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[or click HERE to see Sandy's "Benefit of the Doubt" in The Messenger March 2007] 1.
Outsider orientated
- Jesus talks about the shepherd who leaves the 99 sheep and goes after the one
who is lost. A church ought to be a community that is always thinking about
how a newcomer will understand and relate to what it does, and services must
be accessible to them rather than designed for the convenience of those who
are regulars. This means things must be regularly and clearly explained, and
people who are not believers made to feel comfortable and accepted. Those who
come regularly will then also start to feel they can invite their
non-Christian friends and family. 2.
Universality
- The fastest way to grow a church according to the church growth books is to
focus on one particular kind of person (the so-called homogeneous unit) and
then design everything to be suitable for them. Many of the large churches in
London in effect follow this pattern. But there is a major problem - the
gospel tends to get lost somewhere along the way, because the gospel is about
people of every kind and background and type being brought together
under one Lord, Jesus Christ. This is a major concern of books of the New
Testament such as Ephesians and Romans. Therefore we must make sure that what
we do is accessible to all kinds of people and all ages, even though it is a
much harder task than just focussing on certain groups, because to fail to do
so will inevitably compromise our gospel witness. 3.
The individual seeks the good
of the body. Paul writes in Romans 'Each of you should
please his neighbour for his good, to build him up'. In other words in
debates about styles of worship etc we should not be asking 'what do I
like?', but 'what will benefit the other members of the body of Christ?' Understanding this can defuse many of the
tensions about different approaches to services etc, which often have more to
do with our personalities than our theology. 4.
Grace
filled - The church should be a hospital for sinners,
not an academy of the righteous. We are aiming for Christ-like perfection,
but live with the reality of our failure to achieve it, and therefore the
church must be a place
where forgiveness, not just a few times but whenever it is
needed, is central to all that we do.
It shouldn't be a place where you need to gat your life sorted out before you
come. We need to try to learn to be honest and admit our shortcomings and
struggles. This also means we start to feel we can take risks, and become
more willing to experiment with things even though they may not work. 5.
Relevant to everyday life
- Half the time Jesus is recorded as speaking in the gospels he is answering
someone's question. One of the most common comments about sermons is that the
teaching is good but not relevant to the real issues in my life. We need to
work hard to ensure that being part of the church helps us in all aspects of
our lives, not just the 'spiritual' part. This means addressing contemporary
issues, finding space for people to ask questions, and making sure leaders
understand the real pressures that we face in every area of work and home
life. 6.
Authentic relationships.
Jesus says if you are offering your gift at the altar and remember your
brother has something against you, leave your gift there and go and sort it
out with him. Relationships are the hardest thing we face, but also the most
important. In the Christian community we can't afford to sweep things under
the carpet and hope they'll go away. We need to be learn to be real with one
another and work hard on reconciliation and forgiveness, otherwise the health
of the whole body will suffer. 7.
Words and deeds.
Actions speak louder than words, and words speak more clearly than actions.
The New Testament's strategy for mission always includes both words and
deeds, so that people can see Christian love in practice and realise we are
more than just talk. Genuine Christian faith always leads people to care for
others. The church has to demonstrate the love of Christ in practical ways to
those around us, for many people will need to see our works before they are
ready to listen to our words.
Sandy Christie
A talk to the Parochial Church Council
of St Michael and All Angels Blackheath Park |
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