1. HOLY SPIRIT & FUTURE CHURCH BY ALEXANDER VENTER FRESH EXPRESSIONS CONFERENCE CAPE TOWN, 16-18 FEB 2016

2. INTRODUCTION Who is speaking to you? A little of me! Three Biblical foundations… Principles & Stories Holy Spirit & Fresh Expressions: The Challenge? For Discussion & Reflection: Questions & Stories Assumptions behind ‘Future Church’?

3. 3 KEY BIBLICAL FOUNDATIONS 1) A Trinitarian approach to Church and World What is the Father doing, through the Son by the Spirit, both in the Church and the World? The Principle: “My Father is always doing his work, to this day. I too am doing HIS work… with HIM... Though I am the Son of God I do nothing on my own initiative. I only do what I see my Father doing – for whatever the father does the son also does. The Father loves the Son and shows him all he does…” John 5:17-21

4. “The words I speak are not my own; it is the Father living in me (by his Spirit) who is doing his works (speaking his words)” John 14:10 Worship > Words > Works > Wonders The ‘FE’ Story: Healing the lame man at the Pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath, John 5:1-10 The Challenge: How do we as team leaders, and as leadership teams, see what the Father is doing in our church AND community, and join him in his work, blessing what he’s doing?

5. 2) A ‘FE’ Governmental approach to Church The Principle: Jesus is the Head of HIS Church, the Holy Spirit is the Administrator (Body ANS) The ‘FE’ Story: John Wimber on Rev 3:20, “Give My Church back! It belongs to Me!” “I’ve seen your ministry, let Me show you mine!” The Challenge: Of leadership and control – how do we free the Spirit to creatively lead our local church in the mind of Christ, in our context?

6. “Those who are led by the Spirit are children of God… not to lead you back to being slaves of fear, but to cry, ‘Abba’” Rom 8:14-15 Let GOD be God – take the lid off your thinking And lift your finger-prints from Jesus’ Church! (remember Uzzah? 2 Sam 6:6-7) Hear God & let the Spirit lead via Team Leader, Leadership Team, what God is saying/doing in the people, and the context – a Dance of Love!

7. 3) The Role of the Holy Spirit (beside lead & purify) The Principle: The Spirit’s work in creation and re- creation – the power of God – empowering LOVE Hovers and intervenes, creating God’s Shalom- order out of chaos (work in the world, Gen 1:2-3) Resurrects & empowers new creation in the midst of the old, innovating Fresh Expressions… as… The “powers of the coming age” (Heb 6:5) ‘dynamites’ us into witnesses of Jesus (Acts 1:8), the Pentecost ‘Big Bang’ of the New Creation that expands to the ends of the old earth, renewing it! (Spirit’s missional work in & through the Church) And this power is the LOVE of God (Rom 5:5)

8. Two ‘FE’ Stories: Pope John XXIII, “Come, Holy Spirit, and give us a Second Pentecost” Lonnie Frisbee & John Wimber: “We apologize to you Holy Spirit… Come Holy Spirit…” The Challenge: Do we allow the Spirit to move in our gatherings, to release the charismata? Are Church leaders actually filled & empowered by the Spirit… modeling FE of ‘Spirit-Ministry’? “Equip the saints” to do the Words, Works and Wonders of Jesus in the church AND the world!

9. FOR REFLECTION & DISCUSSION Break into groups of four or five… each in turn… Reflect on, and briefly share, a ‘FE’ story of the Spirit’s past work in you, or in your church? What FE is God currently ‘doing’ in your church? And community/context? How can you ‘join in’? How can you help your church be truly filled and led by the creative and innovative Holy Spirit? What must change for that to happen? End by laying hands on and praying for each other