Questions to ponder

Published: March 2010

Sue and I attended the Fourth Annual Vital Church Planting Conference sponsored by the Diocese of Toronto and Wycliffe College in early February to discuss and dream of new ways of being church in the twenty-first century be they Fresh Expressions or green field church plants (with or without a dedicated building). It was the largest conference to date and it was truly ecumenical with attendees from various Anglican Dioceses from across Canada, the United Church of Canada, the Salvation Army, Baptists, Presbyterians and Mennonites as well as students and faculty from Huron, Trinity and Wycliffe Colleges. After attending the plenary sessions and workshops we came away, not with all the answers, but with a lot of questions that need reflection. Perhaps you would like to join us on our journey and choose a question that might resonate with you, think about it and perhaps discuss it with others in your parish. Then, after some discernment, pray and ask for God's guidance how you might meet the challenge that the question poses.

When is the last time you didn't go to your church on a Sunday morning so you could go out into the community around you to ask, listen and find out why other people don't go to church?
When is the last time you went to another church, perhaps even a different denomination that has the buzz of success in one of their ministries, to see what they are doing and what you might learn from them?
If someone wants to do something different or if someone suggests that things might be done differently in your parish are they marginalized or are they encouraged to proceed?
Are our church doors open for people to come in and join us for worship or are they open so we can go out into our communities to meet those who have yet to hear the good news of the kingdom (know who Jesus is and how he can transform their lives)?
Do we give people a safe space that not only protects their vulnerability, but also allows them to tell their stories?
Do we talk more than we listen?
Do we hold on to our old structures when new ones might serve God better?
God already has a mission in our local communities. Have we found it yet? Have we joined in?
If you have tried something before and it failed will you allow someone else to try it again with a new approach?
Are you a permission giver or a permission denier?
Is it time to prune for growth in your parish?
Have you ever asked, "Why do we do it this way"?
Have we pursued inclusivity to the point of exclusivity?
Are you prepared to move outside your comfort zone and take a risk—by doing something radically different in your parish or by listening to a stranger to find out how you can make their life better?
Do we think that spending all our time raising money to keep the doors open so our members can continue to worship in our increasingly expensive to operate buildings is doing God's mission?
Are you adapting to the culture in which you live or are you trying to transform the culture to make it more welcoming to Jesus?
Is clinging to the past more important than building for the future?
Do you gauge the success of your church by the Sunday morning attendance?

Many of us have been writing in this newspaper about Fresh Expressions of church for some time now. If you aren't familiar with the Fresh Expressions movement and how it might transform your mission in your community and help you meet people outside the church in new and different ways, consider attending a Fresh Expressions Vision Day or Messy Church Fiesta being held this spring.

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Questions to ponder

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