Wednesday, 28 October 2009
Powerful words from Tim Chester's Total Church
"Someone asked me how things were going recently. It’s not really a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ (‘good’ or ‘bad’) question. Life in our congregation is messy. People have a wide variety of problems and many of those problems are out on the table. Are things going well when one of your members has been hauled out of a pub in drunken state? When people admit problems in their marriage? When several people are struggling with depression? And I could go on. Actually I think the answer can be ‘Yes, things are going well’. A key verse for me in recent years has been the first beautitude which I paraphrase as: ‘Blessed are the broken people for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ To working with broken people is to be where God’s blessing is found. I do not rejoice in people’s problems, but I do rejoice that I am working among people with problems. Indeed I sometimes describe our church as a group of messy people led by messy people. It has proved a context in which I have been able to address my own struggles. What is the alternative. One alternative is to be a church in which there is a lot of pretending; in which people have problems, but in which the culture does not allow people to be open about them. Churches like this are very neat and respectable. But I know I would rather be in a messy church! Mess reflects, I think, a culture of grace. We pretend because either we do not trust God’s grace for ourselves or we do not trust other people to show us grace.
The question I have been pondering for a while is whether there is a third option in addition to messy and pretending. Are there churches in which most people are ’sorted’ – not sinless, but have got their lives together? I think I would call this category of church ‘excluding’ because I think they create a culture in which messy people don’t feel welcome. But it may be that if you looked closely you would find that such churches are really pretending churches that are just very good at the pretending! " Tim Chester
The question I have been pondering for a while is whether there is a third option in addition to messy and pretending. Are there churches in which most people are ’sorted’ – not sinless, but have got their lives together? I think I would call this category of church ‘excluding’ because I think they create a culture in which messy people don’t feel welcome. But it may be that if you looked closely you would find that such churches are really pretending churches that are just very good at the pretending! " Tim Chester
Monday, 26 October 2009
Hope when Life hurts most
I have known Louie since 1988 and watcehd this on Saturday morning .It is a very powerful and biblical answer to the questions often asked about where is God in our suffering ?We are going to show it at church in evening of Nov 1st as part of our First Sunday series .Come if you can!
Saturday, 24 October 2009
curry evening!
We had an awesome time ,it was wonderful to see so many people from the local community come! Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves For next event ;Watch this space!
Friday, 23 October 2009
Monday, 19 October 2009
The death of big media
From the States but equally applicable here if we want to understand the signs of the times!
Saturday, 17 October 2009
curry night -coming soon!
our curry night is happening soon an opportunity to invite our neighbours to sepnd time with us
Thursday, 15 October 2009
Networking
Thoughtful post from Bishop Alans Blog
Among other things it highlights the importance of using social networking sites http://bishopalan.blogspot.com/
Among other things it highlights the importance of using social networking sites http://bishopalan.blogspot.com/
I am younger than I think I am!
Wonderful article here from Christainity Today Please have a read and take the quiz! What age are you?
Thanks to Steve for pointing it out
at:http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/buildingleaders/ministrystaff/determineyourministryage.html
Thanks to Steve for pointing it out
at:http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/buildingleaders/ministrystaff/determineyourministryage.html
Tuesday, 13 October 2009
Saturday, 10 October 2009
How about this for an idea?!
The Journey in San Jose shuts down church 2-3 times per year and takes everyone out into the community to tackle 15 or so specific community projects. Things like home make overs for families in need, teacher care kits, roadside clean up, painting & landcaping at public schools, hosting a carnival at a children's shelter, etc.
Projects are always different because volunteers find the need and then lead them with a team.
Number of visitors [especially those who are not Christians] actually increases on these Community Impact Days - everyone sees the value in helping right in our neighborhood.
10% of The Journey's budget goes toward these days and other specific community needs.
might be well worth a try!
Projects are always different because volunteers find the need and then lead them with a team.
Number of visitors [especially those who are not Christians] actually increases on these Community Impact Days - everyone sees the value in helping right in our neighborhood.
10% of The Journey's budget goes toward these days and other specific community needs.
might be well worth a try!
Wednesday, 7 October 2009
Monday, 5 October 2009
Robbie Williams and Jesus!
Thanks to my good friend and colleague Steve for pointing this one out
Its a fascinating article from an interesting site
http://freelancetheology.com/2009/09/27/a-theological-challenge-from-robbie-williams/#more-213
Its a fascinating article from an interesting site
http://freelancetheology.com/2009/09/27/a-theological-challenge-from-robbie-williams/#more-213
Saturday, 3 October 2009
Some good thoughts from Simon Jones blog
"Recovering the incarnation
The section of Hirch's searching book that I've been reading this week feeds directly into conversations we've begun having at church. We know the attractional model no longer works - our falling Sunday attendance and lack of people at special evangelistic events proves that. The question is 'what do we replace it with'?
Hirsch's answer is that we need to recapture the core Christian doctrines of the incarnation and the mission of God. He argues that the attractional model tends to negate these two insights because it 'demands that in order to hear the gospel, people come to us, on our turf, and in our cultural zone. In effect, they must become one of us if they want to follow Christ.'
This is, of course, the opposite of incarnation: God comes to us - the word became flesh and moved into the neighbourhood (as the Message memorably puts it). It means that we, who have been sent as Jesus was sent, must go to where people are rather than expect them to come to us.
This is the method Jesus modelled in his ministry and called his first disciples to follow when he sent them out - Matthew 10:5-16. They were to accept hospitality rather than offer it. It was Paul's practice too - finding people he could establish a workshop with, accepting invitations to be based in people's homes (see Acts 14-18).
Hirsch stresses that church grows out of mission and not vice versa. And mission grows out of a proper grasp of who Jesus is (ie our Christology). So he produces a simple diagram that says Christology determines missiology which in turn determines ecclesiology. It's a good simple principle that ought to underpin everything we do as gatherings of Jesus followers.
It follows, therefore, that mission needs to take place in third places, those spaces that are not our homes or workplaces, but rather where we socialise and have fun. This would mean more gatherings in pubs, cafes, clubs, arts centres, community halls, etc.
So, we'll see how St Arbucks goes this Sunday. But we'll also be exploring how our allotment group can become a missional community with shovels and coffee. And what else...? The possibilities are limited only by our imaginations."
The section of Hirch's searching book that I've been reading this week feeds directly into conversations we've begun having at church. We know the attractional model no longer works - our falling Sunday attendance and lack of people at special evangelistic events proves that. The question is 'what do we replace it with'?
Hirsch's answer is that we need to recapture the core Christian doctrines of the incarnation and the mission of God. He argues that the attractional model tends to negate these two insights because it 'demands that in order to hear the gospel, people come to us, on our turf, and in our cultural zone. In effect, they must become one of us if they want to follow Christ.'
This is, of course, the opposite of incarnation: God comes to us - the word became flesh and moved into the neighbourhood (as the Message memorably puts it). It means that we, who have been sent as Jesus was sent, must go to where people are rather than expect them to come to us.
This is the method Jesus modelled in his ministry and called his first disciples to follow when he sent them out - Matthew 10:5-16. They were to accept hospitality rather than offer it. It was Paul's practice too - finding people he could establish a workshop with, accepting invitations to be based in people's homes (see Acts 14-18).
Hirsch stresses that church grows out of mission and not vice versa. And mission grows out of a proper grasp of who Jesus is (ie our Christology). So he produces a simple diagram that says Christology determines missiology which in turn determines ecclesiology. It's a good simple principle that ought to underpin everything we do as gatherings of Jesus followers.
It follows, therefore, that mission needs to take place in third places, those spaces that are not our homes or workplaces, but rather where we socialise and have fun. This would mean more gatherings in pubs, cafes, clubs, arts centres, community halls, etc.
So, we'll see how St Arbucks goes this Sunday. But we'll also be exploring how our allotment group can become a missional community with shovels and coffee. And what else...? The possibilities are limited only by our imaginations."
Thursday, 1 October 2009
Going to church in the pub!
As a church we are exploring lots of different possibilities for reaching people with the gospel and building Christian community. This video highlights what one church in Canada is doing .Interesting!
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