1. Mission Shaped Church The working group An introduction to

2. A Tale Of Two Reports NB From the edge 1994

3. What is Mission-shaped Church ?  It’s a collection of short stories showing what’s already happening – Not a plea to start experiments – It offers understanding of existing creativity – Stories help catch the imagination

4. Catching up time  The fresh expressions of church which Mission- shaped Church describes are evidence of considerable creative missionary energy within the Church of England.  We did not so much write a report telling the Church of England what is needed to do, as tell it what it was already doing, and point out the potential. Bishop Graham Cray

5. MSC is also …  a map of mission at home today Who is out there ? What are pioneer’s learning ? What are the pitfalls? Who else can make the journey ?

6. MSC is also …  a key resource for trainers of future leaders in mission Not “how to” / painting by numbers Rather cultural analysis applied theology generic methodology A search for good instincts

7. Mission-shaped Church is also …  a round table for permission givers and pioneers It seeks good relationships between permission givers and pioneers. It teaches all expressions of church need a belonging beyond themselves. It asks for investment in this future and a culture of permission giving Bishop, you mean you want me to do this !

8. Conclusions for Church and Mission 1.The existing parochial system alone is no longer able to deliver its underlying missionary purpose 2.We need a mixed economy – no longer promoting one way of being church 3.There are only expressions – previous and fresh 4.All churches need re-shaping in this light Cf MSC p xi para 4

9. Ground breaking insights - 1 1.The existing parochial system alone is no longer able to deliver its underlying missionary purpose – Not repudiation of the principle of trying to reach all – Recognition that legal territory isn’t the best way today – Even Breaking New Ground [1994] began to see it …

10. “A Vision: of Territory Neighbourhood and Network” All these groups of people are our Anglican responsibility a de bc f Parishes a-f- parochial Network X - relational - geographical Neighbourhoods 1 and 2 onetwo X

11. From neighbourhood to network … In which community do we grow church? Surely not just where Melissa sleeps ! 27 Railway Cuttings Meet Melissa

12. Ground Breaking insights – 2 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” The Archbishop of Canterbury in the General Synod, July 2003 We need mixed economy thinking

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

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

15. Ground breaking insights - 3 3.There are only expressions – previous and fresh  “No expression of Church can exhaust the riches of Christ” - Archbishop Rowan  This means [Anglican] instincts for monopoly of practice are misguided …

16. 3Monopoly attitudes don’t help  Anglican arrogance  Other Christians are “Dissenters”  Parish makes everybody “ours”  “Common Worship” is common to all  We are accessible to all – “I wish !”

17. Society has changed – so must we  UK is becoming more diverse – in many ways  to be a Church for the nation is a call to embrace the diversities  Most of the faces we face are cross cultural mission  No one form of church will do  Shift from monopoly to diversity

18. Note the diverse Mission Fields Non Churched (40%) Regular attenders – at least monthly (10%) Fringe - less than monthly (10%) Open de-churched (20%) Closed de-churched (20%) MSC p 37-40

19. There is a time bomb … MSC p 40-41 De-churched: Approx 30% Non-churched: Approx 60% Attending: approx 10% ___ = % Pop Attended <15 yrs ____ = Attended In 1998 The % of people furthest away from living contact with or effective knowledge of the church is growing. Age % Most existing churches are not aware of this, nor shaped to meet it 76% of “converts” come from dechurched

20. A 4th insight for all 4.All churches need re-shaping in this light  Mission-shaped Church isn’t just mission flavoured 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 From the familiar through the disagreeable to the unthinkable ?

21. Mission-shaped – not just flavoured  Changes of instinct – From modify the existing to create the different – From improve the existing to diversify – From adding to 1 church, to multiplying churches – See all inclusive congregation is an illusion – Cross cultural mission is now normal – From centring on worship, to starting with community – The Fresh Expressions have shown us the process of discovering church for new contexts Mission-shaped means …

22. Dying to the pre-planned – living to the reactive Discernment in context MSC p 21 - avoid cloning church p 24, - plan or discern p 80 – only creative planting will do p 105f – key questions to ask Finding out what God is doing and joining in

23. The going of “Come” From the 4 th century in the west, the surrounding culture brought people to the door of the Church. What brought them ? Baptisms / Weddings / Funerals Questions of life / Pastoral Crises Our church we don’t go to Coming back to values or past known Church The mission task was : Respond well to their requests Take them, from the door to the altar

24. The coming - of “Going” With the ending of Christendom, and onset of secularisation, the culture no longer brings people to the door of the Church. Few churches have experience of this profoundly different shape to mission know how to travel out from Church in “go” or apostolic mode can envisage how to be fresh imaginings of church - at the end of the journey ?

25. Recommendations p 145 ff 2Strategy at diocesan & deanery level To reflect network, deanery and ecumenical choices 3Episcopal leadership in mission Bishop’s staff member to encourage, support and integrate 4The 4 principles for practice be adopted in dioceses [Bishop as Broker, complementary churches, permeable boundaries and open process] 10Training - for all - include cross-cultural, Planting and Fresh Expressions 11Selection & training of pioneers needed 12fDeployment of pioneers: pathways [14] to be nurtured 16fDisproportionate Resources to the existing – strategy needed to amend this.

26. Reception since January 2004  At General Synod : Feb 2004 – report welcomed “as a contribution … about a mixed economy church” and commended for study – Amendment, that parish be seen “as responsibility not as ownership”, passed – MPA council to take forward recommendations and report back to Gen Synod, including relaxing restrictions re parish boundaries and making responses to network culture – Guidelines re maturity from Breaking New Ground reaffirmed and to be adopted and used by Dioceses – Commissioners report, to put monies to FXC from reduced support to Bishops and Cathedrals, kicked into touch  MSC goes to 6th reprinting – 17,000+ copies sold by Sept 2006  Welcomed widely in Australia and New Zealand, and in other denominations in UK