Posts tagged ‘participate’
Initial Reflections
Dreaming Day:2 ‘Affinity’
The two Dreaming Days at Doncaster were positive and inspiring experiences. Just under 100 people were involved over the two Days (with around 20 coming both Days). This represented 37 churches, and included 52 ministers. We were also privileged to have three members of the ‘a capella’ stream of churches of Christ participating in Saturday’s conversation.
The two gatherings became focus groups that workshopped the key questions of the Affinity discussion paper that (along with other materials via email, Facebook and a blog) had been distributed to churches for reflection and response. The Days were facilitated by John Bailey, Doncaster (with assistance from John Sharpe, Ringwood) around the Why question (Why do Churches of Christ exist?) and the How question (How are we called to live out this Why?). This process followed a brief comparative snapshot of the 19th Century world of Thomas Campbell and our world today by Federal Coordinator Craig Brown (which will be published on this blog later this week).
The process of dialogue at the two Days resulted in those present setting the agenda (around Why and How) for the conversations. It is acknowledged that this meant that some areas of detail in the Affinity document (including the Ministry Contribution and specific items in the Covenant) were only dealt with as much as those present wanted them to be. It is always fun (and challenging!) when we follow this ‘Future Directions’ method of ‘listening people into free speech’…
The primary response to the Why question was “to gather around the central figure of Christ, to live his Way out in our local contexts and to invite others to do the same”. This commitment to a Kingdom way of living was supported by the suggestion that we should be less prescriptive about New Testament practices (eg. baptism, weekly Lord’s Supper etc) than we have been, and more open to relationships of integrity and compassion that earn the right to proclaim the salvation story centred on Jesus. There was no suggestion these New Testament practices should be forgotten, rather that they be affirmed as actions that emerge out of relationship, rather than be actions that create relationship. Themes that emerged from both the Why and How showed strong support for the Great Commandment (love God and love people) and the Great Commission (make disciples, baptise, teach) as well as the work of the Holy Spirit as described in Acts (including Acts 4, the text participants reflected on, or ‘dwelt in’ each Day).
This outcome challenges an historic view of church (and thus of Churches of Christ) as a ‘bounded set’ (with clear markers of who is ‘in’ and who is ‘out’), and suggests seeing the church as a living community that could be better described as a ‘centred set’. It is important to note that in set thinking within mathematics ‘centred’ does not mean centralised in organisational structure and authority. Rather, it describes an organic model with beliefs and values at the centre, not particular people or human systems. Alan Hirsch and Mike Frost summarise this in a helpful way:
“In the bounded set, it is clear who is in and who is out (fences, not wells), based on a well-defined ideological-cultural boundary –usually moral and cultural codes as well as creedal definitions, but it doesn’t have much of a core definition beyond these boundaries. It is hard at the edges, soft at the center.”
The centered set, on the other hand, “is like the Outback ranch with the wellspring at its center. It has very strong ideology at the center but no boundaries. It is hard at the center, soft at the edges. We suggest that in the centered set lies a real clue to the structuring of missional communities in the emerging culture.
“The traditional church makes it quite difficult for people to negotiate its maze of cultural, theological, and social barriers in order to get “in.”.. and by the time newcomers have scaled the fences built around the church, they are so socialized as churchgoers that they are not likely to be able to maintain their connection with the social groupings they came from…
“We propose a better and more biblical way… is to … sink wells. If you sustain your connection with the water sources, you will find a whole host of people relating to Jesus from different walks of life. We allow people to come to Jesus from any direction and from any distance. The Person of Jesus stands… at the center.” (The Shaping of Things to Come)
As Phyllis Tickle says in The Great Emergence, “Figuring out who’s “in” and “out” is no longer the issue. The issue, instead, is to think about and speak about the centre” (or if you like, the One in the centre).
This concept has big implications for church life, church leadership, as well as for mission and also for the Churches of Christ in Vic/Tas ‘system’ that seeks to serve its church affiliates: Is it the responsibility of leaders to define and defend boundaries? Or should leaders articulate where the centre lies, inviting people to move in its direction?
Council will consider these things at its next meeting, and later will also invite churches and their leaders to do the same. It is possible that this thinking will inform a significant recalibration of the mission and purpose statement of Churches of Christ in Vic/Tas, as well as the Covenant that Council is inviting churches to consider as the basis for an ongoing partnership. We invite all churches and ministers to continue to pray for these important next steps. We are at an exciting stage in our Movement’s history. To quote from notes taken on the day, God is “shaking Churches of Christ up”.
More detailed summaries of the Why and How themes will be distributed to churches and ministers soon, along with Craig Brown’s commentary and the theological reflections of Lynette Leach, Williamstown and Brian Macallan, Connection.
A feature of the Days for many was the music (via DVD) of Eric Bibb (‘Needed Time’, ‘I Want Jesus to Walk With Me’ and ‘Don’t Let Anyone Drag Your Spirit Down’). You can find out more about Eric’s music at http://www.ericbibb.com/bibb.php?location=/web/Home.
Paul Cameron
Executive Officer
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If you were there, what did you think of the Days?
A Call to Prayer
Churches of Christ in Vic/Tas has had many seasons: Seasons of growth, seasons of exploring, seasons of uncertainty, seasons of maintenance, seasons of mission, seasons of church planting and seasons of healing, to name some of them. We have only made it thus far because of the faithful prayer of, at times, many and, at other times, a few. We thank God for these prayerful partners and supporters.
It is my sense that we are now moving into a season of refreshment and renewal. This season needs to backed by sacrificial, regular, corporate, Holy Spirit-inspired and -empowered prayer.
In this time of refreshment and renewal we are engaging questions of identity and purpose. This is a glance back at our past as well as a glimpse of our future, all at the same time. Without regurgitating history just for the sake of it, knowing where we started helps discover the future. Much of the deeper story of Churches of Christ—including holding firmly to the place of Jesus as Lord and Saviour of the world, a simple and uncluttered Christianity, unity in diversity, minimalist structures, flexibility of worship, and a willingness to engage frontiers with imagination and to welcome everybody who is working out what it means to follow Jesus in the 21st Century—engages the spirit of these times. The Affinity and Covenant conversation is part of a wider dialogue of re-discovering our roots, and at the same time allowing God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to be imagining and shaping Churches of Christ for the future through us.
Can I invite all churches and every minister and elder to be praying for Dreaming Day:2. You may be present in the room on Friday or Saturday in person or not, but you can be present through your prayers of faith and hope and imagination.
Please pray for:
- John Bailey (Doncaster) and John Sharpe (Ringwood) as they facilitate.
- All who participate: for safe travel, open hearts, open ears and, where appropriate, open mouths…
- For clarity around the identity and purpose questions; for understanding of the covenant proposal; and for every person in every church to honestly seek God and be open to the ways he wants to use us all to announce the Kingdom.
- Lynette Leach (Williamstown) and Brian Macallan (Connection) as they provide theological reflections.
- Craig Brown (Federal Coordinator and Ringwood) who will stimulate our thinking in a creative way.
- Francine Riches (Footscray Indigenous) who will provide a ‘welcome to country’.
- The ministers who will gather on Friday. Along with other leaders (often called elders) ministers are keys to the spiritual health and cultivation of a congregation, and of a movement.
- All those who will gather on Saturday—ministers, leaders and friends.
- Those who can’t be there because of distance.
- The church at Doncaster who will be the hosts of Dreaming Day:2.
- Claire Egan and the admin team at Fairfield.
Anticipating Churches of Christ Identity
An article from Stephen Curkpatrick:
“Memory is the possibility of identity. Without reliable memory, a person has little sense of continuity and is therefore without cohesive identity and ability to respond to present challenges.
If heritage is to community identity what memory is to personal identity, it might seem obvious that reflection on our Churches of Christ heritage has a direct relationship with our present sense of identity. This is only partially true. There is no guarantee that concerted efforts to discover who we have been will invigorate our present identity. There is however, a direct correlation between what we anticipate and how the formation of our present sense of identity is informed by memory. …”
The remainder of this article is here.
Another quote from this article is “Unity in Christ is contingent on participating in the creative future of God in Christ.”
What does the creative future of God in Christ look like in your context? Please comment below…
2007 Dreaming Day’s 4 Challenges: Actions
An overview of some of what has been done since the last Dreaming Day in 2007 is below.
Have you been a part of any of these action steps so far? Which of the future action steps do you find the most interesting?
2007 Dreaming Day’s 4 Challenges: Actions
| Completed or Current | Future | |
| Leadership Attracting and developing all forms of leadership within our movement |
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| Growth and Health Ensuring the ongoing growth and health of our movement |
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| Spirituality Giving appropriate attention to the core spirituality of our movement |
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| Identity and Purpose Clarifying who we are, and what we are doing here |
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So how do we participate?
That’s a good question! Glad you asked… There are a number of ways, the first being here at this blog. We’re really looking forward to generating useful contributions to these ongoing conversations through this medium. Which means we need you to weigh-in, to comment and discuss and input.
Another way to participate is through the Dreaming Day:2 event ‘Affinity’. To be part of this day you need to be recommended by your local church using the Dreaming Day:2 Participants form. We want churches to take ownership of their contribution to these conversations and to do so by selecting a broad range of participants that will represent men and women, different ages and ethnic groups and viewpoints, and perhaps also differing levels of previous engagement with church.
We are the Churches of Christ in Tasmania and Victoria and the goal is to be working together towards a diversity of healthy and growing churches.
Join us. Contribute. Participate. Be part of creating the future with us!
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What are you hoping will be discussed on this blog and at the Dreaming Day:2 event? Tell us below in the comments…
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