A New Season My Vision for Catford

1. A New SeasonMy Vision for Catford Church Weekend Away 2011

2. MY VISION FOR CATFORD • A Visionary Church • A Mission-driven Church • A Diverse Church • A Church that trains and equips • A Gathering Church • A Praying Church • A Spirit-led Church • A Networking Church

3. Part One A Visionary Church A Mission-driven Church

4. A Visionary Church The Church in Acts had a vision (Acts 1:8) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. • Their vision was very clear (Communication) • It was Complimentary (Team Work) • It was Local and Global (Glocal vision)

5. A Mission-driven Church The Vision of the Church in Acts was Mission (missiodei) They accomplished this mission through four ways: • Evangelism (sharing the Good News of Jesus with people) • Social and Community Action • Apologetics (reasoned and seasoned defence of the Gospel) • Through miracles, healing and deliverance

6. A Mission-driven Church 1. Evangelism (Sharing the Good News of Jesus with people) • To individuals (Philip and the Ethiopian Acts 8, Ananias and Saul of TarsusActs 9, Paul and SergiusPaulus Acts 13) • To Crowds of people (Peter on the Day of Pentecost Acts 2, Peter at the Beautiful Gate Acts 3, Philip in Samaria Acts 8) • Missions trips (Paul’s 3 missionary journeysActs 13-21) • Church Planting (Churches planted in Galatia Acts 14, Church founded in Philippi Acts 16, Church founded at Thessalonica Acts 17, Church founded at Corinth Acts 18, Church established at Ephesus Acts 19)

7. A Mission-driven Church 2. Social and Community Action • Acts 2: 42-47 • Acts 4: 32-37 • Acts 6:1 • Acts 11:19-30

8. A Mission-driven Church 3. Apologetics (reasoned and seasoned defence of the Gospel) • Paul and the Greek philosophers - Acts 17 • Paul before the Jewish Council - Acts 23 • Paul before Felix the Governor - Acts 24 • Paul before Festus the Governor and King Agrippa - Acts 25-26

9. A Mission-driven Church 4. Through miracles, healing and deliverance • Aeneas’s healing from being paralytic – Acts 9: 32-35 • Dorcascame back to life - Acts 9: 36-42

10. A Mission-driven Church So how do we reach out to people in Catford?

11. A Mission-driven Church So how do we reach out to people in Catford?... • Strengthen current outreach projects • English Classes • Youth work • Bubbles etc. • Use Christmas to connect with people • Go to Catford centre on Sunday mornings giving drinks, snacks and maybe wrapping Christmas gifts • Carol singing in the Pubs & The Point area etc.

12. A Mission-driven Church So how do we reach out to people in Catford?... • Use the Olympics to reach out to people • Sports day • Community Festival • Olympic themed activities etc.

13. A Mission-driven Church So how do we reach out to people in Catford?... • Reduce Crime in Catford The crime rate in Catford is very high (Burglary, criminal damage, Fraud and forgery, robbery, theft and handling, violence against a person)

14. Crime Rates per 1,000 Pop(Met, 2008) (Yellow = highest)

16. A Mission-driven Church • Reduce Crime in Catford • We can reduce crime by working and supporting Street Pastors • Partnering with XLP • Mentoring young people in the Borough

17. A Mission-driven Church Church planting: a future project?

18. Part Two 3. A Diverse Church 4. A Church that trains and equips

19. A Diverse Church • The Church in Acts was a Multicultural Church from the start (Acts 2:5-13) • There were God fearing Jews who were born in different parts of the world present on the day of Pentecost 2. It was this diversity that led to tensions in Acts 6 between Jews born in Palestine and those outside Palestine 3. It was also this diverse group that planted the Church in Antioch which became the centre of Gentile Christianity (Acts 11:19-26)

20. A Diverse Church It is expedient that CCC be more multicultural because: • firstly it is biblical • secondly, it is prophetic and • thirdly, our context of ministry (Lewisham) is Multicultural

21. A Diverse Church What does it mean to be Diverse Church? •  It is not just about culture and ethnicity (Black and White Culture or race) • It is also about Class (Working Class, Middle Class etc) • It is also about Gender issues (Women in Leadership etc) • Intergenerational issues (Elderly people, young adults, young people, Children etc) • Disability issues

22. A Diverse Church • In order for CCC to be more multicultural we have to think multiculturallyand act multiculturally. • We also have to ask questions. • Finally, some expertise is required therefore training is very important

23. A Church that trains and equips The Church in Acts trains people for effective ministry through mentoring and discipleship (Paul mentored Timothy Acts 16:1-4, 19:8-9) • We can be equipped by being resourced and encouraged to go to trainings • Transformed Internship and Leadership Training • Mentoring our young people • Small Groups

24. Part Three 5. A Gathering Church 6. A Praying Church

25. A Gathering Church • The Church in Acts gathered together for fellowship (Acts 2:42-47, 4:32-37) • Their gathering consisted of: • Teaching • Fellowship • Breaking of Bread • Prayers • Worship • Acts of Mercy

26. A Gathering Church • We gather together through our Sunday worship, Small Groups and Social gatherings • Discipleship and Fellowship must be central to our gatherings

27. A Praying Church The Church in Acts was a praying Church (Acts 1:12-14, 4:23-31) We need to be a praying Church if we want to bring changes in peoples’ lives and in our society. We can do this through: • Continuing the tradition of prayer and vision nights • Regular prayer on Tuesday afternoon at The Point • Incorporate more prayers into our worship on Sundays • New Years Eve prayer and celebration • Encourage Prayer and fasting • Establish an intercessory group

28. Part Four 7. A Spirit-led Church 8. A Networking Church

29. A Spirit-led Church The Church in Acts was constantly led by the Spirit. Some Church Fathers and leaders have actually argued that Acts should have been called the Acts of the Holy Spirit because it was the Spirit leading the Apostles •  They waited on the Lord to be empowered by the Spirit before preaching (Acts 1&2) • They were filled with the Spirit and spoke with boldness (Acts 4:23-31) • They chose Church leaders who were filled with the Spirit (Acts 6) • Philip was led by the Spirit to the Ethiopian (Acts 8:29)…

30. A Spirit-led Church • …Peter was led to Cornelius (A non-Jew) by the Spirit (Acts 10) • Missionaries were appointed and commissioned by the Spirit (Acts 13) • The decisions at the first Church Council in history was inspired by the Holy Spirit (Acts 15:28) • Paul’s missionary trips were directed by the Holy Spirit (Acts 16:6-10) To be a Spirit-led Church we have to commit ourselves to prayers, gathering together and discipleship

31. A Networking Church The Church in Acts worked towards Church unity • The Church in Jerusalem (Which was Jewish predominantly) networked with the Church in Antioch (Which was Gentile constituted) Acts 11 • Church history informs us that the theology and interpretation of Scriptures of these Churches were essentially different but they still managed to work together • The first Church Council in Jerusalem settled tensions that were rising between the two centres of Christianity in the early Church (Acts 15)

32. A Networking Church • Church unity or networking with other Churches is hard work, but we must endeavour the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace as Paul admonished • We are working with other Churches through T Net, I Net and New Wine Network • Aside from these networks, we also need to work with other Churches in the Borough that are different from us, such as Black Majority Churches (BMC)