missional communities - something's going on!

something really interesting continues to bubble up in the church in the uk - small missional communities.

yesterday there was a gathering in london diocese of around 30 groups like this and church plants. and well done the diocese for encouraging such a gathering! i don't want to create a glossary or anything but a church plant is generally someone starting a new church and the language of plant means it often takes something of the character of what it's planted from and usually looks like a church - people gathering, worshipping, reaching out, making disciples, giving money and eventually embedding into the wider structures of the church. it used to be quite something to be able to get permission to plant a church but now certainly in london there is a lot of activity in this area which is great.

but what was so interesting yesterday was that most of the people in the room were doing something else, often a bit looser, harder to pin down and perhaps harder to see, more missional. most were a small community that had moved into a particular area (often one with a lot of deprivation and poverty), meeting together in a bar or home or allotment, seeking to follow christ but their focus is simply helping transform their community - in arts, environment, in social needs, with youth and so on. they are not that focused on growing big - but more like the yeast of the kingdom that jesus talked about infecting the wider batch of dough. a couple of people spoke of the challenge of weaning members off their addiction to consumer approaches to church where they get their fix of worship and teaching and meeting with friends before they could properly engage in this more local, outward focused community approach (maybe we need a 12 step detox programme for leaving consumner church!?). what was also interesting is that many of these described a positive relationship with their local churches - they were not competing for punters - far from it. but they brought a mission energy to the area that could really help a local church or do things a local church was not able to do. on the basis of what was shared, if i was a parish priest (which isn't going to happen) i'd be on the lookout to see if i could encourage a mission community or two in my area. for those up with mission thinking this is a great example of what missiologist ralph winter termed sodal and modal expressions of church working well together (see also this follow up thinking from george lings). the challenge of his paper is that our language has so bought into the local church as what church is that we easily forget it is actually langauge that describes both structures.

anyway if you are interested in missional communities ian adams gets interviewed about starting them here, there is a list of 20 tips for getting started here, cms has a facebook page for mission projects and communities here, along with a growing network of small missional communities some of whom are developing a stronger relationship with cms by being rooted and connected (contact ian adams or mark berry if you want to know more). something's going on and i like it!

Comments

[Cathryn]

Oh you made me smile big.... Next time your on this side of the pond, please drag Mark Berry with you! I love the DETOX Programme for leaving the consumer church! - because it's quite true. Anyway, lifting ya all up, all the way from Austin. xocat

[Dave]

Try www.weare3dm.co.uk for guys who've been at this for nearly two decades.
This is the way forward, but after hearing from them we can at least make new mistakes as we explore this way of mission rather than repeating theirs!

[Shane Tucker]

Jonny, thank you so much for sharing this friend! Last time we were face to face was years ago in London while grabbing a coffee with you and friend Greg Fromholz.

My family & I left the Anglican youth scene in Ireland and have been in the US (just south of Nashville) two and a half years now. We came to start a non-profit offering soul care for Creatives in the Art & Entertainment Industry and their families called 'Soul Friend' (from the Irish, 'Anam Cara') [www.ArtistSoulFriend.com]. Since, we've also begun a network of soul care professionals investing in the creative community called the Tour Alliance (Jonathan Thatcher of Delirious is a part of it now and he lives up the road)[www.TourAlliance.org].

I ended up being grafted into a small, missional Anglican community specifically called to serve the Creative community called Four Winds Mission. Much like yourself, I never desired nor planned to be to be ordained, but within a year I was (I know, I know). Thanks to the Fresh Expressions movement I was warmed to this notion, but I have held that it is an ordination to (primarily) pastor Creatives. We're now moving from a Cafe to a live events venue for touring musicians, rehearsals for local artists and community events - maybe even a School of the Arts in the future.

I was really encouraged by your comments and thoughts here on missional communities. We are one and desire to remain one in the midst of the Christian 'Mecca' of the West here in Middle Tennessee. I'd love to get you, our mutual friend Mark Berry and a few others from that side of the Water to come and speak into the Church scene here someday. Let's work on that . . .

Every blessing in your labors and loves Jonny!

[lynn]

just to say I've written, researched and practised quite a lot in regard to missional communities and children, teenagers and families in my book Children, Families and God: Drawing the Generations Together, based on my own experiences and a biblical and theological examination of life-on-life discipleship that misses no one age band out.
www.lynnalexander.org.uk
www.facebook.com/childrenfamiliesandgodbook

[Eric Elnes]

Hey Jonny, it has been a long time since I've seen you face-to-face! Very exciting developments you're reporting here. Have you seen Darkwood Brew, by chance? Darkwood Brew is an internet television that combines ancient mystical Christian practice (lectio divina) with modern interactive web technology, world-class jazz, arts, biblical scholarship, and guests who Skype in from around the world (www.darkwoodbrew.org). Darkwood Brew's main purpose is to produce online resources to help nourish off-line, missional communities like the ones you're talking about - including DVD and videos that are edited to enhance small group discussion.

Check us out at www.darkwoodbrew.org - and tell your friends! :-)

Keep up the good work.