“We pray that we may be ready when occasion demands to confess the Lord in fresh words and deeds. Basis of Union

1. “We pray that we may be ready when occasion demands to confess the Lord in fresh words and deeds. Basis of Union Worship?

2. God’s mission is the reconciliation and renewal of all creation. The church’s call is to serve that end. Basis of Union

3. Me… ecofaith.org (Rev Dr) Jason John B.Sc (hons), B. Th, Grad Dip Env Stud, PDC, PhD. Jason John. Background in zoology, environment as well as Christian minister. Modern Western and Ancient Hebrew Creation Stories. 2005-2007 minister, Adelaide ecofaith community (amongst other things- more Monday). Faith interacting with leadership. 2008- minister at Bellingen Uniting Church 0.4 ecominister, mid north coast presbytery 0.6 looking to start new ecofaith communities, 1st in Bellingen helping bring eco & theology together in existing congs working collaboratively with people of good will for the reconciliation and renewal of all creation.

4. Me… ecofaith.org (Rev Dr) Jason John. (Rev Dr) Jason John B.Sc (hons), B. Th, Grad Dip Env Stud, PDC, PhD. Background in zoology, environment as well as Christian minister. Modern Western and Ancient Hebrew Creation Stories. 2005-2007 minister, Adelaide ecofaith community (amongst other things). 2008- minister at Bellingen Uniting Church 0.4 ecominister, mid north coast presbytery 0.6 1. looking to start new ecofaith communities, 1st in Bellingen 2. helping bring eco & theology together in existing congs 3. working collaboratively with people of good will for the reconciliation and renewal of all creation. Transferrable process/issues

5. Questions to ask: • What do we want to say about God or ourselves? • What style/context of worship will promote/enhance that?(Architecture tells us a lot about God.) • How to let people know what to expect without being exclusive(Identity versus openness) • And maybe: • Is it going to be Christian, interfaith, “spiritual?” What is Christian? • Is “special interest” /boutique worship valid? Is that what this is? • What is a valid worship “event” (as opposed to an ongoing community) • What happens if it continues and becomes a community? • What is “success”- how do I know if it “worked?” • Being a fraidy cat.

6. Questions to ask: • What do we want to say about God or ourselves? • What style/context of worship will promote/enhance that?(Architecture tells us a lot about God.) • How to let people know what to expect without being exclusive(Identity versus openness) • For “ecofaith” the answer involved : • Humans gathering as part of life, not the centre of it • To worship the ancient God of this evolving life. • Personal, but not human. • As much female as male. • The God who is beyond us, one with us, within and amongst us. • (vs Trinitarian: beyond, became one of us, remains within and amongst us)

7. How do we express Church in the 21st Century? (worship the Lord in fresh words and deeds)? • How do we further reconciliation and renewal for all creation in the 21st century? • Theological approach: • What do we want to say about God? Or ourselves? OR WHAT DO WE WANT TO FIND OUT ABOUT GOD? • What style/context of worship will promote/enhance that?(Architecture tells us a lot about God.) • Style approach: • What style/context of worship will helpfully convey to “21st century people” the truths about God which Christians have always known • Then: • How to let people know what to expect without being exclusive(Identity versus openness)

8. Strengths of UC in new church / new words and deeds? • Commitment to “finding out about God” as a pilgrimage. • “…the Uniting Church enters into the inheritance of literary, historical and scientific enquiry which has characterised recent centuries, and gives thanks for the knowledge of God's ways with humanity which are open to an informed faith. The Uniting Church lives within a world-wide fellowship of Churches in which it will learn to sharpen its understanding of the will and purpose of God by contact with contemporary thought. Within that fellowship the Uniting Church also stands in relation to contemporary societies in ways which will help it to understand its own nature and mission (para 11)

9. Strengths of UC in new church / new words and deeds? • Commitment to “finding out about God” as a pilgrimage. • And reforming structures/style to help it do that: • “[We] remain open to constant reform under his Word…The Uniting Church will keep its law under constant review so that its life may increasingly be directed to the service of God and … The Uniting Church prays that, through the gift of the Spirit, God will constantly correct that which is erroneous in its life

10. Appreciation of and collaboration with others of good will • Statements to the Nation • Theological and “style” wealth of resources from having women leaders, a strong Indigenous voice, and an increasing multi-cultural identity. • Some “cutting edge” eco theology, as far as church statements go • Strengths of UC in new church / new words and deeds? • Commitment to “finding out about God” as a pilgrimage. • And reforming structures/style to help it do that:

11. If time…. Leadership issues? started by 1 minister vs a lay groupspecialist/generalist leaders (ecofaith vsanyfaith)formalisationcontinuity“sustainability” (a stupid word) Ecofaith video? (a compressed version is on the web here)