Mission-Shaped and Anglican in Australia

Paul writes – Building the Mission-Shaped Church in Australia (72 pages) was published in 2006 by the General Synod Office of the Anglican Church of Australia. However, I only recently got a copy. It’s a great little publication. It draws on the CofE’s report, The Mission-Shaped Church (Bishop Graham Cray was the chair of committee that wrote the report).

George Lings says, with reference to Building the Mission-Shaped Church in Australia, “This report is very valuable because it continues the conversation, begun by the Mission-Shaped Church, about generic missional instincts, but applied within the diverse Australian context. I welcome this careful, realistic but imaginative report, which builds on Mission-shaped Church, yet is deeply concerned to connect with the people of Australia. I hope it will be widely read and equally well creatively applied."

Its chapters are:

1.           The need for a mission-shaped church in Australia, a chapter which explains the key concepts and some of the missional challenges in contemporary Australia;

2.           The theological character of a mission-shaped church;

3.           The challenges of mission amongst our four generations, particularly Generation X and Y;

4.           How mission in the context of the Anglican Parish has changed since the 1950s;

5.           The characteristics of healthy and thriving churches and how Anglicans can revitalise their communities;

6.           The role of the Diocese as an agent for change;

7.           Examples of fresh expressions of church within the Australian context;

8.           The challenges for leadership development required to make a mixed economy church a reality; and

9.           What Anglicans will need to do to make it all a reality?

“There is a struggle for the Australian soul. We are no longer the Christian nation we once thought we were. In response, the Anglican Church has been floundering around, not knowing quite what shape to take in a secular environment. We don’t want to surrender our beliefs or compromise our worship, but we want to be relevant to our society. The dilemma cries out for serious reflection and intelligent strategy…” ((Bishop) Andrew Curnow).

In March 2005 the standing committee of General Synod established a Mission Task Force. This publication is one of the outputs of that committee. Wouldn’t it be great to have a New Zealand version in a few years, full of NZ Anglican stories of innovation, risk-taking, courage and creativity…?

This next paragraph could be written for New Zealand – “For the Anglican Church of Australia, the clock is ticking about our future. The majority of our congregations are elderly; our impact on society is minimal. Whilst there has been a significant growth in our welfare [in NZ, Anglican Social Justice] and education services [In NZ, Church schools], congregational growth… has been negligible. The time for dramatic action has arrived.” ((Bishop) Andrew Curnow)

The book is a well-illustrated (pictures, diagrams and stories) resource. One I would highly recommend Anglicans in this country read in conjunction with the Mission-Shaped Church. It is a great resource for parishes and small groups interested in mission out of an Anglican context. Until a NZ edition is researched, written and published, read this Australian publication – the parallels, implications, and stories can readily be related too and imaginatively re-contextualized. It is available from Rainbow Books in Oz.

You can read reviews here (with excerpt) and here. You can find the extended bibliography attached below. There is a 2006 Melbourne interview with Graham Cray here. Also, and interesting papers by Stuart Robinson on Bishops and the Mission-Shaped Church, and Strategic Planning for a Mission-Shaped Church. Finally, also worth reading is Christian Education in the Mixed Economy of the Mission-Shaped Church. All three papers are focused on the Australian Anglican context and were delivered in 2007.

Comments

[merv]

Hi Paul,
Thanks for the 'heads-up' about this book.
In the midst of the Missional conversation, though, I'm left with the same question I have about the fairer sex - "What is it that they want?"
As Anglicans, what are our 'generic missional instincts'?
Church attendance? Leading people into the Kingdom of God? Social action? The church's prophetic voice? .......
What does the Anglican Church in Aotearoa look like in 10 years time?

[Paul Fromont]

Good question Merv. I'll give that some thought, and post a few thoughts in the next week or so...

Am I paraphrasing your question accurately...?

"In the midst of the "missional" conversation I'm left with the question, "What is it that those engaging in the conversation actually want?" "As Anglicans, what are the indicators of that we are missionally engaged and active?" "What "mission" about? Is it about increasing church attendance? Leading people into the Kingdom of God? Social action? Giving expression too, and embodying a prophetic voice and presence in our communities etc?”

Meantime:

What would you like the Anglican Church in NZ to look and feel like in 10-years time...?

Or, even more specifically, "what would you like St. Andrew's to look, feel, and sound like in 10-years time...?" And, "how would you like to see St. Andrew's relative to the wider Cambridge community in 10-years time...?"

"What dreams and hopes has God given you...?"

[merv]

Paul, hi.
Sometimes if I don't comment straight away I think about it too much & chicken out. So - initial thoughts.

First off, I feel drawn & led to St Andrew's. In some ways, a guest. So I have determined that I will always be positive about this spiritual place.

Secondly, you notice I say 'they' (as in 'what is it they want'). I have yet to feel up close & personal about Missional aspirations, even as they relate to St Andrew's. Part of this is the language often used (eg 'generic missional instincts'), and maybe partly it's my place in the Anglican hierarchy (eg, from the Sydney Anglicans article - "Not surprisingly, the report advocates a continued commitment to Anglican structures: the diocese as taking the central role in revitalization; the bishop as ‘the broker of mission'")

But, really, I'm not looking for 'indicators' that we are missionally engaged & active. Rather, I'm trying to discover goals & visions (a vision being a now picture of a future reality).

Thanks you for your response. Like you, I'll think about these things - especially the second part of your comment.

[Paul Fromont]

Thanks for coming back at me and my questions Merv.

I'm still wondering...

But, if behind "indicators" are stories (hopes, experiences etc), then I've always thought that stories paint a picture of what mission looks like in particular contexts.

Certainly, for me, I have a tendency to be so future focused that I miss what God is actually doing in the only place I can engage with that work - the present.The grass (excuse the pun, given our drought) always has a tendency to be greener... over there... somewhere else!

That said, I think talk and stories of genuine mission are Kingdom stories - indications of God's future already present (and becoming present)amongst us...as we do the little things. Remember the post on Tom Wright (6th March 08). Wright says:

"…The NT vision of the present creation being recreated, being made new, by God. The newness is already anticipated, already breaking into the world when people are joined to Christ in baptism and faith, and live by faith in Christ. It breaks in when people, by the power of the Spirit, perform acts of new creation, by writing a symphony or a poem, by working to protect the environment, by struggling for justice and protection for the vulnerable, by building up communities, by holding at bay all the forces of destruction which threaten lives and societies…”

For me, Wright is talking about "mission"...

In that sense the future, shapes (and en-visions)the present. I get a sense of what God is wanting to do by looking for signs of the Kingdom; for signs of Kingdom possibility... shalom opportunities...

How do I know what the Kingdom looks and feels like? Primarily I engage and indwell Scripture, especially the Gospels. Here, the practice of individual and group "lectio divina" becomes important. "Appreciative Inquiry" becomes important, as does "action-reflection" and the Ignatian Examen of Consciousness...

All of these help me "SEE" (present and "future reality" , feel, taste, and hear God @ work - God's Kingdom right on my own doorstep (Lk. 4)...

I shall continue to wonder...

Thanks again for allowing and enabling a blog post to become a conversation.

[merv]

Wow. See now my head’s spinning just a little.

Let me get this straight. There is a sense in which you are an observer or discoverer of God’s purposes in bringing His Kingdom to fullness. Part of that discovery is a deep insight into Scripture. Your desire, though, is to participate in what you see God doing.

You en-vision a “future reality” by discovering what God is doing now.

But this all seems a rather passive exercise. Almost non-innovative. Whereas what I observe in you is something different. Let me explain.

Prodigal Kiwi(s) (your & Alan’s blog) is, imho, missional activity. To quote Wright: “ …the present creation being recreated …breaks in when people, by the power of the Spirit, perform acts of new creation..”. This is exactly what I see happening with your blog. Individuals who read your stuff are attracted anew into the Kingdom.

Did you observe & discover before starting to blog, or just launch in? Did you take the initiative? Based on what? [I hope I’m not probing too much here].

And if I am to observe & discover what God is doing, then my dreams & hopes about what St Andrew’s will look like in 10 years time are, well, kind of irrelevant.

But then, I wonder ....

[Paul Fromont]

Hi Merv. Great questions / observations (again). Thanks.

Sort answer, the innovation and creativity comes when decisions are made around how to respond to what a group discerns God is doing, wanting to do, and inviting them to join in on...

I'm away for a few days. Will reflect some more and see what I come up with later in the week..

Blessings

Paul