Vital Church Planting – session 2

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

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

3. “Church planting” is the discipline [CPg] “Fresh Expressions of Church” [FXC] is its fruit or manifestation 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” Mission-shaped Church p 32

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

5. Sowing Jesus patterns Death to life Baptism – yes Church year – yes Spirituality – yes Mission? – what? But John 20 … If anyone serves me, he must follow me and where I am there my servant also will be. John 12 26

6. As the Father sent me so I send you 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

7. Sowing Jesus patterns Death to life 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

8. Something unforeseen can grow Dying to live …

9. 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] …

10. 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

11. 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

12. To the Mission Context To the essence/core of the Christian Inheritance Process lesson - TWO “Double listening” Mission in stereo, hears God better MSC p 104-105 and Michael Nazir-Ali : Shapes of the Church to Come Chs 1-2

13. Listening to what sources? 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 To others in the World

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

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

16. 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

17. WHO WITH ? WHO BY ? WHO FOR ? 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

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

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

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

21. Worship Community Mission The Christendom distortion

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

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

24. Mission Community Worship The Missionary re- discovery

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

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

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

28. Where is the adventure & wildness? No prizes for guessing

29. It’s not new • Donovan & Allen 20th Century • Venn & Anderson 19th Century • Ricci & Xavier 17- 16th Century • Cuthbert & Aidan 6th Century • Martin & Anthony 3rd - 2nd Century • Paul & Peter 1st Century I never said it was safe or prudent Danger! Apostolic Porcine Aviation Zone

30. 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?

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

32. 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