The Evangelisation of the UK: LICC/Imagine Research (3 of 3)

This is the third in a series summarising the findings of LICC Imagine research 2003-2010. In this post we look at research conducted amongst leaders identifying the key issues they are facing as they look to equip the people for mission. Read the first and second posts.

Leadership toward Evangelisation
Connected to the question of the equipping of the people, explored in the last post, is the question of the equipping of the leaders, those who release the people into evangelism. A number of issues emerged from What the Leaders Said (2004) a consultation event with 150 Christian leaders, the Spring Harvest Apprentice ’09 survey (2009) and the Imagine Pilot Project (2007-10).

Overall, it is clear that: 1) leaders are struggling as much, if not in some cases more than, as their congregations to discover a way of living that manifests the difference the gospel can make, 2) the ‘pastor’-centric model of church actively mitigates against an equipping for mission (the role of leaders is limited to that of care-provider rather than equipper), 3) there is a perceived tension between the demands of keeping the church running and releasing members into life.

The Evangelisation of the UK: LICC/Imagine Research (2 of 3)

This is the second in a series summarising the findings of LICC Imagine research 2003-2010. In this post we look at research conducted amongst Christians identifying the key issues they are facing. Read the first of the series here...

Fit for Mission? Equipping the Church
Non-Christians are asking many fundamental questions about meaning, purpose and identity. The problem that occurs is that the Christian narrative is not seen as relevant to a response. Of further concern is that, as our research among Christians highlights, many believers, despite professing faith, are asking exactly the same questions. Despite discovering a ‘fundamental’ meaning to life, they struggle to connect this with a lived reality that fuels purpose and identity in the everyday. In other words, it seems many Christians ‘still haven’t found what they’re looking for.’

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:

1. What are the barriers and bridges to belief today for non-Christians? What has proved to be key for people coming to faith?
2. What do Christians think about the question of mission? Are we fit for purpose?
3. What is the role of leaders in equipping people for mission?

Over this next series of posts we will attempt to synthesise some of the most important findings from our research. More depth can be found by clicking on the links and exploring the research findings in full.