003d: Fresh Expressions of Christian PART IV

In PARTS I, II & III of this bulletin I explored some of the characteristics I have observed in people today and how they differ from previous generations. In particular I am concerned that we recognise that the next generation of Christians will be different from those of the past and that we don’t reject them or distance them from church life because of our unwillingness to embrace change. In PART I I explored these attributes:

1. They Walk the Walk but don't Talk the Talk
2. They don't like labels
3. They don't do Nostalgia as we do

In PART II I explored these attributes:

4. They want something that works
5. They are choice-driven
6. They don't do Nostalgia as we do

In PART III I explored these attributes:

7. They use the Internet
8. They are spiritually alert but institutionally allergic
9. They belong but won’t join
10. They network

So, where is the church in all of this? 
The church still fishes in the pool expecting to catch fish who will turn up at 10:30 each Sunday morning, sing whatever hymns they are presented with and accept whatever lesson is preached without comeback. Is it not right, when thinking about starting a Fresh Expression of Church, to start by recognising the nature of our Fresh Expressions of Christian? But the same is also true of our traditional church model. Bearing in mind the decline in church attendance in recent years, we are doomed if we think we can replicate what worked 50 years ago and expect growth. As Albert Einstein once said, ‘Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results’. Perhaps it’s time to take a good hard look at the people who don’t come to church and tune our approach in a way which will engage more effectively with them, without diluting the gospel itself.

But it’s no good griping about the problem. We need practical solutions. In my list of attributes I mentioned that choice is seen as a key facet of today’s culture. Let’s look at some ways in which we can expand our vision of what goes on each Sunday or midweek. I don’t suggest for one minute that all or some of these ideas can be adopted each week, nor by one minister trying to do it all. They could, however, be adopted periodically with a team of people, each with a different skill set. In my own church, great strides were taken to provide a choice of activities in the Sunday Morning service once a quarter. Of course there were critics but overall it enlarged people’s vision and understanding of Christian Faith.

We could call these ideas ‘Menu Church’ because they seek to offer people a menu of worship activities and styles rather than offering the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. It could also be that the start and / or end of the service brings people together for a short period of corporate worship and news sharing.

For small churches, then the number of options on the menu is likely to be small and the frequency of such Sundays low. A lack of break-out rooms would be one limiting factor. But in larger churches where the number of skilled leaders is greater, then a more regular pattern could be built into the church year. One idea is to hold Sundays like this around the major festivals or key moments in the Christian Calendar. For instance, Lent would be a good time to focus on prayer and meditation, Pentecost would lend itself more to family activities like Messy Church and so forth.

Menu church 

Activity 1 – Discussion Group
Many people outside of the church resist being preached at but warm to the idea of contributing to a discussion. Much of the Alpha course is devoted to unpacking the issues raised in the video or talk and, sensitively led, this can be the most fruitful part of the course, allowing people to ask the questions they would be too afraid to ask in other settings. You could discuss matters affecting the local community, items in the news, activities which take place in church or matters of faith.

Activity 2 – Meditation
Meditation was popularised in the 1960s when the Beatles were introduced to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Today you will find some commercial organisations offering meditation to its employees to help them in their work environment. Celtic meditation is becoming more popular and a local author, Liz Babbs, has produced a number of books on the subject (see www.lizbabbs.com). However, it is important to ensure that this is Christ-centred.

Activity 3 - Messy Church
Messy Church in particular has become very popular as a Fresh Expression of Church. But why not offer this as one option on Sunday morning? It is particularly suitable for a group of mixed ages. Just imagine the children with Mum, Dad and grandparents working together on a model of Noah’s Ark, discussing the story. Sunday lunchtime would never be the same again!

Activity 4 – Arts and Craft / Photography
Why not offer a session of arts and crafts where people can draw, paint, sew, knit or engage in a relaxing activity around a Christian theme? People of all ages can mix together and contribute equally. Likewise you could ask people to bring in photos they have taken which have some kind of special significance or spiritual meaning.

Activity 5 – Bible Reading
Yes, I know we have Bible readings in church but why not have an activity where the Bible can be read slowly and reflectively? Ignatian Bible Reading is a technique where people are invited to imagine they are part of the Bible scene. They imagine being one of the characters or asked to imagine what it felt like to be there, what were the other people feeling and so forth. It brings the Bible to life in a new way. There are other creative ways of reading the Bible like Lectio Divina where the Bible is read prayerfully, asking God to speak to you through his Spirit.

Activity 6 – Prayer Room / Boiler Room
I believe every church needs a room set aside as a prayer room. A few years ago, the Methodist Church embarked on a programme entitled ‘Pray without ceasing’ where an entire year was focussed on the topic of prayer. In the 24/7 Prayer Movement we encountered ‘Boiler Rooms’ – rooms set aside for and equipped in such a way as to allow people to spend long periods in prayer. There would be bean bags, pens and paper to allow people to write down their thoughts or create journals, candles, books and anything to allow people to engage creatively in prayer. There may be quiet spiritual music playing in the background. Teaching on prayer is sadly lacking in some churches. This could be the remedy. Also, you might have an activity where prayers are focussed on one or two situations – perhaps something happening in the community, a challenge faced by the church at large or prayer for healing and wholeness.

Activity 7 – Reading Room
Why not have an activity where a number of Christian books are available – prayer books, books on meditation, biographies – so that people can sit quietly for a period reading.

Activity 8 – Film Clips
You could show small film clips or items recorded from the news and allow people to discuss them from a Christian perspective. Again, sensitive leadership is needed so that it doesn’t turn into an argument. Also you will need to extend your CCLI cover but it is not expensive.

Activity 9 – Debate
I like to watch ‘The Big Questions’ which is broadcast on Sunday mornings with Nicky Campbell chairing a debate on spiritual or religious matters with prominent people involved (having recorded it earlier of course). Again, good leadership is needed here but it can help people to wrestle with matter of importance to their faith.

Activity 10 – Hymn Singing
Offer a session where two, maybe three hymns are sung and then the words and significance explained and discussed. This would help people new to faith to get to grips with some of the treasures of the past.

Activity 11 – Faith Exploration
This is an activity where an aspect of Christian Faith is explored and discussed. Many Christians struggle with some aspects of the faith and it’s good to provide a sensitive, non-judgmental environment in which to explore these together.

Conclusion 
Now I know that a lot of these are handled in house groups or midweek activities and some would argue that Sunday morning is neither the time nor place to do this. Some might also argue that it is diluting worship. Bear in mind that I am not suggesting that we replace Sunday Morning worship each week with these ideas but that they are offered occasionally. Remember that I am thinking not just of the people who come to church, but those who, with a little persuasion and warm invitation would like to come but are put off by an environment where all the regulars know what to do and strangers don’t.

Don’t expect the minister to handle all of this. A team approach is vital and will also energise people in a new way as they learn from one another. Also, don’t use all of these items each time; pick and choose which would work best for you and which suit the season of the year. You may also have other ideas of your own. Form a team, plan ahead, publicise it in the community, talk about it with your friends and prepare invites. As John Wesley famously said, ‘We have nothing to do but save souls’.

Of course, there is one factor I forgot to mention and I thank my wife for prompting me. All this must be undergirded with prayer!