Future of your church

If you are wondering How to move forward as a church how about considering the following.:

Firstly I will not be advising whither you start a Mums or Toddlers group. I am thinking more about first steps in the process of gaining an insight in to the future work.

Need to Meet to find a "Corporate discernment"... moving forward inch by inch. Take time together to sift out ideas etc. Allow everyone their input. Have a facilitator as leader for the meeting. Also sometimes the quieter person has the answer or discernment.

Prayer and discussion on " How God, would you have us steer?"
This is realisation. and the need to go on or in other words you cannot go back...
Retreat a time of rest and reflection

An uncluttered time to reflect and breathe - away from it all - including the Sunday routine.
What does God want for us?
What might he be calling us to?

Often he wants you to stop something first. Is there activity continuing that has past is sell by date and is not producing...?

Show a high value in Missions home and away.

Community/City/region impact

Where is God currently working, look for opportunities something to get alongside?

Move from Doing....to... becoming
Rally to a cause seems easy. Rallying around God -more difficult.

How does one move forward?

Teach me to live my life the way he would if he were here. (physically)

Head off discouragement

Calm be the person you want to be!
When God reality is present and someone comes into the body.
Then God has brought them in.

Remember "Come follow me".
Too many in the full time ministry are in a "rat race".
The next step should be "a dance with the Trinity and others"

Living in love speeds the coming of Jesus.

1 Our Corporate lives as examples and patterns
2 our assumptions about ministry
3 Our ministry plan
4 Our life rhythms and ministry
rest periods
5 Our ministry results

Are the activities -one purpose?

Step back from the need to see immediate results.

Happy discerning in the way forward.

Church new or old...

I had a meeting with someone in Eastbourne last week regarding new churches.

Daniel is looking for leaders to encourage in new church activity. I am sure he will not mind the link as he needs to speak to lots of people.

My question to him was is this a "new style for an old church" or is it "new church" the conclusion was new church. So often we are loking to replicate with a modern feel the old systems of church. The emerging people have got it right - go back to first principles. Seek ye first the kingdom. Then how de we do that where we are in the community and how best will this be developed. It may result in a system or structure of leadership or activity but it needs to be born out of the "seek ye first" bit first.

We had a good conversation that crystalised some of my thinking as well as his.

He coped with the Robertson probe.

I am sure Daniel would be encouraged by your comments and e mails.

Great Omission

Just finished Dallas Willard's "The great... Omission".
It was refreshing and re encouraging that some of by thoughts back some years ago he concluded in some bits of his book. As a busy man who needed time to write a book I look forward to his next piece of print which will be written on allocated time so to speak.

I see why his thinking gels with emerging people. He thinks. Not many christians do!


Paul M Dubuc writes

Dallas Willard's latest book is a collection of previous writings and lectures surrounding the importance of discipleship for Christians. This book is a great introduction to Willard's other books and a stirring exposition of his chief concern: That becoming a disciple of Christ is seen as optional in most churches today. It is enough that a person accept Christ as saviour and affirm certain beliefs to be a Christian. While these things are absolutely essential, they are not enough and they only partially fulfill the teachings of scripture and the commands of Jesus.

When many people consider discipleship, or spiritual formation, they think of what it costs (a la Bonhoeffer). This is a valid perspective, but Willard asks us to take a look from the other side: The cost of nondiscipleship:

"Nondiscipleship costs abiding peace, a life penetrated throughout by love, faith
that sees everything in the light of God's overriding governance for good, hopefulness
that stands firm in the most discouraging circumstances, power to do what is right
and withstand the forces of evil. In short, nondiscipleship costs you exactly the
abundance of life Jesus said he came to bring (John 10:10)."

Discipleship is essential for every Christian, not just for the "super Christians." There is nothing in the teaching of scripture that suggests that being forgiven and "saved" is all there is to being a Christian. To the contrary, Willard shows that Christians need to be undergoing a profound transformation in character becoming more like Christ from the heart. How does this happen? By the faithful acceptance of everyday problems, interaction with God's Spirit in and around us and spiritual disciplines. He recommends four spiritual disciplines as basic to discipleship: solitude, silence, fasting and scripture memorization. For those to whom spiritual disciplines sound like "works righteousness," Willard repeatedly emphasizes the difference: "Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning. Earning is an attitude. Effort is an action." The process of transformation isn't passive on our part. Its effectiveness is all due to God's grace. But our effort makes us receptive to this grace. God will not impose it upon us. Willard likens spiritual discipline to the physical discipline of an athlete (cp. 1 Cor. 9:24-27). The spiritual disciplines aren't meant to be burdens that we groan under. They are tools which we can help us make God's grace more effective in our lives. In fact, our bodies themselves are tools for spiritual growth.

The heart of the book is chapter 9, "Living in the Vision of God." Here Willard distinguishes between the substance of devotion to God and its effects. When we become too attached to the latter we are in danger of losing the former. Here there is a very good analysis of how this happens and what can be done about it. We are commanded to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength in Mark 12:30 and Willard assures us that, "It is something we are to do, something we /can/ do. We /will/ learn learn how to do it if we /intend/ to do it. God will help us, and we will find a way." Amen! Let it be so.

The book ends with a few short chapters about various books on spiritual living that have been a tremendous help to Willard and which he commends for our use. I've added a few of them to my reading list.

Dallas WIllard is a very wise, and practical teacher. He has deep and valuable insight into what it means, and what it takes, to be a disciple of Jesus Christ today. He is a trustworthy guide for the efforts of any Christian who wants to break an addiction to mediocrity in their relationship to God. This book will never be the classic that _The Divine Conspiracy_ is bound to become, but it provides a a much needed impetus for modern evangelical Christianity to reclaim the great omission for its life and mission. I hope it gains a wide reading.

Three days of frost

Three days of frost and its good to be in the warmth. I am feeling "beta"now. All change.

People are knotted.....

This tree is near Golspie and it has an interesting root system. All knotted.

When I read blogs about the Church, Emergent, Emerging Church, baptists, theology, reformed, Charismatic etc I see knotted people.

Now I dont mean" get knotted!"( British derogatory remark)

I mean the roots of the past help to support. Be it twisted or not. Think...If you untwisted the roots of this tree...If you straightened them out if you made them tidy. The tree woiuld fall down its perched on the bank. The root system helps to give the stability.

People need to know you are what you ARE (present tense) - roots of your life digging deep and supporting you. So stand good with the roots you have and reach to the sky heavenward!
Its about "being".

The now is about growing upward to the heavenly place. What are you doing to accomodate the growth? Do not ignore the past it supports you but in the now, live for God and the future will be nurished.

The Church emerging re-forming

Church emergent

emerging church


For the lazy.....

Christianity today article with lots of side pages and info

Oh, and not necessarily my views.

Ann Lee ..who she? Shake, rattle, and roll...

Ann Lee

Ann Lee is one of interest to us in this quest, despite having no direct connection to Scotland or its Church.
Born 29 February 1736 in Toad Lane Manchester, to the blacksmith father John lee she lived with him until she embarked for America.
At the age of 23 she joined a group lead by James and Jane Wardley known as “"Shakers" ”an off shoot of the Quakers order.




Shakers... more than just kitchens and checked aprons.



This group was known for its moral discipline strictness blameless deportment and "“swiftness of their testimony against sin"”. From an early age she received visions and divine revelations.
In 1774 she moved to New York but before hand in 1770 she had been imprisoned with some of her followers for blasphemy, a charge that was far from the truth. Yes she had danced yes he had spoken in a strange tongue. She had confounded church scholars examining her, by speaking in 72 separate tongues.
One of her visions was of a burning tree , her call to a new church, and to take the church to America.
Her church growth was slow until 1789 when "“Charismatic"” new light Baptists appeared.
She was beaten several times and in 1784 as a result of beatings died.
There survives to this day groups of Shaker dissenters from the Quakers.
As a mother of spiritual things mother Ann was often testifying with a delivery of mighty power. Her conversation would quicken the hearers. She had suffered from those who were ignorant and one of the many stoning in which she was caught.
"“ While they throwing the stones I felt myself surrounded by the presence of god, and my soul was filled with love. I knew they would not kill me for my work was not done..."

The reason I make mention of her is that at the time society could not comprehend her or the Shakers and as a result turned to violence.

Today it would seem we are more tolerant and accept that her "“style"” was different, but of God.


Now think of this coming soon

Would your Church allow David to play the Harp!?

"We've aye dun it this way!"

Kildonan

During the year of 1818, a nugget of gold weighing around ten pennyweights was discovered in the river Helmsdale, North East Scotland.
Robert Gilchrist 1869 came from Australia to look for gold. He never found any - and we have never heard of him.

What matters the most?

The story

On the departure of the Romans from Scotland and the North of England, the remnant- Picts, Scots, Britons and Angles claimed a Christian faith. But for early missionaries it was a hard task to correct deep seated traditions and pagan practices. It was hard times for those missionaries -no doubt they heard the phrase "we've aye dun it this way!" The human behaviour is difficult to change and right or wrong practices are so difficult to change.