Start The Week

Mission-shaped church: follow-up research

In 2009 the General Synod will debate the reception of "Mission-shaped Church" in the five years since its publication, and will also give a steer for the future development of the mixed economy church.
As part of the process of preparing for this debate, Rachel Jordan is conducting research into the way the report has been received and implemented in the dioceses. Rachel will be in touch with diocesan missioners and with the relevant senior staff member in each diocese, for a series of phone conversations to get your impressions of the way things are. We are also sending a questionnaire around the dioceses to get some hard data.
Please help Rachel to get as clear a picture as possible of the way things are looking now with regard to the mixed economy church where you are. And do write in with any additional comments or ideas which might inform the coming debate. We will be publishing a discussion document, probably in the late Autumn, which will paint the picture as we see it.
Thanks!
Rachel is rachel.jordan@c-of-e.org.uk

Bishops' Mission Orders

Just a reminder that the key texts for bringing Bishops' Mission Orders into being in your diocese are available at http://www.cofe.anglican.org/about/churchcommissioners/pastoral/bmocode/, and also at http://www.freshexpressions.org.uk/section.asp?id=3458 and at http://www.sharetheguide.org/section5/bmo. Please feel free to email or call us at Church House for any more specific advice.

Code of Conduct on Missionary Activities - discussion paper

Guy Wilkinson sends news of this consultation draft from the Oslo Coalition. If you have any comments or feedback on this approach to missional work in the context of human rights, let us know and we'll pass it on.
The full document is here:

Download 08_06_06_oslo_coaliton_cod...doc

Introduction reads:

This document is prepared by the project group of Missionary Activities and Human Rights, a project of The Oslo Coalition on Freedom of Religion or Belief. It is concerned with missionary activities in relation to human rights and the ethics of inter-religious relations. Our main purpose is to present a code of conduct for consideration for representatives of religious communities as well as representatives of followers of other worldviews. As an introduction to the present draft version of the proposed codes of conduct we describe the outlines of the approach of the Oslo Coalition in dealing with this issue, including a discussion of some key elements concerning the issue.

The activities of people promoting various religions and worldviews have frequently given rise to conflicting views: on the one hand, whether such activities in some cases are unduly hindered by state measures – thereby violating the human rights of those who conduct such activities, or, on the other hand, whether such activities in some cases violate the human rights of the target group or contravene the ethical standards governing the relations between followers of different religions or worldviews. Conflicts connected to missionary activities constitute a very sensitive aspect of inter-religious relations that in some situations have led to various forms of violence...

Mission-shaped and rural - job vacancy in Norfolk

Sally Gaze is Team Rector of the Tas Valley team in Norwich diocese. She wrote the book "Mission-shaped and rural" and was a member of the group that produced "mission-shaped church". She has a vacancy in her Team Ministry for a colleague: please pass on to anyone you think might be interested.

Mission-shaped Team Vicar
In the beautiful Tas Valley in south Norfolk
 Particular responsibility for ministry in the parishes of Tasburgh, Tharston, Saxlingham and Shotesham

Are you….
•    A person of prayer who loves Jesus
•    Passionate about sharing God’s love through practical care, biblical teaching and evangelism
•    Committed to building mission-shaped church in the countryside through traditional and fresh expressions?

Informal visits encouraged.  Contact: Sally Gaze (Team Rector)
The Rectory, Church Road, Newton Flotman, Norfolk
NR15 1QB    sally@tasvalley.org   tel: 01508 470762.  www.tasvalley.org            Interviews 15th Sept.

Discipleship resources - Guildford

John Gooding mentioned this booklet of discipleship resources at the Missioners Conference. Here's a pdf from John and the team in Guildford: if you want to know more John is john.gooding@cofeguildford.org.uk

Download resources_booklet_1.pdf

Faith in action - the church has left the building

Over in Portsmouth diocese Tim Jessiman is trialling the US programme "Faith in action" (www.putyourfaithinaction.org). More info from Tim at tim.jessiman@ntlworld.com

Tim writes:

I contacted Faith In Action after finding them on the web with a view to purchasing one of their Campaign Kits. This is sometimes also known as "Don't go to church Sunday". They very kindly gifted me a Kit. (Normally $50)

Faith in Action is a 4-week, church-wide campaign that creates in your congregation an outward focus and a heart to serve. Faith in Action culminates in a Sunday when regular services are cancelled and the entire congregation engages in service projects in, and with, the community.

Faith in Action is . . .
· 28 Daily Devotionals
· 4 weeks of small groups
· 4 Sermons/services
· 1 Cancelled worship service replaced  by a day of community service ? ending with an evening celebration.

Transform your congregation.
Reach your community.
Help your church touch the world.

Well worth a look.

Nightchurch, Exeter

At the Missioners Conference we heard from Mark Rylands of the exciting, value-based "nightchurch" initiative in Exeter.
More info at http://www.nightchurch.org.uk/ and at http://www.exeter.anglican.org/mission/cmu-mininews-nightchurch.php

Word on the Web - new look, new management

From Dave Coleman at Church Army:

Word on the Web passes on-line studies baton to WordLive

Church Army's pioneering Word on the Web ministry is handing over the baton to Scripture Union's new WordLive service to guarantee a future proofed multi-media Bible experience for Christians. Word on the Web has been operating since 2000, and has built up a current supporter base of over 7,000 subscribers from over 100 countries around the world.

The final Word on the Web reflection (28th September 2008) will be authored by David and Alison Booker who conceived the idea of web based ministry back in 1999 and produced the very first study. Word on the Web has issued more than 20 million daily emails over the course of eight years, covering 37 books of the Bible written by over 400 different contributors.

WordLive, launched by Scripture Union in January 2008, is a free resource allowing online users a wide range of creative approaches to God's Word, including audio Bible passages, video clips, worship songs and prayer activities, as well as a daily Bible reading and explanatory note.

Captain Neil Thomson, Church Army's Online Services Manager, comments; "We have been so impressed with how Scripture Union's WordLive service has developed in offering Christians a fantastic range of creative approaches to engage with the Bible via text, podcasts, RSS, web and email. We want to encourage Word on the Web subscribers to move to what we believe is a very creative way to encounter what God has to say to them through this innovative multi-media solution. Like Word on the Web it is FREE service – something we believe is important"

James Burden, Associate Director of Scripture Union says; "We are delighted to be welcoming subscribers from Word on the Web to WordLive and in doing so celebrate the pioneering work of Church Army in web based ministry. We are pleased that Church Army will be involved in supplying future content for WordLive and promoting WordLive as part of their future web developments."

You can register to receive a daily WordLive email or podcast. Or you may prefer to access WordLive through your mobile or PDA. However you choose to use it, WordLive brings God's Word to you, wherever you go.

WordLive is available completely free. To register for WordLive go to www.wordlive.org.

Missioners Conference materials

Thanks to all those attendees who have returned the feedback sheet for the recent Missioners Conference. Jayne has also emailed those who attended this year, as well as those who attended last year, to canvass opinion on where we should hold the conference in 2009. Please let her know what you think, if you haven't already.

Copies of John Finney's presentations are now available for download at http://idisk.mac.com/paul.bayes-Public/. Paula Gooder's Bible Study notes will also be posted there for download in the next couple of days.

MAP Study Day

More from Mike Chew on this day which will carry forward a real sharing of wisdom on the Mission Action Plan process. If your diocese is doing MAPs this is a must.

Mike writes:

Further to my message in May about a study day for MAP facilitators and missioners, arrangements are now being made for this to be held on Thursday 18th September 2008 at Mark Ireland’s church, All Saints, Church Street, Wellington (near Telford). 
All Saints is adjacent to Wellington railway station with a half-hourly service to Wolverhampton and Birmingham. Wellington is 5 minutes drive from the M54. Coffee will be available from 10.30am, and the programme will start at 11am and finish by 3pm.
The day will begin with short presentations about the latest news about use of MAP, then there will be a series of workshops on topics selected by participants. Handouts will be available. Bring a packed lunch (or alternatively, there are coffee shops and sandwich bars close by) and drinks will be provided. There will be a fee of £10 for the day to cover expenses.

Please would those who would be interested in attending email the organising team at mapteam@churchmaps.co.uk and you will receive more details and a booking form.