Category Archives: mission

going where you fit

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Last night I was involved in the last teaching session for this years MSM course which we ran in the Bluewater Management Suite.

The group have been great to work with and the last session always has a lot about reflection on what we have learnt and looking forward, and being commissioned, for the future.

msm learnI was encouraged last night with stuff that the students shared. You can read from the image what this years students felt were some of the important things that they learned.

I love reading them all … but I am particularly struck and challenged by the last comment on that flip chart … ‘going where you fit’.

For me … that kind of sums up Christian life and mission. Rather than trying to engineer or manipulate things … mission, and by that I mean ‘serving and loving people Jesus Style’, can only happen out of a context where one feels ‘at home’. By that I mean a place where you feel accepted, where you can see you are growing to love the people that inhabit that space and where you are welcomed by those that already make up that community.

Sometimes that acceptance can take a little while to appear, and I remember it took around 6 – 8 months to start to feel accepted in Wetherspoons at the start of my curacy. Before this acceptance, however, it was clear to me that I resonated with these people in some way. For a time that was enough. The same has been true of the locations and spaces I inhabit now.

So …. I often get asked by others starting or changing their ministry ‘how do I discern my calling?’, or ‘how do I know what God wants me to do in this town?’ …. my answer has now been simplified by these inspired words ….

simply go where you fit

I’m happy with that!

 

capture, surround, saturate, drench!

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cp_18I’ve had a pretty amazing weekend at the ROMBS (Reaching Out in Mind Body Spirit) conference, put together by Steve Hollinghurst and held at Wilson Carlisle Centre in Sheffield. Essentially this was a conference for Christian working in the world of MBS and new spiritualities.

As I’ve said above …. the conference was amazing. This is a collection of people that are all working from the same premise and simply get each other. This was a collection of people who work ‘on the edge’ and seek to help people connect with the God who created them. Clearly, this is a group of people who I feel I fit with and who are pretty inspirational in the way and the things they use as they try to connect with a variety of spiritual seekers.

One of the best things about this conference, as is the case with all good conferences, was the time devoted to conversations over coffee or in the bar during the evening. I always learn from up front presenters …. but I feel I am inspired more in those coffee/beer/whisky laced conversations as we pull apart thoughts and questions.

On the first evening we looked at statistics and contextualisation. This was a lot better than it sounds, although I struggle with stats at the best if times. It is great, though, to start by looking at the context and trends of where we are at …. in my experience too often the church seems to neglect this vital bit of questioning and just does what she thinks is ok and right.

On saturday I was blown away by Ole Skjerbæk Madsen, of In the Master’s Light as he spoke about Christfullness, which he defines as being ‘filled, saturated, surrounded by and drenched in Christ’. Ole talks about this here. I simply loved that image because that captures, I think, what many people are looking for. Maybe people are not specifically looking for Christ … but they are looking for something that totally captures, surrounds, saturates and drenches them. I think this is a different expression of John Drane’s thoughts last week when he was challenging us to think about ‘how do we make people feel so much that they can’t help thinking’. Being drenched in Christ certainly means we are able to feel …. and want to ask!

Other highlights of the weekend seem to revolve around meeting up with old friends or linking with new ones. Highlights included catching up with Andrea over Ruach, hearing more of Diana’s story in Glastonbury and Ruth’s story in Liverpool … matt’ story with Forest Church … and Martin’s story with Viking re-enactment. It was a packed weekend so I may have some of those names wrong … apologies if that is so!

The challenging / comfort zone issue for me was attending a session on how to use Tarot cards in a Christian setting. I got a great insight into how the cards developed and may be used in helpful ways. This was fascinating …. but those readers of mine who are having extreme worries about my spirituality …  please remember …. this was a conference held at Church Army headquarters and headed up by a great Church Army guy. They are pretty ‘solid’ …. so if you don’t trust me you clearly know it is ok to trust them!

If I went with anything, it was a question that goes something like … ‘at the boot fair we have connected with all these people … is it right we just stop and wait until next year’s boot fair dates are out …. or is there something we can offer that may open up different spiritual paths’ That was my question and I am coming way with some areas of thought.

One particular suggestion worth exploring is the nature of follow up in ‘days’ or ‘events’ rather than the traditional course type . It’s easy to say that we need to provide something for every week … when the reality is that people may still only wish to dip in and out.

So …. the weekend was great, I felt I gained a lot from just being part of many conversations with great people. We ended our time together with a Forest Church communion lead by Steve and Diana. Al I can say is this was an incredibly real and moving experience and something I really genuinely resonated with.

To Steve as organiser and others as participants …. thank you.

ordinary people in a field with ordinary people

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busy boot fairOur current boot fair season came to a close yesterday …. and that gives me some sadness. I have loved getting up at 5am on a Sunday morning (really… I have!) and working with an amazing team who also got up at 5am for the chance to engage with people at the boot fair in some spiritual way.

I really have been pretty overwhelmed at how the Ruach Cards have caught the imagination of many passers by and how God has connected in real ways with people through these readings. It seems that this just works …. and it’s just a few pictures and some scripture connecting powerfully with people in the middle of a field with some shattered people. I am amazed!

The conversations we have had over the last two months have been amazing. I still hold the man in my prayers who was a recovering Heroin addict … he really connected with me and I have been caused to pray for him each day … and wonder whether one day I may find out how he is doing.

Other team members have connected with other people whether it be through Ruach, prayer beads, prayer braids or simply chatting. I believe all of us have had significant conversations with people. I’ve gone back through the notes of each time and it seems we have had contact with around 130 people which I think is pretty exciting. 130 people that God brought cross our path.

I believe that is 130 people that God has blessed … not instructed, or taught, or even convicted …. but simply blessed them for who they are while wanting them to know they are accepted, approved of, loved and ….. most of all I think … understood and not alone.

I seemed to chat with many who felt alone or bewildered by their experience … and it seemed that God used our willingness and a few tools to reassure just loads of people. I’m still surprised and amazed that this has worked so well. Just ordinary people, in a field, willing to spend time with other ordinary people. I have been reminded that, given the right inviting opportunity that some of these people at the boot fair are spiritually searching for something that works.

In my last post I spoke of John Drane’s challenge … ‘how do we make people feel so much that they can’t help asking’ … well … being in a field and using cards or prayer seems to be one way of achieving that.

People felt a presence
people asked
and we prayed with them

Our boot fair takes a break until September … so this is a good place to thank the team … thanks loads for your commitment and willingness …you really were an amazing joy to work with ….  you are all cool!

be human … not a saint!

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Quotation-Markus-Zusak-human-Meetville-Quotes-85425John Drane’s second session was just as good as the first.

Drane started the session by continuing to look at what people living in our conceptual age need. I loved his language when he challenged us to ‘create an artistic and emotional beauty to craft a satisfying narrative’.

He expounded on this by pulling out more stuff from Dan Pink who provides 6 keys: DESIGN – understanding how to create beauty using ordinary objects
STORY – telling story to promote compelling narrative
SYMPHONY – integrating lots of info into a new arresting way forward
EMPATHY – so we can build relationships
PLAY – living with joy
MEANING – living with a purpose

John Drane considered those 6 keys and simply stated ‘this is Jesus’, meaning this is how Jesus acted when he was on earth. He backed these up with bible references from the gospels. Jesus, says Drane, gave people experiences that caused them to ask questions.

He then asked us a question … ‘how dow we make people feel so much that they can’t help thinking’. One way he suggested is that we need to get to grips with people’s value, and understand more of how we can nurture humanity. He then suggested that maybe we, as Christians and/or church,  should be less worried about trying to be saints and concentrate more on being human …. think about that one.

I resonated with that comment or challenge immediately. I blogged a while ago (can’t remember where or when and simply couldn’t spend the time looking back though old posts!) about possible reasons that Jesus came to earth. Christian orthodoxy talks of Jesus being 100% human and 100% God. I think church does the 100% God well, but never really talks about the 100% human truth. I translate that into believing that Jesus came in his total humanity to show us how to be human. In other words … if we want to know how to treat people and remain humans with dignity … then Jesus shows us the way!

That would be the Jesus who never excludes, the Jesus who always accepts, always waits, and always hopes. The Jesus that stands with open arms and says come … with you I am well pleased. There is lots more to write about …. but I am particularly taken at the moment by Jesus teaching us how to be human …. part of that is finding joy in ourselves so that we can illicit it in others …. that … I guess … is the Jesus way.

searching and being

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imgresOn Thursday I attended the Bishops Study Day for clergy and licensed ‘leaders’ in the Diocese of Rochester. I had been quite looking forward to the day as the key speaker was John Drane. he was talking on ‘Sharing the Gospel in a  world of atheist churches and spiritual searchers’

The day was good. It made me think. It reminded me of stuff I had forgotten. It challenged me. John Drane did not disappoint. I love his clear and direct style mixed with a calm passion to do whatever it takes to make a difference.

There is a mass I could write as from his 3 sessions I have 3 incredibly detailed mind maps on the iPad. He started the day by setting a context that showed that, although people had given up on established religion, as such, they were still very spiritual. 39% of people in the UK pray regularly, 17% every day. Those are big figures!

One stat that hit me was that only 17% of people in the UK are certain, beyond doubt, that there is a God. The corresponding figure in the US is 60%! That disparity alone explains why I am always suspicious and warey of people who try to directly bring stuff that works in America here …. we are a very different nation! But I digress!

From the stats and other stuff, Drane asked what are people searching for …
– something that helps with everyday challenges
– somewhere to be accepted
– how to live and make sense of life
– someone to journey with
From my discussions in High Streets and pubs, I really relate to those ‘needs of search’. In many ways I think that is not only what people I hang out with are searching for … but if I am honest … it’s what I have been and am searching for as well.

Drane ended the first session by quoting Daniel Pink who says to relate and share relevantly in our world today we need to be:
creators, empathisers, pattern recognisers, meaning makers,
artists, storytellers, caregivers, big picture thinkers and consolers.

I love that …. mainly because I see something of myself in those words, or are they labels?. They are character traits that are hard to assess or evaluate. Sadly, too often, I think the church values strategists and project leaders more than the creators, big picture thinkers and empathisers. But … I do believe it is through these skills that we are able to listen, to learn and then be able to create with others in a relevant and meaningful way.

warning … i think the next paragraph became a bit of a rant … so feel free to skip this …

I guess I try and use those parts of me when I am out in the community. I’m searching for patterns while trying to get alongside, listening to stories and looking for creative opportunities. Thats actually makes life sound a lot grander than it is. Only last week a church leader (not an Anglican this time) said it was not fair that I get to do all the ‘fun stuff’. I find myself becoming incredibly frustrated now by such comments!

My ‘secret’ …. which is what people ‘ask’ for … is that I meet with ordinary people in ordinary places … and I believe … seriously … that anyone can find an ordinary place and an ordinary group of people in their own ordinary context! So … please … stop pretending I do something special that you can’t do …. cos actually I think you are using me as an excuse to not act …. and that’s pretty crappy … so … why not just go out and have some ordinary ‘fun’ with ordinary people in your own ordinary context!! Sheeesh!
Rant over …. but with no guarantees not to be repeated!

There is lots more to share from session 2 …. maybe tomorrow!

 

 

 

why do we need pioneers?

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http://vimeo.com/churchmissionsociety/missionpioneers

Great video of the CMS Pioneer course …. is it coincidence that Jonny is ‘releasing’ a video so soon after Harry? …. lol

If I was looking for a training course … this is the one I would go on, without a doubt …. it’s a no brainer!

alliance or compliance?

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twitteravatar_400x400I didn’t have much of a handle on the news yesterday, but was both shocked and saddened to learn that after months of discussions the EA has ended the membership of Oasis. The EA statement may be read in its entirety here. There are various articles around the web: Church Times, Christianity magazine, and Oasis has issued a response statement here.

What have Oasis done …  a massive amount  of great transforming mission across the world, works hard to make a positive impact in addressing people traffiking in this country, hard work to becomes the sponsor of 20 academies in the UK, 13 hubs across the UK in communities where transformation needs to happen; in addition to planting the seed of missional dna in the lives of thousands of people who they have trained, worked with and given opportunities to.

But …. if you are on the board of the Evangelical Alliance all that transformation of communities and individual persons lives that Oasis has invested in amount to nothing when it comes to membership of the EA.

And why? All because Steve Chalke has done some serious theological thinking and arrived, where many other Christians are, to a point where he can confidently say that God is an inclusive God. Because Steve sees no problem in scripture with loving committed homosexual relationships it seems that Oasis is no longer welcome round the table. You can remind yourself of Steve views by going here.

we-are-for-you-v2This is pretty bizarre for an organisation with a strapline of ‘we are better together‘. The EA picture here also grates a little … because clearly EA are not here for ‘you’ unless you agree and comply totally with what they think to be truth. I would suggest, as well, that this inclusive picture is pretty misleading in light of their Oasis stament. Their statement includes the words ‘they were unwilling to fulfil the council’s request  to adjust the content of their website/resources and social media output to equally profile the traditional Christian view.’ 

So … if we look at this pragmatically, this group do not really want an alliance …. they want compliance, all agreeing every fine detail before acceptance is issued. I’m so glad I don’t believe in a God like that … what a horrendous image,  God who wants you to be just like everyone else, believe all the right things, and behaving in certain ways. The God outside of this is a God of grace, a God of love …  a God of acceptance.

This coming so soon after the World Visiongate fiasco leaves me again questioning what this wing of the church, the wing I have grown up in, really sees as important. What is all this mission stuff about? Sadly, it seems to me that what is REALLY being said is that of paramount important is truth and agreeing what truth is, rather than lives transformed.

I don’t get that!
That’s not reflecting the Jesus of the gospels.  

Steve has been very gracious in his response and says he is still an evangelical and I get that, but i think the name ‘evangelical’ is increasingly becoming a title that instils fear and confusion in others. I was actually asked a few weeks ago something like ‘you’re not one of those evangelical christians are you who want to spoil our fun and hate everyone?’ That saddened me as that statement crashes right against the original reason for the evangelical movement … to see peoples lives changed by the transforming power of God.

So …my response will be simple and little. I am cancelling my personal membership of the EA. The money they used to get from me, little that it is, will go to Oasis instead. I don’t wish to invest in arguing over what is right or wrong, I want to invest in the transformation of communities and lives.

Ironically …. I am only a member of EA because years ago Steve Chalke spoke from a platform somewhere and encouraged us to join to help make a difference … seems Steve Chalke is still serious about … I don’t believe the EA are anymore.

amazing intern opportunities in Stepney

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stepThis is an excellent opportunity in Stepney. Bishop Adrian is an amazing guy and I’d love to have the opportunity to work with him again. So .. below is a great opportunity to work in a creative and diverse part of London under the leadership of an amazing bishop … I have cut and paste this from an email:

The Stepney Area is looking to appoint up to eight Interns from September 2014. The scheme is a year’s opportunity to serve God in parishes in Islington, Hackney or Tower Hamlets, and has been running as part of the Church of England’s Ministry Experience Scheme (CEMES). If you are aged 18-29 and interested in living out your discipleship in an urban context and exploring a vocation to ministry, lay or ordained, this may be for you.

The scheme will include parish ministry, community living, and time for study and vocational discernment. By serving with others in places of need and opportunity in London, you will be challenged to think about God’s call to work for his kingdom in areas of poverty, unemployment and social inequality.

The Stepney Area The Stepney Area is part of the London Diocese, and is diverse, vibrant and multi-cultural, with rich and poor living side-by-side. It includes some of the most deprived wards in the country, but is also home to some of the most vibrant creative industries in Europe, and to Canary Wharf and the City Fringe. The popular destinations of Hoxton, Brick Lane, Shoreditch, Dalston and Islington are part of the Area, as are the Spitalfields, Columbia Road and Broadway markets. It’s this challenging and changing urban mix which makes Stepney an exciting place to minister, and to explore what it means to be the church for the 21st century.

The Intern Scheme

The Intern Scheme will provide a range of opportunities for you to explore parish ministry. These might include leading worship, preaching and teaching, pastoral work, mission and evangelism, youth work, schools work, social transformation projects, and community engagement with other partners.

The work you will be involved with will depend on the parish you are placed with and your gifts for ministry. You will be encouraged to develop your own particular strengths and interests, and the roles have flexibility to allow them to grow and develop around the individual.

As an Intern you will be allocated a clergy supervisor in your parish. There is also an opportunity for study, and for ongoing vocational discernment, including for those already exploring a vocation to ordained ministry. Accommodation will be provided where Interns will live together in community, though serving in different parishes. There will be a chaplain to serve the pastoral needs of the house community. During the year you will be encouraged to go on retreat, and the costs for this will also be paid for.

As part of the scheme, a subsistence allowance will be provided, and your accommodation, travel, training costs and parish expenses met. As a sign of your commitment to the scheme you will be asked to contribute £500 towards it. We can help you think of ways to raise this money, and a bursary fund is available.

Who we are looking for

We are looking for energetic, enthusiastic individuals who are flexible, able to take initiative and wanting to grow in faith and in the ability to communicate it. We are looking for people wanting to explore a call to urban inner-city ministry, at home with people from diverse backgrounds and other church traditions, seeking to serve God among some of London’s most vulnerable people, and wanting to experience the adventure of community living.

If you are interested, please contact Revd Fiona Green, The Intern Director, for an application form, or to discuss the opportunity further. 07786 541559. fiona.green@london.anglican.org.

Application deadline: Monday 31st March 2014. Interviews: Saturday 12th April 2014.

4 men on a retreat

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retreat 020From tomorrow (Wednesday) for the next few days I will be on retreat with some good friends I used to work with in YFC. Four men on retreat is going to be a great few days.

So … until Friday I will be enjoying the benefit of the Marist Nuns in Nympsfield, from the collective wisdom of my three friends, and from the evening ale of the Rose and Crown.

Following that I will be helping to lead some of the sessions at the MSM residential at sanctuaryAylesford Priory.

So … taking my new monasticism label seriously … i’m looking forward to be amongst two monastic communities over the next 5 days. That means this blog will be quiet …. there may be some reflections during the next week.

calling shattered people …

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Exif_JPEG_PICTUREWARNING: this is a blatant recruitment post … ‘if you have not felt a great desire to sign up to this by the time you have got to the end of this blogpost then you are either living a very long way away … or just in complete denial, and maybe really not listening to God’s call on your life! Which means you will miss out! Something will be missing from your life’s happiness!’ If you could hear my voice there would be sarcasm, and see my body language it would be jokey …. ok I don’t really mean that stuff (the bit in italics … just to be clear!) … but I wanted you to know before reading this that I am looking for people to get involved with one of THE most exciting things that I ever get to do as a pioneer!

This seasons boot fair dates have been announced. When I saw them late last night / early this morning my immediate emotion was one of excitement. I loved last seasons experience of running a stall for ‘spiritual seekers’ at boot fairs. If you look back to my posts of June and July last year you will see some stories … like here or over here or maybe here and other posts in that general date area.

As I read back over those posts I can sense again the real excitement and buzz laced with incredible awe at what God can do with people who just put themselves in the middle of a field to be used.

That was my immediate emotion. This was quickly followed by a sense of frustration and anger at myself. I have been talking about training and recruiting for such a long time, having ideas for development and thinking about names and … and… and … done sod all about any of it really! I feel like lots of time has rushed by and now I really need to pick up stuff and run to catch up with new people on the team, training and everything.

Not that I think there is a lot of training we can do (although saying that … we will run a training session of sorts for people who are interested). We are looking for people who just like to be around people and engage with them in simple normal interested human kind of ways. The best way to learn the stuff that we are doing is to come see and have a go, and get involved and be simply amazed that God has already prepared the people that God wants us to engage with.

I’m cutting and pasting from another boot fair post from last year …. and for me this kind of sums up the excitement and passion underlying why we do this:

… a friend summed it up in a short inspired sentence: ‘I like the fact that God is there with absolutely no religion to ‘help him out’..if you get me – just a field, and a few shattered people.‘

That says it all. The team are shattered after 6 hours of being ‘on duty’, but i think some of us arrive shattered after waking up at 5am! But …. the real exciting thing here is that God is simply there and waiting to meet with people. Ok we are using ‘tools’ to help us, but there is no dressing up or a drawing message. The one thing that unites all of the people we have engaged with is that God has been drawing them, speaking to them, connecting with them is some way that they have not really recognised or been aware of until they have stumbled upon us in an open field.

… those tools are The Jesus Deck, Psalm Readings, Prayer for Healing, Prayer Beads …. but in the main we are there with just a simple willingness to be there and support people in whatever way they need supporting!

This is really exciting stuff … and on a Sunday morning this is where I see God busily at work in the lives of real people in a real way that they can understand and relate to.

There are many stories we can share of how God engaged with people. As I read back over them … I sense something exciting, i know this is something that In really love doing and long to be involved in again, it’s genuinely something that I want lots of other people to experience as well …. because I believe everyone can do this type of stuff to differing degrees… and I believe many of us say we believe God is alive and working … but deep down we are unsure and we long to see evidence of that. Well … come to the boot fair with us and you won’t just see the evidence, you will be part of it!

Stories to show this from last year:

a man in his mid 20′s who chose a Psalm Reading  He said he was looking for guidance and randomly chose Psalm 27:1:
‘The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?
With a smile on his face mixed with a little confusion he remarked ‘this is for me; this is what I have been looking for!’
One of the team then prayed with that young man.

a team member prayed with a Hindu lady who wanted to make a prayer cord because, she said, ‘I know that Jesus Christ is the only person who offers me real forgiveness’

we spoke with a lady that wanted a Psalm Reading, then to be prayed for healing … but then the real reason for her coming … which was to talk about her dad who had died nearly a year ago

these are not major transformation or spooky stories … these are stories of real people with real lives simply needing to know that there is a real God that walks with them.

So … please get involved … email me, message me, call me, let me buy you coffee …. this is an amazing thing to take part in! You don’t ave to be shattered … but i suspect it helps!

I await your response …..