Its Church Jim But Not As We Know It!
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So that’s it all my assignments done. Now I have twelve months to complete a dissertation. The subject for the dissertation is looking at church in the future.
The U*R*C is currently going through (if that is the right phrase) a process called ‘catch the vision’. This is looking at how as a church we may need to re-imagine how we do things, how we witness to our faith in order to remain as a relevant church for future generations. Actually its more urgent than that, we need to do this in order to remain.
We see many different expressions of church popping up in different places, each one attempting to connect with the culture in which it exists. I don’t wish to investigate which is the best model because in many ways I think that perhaps it is very much horses for courses.
However, what I do want to investigate is this, what is it about church that we need to incorporate into whichever model we choose. What is it about church that can’t be left behind? They may seem obvious questions and I guess I take basic belief as a given. However, besides those basic essential beliefs (if indeed we can agree on that) if you were to start a new church what would have to be there?
I thought that here may be an interesting place to start that conversation. Please link this wherever you can as I would like to open this up so it becomes a wide debate. It will be interesting to see if we al think along similar lines or as I expect have wide ranging views.
You never know if your ideas spark thoughts I may even use them, having given you full credit first mind you!
Thank you in anticipation of your help.
Stuart.
posted by Stuart @ Monday, May 29, 2006
2 Comments:
Stuart,
i did try making a comment a couple of days ago but It hasn't appeared so i will try again. However you may be interested in the ongoing discussion on Lawrence Moore's site http://wol1959.wordpress.com/2006/03/08/postmodern-churches/ which is looking at similar issues.
I think that the key aspect of church is relationship - with God and with one another. I don't buy this "I can be a Christian on my own" philosphy - we need to be part of a community. For me that needs to be a real touching seeing community - this electronic version is a substitute - a good valuable substitute - but I can't imagine it as a source of meaningful worship or pastoral care or see the look in the eyes relationship. So for me church has to involve meeting with people - it does not have to be every Sunday, it may involve different groups of people - one of the best churches I belong to meets once a year to share the joys, frustrations etc of life and ministry (We left NoCo together 8 years ago). But I can see that for some people this world is a real world and the relationships they form on message boards and blogs are the significant meaningful relationships in their lives and from such relationships a new type of church will emerge.
And I think emerge is the key - we will not choose a model.
Enough for now - the world of the URC and MCFC is small enough that we may well come across one another in real life - perhaps the Mods will point you towards one of the many attractive Pastorates we have available across North Manchester.
As someone who rebelled and returned of my own accord ! How predictable is that!!
The things I want from church are a community that cares for each other in a human way - by that I mean the church we go to, everyone tends to just be, individually, and I'd love them to be more community focussed, even within Sunday worship - to talk to each other and bother to get to know each other. Isn't church about people?
I think it's important to involve the children - nurturing our children is incredibly important - again obvious but missed out in some places ...
I also valued time when church was open and I could just pray peacefully on my own, not just on Sundays - being in church was important to me, and gave me something I couldn't get in my bedroom or anywhere else... in fact if it wasn't for the church in Clapham being open - and I could understand if it wasn't - I doubt I'd have come back to it..
Only my thoughts - am not sure if it's what you're after, and I tend to be very simplistic - so sorry if I missed the point
Katie
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