Futures group beginnings

Well, we had a 'Futures Group' meeting this week and the Baptist blogosphere managed a couple of mentions! My problem is, for some mysterious, but no doubt devilish reason, my list of blogs disappeared off my mac whilst in India! So, I've been well out of date with what's been put out there by Baptist colleagues. However, whilst I feel I cannot speak out quite as clearly as I would like, I do want to be part of the blog conversation - and I promise to catch up with what everyone else is saying. My main concern, with what I've read so far, is a focus on minor, structural and financial issues, which frankly matter little if we miss the big ones. You can have the best structure possible, but if it's not fit for purpose, what's the point?

Big generalisation, I know, but let me offer this:

We tend, as Baptist Ministers, to operate from a theologically reflective base, which (unfortunately because it's not supposed to work out like this in my view) contributes to our malaise when it comes to making significant change. My feeling is, this is made worse because we have grown accustomed to imbalanced practices among and arising from our local congregations. By this, I mean ‘ministry’ has, in too many churches, become almost exclusively identified with the pastoral and teaching models of Ministry. This is not quite the same thing as saying most of us are pastor/teachers, but there seems to be no denying this is the paradigm which dominates our practice as individuals and structures corporately.

Now, because most of the powerful voices engaged in the national conversations concerning any potential new shape for BUGB in the future, are Baptist Ministers, this is bound to influence us. However, what our nation desperately needs is churches, which are looking in their direction and, therefore, looking out for the people in our communities and places of work and leisure (wherever we find them). This demands an outward looking people. This means church leaders who identify and release people with gifts, which are expressed in loving service for others (how many spiritual gift identification programmes in church life actually result in more gifts being shared beyond our church premises?)

As a locally rooted Minister I used to work continually with three questions:

Wat kind of people is Jesus sending out into this community?

What kind of church creates those kinds of people?

What  kind of leadership cultivates that kind of church?

When I became an idiot who no longer knows anything about the mission of God, sorry I meant a Regional Minister, I added another - what kind of Association enables this kind of leadership. What we didn't try and answer, however, following the re-structuring of 2001 was 'what kind of Union releases people, mission, gifts'.....

It seems to me the present context requires the primary shapers of ‘church’ to be far more balanced across, at least, the five-fold ministries spoken of in Ephesians 4. This is why I would advocate the word, which many people seem to dislike - ‘missional’ being promoted. We need to move towards a missional shape for many reasons, but not least because this word best describes the necessary posture of the church in our UK current context.

This was going to be short, but I've only just begun!

Emily Coles' Blog

If you can't use your own blog to brag about your daughter, then it's a crying shame .... so here's a plug from her dad and one of Emily's tutor's ....


Emily Coles', one of our talented third year students, has over the past year, been making a great blog about her photography. With her inspirations and wonderfully observed photographs, from Bucharest to Southampton via Greece, you'll be wishing you were there. Its certainly well worth a look! 

Emily Coles' Blog

http://emsdarkroom.blogspot.com/

Emily Coles

Welton stages record-breaking nativity

Here's a story of the one of our churches in this week's on-line Baptist Times:

Somerset town stages record-breaking nativity

THE WORLD Record for the most number of people in a nativity scene was unofficially broken on Friday - thanks to an ambitious project spearheaded by a Baptist church in Somerset.

More than 740 people crammed into the open-air production at Midsomer Norton, and although the figures still have to be verified by Guinness World Records the event looks to have comfortably beaten the current record of 567 set in Sassi di Matera in Italy.

The event was coordinated by Welton Baptist Church, which had been asked to help organise the town's annual lantern fayre.

To capture people's imagination the church decided to go for a record, inviting people to come dressed as shepherds to the event.

The local town council loved the idea, as did local businesses and schools.

An advertising campaign was launched encouraging people to don tea towels and dressing gowns and head to the Hollies Gardens in the high street, where the nativity was being staged.

The invitation was open to anyone who wanted to take part, and those who did were ushered into areas in front of and behind the stage.

As part of the production they were involved in singing of carols and responding to a couple of questions.

Matt Coomes, the church's outreach worker, was one of the organisers.

'It took a lot of organising, and thankfully went very well,' he told The Baptist Times.

'There were people from all over the town involved, not just the churches. It was a lovely atmosphere.

'It was a great opportunity to get into schools and we want to keep developing our relationships with the town council and local businesses.'

Leadership or direction? either/or/both/and?

Pokhara Baptist Church - not a great view into the church, but look out of the back window and you'll wonder: 'is this the church building with the greatest view in the world?'

I often hear about (and also frequently, personally lament) the lack of leadership. We need more leaders. Everywhere, in both general society and within the Church.

Every church asks for one during a pastoral vacancy. In fact, the only people I hear not asking for more leadership are the ‘leaders in servants clothing’ group of Baptist Ministers, who protest too loudly. “We’re not leaders, we’re Ministers” I hear them cry, but when I visit their churches, it’s a very different tale I hear, which leaves me wondering what’s happened to self-awareness in the league table of Baptist competencies?

However, I’m also producing a work-book for Christian DNA groups, which is designed for ‘leaderless’ groups. Groups of three, meeting around the person of Jesus, seeking to be his followers. If Jesus is the leader, does one of us need to be?

So, am I wrong to promote such a way forward? The question is, for me, is it primarily more leaders we need, or is it actually direction?

You can have a leader who takes you …. nowhere fast.

You can have a leader who takes you backwards.

You can have a leader who takes you round and round in circles.

One of my favourite book titles, without doubt, is Eugene Peterson’s “Long Obedience in the Same Direction.’ ‘Same direction’ is crucial, more crucial than leadership?

Joshua Bell

For the first time ever, I've felt like passing on one of those weird e-mail stories people love sharing .....

THE SITUATION

In Washington , DC , at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.

About 4 minutes later: 

The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

At 6 minutes:

A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

At 10 minutes:

A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.

At 45 minutes:

The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

After 1 hour:

He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.

This experiment raised several questions:

*In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?

*If so, do we stop to appreciate it?

*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made .. . ...

How many other things are we missing as we rush through life? 

Patterns of missional living

The more I dwell on my experiences recently, in Nepal, Bangladesh and India, the more I’m seeing missional living as the connecting pattern, but not simply across Asia: with ourselves, here in the UK also. Discipleship is, in my probably not so humble opinion, our biggest current issue in the UK Church.

‘How then shall we live?’ It strikes me, if we cannot answer this question in a way, which:

-       Expresses our response to Jesus’ call ‘follow me’.

-       Engages with the people who share our environment (19 out of 20 not yet Christians in the UK).

-       Authentically distinguishes as followers of He who is the way, the truth and the life.

So here’s something of what I noticed:

For missionaries: The fundamental issue is more a concern with how they live than with what they say. In many countries overseas, we cannot legally send ‘missionaries’ who openly call others to repentance and faith in Jesus. What no one can prevent, however, is ‘missionaries’ who don't appear to work for the Church, but who do live for Jesus.

For growth:  In Nepal, Bangladesh and India the Church is growing – in some areas fast. The issue everyone always raises is an old chestnut: ‘what’s the point if the Church grows significantly numerically, but is only an inch deep?’ Well, it strikes me Jesus provides the answer in Luke 10. If Jesus propels illiterate, recent Christians out into his world, it strikes me he thinks depth doesn't just happen, but does need to start somewhere.

I’m personally left in no doubt, the depth of discipleship is a very definite concern for many people involved in some of the rapidly multiplying church planting movements. Where Christianity is being caught more than it is taught (if it ever happens very much any other way anyway) “it totally depends upon the Christlikeness of the planters”.

bi-vocational?

I found this list on the Anglican 1000 USA website. I've heard a lot of people talk about bi-vocational Ministry here in the UK, but have yet to see very many good, positive examples. I personally think it could be a great development, missionally speaking, but my fear is it will merely be seen as a recipe to solve finances. The testimony of other denominations who have approached bi-vocational Ministry, motivated by financial, or structural concerns has been, again only in my opinion, disastrous. In some ways it boils down to what ministry is primarily released? A primarily pastoral mode will not be  a blessing, whereas an apostolic leadership mode of operating could be hugely beneficial. Anyway, have a look at these for yourself  ....

1. We have more relationships outside the church, and if the outside work is in the secular marketplace we know more non-belivers.

2. Being employed “outside” gives us a rapport with our parishioners that full timers don’t have. We finally understand why laypeople love weekends so much, but we’re not in a position to take advantage of them.

3. We have far less time to prepare a sermon or a Bible study, or to just hang out with the laity; and sometimes we feel very badly about that.

4. The pastor and people’s commitment to one another must be ironclad because churches led by bi-vocational clergy will usually be smaller, have fewer resources, and develop much more slowly. This bond will be tested.

5. Successful bi-vocational clergy have to be ruthless in their time management, and if they become workaholics they’d likely crash sooner and worse.

6. If we work full time in our outside job we are probably more financially secure than most fully-supported clergy. On the other hand we rarely have a day-off unless the outside employer gives us one—so much for the 4th Commandment. Isolation and burnout can be a real problem.

7. A church’s clergy and laity have to be equally committed to bi-vocational ministry. While the pastor has the spiritual oversight, laity must step up to do some of the work that a fully-supported minister would normally perform; and still, a lot of work just won’t get done.

8. Conferences and services for clergy are built around the fully-supported clergy model and are held on weekdays and in locations we can’t get to. So we are less networked in the diocese and must build our own support systems in the field.

9. Bi-vocational ministers don’t like the word, “part-time.” We are always on-call and always talking to God about our people.

10. Speaking personally, when I get home Sunday evening I can exchange hi-fives with my wife because no matter how the sermon went, I’m not going to get fired!

Oh, couldn't resist another picture!