The following article was written as part of LICC's weekly Connecting with Culture email series last November. I am reposting it here as we believe that the question it addresses is of fundamental significance for disciplemaking communities. We would love to hear your responses and ideas for how we might creatively address this issue...
Bernard Cribbins, familiar to generations of children as the voice of Jackanory and the Wombles, receives a special award at the Children's Baftas this weekend. Interviewed recently, he was asked the secret to good storytelling. He replied, 'to concentrate on one child, look them directly in the eye, and make them listen to every single thing I say.'
Yet in our world of hyper-communication, myriad means of contact (texts, blogs and tweets) provide an ever-greater choice of options for avoiding eye contact. The art of storytelling - even the art of conversation itself - are under threat as the quality of our interactions is reduced and ever more functionalised.
Wednesday 30 June 2010
Thursday 24 June 2010
The Evangelisation of the UK: LICC/Imagine Research (1 of 3)
Over the past seven years LICC has conducted a number of pieces of research exploring the question of the evangelisation of the UK. We have looked at this question from a number of angles:
- What are the barriers and bridges to belief today for non-Christians? What has proved to be key for people coming to faith?
- What do Christians think about the question of mission? Are we fit for purpose?
- What is the role of leaders in equipping people for mission?
Tuesday 22 June 2010
The Power of Story
One of the central emphases of the Imagine Project has been in helping churches rediscover the power of stories and testimonies. Testimonies are of course an old, old idea…but at the same time they remain powerful. Although many churches still use testimonies we have tried to help them reflect on their function and content. In addition, we try to underline the significance of a number of elements to testimony that have often been missed or ignored and emphasise the power of stories from the Frontline. Here we identify a number of key elements...
Stories reveal significance
Take a moment to think about the life stories that you hear at a church service on a typical Sunday. What are they about? Who are they about? Who shares those stories? In which settings do the stories take place? What do they concern - are they primarily about church activities or the activities of people’s lives? Finally, what was the conclusion and explanation of the story?
Stories reveal significance
Take a moment to think about the life stories that you hear at a church service on a typical Sunday. What are they about? Who are they about? Who shares those stories? In which settings do the stories take place? What do they concern - are they primarily about church activities or the activities of people’s lives? Finally, what was the conclusion and explanation of the story?
Tuesday 15 June 2010
Giving Church Another Chance, Todd Hunter
Why read this book
At a time when many people are re-thinking the value of the gathered church as a place of spiritual formation, Todd Hunter writes to encourage us to connect all we do in gathered worship with our everyday life.
About the author
Previously he was the national director of both the Vineyard Churches USA and Alpha USA. He’s now a bishop for the Anglican Mission in the Americas. He has a website where you can read more about his work and other books.
At a time when many people are re-thinking the value of the gathered church as a place of spiritual formation, Todd Hunter writes to encourage us to connect all we do in gathered worship with our everyday life.
About the author
Previously he was the national director of both the Vineyard Churches USA and Alpha USA. He’s now a bishop for the Anglican Mission in the Americas. He has a website where you can read more about his work and other books.
Monday 14 June 2010
Graham Cray - Discerning Leadership
In a warmly received event, Bishop Graham Cray launched the new leadership series of Grove booklets at LICC last week, speaking on Discerning Leadership: Co-operating with the Spirit of God.You can listen to and download Bishop Graham's talk and the following panel discussion here. Download the accompanying PowerPoint slide set here.
Order a copy of the booklet from the Grove Books website.
This event was hosted in partnership with CPAS.
Thursday 10 June 2010
Biblical Theology for Life Series
I’ve been interested to see that Zondervan have plans to publish a ‘Biblical Theology for Life’ series. Two volumes have been announced as forthcoming later this year, and both of them look excellent:
Christopher J.H. Wright, The Mission of God’s People: A Biblical Theology of the Church’s Mission (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, forthcoming 2010).
In The Mission of God’s People, part of the Biblical Theology for Life series, author Chris Wright offers a sweeping biblical survey of the holistic mission of the church, providing practical insight for today’s church leaders. Wright gives special emphasis to theological trajectories of the Old Testament that not only illuminate God’s mission but also suggest priorities for Christians engaged in God’s world-changing work.
Description:
In The Mission of God’s People, Chris Wright shows how God’s big-picture plan directs the purpose of God’s people, the church. Wright’s pioneering 2006 book, The Mission of God, revealed that the typical Christian understanding of ‘missions’ encompasses only a small part of God’s overarching mission for the world. God is relentlessly reclaiming the entire world for himself. Wright emphasizes what the Old Testament teaches Christians about being the people of God. He addresses questions of both ecclesiology and missiology with topics like ‘called to care for creation,’ ‘called to bless the nations,’ ‘sending and being sent,’ and ‘rejecting false gods.’ As part of the Biblical Theology for Life Series, this book provides you – whether you’re a pastor, teacher, or lay learner – with first-rate biblical study while at the same time addressing the practical concerns of contemporary ministry. The Mission of God’s People promises to enliven and refocus the study, teaching, and ministry of those truly committed to joining God’s work in the world.
Jonathan Lunde, Following Jesus, the Servant King: A Biblical Theology of Covenantal Discipleship (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, forthcoming 2010).
In Following Jesus, the Servant King, Jonathan Lunde presents a biblical theology of discipleship that gives the ‘big picture’ of God’s relationship with humanity. In biblical terms, Jesus is the King who demands righteous obedience from his followers, and Jesus is the Servant who provides the grace that enables this obedience. Lunde presents a view of Christian discipleship that is grounded in an informed Christology of Jesus, the Servant King.
Description:
Throughout the Old Testament and into the New, God not only demands righteousness from his people but also showers on grace that enables them to act. Jesus, of course, provides the ultimate fulfillment of these twin aspects of God’s relationship to humanity. In biblical terms, Jesus is the King who demands righteous obedience from his followers, and Jesus is the Servant who provides the grace that enables this obedience. So what does it mean to follow Jesus? What does God expect from his followers, and how can they be and do what is required? Jonathan Lunde answers these and other questions in his sweeping biblical study on discipleship. He surveys God’s interaction with his people from Eden to Jesus, paying special attention to the biblical covenants that illuminate the character and plans of God. He offers Bible students and teachers – such as pastors, missionaries, and lay leaders – the gift of practical biblical teaching rooted in the Bible’s witness on the vital topic of discipleship.
Christopher J.H. Wright, The Mission of God’s People: A Biblical Theology of the Church’s Mission (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, forthcoming 2010).
In The Mission of God’s People, part of the Biblical Theology for Life series, author Chris Wright offers a sweeping biblical survey of the holistic mission of the church, providing practical insight for today’s church leaders. Wright gives special emphasis to theological trajectories of the Old Testament that not only illuminate God’s mission but also suggest priorities for Christians engaged in God’s world-changing work.
Description:
In The Mission of God’s People, Chris Wright shows how God’s big-picture plan directs the purpose of God’s people, the church. Wright’s pioneering 2006 book, The Mission of God, revealed that the typical Christian understanding of ‘missions’ encompasses only a small part of God’s overarching mission for the world. God is relentlessly reclaiming the entire world for himself. Wright emphasizes what the Old Testament teaches Christians about being the people of God. He addresses questions of both ecclesiology and missiology with topics like ‘called to care for creation,’ ‘called to bless the nations,’ ‘sending and being sent,’ and ‘rejecting false gods.’ As part of the Biblical Theology for Life Series, this book provides you – whether you’re a pastor, teacher, or lay learner – with first-rate biblical study while at the same time addressing the practical concerns of contemporary ministry. The Mission of God’s People promises to enliven and refocus the study, teaching, and ministry of those truly committed to joining God’s work in the world.
Jonathan Lunde, Following Jesus, the Servant King: A Biblical Theology of Covenantal Discipleship (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, forthcoming 2010).
In Following Jesus, the Servant King, Jonathan Lunde presents a biblical theology of discipleship that gives the ‘big picture’ of God’s relationship with humanity. In biblical terms, Jesus is the King who demands righteous obedience from his followers, and Jesus is the Servant who provides the grace that enables this obedience. Lunde presents a view of Christian discipleship that is grounded in an informed Christology of Jesus, the Servant King.
Description:
Throughout the Old Testament and into the New, God not only demands righteousness from his people but also showers on grace that enables them to act. Jesus, of course, provides the ultimate fulfillment of these twin aspects of God’s relationship to humanity. In biblical terms, Jesus is the King who demands righteous obedience from his followers, and Jesus is the Servant who provides the grace that enables this obedience. So what does it mean to follow Jesus? What does God expect from his followers, and how can they be and do what is required? Jonathan Lunde answers these and other questions in his sweeping biblical study on discipleship. He surveys God’s interaction with his people from Eden to Jesus, paying special attention to the biblical covenants that illuminate the character and plans of God. He offers Bible students and teachers – such as pastors, missionaries, and lay leaders – the gift of practical biblical teaching rooted in the Bible’s witness on the vital topic of discipleship.
Wednesday 9 June 2010
Michael J. Wilkins on Discipleship 1
Michael J. Wilkins has published a few books on the topic of discipleship, from the focused and academic…
Michael J. Wilkins, The Concept of Disciple in Matthew’s Gospel As Reflected in the Use of the Term Μαθητής, Supplements to Novum Testamentum LIX (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1988), republished with an additional chapter as Discipleship in the Ancient World and Matthew’s Gospel (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1995).
… to the bigger and broader overview…
Michael J. Wilkins, Following the Master: Discipleship in the Steps of Jesus (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992).
… to the more popular and practical…
Michael J. Wilkins, In His Image: Reflecting Christ in Everyday Life (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1997).
More concise and accessible are a pair of articles he has published, which are available online:
Michael J. Wilkins, ‘Disciple, Discipleship’, in Walter A. Elwell (ed.), Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1996), 175-77.
Michael J. Wilkins, ‘Disciple-Making for Changing Times and Changing Churches’, Enrichment (Winter 2008), 41-46.
I’ll summarise the thrust of each of these in a further two posts.
Michael J. Wilkins, The Concept of Disciple in Matthew’s Gospel As Reflected in the Use of the Term Μαθητής, Supplements to Novum Testamentum LIX (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1988), republished with an additional chapter as Discipleship in the Ancient World and Matthew’s Gospel (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1995).
… to the bigger and broader overview…
Michael J. Wilkins, Following the Master: Discipleship in the Steps of Jesus (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992).
… to the more popular and practical…
Michael J. Wilkins, In His Image: Reflecting Christ in Everyday Life (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1997).
More concise and accessible are a pair of articles he has published, which are available online:
Michael J. Wilkins, ‘Disciple, Discipleship’, in Walter A. Elwell (ed.), Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1996), 175-77.
Michael J. Wilkins, ‘Disciple-Making for Changing Times and Changing Churches’, Enrichment (Winter 2008), 41-46.
I’ll summarise the thrust of each of these in a further two posts.
Friday 4 June 2010
Imagine: The Story So Far...
As the Imagine project is now seven years old, for those new to what the project is doing we thought it might help to recap how the project has developed, the progression of our thinking and how we hope to see the project developing over the next period of time.
2003: Publication of Imagine
Imagine began with Mark Greene’s essay Imagine: How we can reach the UK. The central thesis argued for a recovery of whole-life disciplemaking as key to mission in the 21st century. With a copy distributed to every person receiving the Evangelical Alliance’s Idea magazine, Imagine struck a chord with many who read it. As Joel Edwards, the EA General Director commented, ‘The response by our readers was extraordinary. Never before have we received such a wave of positive affirmation from a publication.’
2004: Imagine Project
With the unexpected scale of the response to the Imagine essay, the question began to be asked, ‘so, how do we respond to the issues raised?’ Consequently in May 2004 the Imagine Project was launched, led by Tracy Cotterell, as a grassroots pilot learning and experimentation project with local churches. The project began by focussing on research and consultation. The first step of which was to engage in a listening exercise, leading to two reports What the People Said and What the Leaders Said that identified the issues and barriers to whole-life discipleship capturing the perspectives of both church leaders and members.
2003: Publication of Imagine
Imagine began with Mark Greene’s essay Imagine: How we can reach the UK. The central thesis argued for a recovery of whole-life disciplemaking as key to mission in the 21st century. With a copy distributed to every person receiving the Evangelical Alliance’s Idea magazine, Imagine struck a chord with many who read it. As Joel Edwards, the EA General Director commented, ‘The response by our readers was extraordinary. Never before have we received such a wave of positive affirmation from a publication.’
2004: Imagine Project
With the unexpected scale of the response to the Imagine essay, the question began to be asked, ‘so, how do we respond to the issues raised?’ Consequently in May 2004 the Imagine Project was launched, led by Tracy Cotterell, as a grassroots pilot learning and experimentation project with local churches. The project began by focussing on research and consultation. The first step of which was to engage in a listening exercise, leading to two reports What the People Said and What the Leaders Said that identified the issues and barriers to whole-life discipleship capturing the perspectives of both church leaders and members.
Thursday 3 June 2010
5 Values: 5 - We Commit To Growth As Whole-life Disciples
This is the last in a series of posts on 5 Values for a Whole-life Disciplemaking Church. Read the inroduction to the series.
As our lives develop, we are faced with the challenges of new transitional moments, situations that are new to us, challenges and opportunities that we couldn’t have imagined. And in each situation we are given the chance to grow or to retreat to familiar practices.
This commitment to ongoing learning on everyone’s part, can make some feel vulnerable. We have been happier when we have felt that we have known everything and can teach everyone else. This has been a false confidence.
As our lives develop, we are faced with the challenges of new transitional moments, situations that are new to us, challenges and opportunities that we couldn’t have imagined. And in each situation we are given the chance to grow or to retreat to familiar practices.
This commitment to ongoing learning on everyone’s part, can make some feel vulnerable. We have been happier when we have felt that we have known everything and can teach everyone else. This has been a false confidence.
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