Mission Shaped Church Learning to be a “both-and” The Sheffield Centre Presented by The Sheffield Centre Church Army’s Research Unit

Learning to be a “both-and” Church We don’t stop all we are doing Existing ways, done well, can reach the nearest 40% AND Creating new ways to connect with the furthest away 60% A “Mixed Economy” Church is traditional and fresh expressions all facing outwards Anglicans and Methodists are working together on this agenda Specific groups now exist to help churches learn how we can learn to do this.

Learning to be a “both-and” Church We don’t stop all we are doing The principle is connecting two things Who we want to reach What will help them Lets take an analogy…..

Are Churches like cars ? Create an image ! Often going wrong ! Expensive to run and repair ! Here are two cars I have owned and loved MG Midget 1970 BMW 520i 1991 To drive, in winter, from Sheffield to Poitiers which would I take ?

Here’s a thought There is no quintessential car that can do everything There are only expressions of cars So it depends who wants to travel to where, why and how.

Learning to be a “both-and” Church We don’t stop all we are doing Existing ways, done well, can reach the nearest 40%

Different Mission Fields Regular attenders – at least monthly (10%) The 40% Nearer to us Fringe - less than monthly (10%) Open de-churched (20%) MSC p 37-40

Flourishing old expressions Some Traditional expressions are growing Cathedral attendance up 1662 Services started Visits to Holy Places Retreats and Spiritual Direction MSC pp 73-74

Church for the 40% nearer Existing Expressions suit some Traditional Christian worship Family and All Age Services A case study can be read in Encounters on the Edge Number Fresh Expressions – may do it yet better Alternative worship communities 12 Café church 6 Cell church - alongside congregation 3,20 Midweek and Multiple congregations 11 & 8 Network based church 7, 19 Traditional [conventional] church plants 9, 15

Learning to be a “both-and” Church We don’t stop all we are doing Existing ways, done well, can reach the nearest 40% AND Creating new ways to connect with the furthest away 60%

Furthest Mission Fields Regular attenders – at least monthly (10%) The 40% Nearer to us Fringe - less than monthly (10%) The 60% Further from us Non Churched (40%) Open de-churched (20%) Closed de-churched (20%) MSC p 37-40

Where do you START in which context ? Target Group The Fringe Open De- churched The Non - Closed De-Churched Or Mission Context Christen-dom Pre - Christian Post Anti Starting Place WORSHIP EVANGEL- ISM COMMUNITY theirs and ours Apology Climate Warm Cool Cold to.... Arctic “Style” Control Dialogue Partnership Listen ?

Fresh Expressions for the 60% A case study can be read in Encounters on the Edge Number Base Ecclesial Communities Café church 6 Cell church – from scratch 3, 20 Community initiatives creating church 1,2,6, 14 Network based church 7, 19 New Monasticism Youth congregations 4, 21 Archbishop Rowan @ CP conference June 2004 “…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.” To order stories go to www.encountersontheedge.org.uk

Learning to be a “both-and” Church We don’t stop all we are doing Existing ways, done well, can reach the nearest 40% AND Creating new ways to connect with the furthest away 60% A “Mixed Economy” Church is traditional and fresh expressions all facing outwards

The source of the phrase that We need mixed economy thinking That quote … “We have to ask whether we are capable of moving towards a ‘mixed economy’ church, recognising church where it appears and having the willingness and the skill to work with it” In last year’s General Synod he said: “We have to ask whether we are capable of moving towards a ‘mixed economy’ church… The Archbishop of Canterbury in the General Synod, July 2003

Something like this ? English Emmental ? Mixed Economy means “Fresh Expressions and Church Plants fill the holes the parishes cannot reach” English Emmental ? Something like this ? Mixed Economy means being glad that … MSC p 35

Mixed Economy is not … And A mixture of …. Mission-shaped Churches Mis-shapen Churches A mixture of …. Mission-shaped Churches Mixed Economy means growing a mixture of inherited and emerging expressions all of which are becoming Mission-shaped

Learning to be a “both-and” Church We don’t stop all we are doing Existing ways, done well, can reach the nearest 40% AND Creating new ways to connect with the furthest away 60% A “Mixed Economy” Church is traditional and fresh expressions all facing outwards Anglicans and Methodists are working together on this agenda

Confusion to avoid “Both And” language it not about ecumenical partnerships. It is about growing traditional and fresh expressions to help different groups. Any expression could be ecumenical None have to be …

Learning to be a “both-and” Church We don’t stop all we are doing Existing ways, done well, can reach the nearest 40% AND Creating new ways to connect with the furthest away 60% A “Mixed Economy” Church is traditional and fresh expressions all facing outwards Anglicans and Methodists are working together on this agenda Specific groups now exist to help churches learn how we can learn to do this.

How interesting ! “Mixed Economy” Pastoral Measure Church Review Comms Group Church Comms Spending Review “Mixed Economy” Pioneer Groups CMS Church Army ACPI CPAS NWBC Fresh Expressions [Son of Springboard] Steven Croft

Questions to consider What do you think of this both-and direction for the future? What can be done to make your own church more mission-shaped? What needs to be done locally to put this both-and thinking into practice?

The Fresh Shape to Mission and Church Question: What might be differences between a Mission-shaped Church and a Church-shaped Mission ? Mission-shaped Church Go Bottom up Listen to context Values Process Start small Weakness Indigenous people Discover Church-shaped Mission Come Top down Invite to services Vision Program Enough to impress Strength Wider church Dictate …Direction… …Source… …Start Point… …Energy… …Focus… …Resources… …Power… …Partners… ..What is church?.. …Other…

The Fresh Shape to Mission and Church Question: What are the differences between a Mission-shaped Church and a Church-shaped Mission ? From: How to share the Gospel using Alpha, Emmaus, etc. in “come to us” mode To: Exploring how to be Church in “go to them” model Mission-shaped Church p12 para 2