Emergent Carrot

Thank you to my fellow adventurers

2010-04-05T01:20:00.003+01:00

I want to say thank you to the others in the group. As we have journeyed together in very different projects we have I feel grown together. We have queried and questioned each other, we have read each other's blogs and left comments. Interestingly we have raised similar issues and grappled with very much the same emerging church questions. We have shared joys and disappointments. We almost have an emerging church ourselves.

A very dear friend recently died of cancer, and her final blog entry was made by her husband. He wrote; Nicky died peacefully this evening to continue her resurrection adventure. As I write on Easter Sunday (I think it is actually now Monday but never mind) isn't that what its all about - continuing the resurrection adventure!

Project reflection

2010-04-05T00:29:00.002+01:00

Its time to begin 'winding up' the project - this part of it anyway, and remind myself in essence this is an excerise, an experiment. Like others, who have written similarly in their blogs, I am left with lots of questions, not least the one - has it worked?
It is difficult to say because without definate strategies and goals at the beginning how do you know if you have succeeded. What quantifies success, or failure for that matter.
Have I managed to get a little group together with a common interest? Yes
Have they had fun together? Yes
Have they begun to get in touch with a spiritual side? Yes
Have they connected with God? I really do not know.
When so much of how we define missional church is to do with discipleship can we say we have success if we do not know if people have met with the reality of the living God in the process of our efforts?
Here we encounter one of the critical questions of emerging church. How do you know that what you are doing is church? If you do not intentionally meet with the purpose of worshipping God, however fluid a way that may be can you be said to be doing church? If you meet as an interest group and God is somehow tagged on to that, is that not side-lining God in a less than reverent way.

However it did occur to me that we may do that with traditional forms of church anyway. If we are brutally honest, how many people on a Sunday morning consciously go to church for an authentic encounter with God as their primary focus? Or do we go to be part of a group, to engage in an activity we all like, to drink coffee and catch up with friends. Yes we (hopefully) meet with God and sometimes he surprises us but it is often sufficient to take it for granted he is central because of where we meet rather than a concious mindset that places him in the centre. Maybe on a Sunday but what about other church activities during the week. I think of our toddler group who play, do arts and crafts, sing Christian choruses, and celebrate the major Christian festivals with prayer stations. Is that not 'church'? Or the brass band practice which I love. The fellowship is great we play great music and we spend time sharing and praying. We don't call it church because the primary focus is to practice music, but through the music we are 'blessed' and prepared to mission. The band has a good reputation and where ever they go they pull crowds, church goers and non church goers. The bandmaster knows this and being an extremely mission focused guy capitalises on this. Much of the preparation for people being connected with God which happens regularly is born out of the attitude instilled in us and the prayers at practices. Is this not church?

So yes I have broadened my horizons of church or recognise the dangers of a narrow view of church - whichever way you want to look at it.
But as I think about the 12 or so ladies and a couple of men that regularly come on a Wednesday lunchtime to be part of the Hub, plus the many others that get sucked in by an extra bargain, or a leaflet in their hand, do they see the Hub as church? Does it matter if they don't, so long as I do. There is a spirituality to it, a connection with inner self and outer community issues but I am not sure if it is able to go further than that. The definition of what we were asked to do was to create a group that had the potential to become church. In my mind that has to mean a corporate intention to meet with God - in the sort of way we do in toddlers or band practice. And I know that is not happening.

So where do we go from here? What the Hub has achieved is a kind of chaplaincy to customers and staff. People know they can come and be part of a group where they can share conversation. They are not just consumers but participants. They know there will be someone to talk to privately if they wish. They know that our little team of 3 are Christians from the Salvation Army Church (the management staff are not directly connected to the church). My aim was to create a group that supported each other and that has happened. New friends have been made who go out for coffee etc. outside of the Hub which is both exciting and humbling. I have to believe that God can and is working through these relationships but what the result will look like I have no idea. But to force a more Christian agenda in the conversation would be counterproductive. Any form of 'worship' needs to emerge from the group.

Will the Hub continue? Undoubtedly - with or without me!
Is it mission? Kind of.
Is it producing people who desire authenticity and are working to better their local community? Yes I think so.
Is it producing disciples - is the big question. For all I have learned about emerging churches having no distinction between the sacred and the secular the reality is I still see a boundary for people to cross that would make the Hub more like the band practice than the toddler group. Recognising Jesus within their group rather than just being told he is there.

Postmodern Spirituality 2

2010-03-30T22:53:00.002+01:00

In my current reflection I am reminded of much work completed for my Celtic Mission and Spirituality Assignment. One of the questions I grappled with then was how to keep distinctly Christian in mission. There is much in the Celtic tradition that takes people as they are and moves them on in their faith journey by using symbols and images that are familiar to them. The Celtic cross for example is full of pagan symbolism, far removed from a Christian ethos, that was 'Christianised' by Celtic missionaries.
I concluded that yes there is room for different approaches and routes to faith, but there are dangers of misunderstandings that take the seeker away from Jesus as the Centre rather than toward Him. The difference comes with revelation. It is not people seeking after God, but God who has revealed himself to people. The starting point of the Christendom church is that people are sinners in need of salvation, and repentence often is a call to turn our back on what we have known and believed in the past, and turn to God. The starting point of the Celtic tradition is that we are made in the image of God and that is something to celebrate. This was the starting point of Jesus himself, with the cross being the culmination of the message rather than the beginning of it. If we encourage people to live in the knowledge and privilege they are made in the image of God and help them to celebrate life in all its fullness, as they learn more about what that means they will encounter the truth of the cross as the revealing of God's love and his desire to restore people into the image of God we were created to reflect.

Post modern Spirituality

2010-03-30T22:37:00.003+01:00

A very interesting conversation last week. We repeated a focal point and leaflet, revamped slightly, about hard places. People are invited to take a small stone and symbolically place it in a situation that is hard. One of the regulars to the Hub commented she knew exactly where she was going to put her stone. That sounded to me like an invitation to engage in conversation. She shared the problems she was having with a neighbour and finished with the comment 'If that doesn't work can I bring it back and exchange it for a Voodoo doll!' It wasn't a deeply serious conversation by any means, but it make me think. Postmodern spirituality is often a mishmash of different ideas and the boundary between that which is 'holy and of God' and that which clearly isn't is blurred. Questions I am reflecting on as a result are;
In our instant fix society how do we encourage people to wait on the Lord for answers rather than dash off in search of an alternative that might work better?
Does this sort of thinking mean the boundaries between the sacred and secular are coming down, but at what cost? How can we encourage someone's spiritual search to be distinctly Christian?

Mary

2010-02-23T14:34:00.002Z

I posted some of the general difficulties around the Hub and the charity shop. They have not gone away but the Hub is back. Throughout the few weeks we didn't have one, Mary said she missed the chance to chat and the leaflet that gave her a challenge for the week. God bless encouragers like Mary

A bit of a disaster!

2010-01-07T15:45:00.002Z

My reflection at the moment is on what happens when things go wrong! Our Christmas Hub basically didn't happen. There are 'political' issues at the shop which are not good, and lots of my time has been spent in a listening ear capacity supporting the manager and assistant. We had planned to do a Christmas Hub with mince pies and coffee (in cups with lids on!), Christmas music and a few freebies. The manager is on long term sick after an workrelated injury (just one of the issues) and the covering manager gave us a frosty reception (maybe she was just being festive), so we decided to just be around and keep things low key. There was no coffee, mince pies or carols. We did give out some candles with a Christmas message about the fragrance of Jesus filling your house at Christmas time, which seemed to go down well. The non-event was nobody's fault but it did set me thinking about spiritual warfare. Being a good Salvationist who was been brought up on theology about waging war against sin and rescuing the sinner, this came quite naturally. But I did discover I had a new perspective. The enemy suddenly appeared to be very real, actively trying to prevent not just the event, but destroying some relationships we have spent months trying to build. Things are going abit wrong, as I say not just with the Hub but with some situations around the shop in general which are causing serious concern especially in terms of mission. We need to be aware of where the attack is ultimately coming from - not from people's pettiness, but from a source that does not want emerging church to happen. However, there is a positive side - if we are under attack what we are doing must have potential for the Kingdom of God - and Calvary reminds us we are on the winning side.

Transient People's Church

2009-11-09T11:23:00.007Z

The Hub continues to produce some interesting conversations, and I have even begun to invite a couple of 'regulars' to go for a coffee afterwards. But my reflection this week has really been on the transient nature of the Hub. Yes we are having conversations with people, but its not the same people who are in every week to establish a 'group'. Last week we gave out little stones and the leaflet talked about symbolically placing the stone in a place that was hard. This really seemed to connect with people, and some moving stories emerged. I had just walked in the shop and a lady was paying at the counter as I started to set up - still with my coat on. I gave her a leaflet and a stone, she read it and burst into tears. 'This is just what I need today' she said. She didn't go to church, and the conversation didn't even include God, and yet I found myself praying with her. She is not that local, and no one has seen her since, but that connection, and conversation - were hugely significant. My husband had a similar experience in the homeless project, and would love to carry on supporting a young lad who has run away from home and refused to go with the Barnado's people who are part of our team. As I have reflected and prayed for the lady and the boy since, I wonder how they are doing, and whether the situations they described have got any better. The question arose in my mind - do I want to see them again for my benefit or theirs?

We long to carry on the support and finish the story. But perhaps the more we 'do church' in a transient setting, the less likely it will be that we embark on a longer term ministry. That is hard. Most of our church conditioning has taught us to look for outcomes - bums on seats and spiritual development. The temptation is to only go for the things that may provide such tangable results. I remember grappling with this very issue on the online assignment, where our group was discovering what church in a shopping centre might look like. If emerging church is about forming a group and allowing something to emerge, is this kind of encounter what we should be looking for? But I am also left thinking if I had not been there, would the lady have had the opportunity, on the very day things had all blown up for her, to talk. I believe in that moment God had placed me where she was, and if I never see her again, I have to trust that I was a small part of her journey toward God and other people have played other parts. A Salvation Army songwriter Joy Webb once wrote;

'We pass as ships in the night, my world in orbit of theirs,

But for just one moment of time, I could be the answer to their prayers.'

Emerging church is not neat and tidy church. Perhaps we just need to hand over control of outcomes alittle more often to the One who can truly see the bigger picture!

Exciting times

2009-10-26T10:32:00.002Z

Everybody seems to be having such a good time with their projects its encouraging to read. Have been reading 'Why we're not emergent' (Deyoung & Klunk) and basically they take 257 pages almost saying if its fun its not church! They accuse the emerging church of being lazy on doctrine and weak on tough issues. I think they highlight the dangers of watering down the Gospel but they fail to see the starting point of emerging church is community, not the Gospel. I think its all about context and agenda. If the agenda is purely to perpetuate the church, then the context will be very different from an agenda that starts with connecting with people, and creating true fellowship where Christ is central. The two are not a million miles apart in Christian thinking, but in terms of method the gap widens considerably. If there is room for spirituality to emerge, then surely we need to trust that doctrine and ethics can emerge too.

My own project was quite exciting last week, not least because I wasn't there but it happened anyway! The charity shop manager so wanted the Hub to continue, she offered to do it herself. The focal point was music and people were encouraged to listen music that lifted them. She chose some really good tracks to play during the hour, including 'Footprints in the sand', 'I hope you dance' and 'Wind beneath my wings'. I was thrilled that she had grasped the concept that inspiring music can be 'spiritual' even if it was not written with God in mind, and was able to tap into the sort of music that would be appreciated by a group of predominantly older ladies. This week everyone is to be given a small stone to symbolically place in a situation that is hard, as a reminder there are people who care.

When is church church?

2009-10-06T19:25:00.002+01:00

Thanks for the comment. Interestingly, the same thoughts were in my mind. Is it right to do something that resembles church right from the beginning, or should we not have this element until the time is right. Then how do you know when the time is right, and how do you introduce something 'religious' without people thinking they have been conned into something? A happy medium seemed to me to be a 'focal point' that has no religious jargon but makes people think. For some it will make spiritual connections, for others it will not and that is okay. The focal point purposely did not mention God or church specifically, but encouraged people to think outside of their own little world to their community and the world beyond. I have read much on invading secular space that leads me to believe it is largely Christians who maintain the divide between the spiritual and the secular. My hope is that people will find themselves in a 'spiritual space' and an encounter with God without actually realising how they got there!

Welcome to the Hub

2009-10-01T10:04:00.005+01:00

In view of previous discussion, it was decided the coffee evening was too much of 'an event' and not enough of 'an incarnational expression.' The simplest way to make the shift was to change the time so we could engage with people who were already there shopping and chatting. Yesterday we launched 'the hub' - (a little more upbeat, alittle less twee than a coffee evening) over lunchtime and had some really positive conversations. Our advertising reads thus:

Welcome to ‘The Hub’

Hub means centre, or meeting place. In the middle of the week, take a little time to chat, reflect, and share with others.

Fun – quizzes and extra bargains

Conversation – talk about issues that affect you. ‘Listening ear’ if you need to talk somewhere quiet.

Focal point – with ideas that might just help you change the world a little.

The focus point is actually a prayer station, which yesterday very gently encouraged people to Thank - say thanks for all they have but often take for granted, to Take - some goodies to eat, and to Think about those for who may be hungry today. The shop was very busy but Alec, friend Laura and I spoke to every person who came into the shop between 12.30-2pm and struck up significant conversations with some. A few people recognised what we were trying to do resembled 'church' and the conversation was able to go in a spiritual direction. A few picked up on the focal point and starting talking about what they were doing to try to help/transform their local community. Most thought it was a really good idea and would try to create a little more time to do the quiz another time. What was missing was coffee! We haven't quite worked out the health and safety aspects of this, but it could be possible if we gave out hot drinks with lids on. Next week we will throw in some Christian music to mix with the 'easy listening' already piped into the shop, and it may be appropriate later to introduce a prayer book. All in all it was much nearer the focus I had invisaged at the start, and has potential to 'emerge' into whatever God wants it to be!

Incarnational living?

2009-09-10T11:06:00.002+01:00

Thank God for encouraging husbands!

2009-09-10T10:17:00.004+01:00

Alec read yesterday's blog entry and suggested I was selling myself short. He reminded me that the emerging ministries in our church had been along time coming, and was often a long and painful journey for those involved. He reminded me too that I did have a passion for those people in the shop to meet Jesus and maybe I just needed to start by getting to know them better. My own 'soapbox' that has characterised my ministry for the past 15 years came back to haunt me through his words! And that particular soapbox is? - That we should get to know people's real needs rather than working on perceived ones. When working with other agencies I am always banging on about identifying what people actually need rather than providing programmes that fit a criteria set by someone who thinks they know what they need (if that makes sense). This is no different. I have identified what I think these ladies need, but do not know them well enough to establish what they themselves want. Working with the group's agenda rather than the church's has marked both the success and the struggle of the groups I mentioned - success being measured in transformed lives. My new challenge is therefore to get to know them better, rather than trying to get them together in a group. One person I do know is the manager, (my lapsed Christian from a previous entry) who wants the project to work because this way of doing church could be beneficial to her.

Similar musings

2009-09-09T14:24:00.000+01:00

Having played catchup on everyone else's blogs, I realise much of my reflection and thinking is similar to yours. Like Claire I want to get away from planning events and create something that is alot less formal with alot more ownership. And thinking about what constitutes 'church' is really what this is all about. As I look around me it seems other people in my church are doing emerging church alot better than me. What sets them apart is their passion and ownership for what they are doing. The homeless project, detached work with young people, youth disciplining programme and new children's ministries have all 'emerged' through people who are called by God and do it out of conviction. This passion is contagious and leads to action in others. Although I can take little credit for any of this, a few thoughts have struck me.
Firstly, have my mentoring conversations, many of which have enthusiastically introduced emerging church principles and examples actually led to my church 'emerging' into a new mindset and way of doing things?
Secondly, is my struggle to get my own project right a reflection of a lack of real passion for the people I am trying to reach?
Thirdly, is my project too much of an event and not enough of an incarnational expression?

Fashion Quiz

2009-06-17T13:50:00.000+01:00

Hi Guys, thanks for the encouraging comments. Thought you might like to do the quiz so here it is.

FASHION QUIZ

1. Where are you most likely to browse for clothes online?

A www. Selfridges

B www. Top shop

C www. Fairtrade cotton

D www. Ebay

↓ ↓

2. Where would you really like to buy your shoes from?

A Prada

B River Island

C Clarks

D Quite happy with the local charity Shop

↓ ↓

3. Where would be your favourite shopping destination?

A Designer Outlet Village

B Large Shopping Centre

C Local High Street

D Supermarket

↓ ↓

4. What are your most important criteria when buying clothes?

A Who is the designer?

B What is the price?

C Is it organic or fairtrade?

D Will anyone else have it?

↓ ↓

5. Who is you style icon?

A Victoria Beckham for her up-to-the-minute- fashion choices

B Fearne Cotton for her high-street saviness

C Stella McCartney for her ability to stay chic and not compromise her vegetarian beliefs

D Amanda Holden for her mix of vintage and retro styles

↓ ↓

6. When buying T-shirts what do you look for?

A Luxurious fabric

B A multi-buy offer

C Organic cotton

D A slogan that epitomizes you

↓ ↓

7. Which brand are you most likely to go to for your beauty products?

A Chanel or Rimmel

B Olay or Garnier

C Body Shop

D The one that’s on offer

↓ ↓

8. What would be your ideal party dress?

A A red carpet worthy Versace gown

B A sparkly Miss Selfridge number

C A chic but sensible mini dress

D A 1950s prom dress

↓ ↓

9. Which would be your ideal handbag?

A A designer bag with a large logo to show off

B A sensible sized High Street number with lots of compartments

C A reusable shopping bag

D A 1920s clutch bag

↓ ↓

10. Where are your favourite shopping haunts?

A Boutiques

B Shopping Centres

C Charity Shops

D Flea markets

↓ ↓

RESULTS:

Mostly A’s

DESIGNER DIVA

Image is all important. You know what you want and you buy it, regardless of the price. Wearing the right label gives you confidence in your image. You would love to rub shoulders with the rich and famous. You watch award ceremonies and read high fashion magazines just to see what celebrities are wearing.

Mostly B’s

HIGH STREET HONEY

You are sensible, but chic. You love to mooch around shops. Even if you don’t buy anything the shopping experience is one you love. You visit lots of different shops looking for clothes that are reasonably priced. You love a bargain. It doesn’t matter if what you wear is not unique, if you are comfortable in it that’s all that matters.

Mostly C’s

GREEN GODDESS

You are a highly responsible person, passionate about saving the planet and fair trade. This is reflected in your shopping choices. You are interested in where fabrics come from and do not mind paying a bit more to be sure no one was exploited in making your clothes. You are into recycling, shopping locally and believe second hand is good. You love to find a bargain in a Charity Shop.

Mostly D’s

VINTAGE REVAMP

You are individualistic. You have an era and a look you like and buy to dress accordingly. You are not into high fashion and labels, but you do like to look good. You love to find a bargain in a Charity Shop. On special occasions you want to stand out from the crowd, and would be very upset if someone had the same outfit as you.

The Numbers Game

2009-06-10T12:02:00.000+01:00

I was quite disappointed with the number of people who (didn't) turn up to the first coffee evening. My church planting background has taught me to take risks but also that success is measured in the number of people who come through the doors. But then I started the reflect through the eyes of all I had learned and experienced of emerging church. That it's not about numbers and bums on seats any more. That was quite liberating! Armed with new criteria I reflected on the conversations, the fun doing the quiz, the sharing of similar experiences of the three that did stay for a coffee. The connection I was hoping for was there. I need patience look beyond the need for results, let friendships grow and conversation emerge. Without denominational or self-imposed pressures for results, what's the hurry?

What is theological reflection?

2009-06-02T10:50:00.001+01:00

I think this might be one of my first tasks - to have a working definition of 'theological reflection'. I know its something to do with how theology and practice interact with each other, and I know there are various methods people use to do it, but I am still left puzzled where to start. Can anyone help?

I have a couple of starting points. James Hug (Article on theological reflection www.jctr.org.zm/bulletins/theo-reflect) says - my summary;
Theological reflection
- Begins with action - suffering, working, struggling, building etc
- Is born out of experience
- Moves from experience to story telling, looking for patterns and trends
- Throws the light of faith on reality to gain understanding, insight and motivation
- Moves toward informed action

I like the idea of a pastoral cycle, as we reflect it informs future action. There are some good examples around, and I think I shall use this as my model.

I have also found John Swinton of Aberdeen University helpful. I heard him speak a while ago. In his article 'Listening to Hidden Voices' (www.biapt.org.uk/tr5) he says we need
' Critical reflection on practices of church as they interact with practices of the world with a view to ensuring faithful participation in the continuing mission of the Triune God'

An Interesting Conversation

2009-05-27T13:14:00.000+01:00

While chatting with an interested colleague who has agreed to help me with the project, I realised she was 'post-church'. Having been to church for years she was left spiritually empty and people who seemed really friendly on a Sunday didn't want to know during the week. Church became something else to be fitted into a busy schedule that was eventually dropped. I was upfront that my ultimate aim was to 'start a church - but not as we know it'. I tried to explain as best I could that church needs to be simple and fluid, able to flow into every area of our lives. That people could cross that invisible 'boundary' that separates what we call secular and sacred without actually realising it. At this point the conversation got interesting. Half an hour later when we both realised it was definately time for another coffee we had explored and debated God and the church and my friend was looking forward to an experience of church that was more authentic and more 'doable' in a busy lifestyle. I think I have my first convert! (or is that a modernist statement?)

Here we go!

2009-05-27T12:54:00.000+01:00

My little emerging church project is a coffee evening at our local charity shop. Some people from our church help out as volunteers but it is not managed or staffed from the church. I hope to bring together a group of regular customers and volunteers who like to come in really for company and to chat about life, the universe and everything. Some bring their problems and concerns, sometimes asking people to pray for them. My hope is that the coffee evenings will bring them together as a group to have some fun, support each other and that some will suddenly realise they are connecting with God in the process.

Why emergent carrot?

2009-05-13T20:42:00.000+01:00

Why emergent carrot?

While thinking about a catchy title for this blog, I was interrupted by my 5 year old son who was so excited because the carrot seeds he had planted had started to grow. He described tiny leaves and a tip of orange poking through the otherwise bland soil. I had my title.

Emerging church is surely about sowing seeds and looking for what might happen. About the excitement of seeing something growing in the soil of our culture that looks on the surface too bland to support life until we remember it is here God is working. Journey with me as I try to put some theory on emerging church into practice, and reflect on that experience.