john and olive drane at blah... in london may 10

delighted that john and olive drane are joining us in london for a blah... details below. if you live in the north they are doing a blah... on the same theme in manchester on may 2. anyway here's the detail...

Spirituality, Gospel, Culture and Mission

We talk all the time about our desire to be ‘spiritual’, and ‘spirituality’ is regularly used to sell everything from sex to shoes, as well as being promoted as a stand-alone lifestyle or belief system that we can invent for ourselves.

What do we mean when we say we want to be ‘spiritual’, and how does that connect with anything that Christians might understand about the Gospel and God’s mission in the world? Can we create spiritual experiences for ourselves, or do they come to us from outside, unannounced and unsought? And what happens to us when we are in ‘spiritual’ mode?  Is it the same thing as being ‘religious’, or something entirely different?  Does ‘spirituality’ require a prior belief system, or is it a stand-alone dimension of being human?

These questions, and others like them, are of great interest not only to philosophers and theologians, but also to social scientists and healthcare workers.  The possible answers are both fascinating and challenging, and will be explored in a context of asking how they might all connect with the mission of the church in a post-secular culture.

John Drane is the author of Do Christians know how to be Spiritual?  The rise of New Spirituality and the Mission of the Church (Darton Longman & Todd 2005). Olive Fleming Drane is the author of Spirituality to Go: Rituals and Reflections for Everyday Living (Darton Longman Todd 2006).Both are adjunct professors of Practical Theology at Fuller Seminary, California.

blah... is a series of conversations hosted by CMS on mission, worship, church and Christianity in today’s rapidly changing culture. It’s a time to keep listening, chatting and reflecting as God beckons us into the  future.

Wednesday 10th May | 6:30-8:30pm | Drinks and refreshments provided | Admission free
Venue: CMS Partnership House, 157 Waterloo Road [Nearest tube Waterloo - follow signs from station to Old Vic. Go past Old Vic and Partnership House is on the same side opposite the ambulance station]

It would help us to know in advance if you're coming, so please book a place and turn up!
E-mail elizabeth

Comments

[Sam Shultz]

Is "seeker-sensitive" a lost cause? I remember how it all started: provide a seeker focused worship service and then slowly transition people to a "meatier" worship service once they've "entered" the church. What several churches found is that the back door is too large and over a period of time, the seekers, who are also church consumers, left, looking for another "church option". These churches soon observed their dilemma and modified their earlier versions of "seeker-sensitive" and changed their church outlook to doing more of something along the lines of just "postmodernizing" their services--replacing the entry-focused elements with something with more of a lasting, sustaining feel.

So is the "seeker-sensitive" form of church obsolete now? Is it more effective just to do church with a more modern, relevant feel, rather than doing church with a seeker awareness or being "visitor friendly"?

I'm a Sr. Pastor working dilligently to transform and transition a church of 125 that has been around for over 100 years in a small midwestern town. Things are going well and I need some more advice.

[Roy]

Sam, I think seeker-sensitive is something out of the early 90's. Making a more relevant, modern feel is a great thing, as long as it's genuine and not just to get people through the doors. Recently I've noticed something: I've had friends visit seeker sensitive services, and question what the point of it was-- then when they visit true and honest heart-felt worship or teaching services, they get the picture of what Christianity is. If you water it down so much, people already knowledgeable about spiritual stuff will be unenthused. I think the key is being willing for God to move in power.