Surprise and lessons from Antioch

Church Army’s Research unit

October 2013

One scriptural story of re-imagination

Two threads

• The Gospel – from edge of Empire to its centre• The Church – from the centre to its edge

• The Holy Spirit– Empowers the missionary journey– Disturbs the church

• The Spirit … is Lord over the Church, guiding the Church from its limited, partial and distorted understanding of, and embodiment of the truth, into the fulness of the truth in Jesus …Lesslie Newbigin

NT Concentration & Dispersal: Phase 1

Concentration in Jerusalem

Dispersal by Persecution

Acts 1 – Acts 8

Acts 6.7 “So the Word of God spread The number of disciples increased rapidly”

Concentration & Dispersal: Phase 2

Concentration in Antioch

Dispersal by Calling

Acts 11.19f – Acts 18

Acts 12.24 “So the Word of God continued to increase and spread”

Concentration & Dispersal: Phase 3

Concentration in Ephesus

Dispersal by Design

Acts 19ff

Acts 19.24 “the Word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power ”

In and out

• ‘Gathered’ church = ½ the story• ‘Dispersed’ church is normal too• Wesley’s story illustrates this

Surprises continue

• They spoke to Greeks also – what!

Bruce: ‘some daring spirits…took a momentous step forward’ in speaking to Greeks.

Dunn: ‘a truly astonishing break with the past’.

Newbigin: ‘this strange and at first shocking reversal of deeply held religious beliefs’.

More surprisesAbout how things are done: • From only one way• To a diversity

How you talk about Jesus • From Messiah• To Lord and Saviour

It is the 2nd journey – from the church’s centre to its edge

Arbuckle: ‘The new belongs elsewhere..’ Samaria, Joppa, now Antioch

And yet more surprises

Mission and Church • Not by authorised

apostles – Anonymous ones – Lay people– No one knows who started

the 3 great early churches

• But they were bi-cultural – At home in the host culture– They thought beyond a

physical temple

Ways forward for church

• But … reproduction– Of Church DNA– Leading to fresh expressions

of Church– Related to us, but different

• Not replication• Not franchise

Antioch: two sources meet

• Gospel & Ecclesial [church dna] content … and • Missional Context – leads to diversity

• Genuine creation, not copying, from 2 sources: • like with God creating humans– dust and breath

The role of Barnabas:good, full of the SpiritFrom Cyprus – so bicultural toosaw evidence of the grace of God and holds links with the wider church

Christ and the ChurchSome Theology foundational to re-imagining Church

Church Army’s Research Unit

Finding Foundations

Community-in-Mission

Facing some criticisms

MSC = ‘Church-shaped mission’: John Hull, 2005Rather Kingdom should be central and determinative

‘Kingdom’•Shorthand for the priority of social justice within mission•The dynamic within/ pointer leading to, what church should aspire to

Offering an alternativeChrist is more foundational than Kingdom

Limits to Kingdom-shaped-Church

1. Without Christ, no Kingdom would have been preached Kingdom without King is vacuous

2. Without encounter with the risen living Christ, Kingdom is powerless idealism

3. Acts and Epistles shift from Kingdom language to Jesus’ death and Resurrection

4. In those accounts any mention of Kingdom is to Jews. To any one else it meant political revolution

5. Today it is not a universal or helpful metaphor – take republics, ex empire nations, democracies, ministry to women – kingdom sounds patriarchal and imperial…

Christ and the Church:

Why Christology shapes Ecclesiology:

Christ is the founder – he is foundational Church belongs to Christ – the Christian Church It is to be shaped by his dynamicsWe are called to reproduce his patternsIs it idle that we call Church ‘the body of Christ’?

Easy to say in theory – but what do we mean?

In carnation?

• A much used word• Usually means a pastoral style of

mission; coming alongside people • Literally In Carnate = En Fleshed

Christ and the Church:

A] A typically bipartite process• Like humans made from breath and dust • In the covenants: Abraham, Mosaic, Davidic• Intervention for 3 generations of barren

matriarchs• The partnership of Spirit and Mary

1: Incarnation

Christ himself: God the Son and Son of Mary•The creeds insist on their connection•Luke’s genealogy embraces them

Implications of bipartite thinking

• The Incarnation was not a transplant • Christ the eternal son has Mary’s DNA • Incarnation models intimate engagement with

context • And the coming of content from beyond

• Bipartite working is diagnostic in creating church• Neither imposition from outside• Nor derived solely from context

• Neither ‘incarnational’ ministry nor creating church should be cloning, but bi-partite…

Christ and the Church cont …

B] Exhibits continuity and change:cf Philippians chapter 2

a list of changes That we are called to emulate in spirit

Christ Jesus - a fresh expression of God the Son?Who came from heaven - Jesus of Nazareth? NoGod the Son became incarnateThe Son’s ID was not damaged yet this was new It was even novel !

The Incarnation …

Can church be fresh and still be really church?

Continuity and ChangeThe Jesus story contains a contrast:1 Jesus’ call: the intended / the proactive 2Jesus’ openness to change / the reactive

cf varied reactions to peopleReal sufferingParadox: ‘the immortal dies’Raised by the Father

–Continuity : his ID, relationship to Trinity etc–Change: Enfleshed, ministry, Death and Resurrection

So church should not be photocopied – but rather created from two sources, [content and context] while holding continuity and change together …

1c Limits to incarnation

The references to ‘the Anglican incarnational principle’ and ‘incarnational mission’ should be dropped. The incarnation, God becoming Man, was a unique and unrepeatable event. There can therefore be no ‘incarnational principle’ or ‘incarnational mission’. God becoming Man is not a principle and the mission of the Church does not involve God taking human nature upon Himself. What we are really talking about in both cases is local delivered, culturally relevant, mission and ministry.Martin Davie: submission to MSC writing group : 2003

Objection: Church is the Body of Christ…?But which body – pre or post Resurrection?

Is the term illegitimate?

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

Dying to live is truly central

Thanks Lesslie NewbiginThe Household of God pp 147ff

Self recognition by the church of what it means to be the church is fostered by images that focus upon participation in the death and resurrection of the Messiah: Minear: Images of the Church p 227

Time to discuss and feedback

• You have 4 minutes • Turn to your neighbour• Feedback to one another your thoughts from

Christology and Christ’s incarnation, thus far

Re-imagining Church

Church Army’s Research Unit

Explorations : October 2013

Andrew - admin

Elspeth - stats

George - ?

1 What is Anglican?

When I was a lad …• Parish• Special ‘Church’ building• On a Sunday• Male Clergy take services• 1662 BCP• Bishop – ordains & confirms

And now it might be …• In secular venues

• Churches for networks• Either gender clergy & lay

• Any day of the week• Liturgical creativity • And the Bishop…

Today … what a Bishop approves of

and has relationship with

“Question Time”

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Think back over your personal story of church: – what changes stand out?

Changing Sundays Church at different times

Changing relationships Church for different networks

Changing cultures Church in different cultures

Less knowledge of faith Church for beginners

Deeper spiritual hunger Church for disconnected explorers

2 Why the need for any re-imagination?

Reasons from the Bishop of Sheffield, Steven Croft

2 The internal wake up call

Data - - - - - - - Decisions

Danger: Porcine aviation zone

Church of England Penetration of its Parishes: 1974

21.4

17.4

12.8

10.6

4.1

3.2

2.4

1.8

1.8

1.6

6.1

0 5 10 15 20 25

<250

250-499

500-999

1000-1999

2000-3999

4000-5999

6000-7999

8000-9999

10000-14999

15000-19999

20000 plus

Percentage of the parish who attend Parishpopulation

Church of England Penetration of its Parishes 2011

11.9

6.8

5.1

4.0

2.4

1.9

1.8

1.3

1.1

0.9

3.2

0 3 6 9 12 15

<250

250-499

500-999

1000-1999

2000-3999

4000-5999

6000-7999

8000-9999

10000-14999

15000-19999

20000 plus

Percentage of the parish who attend Parishpopulation

Here’s a cheerful thought

1971 One stipendiary to 3048 people2011 ditto 6745

1976: 12000 Stipendiaries2011: <8000 + 2000 ssm etc

In 1971 usual Sunday attd 1.5 millionIn 2011 ditto 898,300

Ah but AWA?2000 Average Weekly attd 1,25 million2011 ditto 1091,500

NB Population increase 2001-11 7.9%

Resource Strategy & Development Unit – National Church Institutions

10 Year Comparisons (2001– 11 smoothed)

% National Change

Population

7.9%

AWA -7.2%

42% are growing

58% are declining

Doctor, doctor …

I have this great treatment for you all …

Yeah right

4 broad local church scenarios

• Sustainable

• Static

• Strategic

• Unsustainable

Those that are …

No

Yes

No

Yes

Willing

No

- - - -

No

Yes

Growth

No

No

Yes

Yes

Resource

35

4 broad local church scenarios

• Sustainable

• Static

• Strategic

• Unsustainable

Those that are …

= resource and growth, so encourage and cheer

= resource and stuck, so give them a boot - push

= lack of resource but willing, so give them help - pull

= lack of resource and will, so arrange palliative care

See Resourcing Mission Bulletin, July 2012 and October 2012

Diocesan Mission and Finance Strength + Income-Ministry Costs

+

Mission: 5 yr attd change

Sustainable Static

Strategic

Unsustainable

-

-

5% 10% 15%

-15% -10% -5%

+2.5 million

-2.5 million

A move to evidence based thinking?

• Will we dare to differentiate?• Will we challenge what is draining &

parasitic?• Can we see this as more than

economic realism, and part of kingdom ethics – the talents parable?

• Can we avoid unbridled ecclesial capitalism?

Sorry: R. Allen, TCE 1945, L. Paul, V. Donovan, PIM 1981, J. Tiller etc. Great books & reports, but …

Mission& ministry

Plonk 2013

ParishPlonk 1984

Signs of a grass roots voice: we must do something

“Question Time”

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What signs of a wake up call do you see?To what do you attribute it: desperation, realism, hard- nosed finance, God, other?

3 Signs of hope in the Body of Christ

Leaner but fitter? Loss of nominals Signs of healthBut …

Tried health treatments GHC – Warren NCD – SchwarzGood cos …But …

Blood tranfusions & cosmetic surgery?Evang’istic campaigns, Cell, Seeker, Kidz ClubToronto, Turn-around teams, Mid sized communities etc All Good … But …

More signs of hope …

We agree fitness is key discipleship is > following Jesus

‘… following is not so much about trotting along some distance behind Jesus as about emulating his way of travelling’ Stephen Cherry

We’ve gone on retreats Monasticism old & new New ‘orders’ Resources rhythms & rules

We’ve had some babies lots of small CP & fxC, so noise and mess Will they survive? Will they mature? They will be different to us

Churches worth staying for, or creating …

• Offer authentic community not institutional belonging• Treat adults as such• Allow dialogue as well as monologue• Are self critical, especially in relation to power politics• Allow doubts, anger and lament as well as joyful certainty..

• Provide space for spiritual development not spoon feeding• Focus on God – not the leader or programs • Offer holistic vision not privatised spirituality..

• Equip members for world of work• Engage creatively/sensitively with culture & social/ethical issues • Are realistic about rhythms and pressures of modern life..

Stuart Murray, The Exodus Conference Sept 2003: Order adapted

“Question Time”

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How do you think the [C of E] Body of Christ is doing?How does Stuart Murray’s list strike you?

4 What are we learning from fxC?

“… what has been so extraordinary, so life giving and wonderful in the last decade or so, is more and more stories coming in of how those fresh encounters happen….. God is showing us examples of what the church is, in startling new ways, because we are seeing what corporate forms of life actually happen when people meet Jesus.”

Archbishop Rowan at UK Church Planting conference June 2004

Rowan Williams and a dynamic discovery

How fxC are changing assumptions re Church: 1

• Day, time, and venue are chosen more by context, than tradition

• Context is more significant for inculturated mission than territory

• Church is multi-level, so congregation is an option not a necessity

Discontinuity or Development?

• Midweek HC,

House

Churches

• Chaplaincy, x cultural mission

• Diocese/Parish & small group movement

• Mid week Ch, Messy Ch, School based Church, Traditional church plant

• Network Ch, Special Interest Group Ch, <5s Ch, Youth Church

• Cell Ch & Clusters/Mid sized communities

Assumption challenged By what kind of fxC

How fxC are changing assumptions re Church: 2

• Passivity is replaced by participation & Quality Control by trust in the people, word and Spirit

• Community round Jesus is central, from which authentic worship springs

• Leader is not necessarily clergy or pastor/teacher

Discontinuity or Development?

• Family Services, writings of Roland Allen, Vincent Donovan

• BEC movement

•Tiller report of 1982

• Alternative worship, Cell Church, Clusters, Messy Church, New Monasticism, Youth Ch.

• Community development plants, New Monasticism, Messy Church, Cell Ch

• More than half of all kinds of fxC

Assumption challenged By what kind of fxC

Discipleship, not attendance, is core

Non ID reproduction of church is normal

Church at edge not centre of society

How fxC are changing assumptions re Church: 3

Discontinuity or

Development?

Wesley & Methodism

3 self teaching by Henry Venn

Desert Monastics Anabaptists

Assumption challenged By what kind of fxC

78% of fxC take steps in discipleship

many fxC do not clone but create

Community Developm’t plants, & Special interest group fxC

What is Church?

‘Church is the event of Jesus' presence with its characteristic effect of gathering people around him and making them see one another differently as they see him.’

What is the greatest re-imagination? That we become more and more like Jesus

‘The Church exists for nothing else but to draw people into Christ, to make them little Christs.’

C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity p. 166

Book recommendation: By the Renewal of your Minds, Ellen Charry

“Question Time”

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Across the list of changes brought by fxC, which do you think are most important and why?