Mission-Shaped Church thinking and practice

1. Theological Foundations for Mission-Shaped Church thinking and practice

2. MSC : Key theological ideas – themenu • Trinity and Missionary Ecclesiology Church as community in mission • Incarnation Crucifixion and Resurrection A basis for continuity and change • Inculturation: two way engagement between gospel and church, with the soil of a culture. • Church hasdefinitive marks O H C A NB These ideas outcrop throughout MSC in practical stories, methodology and analogy

3. Theological principle ONE Any theology of the church must ultimately be rooted in the being and acts of God. MSC, p. 84 • Trinity and Missionary Ecclesiology • The Trinity are community-in-mission • But which comes first, mission or community? • The Trinity exhibit the priority of being • The analogy of DNA, can speak of enduring values within Church, without prescribing resultant forms Mission comes from the Father, through the Son in the power of the Spirit MSC p.85 MSC pp 84-86

4. The 5 Marks of Mission Including the part played by evangelism • "The MISSION of the church is therefore… • 1 to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom 2 to teach, baptiseand nurture new believers 3 to respond to human needs by loving service 4 to seek to transform unjust structures of society 5 To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the earth The five fold marks from Anglican Consultative Councils [ACC] Nos 1-4 ACC 6 1984 Bondsof Affection 1984 p49 No 5 ACC 8 1990 Mission in a Broken World p101

5. Mission-shaped Church DNA will .. • Be Trinitarian • Church is not 1st its practices but its communal life • Be Relational – deeply interconnected • Perichoretic relationships – following the Trinity • Be Incarnational like Jesus • Laying aside our status and preferences [Phil 2] • Be disciplers, like Jesus • Growing communities of those who follow him and draw others to him • Be Transformational, like the work of the Trinity • Looking beyond themselves to a kingdom centred, counter-cultural affect upon society MSC pp81-82: This an adapted order: 1 5 2 4 3 to put ontology before function

6. Trust the DNA …. You can’t know the results first !

7. Not just a catchy seminar title • Not only a C of E report Mission-shaped Church • But a divine process • Mission shaped the divine Missioner: Jesus • Incarnation describes this • Philippians ch2 sings it’s praises • John 20.21 hands the pattern on … cf MSC p88

8. MSC : summary of point one • Trinity shapes Missionary Ecclesiology • Church learns its identity from is who God is[community-in-mission]p 84-86 • Mission activity grows out of community identity • Church DNA could be • Loving outward looking community • Interconnected relational life – perichoresis • The instinct to enter cultures to initiate Kingdom values • Making community following Jesus – disciples • Seeking transformation of wider society • Let the DNA do its own work • Let the Son’s mission be the centre from which we go NB These ideas outcrop throughout MSC in practical stories, methodology and analogy

9. Theological principle TWO Christology shapes Ecclesiology not v.v. • Note the changes celebrated in Philippians 2 • The incarnation was a change – it had not been seen before • The incarnate Jesus experienced changes • In ministry • In suffering • In death • In Resurrection • Incarnation is a story of continuity … • And of change – held together

10. Maybe… “Logistics Dept here… There are precedent problems with that proposed Incarnation idea”

11. From Father Culture Incarnation underpins loving engagement Caesar Death Incarnation OR Counter-Cultural ? Resurrection and Ascension Lordship underpins conflicting engagement Kingdom Signs MSC p 86-90

12. Is Incarnation the controlling factor? • Or should it be Death and Resurrection? • Romans 6 • Baptism • Communion • The characteristic sign – the Cross • The basis of hope – the Resurrection • The Incarnation • No extension • No command • No possibility

13. MSC : Summary Point Two • Trinity and Missionary Ecclesiology • Incarnation Crucifixion and Resurrection • Incarnation underpins two twin principles of church mission : change and continuity p 87-89 • Jesus shows an order to both cultural entry and counter cultural challenge • Yet Incarnation is not our central motif - it is Death and Resurrection. Community-in-mission will need to welcome its own dying to live NB These ideas outcrop throughout MSC in practical stories, methodology and analogy

14. Theological principle THREE • Inculturation is Gospel and Church entering a receiving culture from below and transforming it from within. • Inculturation – Catholic, Church use, 2 way • Contextualisation – Evangs, Gospel use, more 1 way • Both gospel andchurch, must be sown • entering the soil of a culture. MSC pp 90-93

15. Definition & result of CP Church planting is the process by which a seed of the life and message of Jesus, embodied by a community of Christians, is immersed for mission reasons, in a particular cultural or geographic context. The intended consequence is that it roots there, coming to life as a new indigenous body of Christian disciples well suited to continue in mission… Mission-shaped Church p 32-33

16. MSC : summary point three • Trinity and Missionary Ecclesiology • Incarnation Crucifixion and Resurrection • Church in relation to Mission and Kingdom • Inculturation is serious two way engagement • between the mission context/culture [the soil ] • And the seed containing both gospel and the church MSC p 90-91. NB These ideas outcrop throughout MSC in practical stories, methodology and analogy

17. Theological principle FOUR • Church has definitive marks • One Holy Catholic and Apostolic pp 96-99 • The Chicago Lambeth Quadrilateral pp 100 • Scripture, Creeds, 2 Sacraments, Episcopacy

18. OHCA Holy “UP” Apostolic Catholic “OUT” “OF” “IN” One Enduring Values Fourlinked Journeys

19. OHCA Jesus focus Jesus followers Holy “UP” Apostolic Catholic “OUT” “OF” “IN” One Church is any expression of the life of Jesus in communal form Enduring Values Fourlinked Journeys

20. Catholic “OF” The forgotten dimension ? • Thanks for • Communion – UP • Community - IN • Commission – OUT • May I add • “Communicate”, “Continuity” or “Connectedness” – OF

21. MSC : Summary point Four • Trinity and Missionary Ecclesiology • Incarnation Crucifixion and Resurrection • Inculturation • Church hasdefinitive marks • One Holy Catholic and Apostolic pp 96-99 • But they must proceed from Christ and for Christ • Pioneers tend foolishly to ignore the OF journey – yet this is about our core identity NB These ideas outcrop throughout MSC in practical stories, methodology and analogy

22. Mission-shaped Church Foundations • Trinitarian example • By focus on how they share their life & their mission • Clarity about Church identity, and missionary practice • DNA : Sharper instincts, but freer development • Incarnation: living with continuity and change • It gives a Jesus-shape to the mission process • Needs balancing by the centrality of “Dying to Live” • Inculturation of both Gospel and Church beckon us • The historic creedal marks guide us on a journey • From Christ, for Christ

23. Foundations sometimes matter ….