Start The Week

Back To Church Sunday, Back To Work Monday

Back To Church Sunday is four weeks away. As part of the media build-up Ben Wilson writes:

This coming Monday, 1st September, is 'Back to Work Monday' - the end of the school holidays and the return to the daily grind for many workers who have been enjoying their summer holiday (apologies to those of you reading this on Monday who would rather not be reminded of this fact). 

Last year, as you may remember, we achieved a good amount of coverage in the national media for the 'Back to Work prayers' on the CofE website. This year, we are hoping to replicate this, but have taken things a stage further by taking out a quarter page colour advertisement in the Metro newspaper, which has a circulation of c.1.7 million people across several major urban areas.

We appreciate that this means that some more rural dioceses will not have the advertisement physically distributed in their own patch, but we hope to overcome this by generating wider national press coverage of the prayer itself with a complementary survey which has revealed some interesting insights into the working population's views on the forthcoming weeks.

One of the strongest lines is that a significant proportion of the working adult population see September as a chance to make improvements to their lifestyle. We are using this as a chance to promote the third of a million invitations going out through churches for Back to Church Sunday, for those looking to address their spiritual life and reconnect with a local church.

The advertisement therefore carries a strapline about Back to Church and encourages those interested to visit the website, www.backtochurch.co.uk.

All this activity kicks off almost four weeks' run-up to Back to Church Sunday, and we hope that this initiative will create a good backdrop for participating dioceses' own local media/promotional work in broadening awareness about this special date.

The Back To Church team also needs your help as we plan for 2009. This year, you'll remember, a DVD resource was again produced, majoring on a rural church story.

Gillian Oliver asks: 'The back to church team would love to know how useful the DVD has been to you, as it begins to plan for 2009. Please tell us [karen.smith@backtochurch.co.uk] if you value this resource, and if so, what you would like more or less of. Thankyou.'

The Lambeth Conference and evangelism

Despite what you might read in the papers the Lambeth Conference considered lots of different issues, including examining God's holistic mission, and the central place of evangelism, in some depth. You can read the full documentation on the Lambeth Indaba groups via http://www.lambethconference.org/reflections/document.cfm

Here's part of that reflection:

103. It is God’s mission in which we share, participating with him in the making of disciples. Mission is the total action of God in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit - creating, redeeming, sanctifying - for the sake of the whole world. The gospel is the life-blood of the Church and evangelism is the process whereby people are led to be strengthened in God’s mission. We have set out above the immensity of the challenge of the proclamation of the gospel in the reality of the modern world. 

Anglicans must be leaders in that proclamation. We believe that loving service, prophetic witness and a respectful evangelism that speaks of the uniqueness of Christ belong together.

The Conference was also addressed by Brian McLaren, who spoke specifically about evangelism today. An interview with him is here:  http://www.lambethconference.org/daily/news.cfm/2008/7/22/A-chat-with-Brian-McLaren

On the Edge - pioneer ministry DVD

Fresh Expressions' latest and excellent DVD resource on ordained pioneer ministry is now available from all good bookshops or via www.freshexpressions.org.uk/shop.

Here's the view from Church House comms:

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has given his wholehearted endorsement to the rise and rise of Ordained Pioneer Ministry in on the edge - a new DVD and booklet published by Fresh Expressions this autumn.

Fresh Expressions is a national initiative backed by the Archbishop of Canterbury and supported by the Methodist Church encouraging what Dr Williams calls a "mixed economy" of traditional and emerging churches.

on the edge is packed with remarkable stories about new forms of church being encouraged by a different type of minister all within the context of existing church structures. It marks a radical and exciting departure.

Fourteen Ordained Pioneer Ministers are featured in the film where the emphasis is not only on a new generation of ministers but on an emerging generation of young Christians.

Dr Williams, in the DVD, underlines the point that “being an ordained minister doesn’t only mean being a vicar in the traditional sense”.  

He adds: “What it does mean though is that the kind of intense concentration and training, the excellent standards that we expect of ordained ministers as they have existed for the last few decades are there, but we look for more flexibility and for the ability to go where people are”.

Norman Ivison, Director of Training for Fresh Expressions and on the edge producer said today: "I am really pleased with the final cut. It brings to life the dynamism and energy of the Ordained Pioneer Ministers and their contribution to the good news which is going on around the country is immeasurable."

The flyer is here: Download on_the_edge_flyer.pdf

A Mission-shaped Church for Older People

From the Sheffield Centre Claire Dalpra sends news of this conference, to be addressed by Mark Russell and James Woodward. If your diocese is within reach and you can't go yourself, why not find a proxy in the diocese?

Booking form here:  Download mscop_booking.PDF

And the flyer:

Oslo coalition - response from Paul Rush

Before the Summer break we circulated material on interfaith conversation and evangelism in secular culture from the Oslo coalition. Paul Rush (Bristol) has written a commentary and critique on the Oslo material, which is well worth a read. Any other responses?

Paul's response is here: Download oslo_coalition_response.pdf

RUN - conferences and resources

Chris Stoddard and colleagues at Reaching the Unchurched Network continue to provide good help to the churches. Their 2008 national conference, with Brian Maclaren, was a winner: report is here: http://www.run.org.uk/r/envision/rep/NatConf2008.aspx.

Chris is sending all missioners a copy of their cringe-free "iMatter" DVD resource - worth looking at and commending to the churches when yours arrives in the post. You'll also receive details of RUN membership and their hopes for the future.

Also they have a couple of Autumn conferences coming up - details for download here: Download run_conferences.PDF

Church of Scotland - emerging church resources

The Church of Scotland is developing emerging church resources of high quality; their mission staff have always been good friends to our mission community, and David Currie, Alex Millar and colleagues have enriched our national Conference for some years.

David now sends details of this initiative from north of the border, following up their pioneering "Church Without Walls": for more details contact David at DCURRIE@COFSCOTLAND.ORG.UK

Full booklet here for download: 

Download emerging_churches_14.07.pdf

Here's a sample page:

New resource from Robin Greenwood

Robin now works as a parish priest in the diocese of Newcastle. He sends details of his latest book - to be published soon:

Dragonfly - bereavement care resources

Guy Wilkinson sends details of this website offering resources in bereavement care -  

 http://www.dragonflypin.co.uk

It's trying to find a way to recognise bereavement as a public/social phenomenon again. We used to wear black armbands and have seasons of mourning. How can we recover the benefits of that? Here are some suggestions.