Session 5 - Transitioning Historic Churches and Birthing New Faith Communities

TRANSITIONING HISTORIC CHURCHES AND BIRTHING NEW FAITH COMMUNITIES Identifying new initiatives among historic denominations, new church networks, and communities engaged in incarnational urban mission

Distinguish between “change” and “transition”
Change is what happens to us from the outside and over which we usually have no control.
Transition is our inner response to the change we are experiencing and over which we do have some control.

The Change Process
Identify the stories and images with which people connect
Connect these images with the biblical narrative
Cultivate dialogue to interpret and apply these images

Move from Church Member to Jesus Follower
Christian commitment measured primarily in terms of loyalty to the institutional church
Faith has become individualized and privatized
Reductionistic gospel that meets our personal needs without challenging our priorities
Church needs to re-evangelize itself

The Gospel and Culture
The gospel judges each culture according to how compatible it is with the focus, values and goals of the kingdom of God.
The gospel also reveals the extent to which the church itself has become acculturated by accommodating to cultural aspirations that are contrary to the reign of God, thereby denying its prior allegiance.
Gospel Culture Church

Five Megatrends
From Modernity to Postmodernity
From the Industrial Age to the Technological and Information Age
From The Christendom Era to The Post-Christendom Era
From Consumer Demand to Creative Participation
From Religious Identity to Spiritual Exploration

What’s God Up To? 3: “Fresh Expressions” 4: The Megachurch Factor 5: Urban Engagement 6: Resurgent Monasticism 7. Expanding Networks 8. Alternative Worship

“ Fresh Expressions
Church planting initiatives within traditional denominations
Bottom/Up rather than Top/Down
Hierarchy response:
Permission giving
Ownership and control

Critical self evaluation
Who are they attracting?
How are they impacting their lives?
What is the extent of their influence?
Their strategic importance
Visibility and influence
Educational and equipping centers
Birthing and nurturing new faith communities
The Megachurch Factor

Urban Engagement
Incarnational witness
Long term commitment
Raising up indigenous leadership
Multicultural challenge
Social engagement
Forging coalitions
With city hall, schools, social services, law enforcement, etc.
With other churches, specialized ministries and non-profit organizations

What is a ‘Missional Community’?
Consists of followers of Jesus who are seeking together to be faithful in their place and time
Ringwood, Melbourne

Resurgent Monasticism
Grassroots ecumenism and prophetic witness
Incarnational ministries among the poor
Renewal and reconciliation
Mission order inspired by the ancient Celtic model

Expanding Networks
Independent church planting initiatives
Origins among the Jesus People and in the House Church Movement
Apostolic leadership
Core groups of “tent-makers” with bi-vocational leaders
Multi-site churches
Facilitating organizations

Alternative Worship
Listening with discernment to the broader culture
From passive consumption to creative participation
Embracing the whole of life
Ideas and resources
Home grown
Shared
“ Third space” hospitality
The universal call to worship

Worship in the Psalms
Embrace the whole of life
Issue a universal call to worship
The Temple–a house of prayer for all nations
Worship is inseparably linked with witness
Worship separated from mission is in danger of lapsing into self-indulgence.

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Session 5 - Transitioning Historic Churches and Birthing New Faith Communities

by Jonathan Taylor on Jan 12, 2009

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Session 5 - Transitioning Historic Churches and Birthing New Faith Communities — Presentation Transcript