n
r
a
e
l
e
w
o
d
What e Trinity
h
t
m
?
o
y
g
fr
o
l
o
t
s
i
r
h
and C
Is Miss
ion the
startin
g place
for Mis
sion ?
Theological foundations
beneath
fresh expressions of Church
British Church Army’s Research unit
What is a fresh expression of Church?
the formation of new ecclesial communities for the transmission
of the faith to those who are no longer part of any church. For
the last ten years, the Church of England has actively
encouraged a new movement of mission aimed at beginning
[new ecclesiola in ecclesia], fresh expressions of the church, as a
natural part of the ministry of parishes or groups of parishes or
dioceses.
Bishop of Sheffield, Dr Steven Croft, at the Synod of Bishops in Rome called by
Benedict XVI, October 16th 2012
v A fresh expression is:
– Missional & Contextual
– Ecclesial & Formational [it forms disciples]
Why is the Church of England doing this?
Church - the climate is changing
In parts of the worldwide westernised church,
there are some positive changes since the
2004 report Mission-shaped Church came out
But not everywhere…
‘Denial’ in the church still exists
The emperor’s new clothes began to look strange
Without them, he was also looking older than ever
To improve what we have, will be OK
Ø  Stop the leaks
Ø  Improve welcoming
Ø  Cater for families and
their children
Ø  Leaders need to stay
for at least 8 years
Ø  Bring in small groups
Ø  Build a kitchen and
toilets
Ø  Reward growth
What is our story?
v  Small local beginnings,
since 1973
v  Watching church grow
differently
v  1991: Archbishop
George Carey
encourages a trend
v  Official reports of 1994
and then 2004 see its
place
Surprises since 2004
v  Mission-Shaped Church has been widely read
v  It has travelled well: across the world – and
the denominations
v  There is more creativity at the edge than in
the previous Church Planting movement
How interesting !
Many new
Examples
Fresh Expressions
Team created
Research Base
Sheffield Centre
Mission – the climate is mixed
“Some sunny periods”
Younger pre-Christian groups
Wide influence of Alpha
OK to talk about spirituality
I think there is some bad weather …
v  A self centred society – unwilling to commit
v  Christians are seen as part of the problem,
not the solution
v  Massive credibility gap
v  Wide ignorance about the Jesus story
v  Decline of those who understand
An anxious Church ?
v  Silent for fear
Or
v  Talk before we listen
Beyond pragmatism
v  What works isn’t necessarily true
v  What truths govern what we practice?
Theological principle ONE
Trinity and Missionary Ecclesiology
Any theology of the Church must ultimately be rooted in the
being and Acts of God. Eucharistic Presidency para 2.2
When Christians speak of ‘God’, it is as shorthand for the Holy
Trinity. Two things follow from this. First, God has to be
understood relationally and communally. ‘Father, Son and Holy
Spirit, who mutually indwell one another, exist in one another
and for one another, in interdependent giving and receiving.’
Second, God is a missionary. We would not know God, if the
Father had not sent the Son in the power of the Spirit.
MSC pp. 84-85
The Trinity are … community-in-mission
Should Barth take tea with Zizioulas?
Trinity & Missionary Ecclesiology
The Trinity are … community-in-mission
–  Notice the order; which comes first, mission or
community?
–  The Trinity exhibit the priority of being
–  How do missiologists / pioneers/ evangelists think?
–  Is Missio Dei thinking the start?...
Trinity & Missionary Ecclesiology
Mission comes from the Father, through the Son in
the power of the Spirit M-SC p. 85
v  If mission ‘comes’ from … it cannot be the
starting point
v  Is it right to say mission “defines” the church?
v  No, it is only an intrinsic quality & activity of
the church
v  In the life of God the Trinity it is the same
–  They are community-in-mission
The Three and the One
v  Take Immanent Trinity 1st
& Economic 2nd
v  Being is prior to doing
v  We aren’t human doings!
How odd!
v  The best way to become
mission shaped is …
v  don’t start with mission!
v  Like God – start with a loving
community
Sheffield Centre: 15 years; 1 lesson
Community
Is
Central
It works for
all of society
The bottom line: Even God chose to do it this way
A challenge to Individualism …
v  From the Persons of
the Trinity
–  Individuals exist by
themselves
–  We are Persons
because of others
“because we are ... I am”
Sorry Rene – we disagree
Too bad about the oven
An answer to consumerism ..
v  Consumerism
–  an alchemy of individualism, materialism and hedonism
–  Creating deliberately insatiable demand
v  Communities of resistance
–  being transformed by Christ
–  into attitudes of giving and generosity
Trinity is more than Team
v  Perry who?
v  Perichoresis means
–  Interplay
–  Interdependence
–  Interpenetration
v  Marriage > team
v  Church
–  If one part suffers …
–  Living partnership with the life of the Father
and the Son
What is the primary call?
v  Follow the Trinity’s example
–  Live out being community
v  Live out the Great Commandment
v  Its in 1 Cor 13 & John’s letters
–  To reflect the love in God
v  Salvation history runs from community, to
community restored
Evangelists please note
v  Mission is not the
start
v  Individualism is not
the way
v  Jesus’ patterns
–  With him and others
–  Sent in twos
–  Looks like community
Community?
Gathered
Introspective
Disengaged from world
The Trinitarian community:
Gathered in heaven & dispersed in incarnation
Their love is poured out in creation and salvation
Follow their identity: community-in-mission
Pastoral people please note
v  ‘Being community’ doesn’t do it all
v  Just because it begins with ‘E’
doesn’t make it wrong
v  If the Trinity are missional – what of
–  The people of God
–  The body of Christ
–  The temple of the Spirit
Talk to your neighbour – 4 minutes
v  How authentic and healthy is the quality of
community in the church you know?
v  How might the Trinity inspire them?
Theological principle TWO
Incarnation, Death and Resurrection of Jesus
Why?
Christology shapes Ecclesiology not v.v.
What is it to be mission-shaped?
Look at the patterns of the divine missioner
Are fresh expressions of Church theologically
possible?
Consider the case of Christ - the expression of
God on earth
Can it really be church – and change?
Woman:
Psst.. What exactly
are we doing ?
Man:
I’ve absolutely no
idea but I think it’s
cutting edge
v  There are no new ways – only renewed old ways
v  Hence the better term – fresh expressions …
Incarnation & fresh expressions of Church
v Note the changes celebrated in Philippians 2
v The identity of God the Son was freshly
expressed
v The incarnation was a change – it had not
been seen before
v The incarnate Jesus experienced changes
–  Responding to what Father is doing
–  In ministry downs and ups
–  In suffering
–  Jesus is not 1st century Clark Kent
Big changes and …
v  Tis mystery all – the immortal dies
v  Jesus is raised on the third day
–  It happens to him, another change
v  Continuity
–  Identity, relationship with F and HS, sinless
perfection, commitments
v  Change
–  Kenotic process, being enfleshed, ups and
downs, dying and rising…
Holding change & continuity together
v  A vital issue over creating fxC
–  Really Church AND freshly expressed
v  Incarnation underlines it can be done
–  It shows the mission can shape church, just
mission shaped the divine missioner
v Jesus says his patterns are ours
– AS the Father sent me, so I am
sending you
Truly church and truly changed?
v  Fear not - it is possible
v  Don’t do photocopied church
v  Do incarnated church into the
culture you are sent to
Maybe…
“Logistics Dept here …
There is lack of
precedent with that
proposed Incarnation
idea”
Is Incarnation the controlling factor?
v Or should it be Death and Resurrection?
–  Romans 6
–  Baptism
–  Communion
–  The characteristic sign – the Cross
–  The basis of hope – the Resurrection
Dying to live is truly central
v  The Incarnation
– No extension
– No command
– No possibility
Follow the whole pattern
From Father
v  Presence ministry only?
Into
Culture
Incarnation
underpins
loving
engagement
–  Underplays the profound
change to the missioner
–  Omits the counter cultural
engagement
–  Does not call for people to
change allegiance
v  Incarnation is not the
centre, though it must be
the start
Follow the whole pattern of Christ
We’ve come
from above
and outside
Attention to what
the Father is doing
With humility
We’ll tell you all
you need to
know
Kingdom signs
and words
With humility
The Son’s whole pattern
From Father
Death &
Resurrection
Into
Culture
Incarnation
underpins
loving
engagement
It also shows continuity
and change
Kingdom
signs
If dying to live is central …
v  The hallmark of missionaries
–  Put down their preferences about church
v  Then what is born will be
–  Mission-shaped church
–  Not Church-shaped mission
Where have we come to?
v  Trinitarian thinking underlies the priority of
community
v  Christological thought underpins freshly
expressing what is eternal
v  How about Church as semper reformanda?
Talk to your neighbour
v  How can you work with Christological
continuity and change to create
something different where you are?