Mission Network News

Fresh News about MSI and MSM

In response to requests from Missioners the widely used mission shaped intro course is now available in published form. The whole course presented in a 130 page book with accompanying dvd-rom is available for £10 with participant's workbooks available for £4 each (or £3.50 each when ten or more are ordered). The dvd-room includes all the PowerPoint material. To find out more or to buy please visit www.freshexpressions.org.uk/shop For those who prefer the downloadable version, this will continue to be available free of charge.

The in depth one year learning journey mission shaped ministry has now been experienced by over 3000 people in eight countries (now including Barbados, Germany, New Zealand and South Africa). Continuously updated in the light of feedback and fresh learning msm has recently been augmented with a worship companion with creative ideas for worship, prayer and further reflection produced by Olive Fleming-Drane.

The outcomes of msm are continually monitored. 90% of respondents say that the course has produced at least one of the following six outcomes:

• start a fresh expression of church (26%);
• develop an existing fresh expression of church (32%);
• apply the principles of msm to their present 'inherited' church (58%);
• clarify a call to pioneer ministry (20%);
• grow in support or oversight of a fresh expression of church (38%);
• grow in discipleship or Christian ministry (66%).

The Fresh Expressions team is now arranging msm courses for 2014. If you are interested in having a course in your area please contact Andrew Roberts [email protected]

Engaging- Milton Keynes June 8th 2013

‘Engaging’, an exciting day event for Christians seeking to understand and engage with contemporary spirituality and spiritual seekers, will be coming to Christ the Cornerstone Church, Milton Keynes, this June. The day will include exploration of who spiritual seekers are, together with explorations of how the church can adapt its form and practice to engage with contemporary spirituality.

The event features three well known practitioners in the field of engaging with contemporary spirituality. Ian Mobsby, Anglican priest, an Associate Missioner with the Fresh Expressions team and founder of the Moot Community at the Guild Church of St Mary Aldermary in the City of London; he is involved in  mission with spiritual seekers in the City of London.  Steve Hollinghurst, from the Church Army, has a great deal of experience of youth mission work and has carried out research into contemporary spirituality. Andrea Campanale is the creator of Sacred Space where the arts are used to explore spirituality, and has pioneered mission outreach work at Mind, Body Spirit Fairs.

Talks and workshops will be provided on issues such as spirituality in today’s culture, meditation and prayer as a medium for mission, how people use language in contemporary spirituality, and how we might speak of the Christian faith to spiritual seekers.

‘Engaging’ lasts from 10am-4pm on Saturday 8^th June at Christ the Cornerstone Church, Central Milton Keynes. It costs £15 and £10 for concessions including a buffet lunch.

Event organiser, Katharine Crowsley says ‘We are looking forward to an interesting and stimulating day that will provide the opportunity to think about how we engage with those beyond the reach of traditional church in contemporary society.’

Rob Winn, VentureFX pioneer missioner for the Methodist Church says ‘I’m really glad to be part of the team organising this event. Contemporary society has a keen interest in all things spiritual and it’s essential that Christians feel confident to engage in those conversations.’

Revd. Cate Williams, Anglican Minister in Woughton Ecumenical Partnership, Milton Keynes says:

‘This is an important issue for Christians to explore. Many around us are seeking a spiritual path in life but not finding that traditional church resources are helping them. We need to think about why this is and how we can connect with the questions they are asking.’

For more information please visit: www.engagingevent.info

Table Talk for Uni Students

Table Talk for Uni Students is a conversational game that aims to create space for friends to talk with friends about the bigger questions of life. With no "right" or "wrong" answers and no agenda to 'convert' anyone this pre-pre Alpha resource was created on the basis that "people do not want to be told what to believe but rather have a conversation" and "people want to know if it works more than if it is true".

Each game contains six big questions... and for each of the big questions (you do one big question at each get together) there is a two minute introduction to be read (by anyone at the table) and sixteen smaller question cards - each card has a question on it that relates to the big question. 

With regard to how you play table talk. Six to eight people gather at a table - some form of social lubrication is enjoyed - they choose which of the six big questions they are going to discuss - someone reads the two minute introduction - sixteen question cards are placed face up on the table - anyone at the table picks up one of the cards and poses the question to the group - when the group is ready someone else picks up another question card and poses that question to the group. Groups normally last between 30-45 minutes and answer three or four questions. 

The six big questions in the Uni Students pack are: 

Relationships: How do you relate to others?

Identity: Who am I?

Life's Unfair: Is there any justice in the world?

Purpose: What do you want to do with your life?

Wellbeing: What makes you happy?

Choices: How do we make a decision? 

Table Talk costs £24.99... with discount for bulk orders 

It is important to note that this is a draft version..... we are more than happy for people to make suggestion on how it can be improved... 

More information available at: www.table-talk.org

A Poem About Messy Church

The below poem was posted on the C of E website last week.

Sunday morning,
on the BBC news was the Lord,
hearing about his latest mission,
and praise I have to award.
Change to the church,
yes there will be uproar,
this is a great forward lurch,
and I see no flaw.
So numbers can grow,
there is no need for liable,
because "God" is now going with the "flow",
indirectly getting children closer to the bible.
Let children play,
learning is better when it's fun,
who knows, there might be a crime delay,
less kids turning to the gun.
I am going to publicize,
in fact I am going to be the Lord's preacher,
because saving me was "Gods" exercise,
and I am truly a grateful and humble creature.
Bring your children along,
the "Messy Church" gets the young involved,
play and sing a song.
And this is the key to the church never being dissolved.

Leadership Conversation

Tim Ling invites applications from 15 people to join “A Leadership and Missional Church Conversation with Pat Keifert” at Church House Westminster on Friday 28 June (10.30 for 11am until not later than 3pm).  He apologises that this date excludes any who will be at the AAEN conference, but dates available with overseas visitors are inevitably limited… 

“In advance of the Ministry and Mission network joint conference in July here’s a good chance to get the conversations about the interface between mission and ministry development started.  Building on the work of Leslie Newbigin and others many of us are aware of the missional church movement which now has several manifestations around the world. This day event is for diocesan senior staff, directors of mission and ministry, mission enablers and theological educators to share together our own experience and interest in leading and developing missional churches and congregations in UK. 

Helping us will be Lutheran pastor and theologian Pat Keifert from Church Innovations in US (http://www.churchinnovations.org). Pat, has for over 20 years has been enabling deep cultural change in congregations for what he calls the New Missional Era (see his key text We are Here Now), both in US, South Africa, Europe and most recently UK. The three-year Partnership for Missional Church process (not programme!) has been running in the dioceses of Bath & Wells, Southwell & Nottingham and Leicester (alongside St. John’s College, Nottingham) over the past few years and some of those involved in delivering PMC will be present to share their experiences. The process also holds out the possibility of reconnecting the ‘academy’ with the local church and has been generative of innovative theological thinking.

 This conversation is limited to 15 places - to book yours please [email protected] as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Festive Angels

I met Andy Nicholson at Spring Harvest and he is running “Festival Angels” during his local Leeds festival.

He was looking to connect with others who are doing similar work around the country in other festivals?

Do you know anyone working at a festival near you and could you check with them about giving their details to Andy. That way a network that could encourage and share experience could be created. 

Andy Nicholson : [email protected]

Thank you all

Rachel

Study Day and Commissioning Service

The College of Evangelists Study Day and Commissioning Service

Thursday 16^th May 2013

at the Wilson Carlile Centre,

Cavendish Street, Sheffield S3 7RZ

 

10 am onwards                     Gather for tea, coffee and catch up 

11 am                                         Study Session with Robin Gamble: Copying Jesus!

Robin says:  “Evangelists, like all other ministers, need heroes, models and good people to copy.  In recent years I have discovered that the ultimate evangelist is Jesus himself; we can learn from him, be encouraged and affirmed by him and model ourselves on him.”

12.30 pm                              Lunch and Members’ Meeting

2 pm                                       Commissioning Service and Eucharist. Preacher:  Mark Bailey 

3.30  pm                                Tea and depart 

Lunch will be provided for you – but to make sure you don’t miss out, please let Jenny Lowery know that you will be there:  [email protected] or telephone 01226 891213.

Vitalise Pioneer Minister/Team Leaders Job

Vitalise is a vibrant discipleship movement with a history of growth based in the centre of Wolverhampton seeking to worship fully, love all and serve the city. Working in a variety of
contexts, including schools, colleges, homes, and neighbourhoods, we are keen to use our
collective creativity to see God's kingdom come.

We are looking for a visionary leader who is passionate about discipleship and mission with a heart
for enabling youth and young adults to reach their potential.

The initial appointment of this full-time post will be for 18 months and may be extended subject to
securing funding. Vitalise is a partnership between the Anglican and Methodist Churches and
Wolverhampton Youth for Christ.

Salary: £22,000

The closing date for applicants is 3rd May 2013. Interviews will be held at the end of May. The
successful candidate will start on ideally on 1st July 2013 or as soon as possible.
For application details email [email protected] or call Tim on 07817 848780 for more info.

African Studies Lectures and Seminars

Held at The Oxford Centre for Mission Studies in St Philip’s and St James Church, by Church Walk, just north of St. Antony’s College on the Woodstock Road

TUESDAY LECTURE at 11:00 am – 12:30 pm
(There is usually a half-hour discussion after delivery of the paper)

30.4.13 Dr Edward Mogire
'From Government to Governance: The evolving security architecture in the Horn of Africa'

WEDNESDAY SEMINARS at 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
(The research student’s paper is available in order to be read before the seminar)

12.6.13 Klaus Derungs
‘Batemi (Tz.) Religion in the Interface between Mythology and Ritual’

AFRICA RESEARCH INTEREST GROUP at 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
(Discussion over lunch on the first Wednesday of the month)

1.5.13 Bawa Leo
‘Nigeria: tba’

Please refer to the OCMS website for updating, and for context in Eastern Europe, Asia, or Latin America www.ocms.ac.uk. Contact: Dr Ben Knighton, FRAI, Co-ordinator of the African Studies Research Group, Oxford Centre for Mission Studies, St Philip’s and St James Church, Oxford, OX2 6HR Tel. +44 01865 517 743 Fax +44 01865 517 722 [email protected]

The Word's Out

The new book from Dave Male and Paul Weston.

The Rt Revd Dr John Inge, Bishop of Worcester and Chair of the College of Evangelists, says:

'This book is a treasure store for church leaders who yearn to see the gospel reach our land anew, giving rich biblically rooted guidance on what sort of evangelism is appropriate for our age.'

For further information on the book or to purchase a copy visit:  http://www.brfonline.org.uk/9780857461698/