A different kind of church

@simongharrisburlingtonbaptist.org.uk

simonharriswrites.wordpress.com

Why do we need a different kind of church?

What is your church strategy for discipleship & mission?

A question:

• PRAGMATISM: - It’s not working !

–Huge Commitment, effort–Easter Sunday/Christmas Events–Best Evangelistic moments

These things have worked

• PRINCIPLE: - It’s not as much like Jesus as we had thought

–Come follow me

We are CALLED to be

fishers of men

not managers of the

aquarium

Thinking of JESUS

as the model

His core DNA His Strategy

Jesus’s core DNA3 relationships in balance

• UP–Luke 6:12

• IN–Luke 6:13-16

• OUT–Luke 6:17-19

How balanced are we ?

His core DNA

His core DNA

His core DNA

We share over 97% of our DNA with Gorillas

Jesus’s core DNA3 relationships in balance

• UP–Luke 6:12

• IN–Luke 6:13-16

• OUT–Luke 6:17-19

How balanced are we ?

His core DNA

Thinking of JESUS

as the model

His core DNA His Strategy

Jesus’s Strategy(Principles)

• Incarnation not attraction–John 1:14

• Relationships not programmes–Mark 3:14

• Apprenticeship (learning through doing)–Mark 1:16

• Life together not events together–Mark 8:27

• Meeting felt needs first–Mark 2:8-10

His Strategy

• Go .... v1• Speak peace (pray) v5• Look for the Person of Peace v6• Connect (Relationship/involvement) “Stay” v

7 (NB House = household/network)• Meet felt needs (in Kingdom power) v8-9• Proclaim Kingdom v9

His Strategy Jesus’s Strategy(The Practice: Lk 10)

Can you identify a person of peace?

A question:

Jesus’s whole approach

• Connecting with people where they are

• Staying with people where they are

• Meeting their needs where they are

• Proclaiming the kingdom where they are

Jesus’s whole approach

• Connecting with people where they are–Connecting with those who come to us

• Staying with people where they are–Staying with those who come to us

• Meeting their needs where they are–Meeting the needs we tell them they have

• Proclaiming the kingdom where they are –Proclaim the kingdom where we are

typical church ….

Jesus turns OUR

approach inside out

burlingtonbaptist.org.uk/insideout

Thinking of JESUS

as the model

His core DNA His Strategy

To reach those NO-ONE ELSE

is reaching

we need to do what

no-one else is doing.

So ......

• We need a new balance• We need a different strategy

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How?

Something is missing

Three types of Gathering

Three types of gathering

• Cell (up to 12)–discipleship making

• Personal space

• Community group (up to 50/70)–ministry and mission in community

• Social space

• Celebration (beyond 70)–unity momentum & celebration

• Public space

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Community-style group is missing

• We have lost community style group–even when our numbers are that size we treat it

like a celebration

• Community style group is key for Jesus’ strategy –used 12 to develop the 72

• Community style group is what the Bible calls church in the majority of cases 25

Biblical Church

• Go to a household “oikos” Luke 10:5–Oikos = immediate social network

• Start and grow church within the “oikos”–Acts 16:15, Acts 11:11-18, Mark 5:19,

• Church grew through “oikos” networks–Romans 16 (at least 5 “oikos”)–Philippians 4:22 –Ephesians 4:25, 1 Corinthians 14:26

26No mention of “going to church!”

So we need ...

• to fill the gap with something that–takes seriously Jesus’s model for mission

–takes seriously the predominant Biblical expression of church

27

What?

An introduction

Missional Communities

What is a Missional Community?

• A mid sized group seeking to recover Biblical oikos (household)

• A group that balances up - in - out • A group that is defined by a particular

missional network (Driven by ‘out’)• Lay led (flexible, low maintenance)• A community not an event• Orbits around the celebration

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Strengths of MC

• Much greater outreach potential • Much greater connection• Much greater sense all involved in the real

deal–not mostly in supporting roles

• Learning by doing (apprenticeship)–(not learning by others talking about them or others

doing it)

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Starting a MC• Leader(s) with a clear vision

–Holy discontent/passion–Rooted in a network or neighbourhood–within the overall vision of the church

• Leader held in low control/high accountability relationship–Huddles

• Others in support of that vision • A discipling culture

–Feeding & being fed–Learning through doing

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What would be your missional vision?

A question:

A story

Missional Communities

some examples

Missional Communities

start where you are

Final Challenge

Start where you are

• In which neighbourhood or network has God placed me?

• Who might be my person of peace there?

• What does it mean to stay there, serve there and be good news there?

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please feel free to stay and chat or go as soon as you are ready

Questions