Name Uniting Church Mission Study Day 2019 Aim

<Name> Uniting Church Mission Study Day …/…/2019 Aim: To explore the congregation’s likely ministry directions for the next 3 -5 years with a particular focus on the implications of this for the ministry exercised by a ministry agent.

Today’s process Brief reflection Opening Exercise Quick overview of placements process Things are changing What do we mean by Mission? What characterises this congregation? What stands out about this region? Opportunities for mission and ministry Drawing the process together

Reflections ►Psalm 31 ‘be a place of refuge for me’ ➢ Gospel such as Matt. 28: 16 - 20 - a ‘sent people’ ➢ living with a balance of these two ► Prayer ► Discernment

UCA Placements Process ► Mission Study … presented to Congregation and Pastoral Relations Committee of Presbytery ► Explore Options for future ministry ► Joint Nominating Committee ► Prepare a profile ► Conversations ► Name to Pastoral Relations Committee and then Congregation ► A call is issued

Opening Exercise What is your first memory of a church community? What on earth is the church for? − chat with 1 or 2 others

Once upon a time … ➢ Church was part of society and valued as such … land was even given to the churches by Government in the 19 th Century ➢ Churches put up their “brand sign” and people came

Some facts ✞ Church attendance peaked in Australia in late 1950 s or early 1960 s (JBCE recorded its highest sales in 1963) ✞ Sunday Schools were robust (Children at Sunday School, parents often not at church)

Now -- For almost 50% of Australians ● Religion and spirituality are not on the agenda ● Most do not feel any need except for encouraging care ● ● Around 25% of the population 'do not know' if there is a God, and Another 35% are not at all sure

For <this> Uniting Church: ► Average attendance ► in 2006 - <insert A Form data> ► in 2016 ► in 2017 ► in 2018 - ► But!! it’s not just the numbers

Now … Missionary Challenge ► ► Church is on the margin and mainline churches and their members are ageing Dechurched and Unchurched … Many people more than 2 generations disconnected from the faith … no knowledge of faith Secularisation … Shopping centres … new cathedrals … consumerism Yet people still speak of a search for meaning and spirituality

Church growing in many other places ►Northern Nigeria

Response ► Don’t ► It panic! is actually not all up to us … we are called to share in God’s mission … seek to join in with what God is up to.

“Mission Thinking”

The Disappearing Middle: Sizes and shapes for future churches

The Disappearing Middle: Sizes and shapes for future churches

The Church is called to participate in God’s Mission of love “It is not the church that has a mission of salvation to fulfil in the world; it is the mission of the Son and the Spirit through the Father that includes the church…” Jurgen Moltmann, The Church in the power of the Spirit…a contribution to Messianic Ecclesiology, Translated by M. Kohl, SCM Press, London. 1977, p. 64

Mission for us involves participating in God’s mission “ Mission has its origin in the heart of God is a fountain of sending love…. " David Bosch, Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission, Orbis Books, New York, 1991, p. 392

Fresh Expressions ►A fresh expression is a form of church for our changing culture, established primarily for the benefit of people who are not yet members of any church

… ► What is God calling you to do in the next chapter of your journey as a Congregation? ► What do you most appreciate about the … church community? ► What dreams do you have for the mission and ministry of the congregation?

Where to from here?

Joining in God’s mission as a Congregation ► ► ► What are some possibilities for further being good news in this community? What challenges do you see to the life and sustainability of the congregation 3 to 5 years from now? What further possibilities are there for developing new partnerships? Where do you see possibilities for new life and new directions? Are there any other important ideas?

Opportunities for Mission and Ministry (next 2 -3 years)

Threats to the future mission and ministry of the congregation

Drawing it together … implications for the future shape of ministry here