Paul writes – I’ve been spending some time (of late) looking backwards in order to be both grateful for where I've come from (e.g. I remain tremendously grateful to Mark and Cityside. My horizons were broadened) and to consider what I might take forward as I continue my journey.
One of the fun things about doing that is rediscovering things. Below is a reflection I wrote in 2000. It has to do with my first Christmas Eve service @ Cityside, a unique urban Baptist church.
Much has changed since then. Mark Pierson no longer pastor’s Cityside. Brenda does. Since 2000 the congregation has continued to grow and change. It remains an inspiration for me and resourced & nourished Steve Taylor’s PhD – A New Way of Being Church: A Case Study Approach to Cityside Baptist Church as Christian Faith “Making Do” in a Postmodern World. I wonder what Steve might reflect now if he re-visited his research @ Cityside and re-engaged with it afresh, several years on?
Excerpt:
“…Kathryn and I attended the CITYSIDE (an urban Baptist church) Christmas Eve service (24th December 2000) in Auckland – 11.00pm. It was an hour and a half drive to get there, and the same in reverse. It was my very best Christmas Eve experience.
Approx. 50 people. Avg. Age range 20-40. Several small children, and several adults older than 40.
Welcomers at the door, but very informal. No hand shaking but very smiley and ‘warm’.”
Feel free to continue reading by opening the attached PDF.
As an aside, there is an interesting discussion here on an article I read by Graham Redding last year. The conversation is around the practice of "Curating" worship.
Download paul_fromont_reflection_on_my_visit_to_cityside_24_december_2000.pdf
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