Surprise and lessons from Antioch

1. Surprise and lessons from Antioch One scriptural story of re-imagination October 2013 Church Army’s Research unit

2. Two threads • The Gospel – from edge of Empire to its centre • The Church – from the centre to its edge • The Holy Spirit • Empowers the missionary journey • Disturbs the church • The Spirit … is Lord over the Church, guiding the Church from its limited, partial and distorted understanding of, and embodiment of the truth, into the fulness of the truth in Jesus … Lesslie Newbigin

3. Concentration in Jerusalem Dispersal by Persecution NT Concentration & Dispersal: Phase 1 Acts 1 – Acts 8 Acts 6.7 “So the Word of God spread The number of disciples increased rapidly”

4. Concentration in Antioch Dispersal by Calling Concentration & Dispersal: Phase 2 Acts 11.19f – Acts 18 Acts 12.24 “So the Word of God continued to increase and spread”

5. Concentration in Ephesus Dispersal by Design Concentration & Dispersal: Phase 3 Acts 19ff Acts 19.24 “the Word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power ”

6. In and out • ‘Gathered’ church = ½ the story • ‘Dispersed’ church is normal too • Wesley’s story illustrates this

7. Surprises continue • They spoke to Greeks also – what! Bruce: ‘some daring spirits…took a momentous step forward’ in speaking to Greeks. Dunn: ‘a truly astonishing break with the past’. Newbigin: ‘this strange and at first shocking reversal of deeply held religious beliefs’.

8. More surprises About how things are done: • From only one way • To a diversity How you talk about Jesus • From Messiah • To Lord and Saviour It is the 2nd journey – from the church’s centre to its edge Arbuckle: ‘The new belongs elsewhere..’ Samaria, Joppa, now Antioch

9. And yet more surprises Mission and Church • Not by authorised apostles • Anonymous ones • Lay people • No one knows who started the 3 great early churches • But they were bi-cultural • At home in the host culture • They thought beyond a physical temple

10. Not franchise • Not replication Ways forward for church • But … reproduction • Of Church DNA • Leading to fresh expressions of Church • Related to us, but different

11. Antioch: two sources meet • Gospel & Ecclesial [church dna] content … and • Missional Context – leads to diversity • Genuine creation, not copying, from 2 sources: • like with God creating humans– dust and breath The role of Barnabas: good, full of the Spirit From Cyprus – so bicultural too saw evidence of the grace of God and holds links with the wider church

12. Christ and the Church Some Theology foundational to re-imagining Church Church Army’s Research Unit

13. Finding Foundations Community-in-Mission

14. Facing some criticisms MSC = ‘Church-shaped mission’: John Hull, 2005 Rather Kingdom should be central and determinative • ‘Kingdom’ • Shorthand for the priority of social justice within mission • The dynamic within/ pointer leading to, what church should aspire to Offering an alternative Christ is more foundational than Kingdom

15. Limits to Kingdom-shaped-Church • Without Christ, no Kingdom would have been preached Kingdom without King is vacuous • Without encounter with the risen living Christ, Kingdom is powerless idealism • Acts and Epistles shift from Kingdom language to Jesus’ death and Resurrection • In those accounts any mention of Kingdom is to Jews. To any one else it meant political revolution • Today it is not a universal or helpful metaphor – take republics, ex empire nations, democracies, ministry to women – kingdom sounds patriarchal and imperial…

16. Christ and the Church: Why Christology shapes Ecclesiology: Christ is the founder – he is foundational Church belongs to Christ – the Christian Church It is to be shaped by his dynamics We are called to reproduce his patterns Is it idle that we call Church ‘the body of Christ’? Easy to say in theory – but what do we mean?

17. In carnation? • A much used word • Usually means a pastoral style of mission; coming alongside people • Literally In Carnate = En Fleshed

18. Christ and the Church: 1: Incarnation A] A typically bipartite process • Like humans made from breath and dust • In the covenants: Abraham, Mosaic, Davidic • Intervention for 3 generations of barren matriarchs • The partnership of Spirit and Mary • Christ himself: God the Son and Son of Mary • The creeds insist on their connection • Luke’s genealogy embraces them

19. Implications of bipartite thinking • The Incarnation was not a transplant • Christ the eternal son has Mary’s DNA • Incarnation models intimate engagement with context • And the coming of content from beyond • Bipartite working is diagnostic in creating church • Neither imposition from outside • Nor derived solely from context • Neither ‘incarnational’ ministry nor creating church should be cloning, but bi-partite…

20. Christ and the Church cont … Can church be fresh and still be really church? B] Exhibits continuity and change: • cf Philippians chapter 2 • a list of changes • That we are called to emulate in spirit • Christ Jesus - a fresh expression of God the Son? • Who came from heaven - Jesus of Nazareth? No • God the Son became incarnate • The Son’s ID was not damaged yet this was new • It was even novel ! The Incarnation …

21. Continuity and Change The Jesus story contains a contrast: 1 Jesus’ call: the intended / the proactive • Jesus’ openness to change / the reactive cf varied reactions to people Real suffering Paradox: ‘the immortal dies’ Raised by the Father • Continuity : his ID, relationship to Trinity etc • Change: Enfleshed, ministry, Death and Resurrection So church should not be photocopied – but rather created from two sources, [content and context] while holding continuity and change together …

22. 1c Limits to incarnation Is the term illegitimate? The references to ‘the Anglican incarnational principle’ and ‘incarnational mission’ should be dropped. The incarnation, God becoming Man, was a unique and unrepeatable event. There can therefore be no ‘incarnational principle’ or ‘incarnational mission’. God becoming Man is not a principle and the mission of the Church does not involve God taking human nature upon Himself. What we are really talking about in both cases is local delivered, culturally relevant, mission and ministry. Martin Davie: submission to MSC writing group : 2003 Objection: Church is the Body of Christ…? But which body – pre or post Resurrection?

23. Is Incarnation the controlling factor? • Or should it be Death and Resurrection? • Romans 6 • Baptism • Communion • The characteristic sign – the Cross • The basis of hope – the Resurrection Dying to live is truly central Self recognition by the church of what it means to be the church is fostered by images that focus upon participation in the death and resurrection of the Messiah: Minear: Images of the Church p 227 • The Incarnation • No extension • No command • No possibility Thanks Lesslie Newbigin The Household of God pp 147ff

24. Time to discuss and feedback • You have 4 minutes • Turn to your neighbour • Feedback to one another your thoughts from Christology and Christ’s incarnation, thus far

25. Re-imagining Church Explorations : October 2013 Andrew - admin Elspeth - stats Church Army’s Research Unit George - ?

26. 1 What is Anglican? When I was a lad … • Parish • Special ‘Church’ building • On a Sunday • Male Clergy take services • 1662 BCP • Bishop – ordains & confirms And now it might be … • In secular venues • Churches for networks • Either gender clergy & lay • Any day of the week • Liturgical creativity • And the Bishop… 50 years of gradual change Today … • what a Bishop approves of and has relationship with

27. “Question Time” ? ? ? Think back over your personal story of church: – what changes stand out? ? ? ? ? ?

28. 2 Why the need for any re-imagination? Changing Sundays Church at different times Changing relationships Church for different networks Changing cultures Church in different cultures Less knowledge of faith Church for beginners Church for disconnected explorers Deeper spiritual hunger Reasons from the Bishop of Sheffield, Steven Croft

29. 2 The internal wake up call Data - - - - - - - Decisions Danger: Porcine aviation zone

30. Church of England Penetration of its Parishes: 1974 1.6 20000 plus 1.8 15000-19999 1.8 10000-14999 2.4 8000-9999 3.2 6000-7999 4.1 4000-5999 6.1 2000-3999 10.6 1000-1999 12.8 500-999 17.4 250-499 21.4 <250 0 5 10 15 20 25 Parish population Percentage of the parish who attend

31. Church of England Penetration of its Parishes 2011 0.9 20000 plus 1.1 15000-19999 1.3 10000-14999 1.8 8000-9999 1.9 6000-7999 2.4 4000-5999 3.2 2000-3999 4.0 1000-1999 5.1 500-999 6.8 250-499 11.9 <250 0 3 6 9 12 15 Parish population Percentage of the parish who attend

32. Here’s a cheerful thought 1971 One stipendiary to 3048 people 2011 ditto 6745 1976: 12000 Stipendiaries 2011: <8000 + 2000 ssmetc In 1971 usual Sunday attd 1.5 million In 2011 ditto 898,300 Ah but AWA? 2000 Average Weekly attd 1,25 million 2011 ditto 1091,500 NB Population increase 2001-11 7.9%

33. 42% are growing 58% are declining Resource Strategy & Development Unit – National Church Institutions

34. Doctor, doctor … I have this great treatment for you all … Yeah right

35. Resource Growth Willing Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No - - - - Yes No No No 4 broad local church scenarios Those that are … • Sustainable • Static • Strategic • Unsustainable

36. 4 broad local church scenarios Those that are … • Sustainable • Static • Strategic • Unsustainable = resource and growth, so encourage and cheer = resource and stuck, so give them a boot - push = lack of resource but willing, so give them help - pull = lack of resource and will, so arrange palliative care See Resourcing Mission Bulletin, July 2012 and October 2012

37. Diocesan Mission and Finance Strength + Income-Ministry Costs +2.5 million Static Sustainable Mission: 5 yr attd change + -15% -10% -5% - 5% 10% 15% Strategic Unsustainable - -2.5 million

38. A move to evidence based thinking? • Will we dare to differentiate? • Will we challenge what is draining & parasitic? • Can we see this as more than economic realism, and part of kingdom ethics – the talents parable? • Can we avoid unbridled ecclesial capitalism? Mission & ministry Plonk 2013 • Sorry: R. Allen, TCE 1945, L. Paul, V. Donovan, PIM 1981, J. Tiller etc. Great books & reports, but … Parish Plonk 1984 • Signs of a grass roots voice: we must do something

39. “Question Time” ? ? ? What signs of a wake up call do you see? To what do you attribute it: desperation, realism, hard- nosed finance, God, other? ? ? ? ? ?

40. 3 Signs of hope in the Body of Christ Leaner but fitter? Loss of nominals Signs of health But … Tried health treatments GHC – Warren NCD – Schwarz Good cos … But … Blood tranfusions & cosmetic surgery? Evang’istic campaigns, Cell, Seeker, Kidz Club Toronto, Turn-around teams, Mid sized communities etc All Good … But …

41. More signs of hope … We agree fitness is key discipleship is > following Jesus ‘… following is not so much about trotting along some distance behind Jesus as about emulating his way of travelling’ Stephen Cherry We’ve gone on retreats Monasticism old & new New ‘orders’ Resources rhythms & rules We’ve had some babies lots of small CP & fxC, so noise and mess Will they survive? Will they mature? They will be different to us

42. Churches worth staying for, or creating … • Offer authentic community not institutional belonging • Treat adults as such • Allow dialogue as well as monologue • Are self critical, especially in relation to power politics • Allow doubts, anger and lament as well as joyful certainty.. • Provide space for spiritual development not spoon feeding • Focus on God – not the leader or programs • Offer holistic vision not privatised spirituality.. • Equip members for worldof work • Engage creatively/sensitively with culture & social/ethical issues • Are realistic about rhythms and pressures of modern life.. Stuart Murray, The Exodus Conference Sept 2003: Order adapted

43. “Question Time” ? ? ? How do you think the [C of E] Body of Christ is doing? How does Stuart Murray’s list strike you? ? ? ? ? ?

44. 4 What are we learning from fxC? “… 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.” Rowan Williams and a dynamic discovery Archbishop Rowan at UK Church Planting conference June 2004

45. How fxC are changing assumptions re Church: 1 Discontinuity or Development? • Midweek HC, House Churches • Chaplaincy, x cultural mission • Diocese/Parish & small group movement Assumption challenged By what kind of fxC • Day, time, and venue are chosen more by context, than tradition • Context is more significant for inculturated mission than territory • Church is multi-level, so congregation is an option not a necessity • Mid week Ch, Messy Ch, School based Church, Traditional church plant • Network Ch, Special Interest Group Ch, <5s Ch, Youth Church • Cell Ch & Clusters/Mid sized communities

46. How fxC are changing assumptions re Church: 2 • Discontinuity or Development? • Family Services, writings of Roland Allen, Vincent Donovan • BEC movement • Tiller report of 1982 Assumption challenged By what kind of fxC • Passivity is replaced by participation & Quality Control by trust in the people, word and Spirit • Community round Jesus is central, from which authentic worship springs • Leader is not necessarily clergy or pastor/teacher • Alternative worship, Cell Church, Clusters, Messy Church, New Monasticism, Youth Ch. • Community development plants, New Monasticism, Messy Church, Cell Ch • More than half of all kinds of fxC

47. How fxC are changing assumptions re Church: 3 Discontinuity or Development? • Wesley & Methodism • 3 self teaching by Henry Venn • Desert Monastics Anabaptists Assumption challenged By what kind of fxC • Discipleship, not attendance, is core • Non IDreproduction of church is normal • Church at edge not centre of society • 78% of fxC take steps in discipleship • many fxC do not clone but create • Community Developm’t plants, & Special interest group fxC

48. What is Church? ‘Church is the event of Jesus' presence with its characteristic effect of gathering people around him and making them see one another differently as they see him.’ ‘The Church exists for nothing else but to draw people into Christ, to make them little Christs.’ C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity p. 166 What is the greatest re-imagination? That we become more and more like Jesus Book recommendation: By the Renewal of your Minds, Ellen Charry

49. “Question Time” ? ? ? Across the list of changes brought by fxC, which do you think are most important and why? ? ? ? ? ?