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How to make churches grow

15/06/2009 12:30:00


Four suggestions based on various postings on the internet today:

1. Fresh expressions?

Jonathan Wynne-Jones had an article in the Telegraph entitled Church of England attempts to broaden appeal with songs by U2 and prayers for Google. Bishop Nick Baines took issue (Pointless and shallow - he was referring to some people's views of Fresh Expressions rather than the Telegraph article), but after some criticism from Ruth Gledhill posted an alternative version, ‘Pointless and shallow’? (An alternative view)

2. A combination of the liberal catholic and open evangelical strands of church life?

Bishop David, the newly elected Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, gave an interview in which he talked, among other things, about the challenge of mission in a 'dechurched' society. You can hear it all here, but here is one brief extract:

We have the treasures, in terms of spirituality and the kind of church which we are. In my heart and soul I think that there are two strands of church life which are particularly suited for today. One is the liberal catholic, the other is the open evangelical. I think that both of those have a particular gifting for work in our kind of society and we have both of them in the Scottish Episcopal Church.

Bishop David's own blog is here.

3. Welcome and community, not theology?

Richard Peat addresses comments left on the Church Times blog on the subject of growth in liberal churches - see Exigency In Specie / Are the Only Growing Churches Evangelical?. A good post that is well worth reading and linking to. A short extract:

When you turn up at our Church, you won’t find a worship band, no glitzy presentation (our sound system is well and truly on our last legs), and you certainly won’t find anybody preaching about the coming judgement and hell. Having said that, when you look at some of the members of our congregation, you will find Christians who are from that tradition. Equally you will also find people who have come from strong anglo-catholic backgrounds and all points in between. What we have at St James’ is almost a representation of the classic definition of the Church of England in that we have evangelicals and anglo-catholics held together in a broad liberal Church that accommodates both.

Read it all here.

4. Lively worship

Richard is one of numerous people to have posted this video of comments by DJ Chris Moyles about a church service seen on television. I hadn't got around to watching it until yesterday, so am probably posting it long after everyone else has seen it:

...or perhaps something else? Have your say in the comments.


I think an emphasis on growing churches is missing the point.

Joe | 16/06/2009 09:27:16




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