John Bowen prepared these slides for the Reach New People workshop at Trinity College on October 27, 2012. John Bowen is the Director of the Institute of Evangelism at Wycliffe College.

1. Starting a New Service
Diocese of Toronto
October 27, 2012

2. Reason 1
Jesus called the crowd with his disciples, and
said to them, "If any want to become my
followers, let them deny themselves and take
up their cross and follow me. For those who
want to save their life will lose it, and those
who lose their life for my sake, and for the
sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it
profit them to gain the whole world and
forfeit their life?” Mark 8:34-36

3. Reason 1
Jesus called the crowd with his disciples, and
said to them, "If any want to become my
followers, let them deny themselves and take
up their cross and follow me. For those who
want to save their life will lose it, and those
who lose their life for my sake, and for the
sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it
profit them to gain the whole world and
forfeit their life?” Mark 8:34-36

4. Reason 1: the Gospel
Jesus called the crowd with his disciples, and
said to them, "If any want to become my
followers, let them deny themselves and take
up their cross and follow me. For those who
want to save their life will lose it, and those
who lose their life for my sake, and for the
sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it
profit them to gain the whole world and
forfeit their life?” Mark 8:34-36

5. Reason 1: the Gospel
A new service is one way to declare the
Gospel to people who might not
otherwise hear it, and to help people
experience the goodness of the Gospel in
new and refreshing ways.

6. Reason 2
Lamin Sanneh, Translating the Message
(1992)
“It is as if Jesus Christ walked in our
villages.”

7. Reason 2: Enculturation
The two goals of mission are “the
incarnation of the logos of God into
the language and customs of
another country, and the growth of
an indigenous church which will
sanctify and endorse the people’s
personality.”
Archbishop Anastasios Yannopulatos

8. Reason 2: Enculturation
Article XXIV. Of speaking in the
Congregation in such a tongue
as the people understandeth. It
is a thing plainly repugnant to
the Word of God, and the
custom of the Primitive
Church, to have publick Prayer
in the Church, or to minister the
Sacraments in a tongue not
understanded of the people.

9. Pat Patten’s story

10. Reason 2: Enculturation
Starting a new service is a form of
enculturation—translating the Gospel into
a new culture, rather than expecting
people to adopt our culture as a
precondition of their hearing the Gospel.

11. Reason 3
Starting a new service is a way of
establishing new priorities which it would
be harder to introduce to an existing
congregation . . . .
But those priorities can spill over into the
existing congregation.

12. Reason 3: Discipleship
Starting a new service is a way of
establishing new priorities which it would
be harder to introduce to an existing
congregation . . . .
But those priorities can spill over into the
existing congregation.

13. Main objection: consumerism
If people pass another church on their
way to yours, they have already made a
consumer choice
If we provide more than one Eucharist
during the week, we are already offering
a consumer choice (Bp Stephen Cottrell)

14. Main objection: consumerism
Does a new service lead to complacency
or to discipleship?
Does it confirm how we already think
and live, or open us to be challenged
with the radical message of Jesus?

15. Four main areas of enculturation
Music
Language
Formality
Media

16. 16

17. What happens to unity?
• Remains an important expression of faith
–Social events, retreats
–Joint services
–Mission opportunities

18. A new service can be a means of
extending grace to more and more
people, so that it may increase
thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
Based on 2 Cor. 4:15