1. The Church Moving Forward Presented by Rev. Dr. Christine Chakoian First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest Sept. 24, 2014

2. Here It Comes… How to move a 100- year- old church *National Geographic Channel, “Monster Moves” - 2007

3. The Changing Landscape It’s harder than it used to be for churches to move forward. A storm of cultural change is altering the landscape of American life.

4. The Changing Landscape “The World is a Global Village” *From May 18, 1960 CBC TV Exploration Program

5. The Changing Landscape “nearly every aspect of life will change, from the minutiae of daily lives to more fundamental questions about identity, relationships and even our security.” *The New Digital Age: Reshaping the Future of People, Nations and Business

6. The Changing Landscape 1) Changes in day-to-day life…

7. The Changing Landscape Fast forward to today… 19102010

8. The Changing Landscape 2a) Changes to institutions: retailers

9. The Changing Landscape 2b) Changes to institutions: entertainment

10. The Changing Landscape 2c) Changes to institutions: corporate

11. The Changing Landscape 2d) Changes to institutions: governments & non-profits

12. The Changing Landscape 3) Changes to the church

13. The Changing Landscape

14. Let’s get on with it…

15. Cryptomnesia crypto = hidden or secret + mnesia = memory When our brains trick us into thinking we’re encountering something new when in reality we’ve been there before.

16. The Early Christians’ Brave New World

17. Christianity spread thanks to the road-building efforts of the Greco-Roman Empire.

18. The Early Christians’ Brave New World People were connected from the Pacific to the Atlantic Coasts.

19. The Early Christians’ Brave New World “The sense of isolation, rootlessness and insecurity was … strong enough to set people looking for a rule of life which would give them a sense of inward security and stability.” —Historian A.H. Armstrong

20. The Early Christians’ Brave New World Ostia, the harbor city of Ancient Rome in addition to houses, offices, workshops and laundries, the city boasted an astonishing array of religious buildings

21. The Early Christians’ Brave New World Navigating the new complex terrain through: 2)Figuring out polity 3)Becoming savvy cultural interpreters 4)Honoring each other’s ministry 1)Careful theological sifting

22. The Early Christians’ Brave New World Careful theological sifting discerning what was central and what was not from their inherited faith

23. The Early Christians’ Brave New World Figuring out polity how to discern what to do and who had authority to decide— authority wasn’t always clear

24. The Early Christians’ Brave New World Becoming savvy cultural interpreters i.e. Paul didn’t just debate in the synagogue, he also went into the city square

25. The Early Christians’ Brave New World Honoring each other’s ministry they didn’t compete against each other … they honored each other because the good news of the gospel was far more essential than their differences

26. Part II: Moving Forward Instead of being “stuck,” early Christians moved forward:moved forward From clinging to everything to sorting what matters; From being insular to reaching out to the world From hierarchal authority to shared authority in a “flattened world;” From perpetual conflict to honoring our differences.

27. Part II: Moving Forward Sifting Our Inheritance: What to Keep and What to Let Go

28. Part II: Moving Forward Discussion : Have you every inherited things from a grandparent or parent? What did you do with them? How did you decide what to keep, give away or throw away? What was the experience like?

29. Part II: Moving Forward Our Generation Requires Discernment Esse — essential vs Adiaphora —indifferent things

30. Part II: Moving Forward Small Group Discussion: Think of the earliest church you were part of—the first memories you have of church. What people, experiences or places did you love and cherish? What made them special to you?

31. Part II: Moving Forward Sorting Our Inheritance: The First Christians Where They Worshipped

32. Part II: Moving Forward Sorting Our Inheritance: The First Christians How They Worshipped

33. Part II: Moving Forward Sorting Our Inheritance: The First Christians What was kept?

34. Part II: Moving Forward Small Group Discussion: What in worship for you is essential—that is, it wouldn’t be worship without it? Twenty-five years from now, what would you hope that your children/grandchildren would cherish in worship?

35. Part II: Moving Forward Sorting Our Inheritance: Old vs New

36. Part II: Moving Forward Sorting Our Inheritance: esse to worship Scripture and interpretation Prayers Communion Baptism

37. Part II: Moving Forward Sorting Our Inheritance: adiaphora to worship Music Room design Leaders’ garb Worship guides

38. Part II: Moving Forward Small Group Discussion: What of your worship experience is OK if it isn’t still here 25 years from now? Get specific!

39. Part II: Moving Forward Sorting Our Inheritance: belief and behavior

40. Part II: Moving Forward Sorting Our Inheritance: belief and behavior

41. Part II: Moving Forward Small Group Discussion: What’s one essential Christian belief or behavior for you? Twenty-five years from now, what would you hope that your children/grandchildren would cherish in worship?

42. Part II: Moving Forward Sorting Our Inheritance: adiaphora among early believers *Nonkosher*Food offered to idols

43. Part II: Moving Forward Sorting Our Inheritance: how early believers decided on food 1. Revelation to Peter 2. Revelation discerned in community 3. Coming to shared conclusion 4. Ruling challenged 5. Ruling holds with concern for the weak 6. (Over time) Clear that food wasn’t essential

44. Part II: Moving Forward Small Group Discussion: What area of not-terribly controversial Christian behavior or belief have you seen change through this kind of discernment over your lifetime?

45. Part II: Moving Forward Sorting Our Inheritance: how early believers decided on circumcision 1. Revelation to Peter 2. Revelation discerned in community 3. Coming to shared conclusion 4. Ruling challenged 5. Ruling holds with concern for the weak 6. (Over time) Clear that circumcision wasn’t essential

46. Part II: Moving Forward Sorting Our Inheritance: true for early believers and us 1. Revelation 2. Discerned in community 3. Shared conclusion 4. Ruling challenged 5. Concern for the weak 6. Eventual Resolution

47. Part II: Moving Forward Worship, Behavior and Belief: Sorting What’s Essential Today “We in the institutional church have loved many things more than we’ve loved God. We love our camps, our stained glass windows, our pipe organs, our Sunday School traditions, our buildings, our women’s groups, our pastors, and our hymnals more than we’ve loved God. This makes Jesus slap his hand to his head.” —Jan Edmiston, associate executive presbyter Presbytery of Chicago

48. Part II: Moving Forward Small Group Discussion: Think of a particular issue facing your church. How might you apply this approach in your own context? Who would be involved? Who would throw up barriers? How might you overcome them? What would this look like?

49. Part II: Moving Forward There will ALWAYS be things over which we disagree, yet we agree on so much that we received from our “mother church.” Perhaps that should not surprise us. It is the tenacious love of God, the wondrous grace of Jesus Christ, the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit and the building up of community … these are esse that shall endure forever.