rural mission rural mission - celtic - celtic

methodsmethods

A typical small settlementA typical small settlementNowNow► Nine householdsNine households► 20 people20 people► Land ownership Land ownership

sharedshared► Manor house Manor house

divided, plus divided, plus small plush small plush dwellingsdwellings

► Commuters, Commuters, professionals professionals and self-and self-employedemployed

► Variety of world Variety of world views and views and aspirationsaspirations

100 Years Ago100 Years Ago► Five householdsFive households► 14 people14 people► One landownerOne landowner► Manor house, Manor house,

plus small plus small simple dwellingssimple dwellings

► Worked locally, Worked locally, skilled crafts and skilled crafts and labourerslabourers

► Shared Christian Shared Christian world viewworld view

Welcome to missiondomWelcome to missiondom

►Christendom has goneChristendom has gone No longer a wholly No longer a wholly

Christianised societyChristianised society►Ongoing cultural shiftOngoing cultural shift

No simple return to No simple return to ‘pagandom’‘pagandom’

►Living in a twilight zoneLiving in a twilight zone A mix of pagan, agnostic, A mix of pagan, agnostic,

theistic and Christian world theistic and Christian world viewsviews

Waiting for a clear post-Waiting for a clear post-Christian world to appearChristian world to appear

The Church in missiondomThe Church in missiondom

► We retain the trappings of We retain the trappings of ChristendomChristendom

► 216 Anglican church buildings in 216 Anglican church buildings in ShropshireShropshire

► Parishes cover every inch of the Parishes cover every inch of the countycounty

We are present for people We are present for people everywhereeverywhere

It’s all ours: power and ownershipIt’s all ours: power and ownership

► The church continues to own The church continues to own the peoplethe people But the people have disowned But the people have disowned

the churchthe church

Two mission principlesTwo mission principles

► Pilgrim PrinciplePilgrim Principle God’s distinctive peopleGod’s distinctive people Travelling through the worldTravelling through the world

► In the world but not ‘of’ itIn the world but not ‘of’ it

► Indigenising PrincipleIndigenising Principle Engaging with the world, Engaging with the world,

understanding its cultureunderstanding its culture ‘‘You can’t go and tell until You can’t go and tell until

you’ve been and listened.’you’ve been and listened.’ ‘‘Listen to the patient, she is Listen to the patient, she is

telling you the diagnosis.’telling you the diagnosis.’► No longer enough just to know No longer enough just to know

what we believewhat we believe

Two examples of listening Two examples of listening missionmission

► JesusJesus – on the Emmaus – on the Emmaus RoadRoad Listened to the disciples Listened to the disciples Asked them questionsAsked them questions Before he explained the Before he explained the

scripturesscriptures

► PaulPaul – in Athens – in Athens Quoted from their poetsQuoted from their poets Used their belief in an Used their belief in an

‘unknown god’‘unknown god’ He was ‘culturally He was ‘culturally

relevant’ relevant’

Time to change church?Time to change church?

►The church has changed The church has changed throughout historythroughout history

►It is It is JesusJesus who is the same who is the same yesterday, today and for ever…yesterday, today and for ever…

► ‘‘As the Father sent me, so I As the Father sent me, so I send you.’ send you.’ We are called to be We are called to be

incarnationalincarnational►As Jesus wasAs Jesus was

►The traditional parish systemThe traditional parish system Is it time to ‘morph’ it? Is it time to ‘morph’ it?

The countryside is…The countryside is…Getting olderGetting older

Becoming Becoming unaffordabunaffordab

lele

Losing access Losing access to servicesto services

Changing Changing employmeemployme

ntnt

Ruled by Ruled by consumersconsumers

Less about Less about farmingfarming

Addressing the hidden pain Addressing the hidden pain

► Traditional residentsTraditional residents Lost a way of lifeLost a way of life Living in relative povertyLiving in relative poverty Want the countryside to developWant the countryside to develop

► IncomersIncomers Commuters, not communityCommuters, not community Desperately seeking ‘Eden’Desperately seeking ‘Eden’ Want the countryside to stay the Want the countryside to stay the

samesame► Tension between themTension between them

Place of workPlace of work► ‘‘We want our way of life back.’We want our way of life back.’

Place of playPlace of play► ‘‘We don’t want mud on the roads…’ We don’t want mud on the roads…’

Role of the rural church? Role of the rural church?

► IncarnationalIncarnational► UnifyingUnifying► Open-dooredOpen-doored► CelebratoryCelebratory► Light on structuresLight on structures► Buildings taken seriouslyBuildings taken seriously► Culture of nurture and growthCulture of nurture and growth► Spiritually growing peopleSpiritually growing people

promoting spiritual life and a relationship with promoting spiritual life and a relationship with GodGod

What village people wantWhat village people want

►LSE study on human happinessLSE study on human happiness►stable relationshipsstable relationships►stable communities stable communities ►safe communitiessafe communities

Christian faith has important things to say Christian faith has important things to say about these thingsabout these things

► ‘‘Recovering a profound sense of community is Recovering a profound sense of community is one of the major tasks of mission anywhere.’one of the major tasks of mission anywhere.’

►Michael Langrish, 2004Michael Langrish, 2004

What village people wantWhat village people want

► Five most valued facilities? Five most valued facilities? 1.1. PubPub

2.2. Village hallVillage hall

3.3. Local shopLocal shop

4.4. Primary schoolPrimary school

5.5. Church! Church!

The Church is on the list! The Church is on the list!

The Church is low on the list…The Church is low on the list…

Where should Christians Where should Christians

spend most of their time?spend most of their time?

Mission CommunitiesMission Communities

Can we learn from the Celts?Can we learn from the Celts?

Some distinctive marks:Some distinctive marks:

►monastic communitiesmonastic communities►conversational evangelismconversational evangelism►wholehearted dedicationwholehearted dedication

Monastic CommunitiesMonastic Communities

Formation of strong

communityA great variety

of types of ministry

High level of commitmentInvolvement in

the local community

Ministry of presence and availability -

relational

Constant ministry of hospitality

I sense that the renewal of both the Church and Society I sense that the renewal of both the Church and Society will come through the re-emerging of forms of Christian will come through the re-emerging of forms of Christian community that are homes of generous hospitality, community that are homes of generous hospitality, places of challenging reconciliation and centres of places of challenging reconciliation and centres of attentiveness to the living God.attentiveness to the living God.Brother Samuel SSF Mission and Community BFBS 98Brother Samuel SSF Mission and Community BFBS 98

Monastic life may seem utterly Monastic life may seem utterly out of tune with the spirit of our out of tune with the spirit of our times, yet if we are entering times, yet if we are entering another Dark Age, it may be to another Dark Age, it may be to the wisdom of such a way the the wisdom of such a way the Church of today needs to turn …Church of today needs to turn …

A re-monking of the A re-monking of the Church ?Church ?

‘‘The only hermeneutic of the gospel The only hermeneutic of the gospel is a congregation of men and women is a congregation of men and women

who believe it and live by it.’who believe it and live by it.’

Lesslie NewbiginLesslie Newbigin

(Gospel in a Pluralist Society)(Gospel in a Pluralist Society)

Churches are meant to be places Churches are meant to be places where people can begin where people can begin to understand to understand and feel and feel and experience and experience what a community might look like what a community might look like that really lived in Jesus’ kingdom.that really lived in Jesus’ kingdom.

Graham Tomlin

(Provocative Church)

Conversational evangelistsConversational evangelists

AidanAidan ►working in a context working in a context similarsimilar to today to today

– pagan and lapsed– pagan and lapsed►Started smallStarted small►walked the lanes of Northumbriawalked the lanes of Northumbria► listened and spoke to people about listened and spoke to people about

faithfaith►Confidence in God’s ‘prevenient’ spiritConfidence in God’s ‘prevenient’ spirit►a positive attitude towards peoplea positive attitude towards people► followed up contactsfollowed up contacts

Wholehearted dedicationWholehearted dedication

► prayerfulprayerful

► simple lifestylesimple lifestyle

► Compassion for the poorCompassion for the poor

► Servant attitudeServant attitude

rural church of the future?rural church of the future?

►……rediscovering our apostolic roots:rediscovering our apostolic roots:

► Small, but powerful full of creativitySmall, but powerful full of creativity► Passionately committed engaged with the Passionately committed engaged with the

cultureculture► Based around relationships unburdened by Based around relationships unburdened by

buildingsbuildings► Minimally structured a place of refugeMinimally structured a place of refuge► Lightly led unafraid of emotionsLightly led unafraid of emotions► Connected with life missionary by defaultConnected with life missionary by default► Holistic in outlookHolistic in outlook

(Nick Page)(Nick Page)