Fishing nets or safety nets

1. Fishing nets or safety nets

3. Need to start outside the church culture

4. What are the differences in life between 1950 and 2010?

5. Going out Coming In. Christendom Spirituality Authority Authenticity Conforming Choosing Community Self reference Sunday Time Chaos Organisations Networks

6. Changing culture ‘What is taking place is not merely the continued decline of organised Christianity but the death of the culture which formerly conferred Christian identity upon the British people as a whole.’ Callum Browne Death of Christian Britain

7. “ create a linguistic community which speaks to itself but gives up responsibility to put the gospel in a language which is understood by the whole of society.”

8. Five implications for the church in Australia

9. A decline in religious affiliation Christian 1947 88% 2006 64% No religion 1947 0.4% 2006 19% NCLS

10. 27% do not go to church and are negative 36% do not attend frequently and are unsure about their attitude 1999 Building Church

11. A decline in Church Attendance 1960 41% attend at least monthly 1980 25% 2000 20% NCLS

12. “ this majority (66%) presents a major challenge to churches. Most of them are unreceptive and closed to attending church; churchgoing is simply not on their agenda.”

13. “ this research helps us to understand that the further people are from church, (in terms of churchgoing) the less likely they are to attend in the future. Mission opportunities are very different when to step over the church threshold is an unknown experience…..”

14. The absence of the younger generation The average age of a churchgoer is 53 Typical churchgoer is 40+, female, with a University degree, in first marriage, employed or retired. NCLS

15. The rising influence of spirituality “ The world today is as furiously religious as it ever was and in some places more so than ever.” Rise in Wiccas from 1996-2001 in Australia was 373%.

16. Are People Searching and why? • 73% of people are searching • 70% of people are searching because of either the credit crunch, concern about personal finances or job insecurity

17. Changes in the church culture Increased openness to new initiatives NCLS

18. “ we understood mission one way and organised life to accomplish it. We have awakened to find out the mission moved on us. To keep focusing on mission, we have to turn the furniture around and face a different direction. We may even have to move into another room.” Loren Mead. The Once and Future Church

20. 7 principles for remodelling church

21. 1 Public worship probably isn’t the best starting point

22. Prayer and Support Loving Service Forming Community Evangelism and Disciple- Making Evolving Worship Listening and Following God’s call Connection

23. “ The foundation of being Christian is being community centred around Jesus. Public worship is the consequence of this reality, not its creator.” George Lings

24. 2 There is no return address

25. Judea Samaria Ends of the Earth Half the picture Jerusalem

26. The ends of the earth Samaria The eccentric effects… Judea The centre and the Acts story shift Samaria is not a return ticket story moves from a focus on Peter to Paul the Church goes west church is done differently among Gentiles

27. “ cultural diversity was built into church for ever when so early in the church’s life the decision was taken to abandon the Jewish proselytite model.” Andrew Walls

28. 3 Mission not models shape the church

29. ‘The reality is that mainstream culture no longer brings people to the church door. We can no longer assume that we can automatically reproduce ourselves, because the pool of people who regard church as relevant or important is decreasing with every generation’ Mission shaped church report p11

30. “ it is not the church of God which has a mission but the God of mission who has a church.” Tim Dearborn

31. 4 This might change US

32. Dying to live “ I tell you the truth, 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; 23-6

33. TOGETHER TO GOD’S FUTURE • ‘…do not try to call them back to where they were, and do not try to call them to where you are, beautiful as that place may seem to you. You must have the courage to go with them to a place that neither you nor they have been before.’ • Vincent Donovan

34. “Safe, who said anything about being safe. Course he isn’t safe. But he is good. He’s the King I tell you.”

35. 5 Welcome the three eccentrics

36. The 3 eccentrics • Who are the Philips? • A Dangerous Deacon? • Allow space for the unknowns • Discover Cornelius • who evangelizes who • Pray for Pauls • Eccentrics will do it differently

37. 6 The challenge of discipleship

38. Simple in its nature • Relational in its emphasis • Transformational in its outcomes

39. 7 The Pattern of Jesus Life

40. Incarnation • Cross • Resurrection

41. Which of these principles do you find most helpful? Why? • Which of these principles do • you find least helpful? Why? • Any questions/comments.

43. http://davemale.typepad.com/churchunplugged/