Category Archives: emerging church

?what we are about?

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I am very conscious that my blogging has not been as regular over the last few months. I am still reflecting daily as my normal practice but the results of those reflections have not really been bloggable. Is that even a word?

There has been a lot of head stuff going on. The gathering has moved to the crypt and we need to decide how we let people know where we are and, more importantly, what we are about. It seems good to repeat myself and so below you can read the underlying ethos of the gathering – so if you know this already no need for you to go any further.

Below is what we, as the gathering, are about. This is what we are trying to achieve. We are not there, we aspire to be there and maybe one day we will come close. We are a group of people on a journey and invite others to join us on this exciting journey called faith. We are a young emerging community that continues to evolve and learn from each other.

we are people that long, maybe even too scared to dream, of church being a place which really connects with people outside, but also with us. 
We dream of a church where differences are celebrated and add to the communities flavour.
 
We are not worried so much about what people believe, but more concerned about how we believe: how we live out faith, how we are Christ-like.
 
We don’t care so much about worship style, but interested in something that’s authentic and enables all of us to connect with God where we are both emotionally and spiritually.
 
We really do believe and accept that faith is a journey, and that we can all exist at different points on the road, or even off it, with no fear of condemnation.
 
We are a growing community that does not judge a person by how they look, how they sound or by what they believe.
 
We want to see a community that loves and has people at its heart rather than being focused on a program that must be delivered.
 
We believe a community should be one that get together in a variety of ways regularly throughout the week to enjoy relationship with each other and with God, and is not restricted to any one day or meeting.
 
We are willing to pay the cost of time that comes with developing relationships.
 
We want to see ‘the gathering’ as a place where people belong because they are connected and on the journey, not a place where they can only belong if they turn up at a particular time, day and place.
 
We want to see a community that really believes in mission that makes a difference, that not only welcomes in strangers, but expects and allows the community to change due to what that new person brings with them.
 
We believe church is about participation and engagement of the majority, rather than being consumerist and led by a few specialists.
 
We are tired of being told the same stuff and want to discover together how to live Christian spirituality meaningfully in our world!
 
We long for their experience of church to inform their experience of the world and vice versa.

This journey will be tough.
Not many will want to share it.
But a few will.

 If that grabs you then get in touch.

new places

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So … last night we made history! The gathering got together for the first time in the crypt of Rochester cathedral. There was not as many of us as I would have hoped, but we were able to worship and think with God on the theme of ‘new places’.

One of the families brought us a presentation, put together mainly by Emily, and athought based on new places which got us thinking and mulling over what it is about places that draws or repels us. Howard used the example of Abraham going to new places and we were massively struck by the way that in every new place Abraham went he ‘built an altar’. I had never really noticed this until Howard read from the bible – ‘and he buily an altar’ became a very clear theme which jumped from the text. It was quite poignant I think listening to that as we sat by the stone altar in the Ithamar Chapel. We then went on to chat about why Abraham made a point of building altars before moving into open space (an adapted COTA idea) to give us time to engage with what we had heard.

For us ‘open space’ was time to sit quietly alone, to gaze at an icon and listen to God, or to write prayers to burn with incense. This was a particularly encouraging time as I was able to notice different ages engaging together with ancient spiritual practices. Observing a 5 year old sitting in front of an icon and asking questions and processing what she sees was auite a powerful thing to behold.

After praying our worship continued in sharing cakes and drinks.

I think this was a very encouraging start. Again, our size shouts to us of our vulnerability. Again, I am conscious of how fragile a community we are. Again, however, I feel convinced that God is leading us in some way that we are all unsure of – and again that links with Abraham who had to go, did go, but was never sure of where it was he was supposed to be going to.

Day 10: Bishop Greg and Dr. Dwight Friesen

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This morning I met up with Bishop Greg. After I was invited to visit COTA by Karen I wrote to Bishop Greg to let him know about why I was coming and he asked to meet up when I was here – so today we did. I said earlier in the week how large a diocese this is, and Bishop Greg is very talented person and needs to be to run a diocese like this.

I met with the bishop for about half an hour and he was interested to know my story as well as knowing about what I was doing in England.  I then spoke to him about his vision ofr emerging and pioneering work in the diocese and it is clear that he wants to encourage it and bless it as much as he can. One thing in particular that he was keen on was working on training ordained pioneers in the diocese of Olympia using the skills of people like Karen. That’s a pretty good vision to be having.

I realise how fortunate I have been to spend some time with the bishop of the diocese I have been visiting. I want to thank him publicly for giving up time in an amazingly hectic diary to see me. It’s clear that he has a passion for mission and engaging with those outside the church. I hope he is able to continue to support emerging church here, and particularly able to look ahead to see what investment is needed now to ensure the future looks good for churches like COTA.

This afternoon we spent time with Dwight Friesen of Mars Hill Graduate School in Seattle (which has no connection and thankfully a very different theology to Mark Driscoll’s Mars Hill Church). Dwight came to talk about Network church and he said a few things that have really made me think; and things that I have noted down in my ever growing mind map so that I may reflect upon them later.

When talking about community he spoke of the Trinity and how each member of the Trinity perpetually empties themselves to raise up and support the other.  This is known as kenosis.  He then went on to say as a church they were askign what does this perpetual pouring oneself out for the sake of others look like in our community. The Trinity gives the image of perfect community, and so he was looking to that for guidance.

I find that amazingly simple yet profound as well as an impossible image to come close to. But … there surely is a lot of truth and sense. If we are to consider how to be community as church we need to look to the perfect community, the Holy Spirit, and ask how can we act in a way similar to that?

I was then very surprised with his response to be asked ‘if starting again, what would you do?’ His response was that he would not pioneer something new. Instead he would look for a small or stagnating church and work with them, find out what their passions are or used to be, and work with them on becoming mission focussed in a contextual way in their neighbourhood. That’s quite an interesting response to make to a group of seminarians who have signed up for a week to experience emerging church and church planting. It is also a fresh challenge to me and causes me to ask ‘am I doing the right thing?’ or even ‘when my curacy is up should I be looking to take on a church in this frame of mind?’ All questions to reflect upon.

The day is not yet over – its pub theology at 9lb hammer with Jon Myers tonight.

church upsetting us?

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I’ve been able to catch up on my blog reading a bit and caught this post from Andrew of TSK fame.
10 types of emerging church that will no longer accept your grandfather – a short but interesting article in that it makes me think …. ok, does that mean we are playing too safe?

To progress, and by that I mean to remain contextual and therefore relevant to people not part of church, should the church always be emerging and always be changing? I think that it should.

So … what models of church are out there now which would upset our grandfathers, or more importantly … what churches are out there and on the edge that might upset those of us that place ourselves in the emerging/fresh expression area of ecclesiology?

Corny … but I am sleepless in Seattle!

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Well i’ve arrived and I’m blogging from Seattle before I hit the sack!

WE drove well through the snow (thanks Andrew) The 10 hour flight was an epic – we left late due to the snow – and I spoke to 2 lovely people, Dan, an American, and Natasha, a Russian. It was a pleasure to fly with them and be able to get to know them a little better.

I was met at the airport by Jordan, after a painless entry into the USA ( much easier than than getting out of the UK!!)

After traveling from the airport to the Abbey, I then went for a drink, or two, with Karen before returning to my home for the next 3 weeks … which is a great room on the ground floor of Jeanette and Ned Olson’s room.

First impressions … this is great and I am incredibly excited to be here …. if a bit tired (I have been awake for 24 hours!) … so nite
-X-

orthopraxis vs orthodoxy

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One of the things I get to do on a regular-ish basis is meet up with Ian Mobsby who kindly agreed to be my mentor a few years back after my placement with Moot. Meeting with Ian is always a specal time as he is one of those people that can see the issues that are hovering and is not afraid to speak out, to challenge, to encourage or to kick up the backside of needed. At times. like most people, I need a combination of these.

Ian has great expertese and I consider myself really lucky to be able to spend a couple of hours every few months talking about what I am doing, where I think I might be going and what I need to be thinking about doing. The wealth of wisdom from this man is fantastic.

Today I have been encouraged and blessed as we looked at the values we as a community have been looking at, and how this has a danger of pulling us into head knowledge type orthodoxy when our gathering, if I am reading things correctly, is far more interested in orthopraxis, aspiring to live out our faith with integrity. The community, or gathering, have agreed some values, such as inclusivity, the importance of journey, mission and a few others. While I was thinking that we needed to be looking at what these mean, in other words ‘unpack them’,  it became clear after speaking with Ian that, actually, we need to be looking more at how we live these out in our world.

So … as a community we need to be asking, ‘how can we aspire to live in an inclusive way?’ rather than ‘what does it mean to be inclusive?’ and so on. This may seem only a slight shift in emphasis but it is a shift that will encourage us how to live rather than talking about how to be it – and I think that is where we want to be. I think we want to be a group of people that live out our faith authentically rather than have head knowledge about what we are doing.

As we consider this as a community I think we will be travelling into some pretty exciting times.

COTA trip

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A number of you have asked me whether my Seattle trip which I blogged about here is going ahead.

Apologies for not saying earlier. The trip is happening, the flights are booked, I have my ESTA authorisation and am getting excited at the thought of sharing with the COTA community in January. I fly to Seattle on Jan 13 and will land at Heathrow on Feb 4th. All I can say is ‘cooooolm and big big BIG thank yous to all the people that have helped this to happen – you are stars!!

It’s not that far away timewise as Christmas will speed things along …. I’ll say more as we get closer, and no doubt a lot more on my return!

it’s what I do!

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Its been a while since I have spoken about my travels and my pioneering stuff. I am conscious, too, that a few people have joined me on this journey via the blog over the last few months and read from a distance but join while not fully knowing or grasping what I think is going on or what we are trying to achieve.

The under girding philosophy of what I am feeling called to do may be found in a short article that I have called ‘the dream’. This can be accessed in the right hand bar of the blog or by clicking here. The dream is then added to in an article I wrote here for Fresh Expressions. A little while ago I wrote a prayer letter (too long ago and so I will be writing a new one soon) which shows some of the reality of what I am involved in. If you are interested in that as well you can read that here.

Essentially those articles talk a lot about the exciting things and the privilege I genuinely feel of the stuff that I am fortunate to experience and be part of. I have a tendency, however, to play down the tough side of the role that accompanies those who have a task of ‘creating church’ with nothing and no one to start ‘creating’ even to the extent of not knowing where to create either. Some have suggested I put those thoughts and what I think I may have learned into a book – maybe one day I shall think about that.

There are a number of ways of attempting to build church and a number involve church planting. While that is a model that produces church it is not a model that I am trying to use or follow in my ministry. I rate the model (please don’t think I don’t!) but it is not a model I feel called to use. Church planting, per se, produces plants which are very similar to what we have already. They may be new hybrids, but the agricultural terminology gives the clue that what grows in a plant will be similar to the place from where the seed has come from.

I guess I am attempting to create a different expression, something that does not exist here in the area already and so there is not really anything to draw seed from. Rather than planting and growing in the way of a church plant I have the words of Bono more in mind in the U2 song ‘Walk On’, particularly the words:

You’re packing a suitcase for a place
None of us has been
A place that has to be believed
To be seen

And love
It’s not the easy thing
The only baggage
That you can bring
Not the easy thing

I’m on a journey, with others, to a new place, where none of us have ever been and a place that has to be believed to be seen! So, when I am out and about I am searching with my suitcase for people who might want to join me on this journey. I’m not out to coerce, to convert or to force people in to a model of something that already exists. I am searching for fellow travelers who search for that new place. What I am finding is that God is starting to bring me into contact with these people because God, it seems, is working in the lives of these people and its clear that church, as it currently exists, just ain’t gonna work for them. Is this fresh expression of church, is it emerging church, is it neither or both … I don’t know and actually not sure I care at this point in time.

I do find it interesting, though, that some people I have come into contact with have been reconnected to church in the cathedral expression and while I did not expect people I met ‘out there’ to start attending the cathedral regularly just shows that God is working in may different ways and at many different levels in peoples lives. I guess that’s why I search and observe rather than seek to convert – if I just go out and ‘do what I do’ it’s up to God to organise the rest.

COTA opportunity

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I have an exciting opportunity to join with COTA for a few weeks in the New Year.
There are just a few things to sort out like working out how to pay for the trip – but God can sort that out …. but if you know of anyone/anything please give me a shout. I need to raise something like another £500 to make this happen.

If you are interested in what I will be involved in, here is a brief rundown:

The placement would be hubbed at Church of the Apostles, but I would be considered a visiting ‘Pioneer Curate’ to the Diocese of Olympia WA.

The placement will include: creative liturgy and alt worship planning and leadership, outreach experiences in the artistic, non churched neighborhood of Fremont in Seattle. Events at the Fremont Abbey Arts Center, (COTA’s non profit 3rd place), officiating at daily offices at the Abbey, preaching, celebrating Eucharist, teaching and involvement with our four residential house church communities (Praxis, Ikon, Trinity and Lydia ) as well as ministry experiences with our Diocesan Commission for Emerging Mission, and with various ‘Conspiracy Events‘ hosted by the diocese for 20’s-30’s young adults, along with opportunities to share about your ministry in the UK in various parishes in our diocese and at our Cathedral (St. Mark’s) which hosts Compline for 400 young adults each Sunday night at 9:30 pm.

There are videos of COTA our the COTA YouTube channel as well such as this video of theirEaster Vigil this year:

This video gives a good outline of COTA

3rd gathering: The Vine

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Today we had our third gathering of people who are investigating together a new way of being church. Again, I believe it was a special time as children and adults inter-mixed and discussed and thought about the theme for the gathering, which was Jesus as the Vine from John 15.

We started with some liturgy that I have adapted and added to which I originally found from Mucky Paws years ago. When each verse of liturgy was read some of the children brought stuff forward: a candle which was then lit, bread which was then broken, a bowl of fruit and a cross.

Following a short time of reflection we made bead branches which we hung from the vine in the picture. This was a great activity because it allowed the children and adults to sit together and discuss and chat over what we felt Jesus was getting at in John chapter 15. This was a great way to get deeper with the ideas and i think we ended up with more questions then we had answers – but that is quite exciting.

Sarah than asked a vital question – ‘so what … what difference does this make to us as Christians in our everyday lives?’ which sent the discussion along a different route again.

Following this we prayed and ate together and chatted a lot more.

This was quite a special time. I think we possibly need to think more still on whether we need to structure our time together better and how we end. At the moment we seem to slide from prayer and worship into eating, which might be the right thing to do, but I do wonder whether we should be doing something more tangible to mark the change? But, on the other hand, if our lives are worship then maybe we should slide from pray to eating as we do at the moment.

As I said …. lots of questions develop. At this point in time, though, I am encouraged. I’m encouraged and excited because of the way community is developing just through interest in each other being real. I am excited because the children engage and feel free to come in and out, to contribute or not, as they see fit.

Today felt more like a Sunday afternoon family gathering than anything else – and that in itself is quite exciting!