This Is Not A Church Review 2

This weekend was one of the most unusual I have had in a long while. Perhaps I will write more about it later, but for the moment I want to write again about ChristChurch London, an exciting church which started 18 months ago in central London and which is already gathering a good few hundred people.

It is a year to the day since my last visit to the church's Sunday meeting, and yesterday I made another visit. In this time the level of growth has been such that they have needed to move venue. Worship was again led magnificently by Emily Haslam, with Rhys Scott supporting.

John Mumford (Vineyard, UK) was the visiting preacher and spoke clearly on the apparent foolishness of the Christian message, its messengers and methods, but explaining how this is precisely God's plan - to take ordinary people and have them live extraordinary lives.

My friend and I were welcomed by five different individuals, each of whom had taken the initiative to approach us, recognising us a new faces.

So the presence of God, the teaching of the Word and the welcoming nature of the church all make it an excellent place to live. I still don't live in London. But I have found that God continues to bless my life through the ministry of this bunch of "foolish" people.

UPDATE: **Look out for the ChristChurch Podcast COMING SOON**

A New Blogger Found

Henry - an American with an American accent, who apparently does not want to adopt the mother tongue.

Another Newfrontiers blogger, and on the same year of training I did before I travelled north to Sheffield. It's funny how quickly things change; it's only a few years since I did FP but at that stage it was only the seriously rich who had digital cameras (the reason I have few photos of that year). It's good therefore to see photos of King's Park in Northampton - a nice blast from the past. This is the venue, incidentally, where Prayer and Fasting used to be held... in a room designed for 100. It's amazing how God grows us as a family!

Oscar-Talk

The second-most-nominated person for an academy award is John Williams. And he's beaten only by a dead guy. There are people in this world I admire for their heart, their leadership and who they are. This man, I admire for his pure brilliance.

I don't believe many people achieve brilliance like this in their lifetime. Yes, we can work towards fulfilling a dream, and God may use us more than we ever imagined. But brilliance?

Now this is a lunch I would have liked to have been at: the annual Oscars luncheon. Look closely, and among the men and women of the moment, the fleeting stars who will be forgotten tomorrow, you will see a timeless legend.

Jesus, Friend of Sinners!

Newfrontiers worship leader Paul Oakley is to have his song "Jesus, friend of sinners" featured in the new Harrison Ford movie, Firewall. Says Paul: "Basically, a woman in one of the scenes stumbles into a Pentecostal Church where a big gospel choir are singing the song! It has always been a secret ambition of mine to have a song in a film and I had been praying about it for a long time but I have absolutely no idea how it came about."

How amazing is this! The only downside is that it's not released here until October. I guess we'll have to wait until then to see Poakley's name in lights!

When Plans Change

My plan this evening was to watch Question Time. I had known all week that this was going to be a LibDem edition, and I had expected that I would be looking forward to hearing them make fools of themselves on national television.

However, when push came to shoveI just could not bring myself to endure a whole hour of LibDem drivel. I found a number of things I would rather do than put myself through this.

What Is The Purpose Of A Memorial?

Life is exciting when it is a journey, especially church life. Tonight at my weekly home group I was reminded again about the incredbile word my pastor here in Sheffield (Arnold Bell) brought on Sunday. He spoke from Joshua 4 about the journey the Israelites were being taken on, focussing particularly on the first few verses where the people are instructed to set up a memorial to what had taken place there.

The twelve stones were a memorial to what God had done. But their purpose was to point forwards, to inspire faith for the future. Yes, God wanted His people to remember what had gone before, but the purpose of looking back was in fact to inspire faith in later generations. The intention, Arnold was saying, was that future generations would look at the stones and see what was possible with their God, not that they should look back and wish they had been alive then.

Arnold extended this to say that the purpose of the Bible as far as we're concerned, is that in the retelling of the stories and messages of the past, faith rises in our hearts for our future in God. The implication is that even the purpose of our memories of the things God has done in the past, is that our faith should rise for our future in God. Our memories shouldn't direct our attention to wish that we could go back, or that we lived then. We have a glorious future in God and the purpose of a meorial is to inspire faith for that future.

Terry & Wendy Virgo with David & Scilla Devenish at Prayer & Fasting

Today ends 2 days of prayer and fasting in Derby. Newfrontiers leaders from across the nation and the nations gathering together to hear God's voice. It is now two years to the day since I returned from my only time at such a gathering. It really was a life-changing and eye-opening experience. To be around such men and women of faith, to be involved in such prophetic adoring of God was like nothing I've ever been a part of. Probably one of the biggest priveledges I've ever had.

The trouble is that now whenever a gathering takes place as it has this week, the temptation is to feel dissappointment that I'm not still in that place, a longing to be again in that environment alongside those people. So it was encouraging tonight to go back over these truths, that amazing things God has done in the past will be exceeded in our future! Instead of looking back with a longing to be back there, we should look back with a longing to go forward. That God of the past is our God now and in the future, and He wants to have us do greater things. To use the picture Arnold used, we look at the previous watermark to see what the possibilities are in God.

Newfrontiers Student Worker Day 2006

Just a quick post about the annual Student Worker Day. Brought to you by Mobilise (the people who host the summer conference), this is definitely a day worth prioritising!

If you've been to other Newfrontiers events like the Student Day in Leeds, Mobilise in Brighton or the half day of prayer in Nottingham, Sidcup and Newcastle, this is more of the same but with a different format.

Same people, same passion, same GOD, but more worship and more prayer PLUS teaching and seminars.

Despite the name, the day is not only for student worker, but for anyone who wants to see Jesus worshipped in the student communities in our nation.

We are hoping to take a number of students from Sheffield and already people are signing up.

Topics for the day include:
The roles of CUs and churches
Student Alpha
Reaching a clubbing culture
Defending the faith: Apologetics
The challenge of Islam

With speakers: Nick Sharp, Jamie Haith (HTB Student Alpha), Adam Whitlock (St Andrews, Chorleywood), Tom Shaw, Andrew Wilson and Nick Chatrath

These look like interesting topics and exciting speakers. If you're involved in working with students, make it a priority!

On Reaching Students 4: One Possible Answer

CU as "the united wing of the local churches"
If there is a tension between churches who are finally facing up to their God-given responsibilities, and the agencies which have faithfully filled the gap over many years, what is the solution? This post looks at Dave Bish's suggestion that a CU is, rather than a mission agency, "the united wing of local churches".

This sounds wonderful, and many of us who are students and witness the condition of christian societies in our universities sit up and pay attention when phrases like this are used. How does this work? Well, it is important to remember firstly that this approach assumes that CUs have, and will continue to have a place in this mission. So, taking this assumption, how do CUs fit into this vision of the local church?

Any working-together of local churches needs to be preceded by relationship. It is so good when local churches come together to follow God's lead and impact society together. But this only works when it grows out of relationship.

I grew up in a church whose relationship with the churches around it was growing all the time. Every Friday morning we would all get together to pray for our city before the day began. And more recently, leaders from the biggest churches (an Anglican, Baptist, Newfrontiers and others) have actively chosen to grow their relationships with one another. They have done this by meeting regularly and even going on a weekend away together. As a church, we live in the good of these relationships when we get together to worship God, and when we come together to reach our city.

There is a similar story in Bournemouth, where I was so impressed by the relationship between a few of the church leaders in particular: willing to trust implicitly the leaders of other churches with their own "flock". Again, coming together for the good of the conurbation seems so natural when in the context of relationship, whether in terms of a whole-town event, or reaching one part of society together.

It is biblical to be an active follower of your leaders and as such, often it is entirely natural for churches to build on good relationship by stepping out in faith together. And, having started in this spirit, the venture must be continued and completed in this way. This will mean things like regular accountability, and perhaps doing more than just mission together.

The only context in which CUs can be "the united wing of the local churches" is in that of good relationships between churches, and by implication, leaders. CUs should spring out of good relationships between churches. A CU which I could commit to would be one established and run based on authentic inter-church relationship, and where those churches (being the ones who have initiated and paid for the work) had a continued venue to be able to speak into the life and running of that CU. That is, if the work is to be seen as the united wing of the local churches, then those local churches should be able to give significant input and direction.

Working alongside people from other christian backgrounds would not be so difficult in this context, as it would merely be a matter of following your leaders. Everyone would be able to "own" the work as much as the next person. In this scenario, the biblical picture of mission being church-based can be fulfilled, and as such CUs would surely know a greater sense of effectiveness in their work.

How To Deal With A Tantrum

Today I paid a visit to the Kidz Klub I used to help run. It was great fun and I was reminded again about how to deal with a tantrum.

A game was played where as many kids as wanted to could join in. They had to get up on the stage, perform the task and return to their seats. At the end of the game, everyone on the winning team who took part received a sweet. We were faced with a new girl in the second row who wanted a sweet but had chosen not to take part in the game. When told she could not have one, she threw herself on the floor and screamed at the top of her voice.

One of the team briefly tried to appease her, but when the girl just continued to scream in their face, told her that no one would listen to her as long as she was being unreasonable. As such, the entire team diverted their attentions to encouraging the remaining 50 kids to pay attention to the front, not to the screaming brat on the floor. Within five minutes the little girl had stopped, changed her mind, and walked up to the team member to say sorry. Far more effective than escorting her out of the building in a rage I would say.

On coming home and seeing the news, it has occured to me that perhaps this is the way we should treat delinquent extremists.

On Oscars And A Legend

Today, now that the exam period is officially over (the new semester starts on Monday) and owing to the fact that I'm feeling a bit under the weather, I went out and bought some DVDs to watch this evening, including the 20th Anniversary Edition of ET.

I haven't seen the film since I was very young and as such could not really remember the plot. I thought that I would recognise the music more than the storyline, as I'm always listening to Williams' music. Even so, I was a again taken aback by the overwhelming skill of this man. The music is so beautiful and uniquely engaging, bringing the film to life.

The DVD came with some great extra features on a second disc, including some extended documentaries and interviews. One of these was about the music of John Williams (who has directed every feature film of Spielberg's), and when watching I was again reminded that regular procedure when scoring music for a film is for the movie to be cut, and the music recorded to fit with what happens on the screen. In ET however, Steven Spielberg saw the magic that is John Williams' score, and gave him the freedom to record the music as he wanted. Spielberg then went back and re-cut the last 10 minutes, so that the most important sequence of the film was in fact dictated by Williams' music, not the director's own preference. Amazing.

Checking the latest news, I notice Williams has been nominated for twice this year. He says this joy never grows old; he still enjoys it like it was his first.

Walt Disney holds the world record for the most Oscar nominations, totalling at 59. And he had a whole studio behind him. John Williams is the only one to have come close to beating this, the latest count being 45 Academy Award Nominations. Of these, he has won five. Five Academy Awards. One composer. Legend.

On Reaching Students 3: The Problem

When I read Bill Hybels on the local church, my spirit soars. His words resonate because this is what we read in scripture. So I question the need for human organisations which are set up to do the work of the local church.

When the church loses her way, we look to scripture to direct us. There we find very clear and practical instruction as to what the local church should look like. When in need of a reminder of her identity, help is not far away. One of the reasons church-based mission is best, is that for any human organisation this is not the case. The identity of CUs can become confused.

Richard Cunningham (director of the UCCF) says "CUs are mission teams, whose team members (gathered from both sending and local churches) spend 3-4 years helping each other to live and speak for Jesus on campus...UCCF The Christian Unions is a partnership between students, staff and supporters all of whom are encouraged to be committed to a local church."

Wheras Dave Bish (a UCCF Staff Worker) made this thought-provoking response to a previous post of mine: "CU is not local church but is the united wing of the local churches... Christian Union IS the local church taking responsibility for students by reaching them together, united in the gospel and laying aside the differences that would otherwise divide for the sake of united witness."

These two approaches seem to be different. The first says to local church "listen to our vision for our organisation and get behind us", wheras Dave's understanding of a CU says to local church: "What is your vision? Because we want to get behind you." The first says to students "do mission with us, and get support from your church," wheras the second says "together as local churches we can take these communities for Jesus." I much prefer the latter as it seems to be much more biblical. As Mr Devenish puts it: "'Para-church activity of this sort must genuinely serve the local churches and not compete against them...What is important is that churches are served and churches are planted."

But why are we in this situation? Why, more specifically, are students often asked to choose (maybe not in principal, but certainly in practice) between committing to church, and committing to CU? The missiologist George W Peters referred to "an unfortunate and abnormal historical development which has produced autonomous, missionless churches on the one hand, and autonomous, churchless missionary societies on the other hand."

Here we see the problem. Over many centuries, local churches have consistently neglected to fulfill their biblical calling, and so mission organisations have assumed some of the Church's primacy in mission. Churches have become nothing more than static, pastoral communities, leaving mission (whether to Africa or the local campus) to specialist mission agencies, rather than being the missional people on the move described in the New Testament. And now we are faced with the dilema that many local churches are now several decades down the road towards recovering their rightful responsibilites. So what is the way forward?

On Reaching Students 2: The Local Church

"There is nothing like the local church when it's working right. Its beauty is indescribable. Its power is breathtaking. Its potential is unlimited. It comforts the grieving and and heals the broken in the context of community . It builds bridges to seekers and offers truth to the confused. It provides resources for those in need and opens its arms to the forgotten, the downtrodden, the disillusioned. It breaks the chains of addictions, frees the oppressed, and offers belonging to the marginalized of this world. Whatever the capacity for human suffering, the church has a greater capacity for healing and wholeness . Still to this day, the potential of the local church is almost more than I can grasp. No other organization on earth is like the church. Nothing even comes close." - Bill Hybels, Courageous Leadership

"It is essential to benefit from the gifts and experience of those who have had many years of cross-cultural ministry. However, it is also true, as we have seen biblically, that church-based, church planting apostolic teams should be intitating cross-cultural mission." - David Devenish, What on Earth is the Church For?

The local church is the hope of the world. I believe God loves it when we figure out how He's designed us to work: like the moment He opened our eyes to see that we were designed to be in relationship with Him. Like the moment we understand that we are sons of God, saints not sinners. Like when we start to function biblically as males and females. And when the church realises its primary role in worship, apostolic teaching, mission, remembering the poor and all the tasks God lays at our feet in scripture. The primacy of the local church in these areas is never to be undermined.

On Reaching Students 1: Union

One of the most interesting things to have happened during my blogging break was the news that Birmingham University's CU has been kicked out of the Guild, as reported here. My first post on this subject is a comment I left on Life on Wings.

Although it is regretable, my sympathy is not that far-reaching. Yes, if these restrictions were placed on the Church by the world that would be outrageous. But we are not talking about a church. It's a CU. Perhaps this is not the disastrous situation it seems.

My belief is that the Bible teaches the primary expression of God's manifold wisdom and glory is the Church, and His Word contains specific practical instructions as to how that should be worked out on a local level (ie. local churches). CUs in general don't fit this criteria.

Being involved in the student work in my church, a big passion of mine is to see the Church have her confidence restored in this regard, that we CAN and MUST take responsibility for reaching students, as local churches. So, if these events in Birmingham provide a platform for the local church to start taking responsibility for reaching the student communities, it will be for the greater good. We mustn't fall into the trap of preserving a man-made institution for its own sake.

At a university like Sheffield, where there are now four different Christian societies (3 of which are evangelical), the fallibility of such man-made organisations is evident. None of the organisations unites the Christians of the university, just divides us up into boxes. Part of the problem is inevitably that unity must be built on truth.

I will be posting more on this subject as the year goes on: it is one which, as a student worker I come up against again and again, and (as much as anything else) I'm looking to inform my opinion by blogging on the subject, as well as expressing it.