A few ideas…
I am now nearing the end of my work as the North Lincoln Circuit Mission Enabler and there is very little I can practically do in the remaining week. However the report I created for the circuit is available for members of the circuit and each respective Church and as such I am available to answer questions and discuss the issues raised in the report. So far I have heard positive feedback but I know that not all are happy with it. The choices that each Church makes regarding its life and ministry is up to each Church to work out, the report is there to stimulate thinking and discussion on the way each Church is going about its mission; use it for that purpose. You don’t have to agree with all of it (or any of it) to use it.
There are a number of ways the report can be used.
It can serve as a discussion starter for Church councils looking at the way forward for the Church and its mission. In this case I recommend reading the whole report and the notes of my presentation (available on this site) and seeing what you can learn from each of the Church sections and the ideas and recommendations made to the Circuit. It is worth revisiting probably for the next 18 months, initially to see what changes can be made and later the format can be used as a guide to repeat the review to see what has changed.
It can be used for praying for the Circuit and each Church in the Circuit.
It can be used to consider potential Fresh Expressions in the area.
My contract ends at the end of the month but I don’t start my Diaconal Training at the Wesley Study Centre until the end of September so I will be available to answer questions on the report up until then.
Making sense of the Christian faith
I recently found an interesting Christian TV website and of great interest was this one particular interview with Steve Chalk answering a question on appropriate Bible study content for a house group. He answers by showing how the question is part of an even bigger question in how the Church addresses the Gospel to the needs of people in answering the questions and situations they face in everyday life. He points out that this sort of thing needs to be discussed and planned at a Church leadership level if the Church wants to be effective at ministering to both the established church members and to people who are on the edge.
Reporting back presentation
The Circuit Mission Enabler’s report has been issued to the circuit and on Tuesday 8th at Nettleham Methodist Church I presented an overview of the report to the circuit leadership team and others present.We had a lively, encouraging and stimulating evening of discussion based around the presentation and the report.
To download a pdf of the presentation click the link below.
Reporting back
This Tuesday I will be presenting my report to the Circuit at Nettleham Methodist Church, 7:30pm.I understand that the meeting is open to anyone in the circuit to come along and participate. I hope to circulate the report this evening (Monday) so that folk will have a chance to read it before coming to the meeting.
My presentation will not attempt to go through the whole report but rather present an overview of my observations, investigations, reflections, recommendations and ideas on the current life of the Circuit and potential mission opportunities.
My hope is that individuals and Churches may gain some inspiration as to how they can engage in mission more effectively and that the Circuit leadership team can use the report to begin the process of forming a new Circuit mission strategy.
Circuit report
Over the next few weeks I will be writing a report for the circuit. Mark has asked me to write about a page on each Church looking at its mission and how it might be developed, also giving some thought to how the circuit can develop its overall mission strategy. This does mean is that posts to this blog are going to be a little in short supply but I do welcome members of the North Lincoln Methodist Churches (and others) to contact me with their thoughts or questions about the mission of their church or that of the circuit.
I will be presenting the report at Nettleham Methodist Church on Tuesday 11th August, 7:30pm and I believe the meeting is open to all. I won’t attempt to go through the whole thing in detail but will present a few key ideas and answer questions but, and this is most important, I want us to pray together for the churches and their mission and also for the circuit. I want us to prayer for the staff and the stewards of each church and the circuit. I want us to pray. I don’t think we pray enough. We need to pray.
I would like to remind the circuit that I have one more training session left which takes place on Tuesday 3rd August, 7:30pm at Saxilby Methodist Church and is looking at the use and development of buildings for mission. A bit of film, a few thoughts on the issue and some discussion so that hopefully those that attend are better equiped when thinking about their church buildings and how they could be used, adapted, updated, replaced to suit the needs of the mission.
Prayer: the powerhouse of mission
Church websites
In this modern age the internet has become a primary source and conduit for information, services and products. No company or organisation that seeks to do business with or interact with people in our society would ignore this modern means of communication.
However it would seem that many Churches have not recognised this phenomena which is strange as we are primarily in the business of communicating the most important message the world has ever needed to hear – The Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I know that many in the Church few if any members have an understanding of the workings of the internet or websites and this has been a major barrier to Churches developing their own website. There are other reasons as well including cost and just a general lack of awareness of the potential of the web.
The good news is that the development of internet technology has spawned a number of website design tools that enable those of us with just basic computer skills to develop perfectly good websites that will do the job nicely (this blog being one example).
If a website is to be effective it should be designed with the end users in mind and consideration given to the kind of information they are looking for. Then, just like advertisers, thought should be given as to how the essential message that we want to convey and engage them with should be presented such that visitor wants to know more. Good planning and careful designing pay dividends in the finished design. It is a good idea to write a requirements specification to identify the needs of the website visitors and the message of the Church and so guide the design to meet the needs.
One useful website that offers a service specifically for Churches is: http://www.church123.com who even give some good advice on website design but there are many other similar services available, some may even be cheaper.
The Methodist Church has also produced some advice of Church websites worth checking out.
Can I suggest that if your Church does not have a website that you might bring it to the attention of the Church leadership and ask them to consider the possibility of the Church making it happen.
The very fact that you can read this via the internet means that you are probably sufficiently capable to take on the task of designing and building your Church’s website! It is a valid and valuable ministry as you are presenting the Church, its message and ministry to the world through the medium of the internet and such a ministry conducted in a prayerful and thoughtful way can greatly enhance the life and ministry of the Church. You don’t have to do it alone as others can also contribute – it is ripe for a team ministry and in fact it will work better if there are two or more involved.
Think about it! Pray about it.
If this was your Church what would you do?
The BBC have reported on the impending sale of a Methodist Church in Barnsley and there is uproar among the users of the building who consider that it is not the circuit or the local Church who has the right to sell it, they insist that the Church was paid for and built by the people for the people, past, present and future and as such it should not sold for redevelopment.
Has the Church (or circuit) got it wrong?
Of course we are not in possession of all the facts, we do not know the other pressures for mission on the circuit; maybe they need to sell the building to realise funds for another mission that is starving for lack of funds.
But it does raise an interesting question of the argument of keeping a building open even when the congregation is too weak to sustain it. Is there a case for a circuit mission that uses the building in a new way with a mission focus? How do we enable such a mission? Who staffs it? Who pays for it? Does it have to have a regular worshipping community or is it ripe for something new?
What would you do?
If you were to keep the building and its function as a community facility how would you fund it and make the most of the opportunity?
Growing Church
As I prepare for the Vision day tomorrow I have been reading some of the Church’s reports and trying to discern what would be helpful and what scriptures give insight. One of the passages of scripture that comes to mind is Acts 2:42-47 which highlights the key aspects of the life of the early Church and perhaps these keys might prove to be equally useful for us today.
42They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
They ‘devoted themselves’ ! Wow! now that is dedication to following Jesus!
The key elements they devoted themselves to were:
- Teaching – Bible Study and other useful stuff associated with Christian life and ministry?
- Fellowship – deeper than friendship
- Breaking Bread together – Remembering the centrality of Jesus Death and Resurrection to our Christian faith
- Prayer
Looking further into the passage we find that the apostles were able to fulfill the words of Jesus (John 14:12) .
Also note their common life, how they took care of each others needs, looking out for one another and not just their own family. They also had a healthy attitude towards possessions and used them for the good of the Church.
They met daily in the temple for prayer and worship, they ate together in each others homes, giving thanks and praising God. This was a different sort of community and in our world today that is so fractured and isolated such unity in community is like a stream flowing in the desert. People were joining them daily and I wonder if something not to dissimilar might be the effect of a church that operates like it today?
We may not be able to replicate the exact pattern of life of the early church but perhaps we can learn some principles and begin to put them into action in our Church today, principles such as regular weekly fellowship and Bible study groups that pray and share meals together. The common name used for such groups is ‘Cell’ and some churches that use this approach are often fast growing and effective Churches with the cell groups developing and taking responsibility for their own mission, guided by the Holy Spirit. Maybe this is one way forward for churches today.
