Fishing nets or safety nets http davemale typepad

Fishing nets or safety nets

http: //davemale. typepad. com/churchunplugged/

“ having discharged a temporary commission, they went back to school to make greater advances in learning. ”

“ despite there being with Jesus, they still did not comprehend aright. To be with Jesus is to learn of Him, to think the things of God, not of humans. The disciples, however show themselves prone to regard reality from a human point of view. ”

You want us to do what ?

“ Our whole business in this life , is to restore to health the eyes of the heart, whereby God may be seen. ”

Changing culture ‘What is taking place is not merely the continued decline of organised Christianity but the death of the culture which formerly conferred Christian identity upon the British people as a whole. ’ Callum Browne Death of Christian Britain

“The day of the churched culture is over. The day of the mission field has come. ” Kennon L Callahan Effective Church Leadership

2007 Tear Fund survey of 7000 adults in contact or not with church

“ this research helps us to understand that the further people are from church, (in terms of churchgoing) the less likely they are to attend in the future. Mission opportunities are very different when to step over the church threshold is an unknown experience…. . ”

“ we understood mission one way and organised life to accomplish it. We have awakened to find out the mission moved on us. To keep focusing on mission, we have to turn the furniture around and face a different direction. We may even have to move into another room. ” Loren Mead. The Once and Future Church

“ create a linguistic community which speaks to itself but gives up responsibility to put the gospel in a language which is understood by the whole of society. ”

Are People Searching and why? ► 73% of people are searching ► 70% of people are searching because of either the credit crunch, concern about personal finances or job insecurity Christian Research Association. 2000 interviews with a nationally representative sample of UK adults, conducted 24 -27 th April 09

Playing Away

7 principles for remodelling church

1 Public worship probably isn’t the best starting point

“ The foundation of being Christian is being community centred around Jesus. Public worship is the consequence of this reality, not its creator. ” George Lings

2 There is no return address

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

3 Mission not models shape the church

‘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 p 11

“ it is not the church of God which has a mission but the God of mission who has a church. ” Tim Dearborn

‘Mission is often described as if it were a planned extension of an old building. But it fact it has usually been more like an unexpected explosion. ’ John V Taylor

4 This might change US

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

• ‘…do not try to call them back to where they were, and do not try to call them to where you are, beautiful as that place may seem to you. You must have the courage to go with them to a place that neither you nor they have been before. ’ • Vincent Donovan

5 Welcome three eccentrics

The 3 eccentrics • Who are the Philips? – A Dangerous Deacon? – Allow space for the unknowns • Discover Cornelius – who evangelizes who • Pray for Pauls – Eccentrics will do it differently

6 The challenge of discipleship

“We should give up the foolish task of trying to be saints and get on with the more important task of being human. ” Dietrich Bonhoeffer

• Simple in its nature • Relational in its emphasis • Transformational in its outcomes

• How we see God • How we see ourselves and others • How we see our community • How we see creation and society

“ If not part of a mutually discipling community the culture will disciple you. ” Graham Cray

What kind of people are we called to be? What kind of community is capable of raising people like that?

7 The Pattern of Jesus Life

• Incarnation- a world to enter • Cross- a world to counter • Resurrection- a world to anticipate

• Which of these principles do you find most helpful? Why? Questions Comments Examples/Insights