Mission Shaped Church Moving on in what we believe about a … Presented by The Sheffield Centre Church Army’s Research Unit

Here’s the menu, set by belief in …  God who created and loves the world – Mission is discovering what He is already doing  Jesus who went beyond the expected – We go in the same way, to where people are  Jesus who set aside his power and status – We follow his example to go and give up our preferences  Jesus who died and then was raised – What may the church have to die to ?  God sending his Spirit – The Spirit disturbs and guides  The Church has four marks – O H C A – But it can appear in many ways

Here’s the menu, set by belief in … 1.God who created and loves the world – Mission is discovering what He is already doing Could this be a mistake ?

The John’s Gospel model “The Son only does what he sees the Father is doing” p.s. “Sorry about the clipart !”

Here’s the menu, set by belief in … 1.God who created and loves the world – Mission is discovering what He is already doing 2.Jesus who went beyond the expected – We go in the same way, to where people are

Comings and Goings “Come to Church” is on the way out... GO - in order to be the Church - is on the way in Jesus only used “come” - within his GO Strategy Mk 1.14 Jesus WENT into Galilee Mk 1.17 “Come follow me” Matt “Come to me all who are weary” Matt “GO and make disciples of all nations” The church has listened to the words of Jesus : “Come unto me” but has not listened to the words “Go into the world” Bishop Lesslie Newbigin

“Come” styles of evangelism are not going to cut it, in some contexts Ways forward create some surprises

Why does having a duck help evangelism ? Why should a stagnant pond be the hidden key to an effective church plant ?

Here’s the menu, set by belief in … 1.God who created and loves the world – Mission is discovering what He is already doing 2.Jesus who went beyond the expected – We go in the same way, to where people are 3.Jesus who set aside his power and status – We follow his example to go and give up our preferences

Did angels think Incarnation was novel ?

How about the church ? Odo the shape shifter As the Father sent me, so I send you

Growing indigenous church Giving up our ways to Pioneer Fresh Expressions of Church

Here’s the menu, set by belief in … 1.God who created and loves the world – Mission is discovering what He is already doing 2.Jesus who went beyond the expected – We go in the same way, to where people are 3.Jesus who set aside his power and status – We follow his example to go and give up our preferences 4.Jesus who died and then was raised – What may the church have to die to ?

The Major Lesson in MSC ? Learning from Seed sowing The principle : Seeds must be allowed to die

Sowing Jesus patterns Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies it remains only a single seed. But if it dies it produces many seeds. John 12 24

Dying to live … Something unforeseen can grow

How’s that ?  The seed is the sent out incoming team  They “die” to their previous identity – No longer part of St Silas Somewhere – No longer holding onto “how we did things there”  Remember Paul the apostle – “To the Greeks I became as a Greek” [1 Cor 9]

Seeds are different to plants Mixing with the soil of the mission context… The planted seed community becomes a new body of believers as well us a body of new believers

Here’s the menu, set by belief in … 1.God who created and loves the world – Mission is discovering what He is already doing 2.Jesus who went beyond the expected – We go in the same way, to where people are 3.Jesus who set aside his power and status – We follow his example to go and give up our preferences 4.Jesus who died and then was raised – What may the church have to die to ? 5.God sending his Spirit – The Spirit disturbs and guides

Spirit and Mission impulses … But God I liked it in Jerusalem The apostolic direction of the Church:Acts 1.8 Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria to the end of the earth When the Spirit comes upon you.. What is this journey ? From the familiar through the disagreeable to the unthinkable ?

The ends of the earth … the unthinkable? Non-Churched ? Samaria … the disagreeable? De-Churched ? The “Judean Journey” is not enough Judea … the familiar? Fringe ? Churched PS – Notice what happens to the old centre

Mission-shaped – not just flavoured  Changes of instinct for existing churches – From modify the existing to create the different – From improve the existing, to diversify – From adding to 1 church, to multiplying churches Mission-shaped means … “Staying in Jerusalem” and its shape - cannot be enough

Here’s the menu, set by belief in … 1.God who created and loves the world – Mission is discovering what He is already doing 2.Jesus who went beyond the expected – We go in the same way, to where people are 3.Jesus who set aside his power and status – We follow his example to go and give up our preferences 4.Jesus who died and then was raised – What may the church have to die to ? 5.God sending his Spirit – The Spirit disturbs and guides 6.The Church has four marks – One Holy Catholic and Apostolic – But this can appear in many ways

Holy “UP” Apostolic “OUT” Catholic “OF” “IN” One Enduring dynamics of Church Four linked Journeys Jesus focus Jesus followers Church is any expression of the life of Jesus in communal form OHCA

Even a change of shape ? ONE HOLY CatholicApostolic Inward, self concious APO CATH Holy One Outward, self aware

The Questions…  What do you think God is doing in your own community outside the church?  What might we have to set aside to enter the culture of people beyond the churches?  How is the Spirit making you restless the carry the gospel to new places?