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mission shaped church

If the decline of the Church is ultimately caused neither by the

irrelevance of Jesus, nor by the indifference of the community, but by

the Church's failure to respond fast enough to an evolving culture, to 

a changing spiritual climate, and to the promptings of the Holy Spirit,

then that decline can be addressed by the repentance of the Church.

For true repentance involves turning around and living in a new way in

the future. A diocese or parish, which, out of repentance, grows a new

relevance to the contemporary world, may also grow in numbers and

strength, because the Spirit of Jesus has been released to do his work.

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some questions for discussion

  Is it important for a church to meet on Sunday? What factors influence

church attendance in your area and how might your church respond to

them? (Bible suggestion: Exodus 20.8 11.)

  Over the past 20 or 30 years, what have been the major changes in

way of life for people in the community where you live? What effects

have any such changes had on the life of the Church in your area? In

what ways has your church responded and what more could be done?

  Make a list of the different geographical groups, people groups and

networks operating in your community. Compare this against a list 

of networks with which your local church is involved. Are there people

groups, networks or areas where the church is not involved, but should

be? What might be done about this?

  This chapter asserts: `In the future, this approach to life [giving people

the sense that they can have whatever they want] will not just apply 

to consumer goods   it will be applied to all aspects of life.'

In your local church, what experiences do you have of people being

`consumers' of faith and religion only taking the parts that suit them 

or that they want? How do you feel about such people?

What can the church do to challenge a consumerist approach to life

and faith, while also following the good missionary principle of meeting

people where they are?

  This chapter ends by saying: `this is also a moment for repentance. 

We have allowed our culture and the Church to drift apart, without our

noticing'.

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