamation,tobecomeaworshippingcommunityonmission...

2.TheVestryshouldcreateafive-yearlongrangeplan...Withobjective,quantifiablegoals,withavisionandmissionreflectedinthem,andastrategyfordevelopingaProclamationParishwithfrontporchministriestoallthreedisciplegroups/cultures

withallfouraspectsoftheGreatCommission3.PresenttherecordedGospelTreesermon,theREC100

ProspectusandtheRevitalizationtalkstotheparish(i.e.SundaySchool,retreatetc.)

4.Createfrontporchministries5.FormintercessoryteamsandDaughtersoftheHolyCross

prayergroupstoprayfortheparishnightandday...6.CommittotheREC100inthechurch,yourdioceseandparish