The Guide contains how-to-do-it advice on starting, developing and sustaining fresh expressions of church based on shared experiences.
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The Guide contains how-to-do-it advice on starting, developing and sustaining fresh expressions of church based on shared experiences.
More about The Guide
As an Ordained Pioneer Minister, I am sometimes asked whether gospel truths are being watered down in my pioneer work. People are worried that I may be diluting the challenge of the gospel in order to make it acceptable to the kinds of people I want to reach.
As I prepared for this trip, I surveyed colleagues and advisors for the questions they wish they could ask of ministry leaders here in the Church of England. What emerged as the key question is based on the belief that the CoE has wrestled with the effects of secularisation considerably longer than we have in the States. The question goes something like this: 'If you'd known 20 years ago what you know now about the church's needed responses to secularisation, what might you have done differently, in anticipation?' In other words: 'How would you have intentionally prepared faith communities to partner with the work of the Spirit in a rapidly changing world?'
Resources like Breathe create a space – for questioning, reflection, wondering – and a sense of place – that this is what you do here. (Words coined by Bob Mayo in his work on the spirituality of young people.) It makes the most of the curriculum requirement to learn about and from religion, the potential for a thin place in the otherwise noisy school day; if young people have to do that, why not give them the best of what we have discovered that feeds our souls? The challenge for those of us who maybe take for granted the riches of creative spirituality is how we can create more opportunities like these for those outside the church to participate.
If I had a pound for every person who has asked me what a pioneer minister is, I'd be rich. If I had another pound for every different definition of a pioneer minister that I've heard, I'd probably have enough money to fund the 50 or so training for Ordained Pioneer Ministry in the Church of England. So what is a pioneer? Well I got selected as one. I am training as an OPM (Ordained Pioneer Minister) at St Mellitus' College, the new college in London which has a particular stream aimed at training pioneers.
I think my fear is that we, as the church, can be in danger of domesticating and institutionalising pioneers, and I say this as someone who is involved in training pioneers. I worry sometimes where the dangerous and radical pioneers are. I hear discussions amongst possible pioneers about job prospects, career opportunities, education possibilities, stipends and pay, housing and pensions, but less of the 'go anywhere, do anything, send me out for the sake of the good news of Jesus' approach … and training institutions can sometimes give the impression that what really matters is the ability to fit in and not rock the boat, while of course getting good marks for your essays.
