Toronto: Feb 2008 The Sheffield Centre Church Army’s Research unit Vital Church Planting – session 2

DNA as the process of creating Church 2DNA as how Church is created –What are the processes?

Church Plants or Fresh Expressions? To Church Plant – its a verb: The theory and practice of the understanding that governs the following process : …. “The creating and sustaining of further and fresh expressions of Christian community” “Church planting” is the discipline [CPg] “Fresh Expressions of Church” [FXC] is its fruit or manifestation Mission-shaped Church p 32

Process lesson ONE Learning from Seed sowing The principle : Seeds must be allowed to die “What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.” 1 Corinthians 15 36

Sowing Jesus patterns If anyone serves me, he must follow me and where I am there my servant also will be. John Baptism – yes Church year – yes Spirituality – yes Mission? – what? But John 20 …

As …. In the same apostolic manner of being sent …. On the same journey from incarnational identification to counter cultural engagement … In the same way I died and re-emerged different and the same … In the willingness to die to present glory & take the form of a dying slave.. In becoming different to become like those to whom I was sent … …. So I send you As the Father sent me so I send you

Sowing Jesus patterns 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 24

Dying to live … Something unforeseen can grow

How’s that ? The seed is the sent out incoming team They “die” to their previous identity –No longer part of St Silas Somewhere –No longer holding onto “how we did things there” Remember Paul the apostle –“To the Greeks I became as a Greek” [1 Cor 9] …

Seeds are different to plants Mixing with the soil of the mission context… The planted seed community becomes a new body of believers as well us a body of new believers

Beware What is planted is … Jesus centred community-in-mission It’s not mechanical – sorry Henry Ford It’s not just biological – spraying seeds around It’s human and spiritual Dying to live yes but… Be real about the costs

Process lesson - TWO “Double listening” Mission in stereo, hears God better MSC p and Michael Nazir-Ali : Shapes of the Church to Come Chs 1-2 To the essence/core of the Christian Inheritance To the Mission Context

Listening to what sources? To others in the World To God through the Word No, too narrow a view: –Separates Word and Tradition –Separates Word and the Spirit, active in the world –The NT shows Apostles listening to both

Get the connections right Planting … Evangelism Create Church 1 st ear Listen To Context 2 nd ear Listen To Tradition ? ? Only one… Listening Irrelevance Syncretism

Get the order right Planting … Evangelism Create Church 1 st ear Listen To Context 2 nd ear Listen To Tradition Mission Shapes Church Scripture assesses fresh expressions Hold together two things creative engagement with context faithfulness to the good news in Jesus

Process lesson - THREE  Ask the right questions – Ask them in the right order start with the church and the mission will probably get lost. start with the mission and it is likely that the Church will be found. Mission-shaped Church 2004:116

WHO FOR ? WHO WITH ? WHO BY ? A three dimensional process  Who is the Fresh Expression FOR ? – Mission GOAL – Network or Neighbourhood – De churched or Non churched  Who is the planting done BY ? – Mission RESOURCE – Pioneer or Progression – Cell or Congregation  Who is it done WITH ? – Mission PARTNERS – Runner Graft Seed or Transplant

3 key questions... “What is the mission to this area ?” “What set of spiritual disciplines is required to sustain the community in that mission?” “What kind of community is needed to sustain the mission?” Based on questions asked by Church of Saviour Washington DC MSC p 116

Process lesson - FOUR  Beware Christendom imported distortions – Including the dominance of public worship – Leading to “come” shaped mission

Worship Community Mission Spirituality Robert Warren : Building Missionary Congregations What is Church Ideally made of ?....

The Christendom distortion Worship Mission Community

Different Mission Fields Non Churched (40%) Regular attenders – at least monthly (10%) Fringe - less than monthly (10%) Open de-churched (20%) Closed de-churched (20%) MSC p 37-40

Target Group Starting Place “Style” Or Mission Context WORSHIPEVANGEL- ISM COMMUNITY theirs & ours Climate The Fringe Open De- churched The Non - churched Closed De-Churched Christen- dom Pre - Christian Post Christian Anti Christian Apology WarmCool Cold to.... Arctic ControlDialogue Partnership Listen ? Where do you START in which context ?

Worship Mission The Missionary re- discovery Community

Is Church in mission being moved on... From springboard …. We decide when to jump We decide what kind of jump Into the indoor pool “Lets improve what we are doing already That’s risky enough.”

To … surfboard Reactive & waiting For what wind and sea floor do Whose in control here? & Where might you end up?

Similarity & Difference Skill and using powers beyond us I stay in control I react to what occurs

Where is the adventure & wildness? No prizes for guessing

It’s not new Donovan & Allen20 th Century Venn & Anderson 19 th Century Ricci & Xavier th Century Cuthbert & Aidan 6 th Century Martin & Anthony3 rd - 2 nd Century Paul & Peter 1 st Century I never said it was safe or prudent Danger! Apostolic Porcine Aviation Zone

Did Jesus go surfing? Interesting Patterns –John: Jesus acts in response to the Father –Luke: Outrageous acceptance of outsiders –Mark: “He immediately…” –Matthew: “I am only sent to..” –Paul:the Cost : Philippians 2 –Golgotha – carried where he did not wish to go –Where might it take us?

Not very fresh expressions of surfing “Let’s buy a wave machine for the swimming pool”

Please not – lets do the real thing Even if we are only junior partners with the Maker of shore, wind and waves Even if we’re not yet very good at it