'That's Church' Keep It Simple

Keep It Simple BUT focused on being 'missional'!!

Missional?

A church and a people SENT by God to participate in God's mission [activity] in the world, an activity of reconciliation and renewal of the whole creation.

A bit like Eugene Petersen's rendering of John 1:14 in 'The Message' where "the Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighbourhood."
Are primarily 'attractional' models of church 'dead'? 
Well no, but in most places [some clearly more than others] there are significant cultural post Christian barriers for people or communities AND A focus on enculturating people to 'be like us' can make it harder to speak into our own contexts...

We are sent to 'go and be' rather than exclusively inviting people to 'come and see'...

  The Anglican Church in the UK and other places talk about 'The Five Marks of Mission' but I'm uneasy about embracing these marks' as sufficiently bringing 'change.' I can't quite articulate my issues but they still feel inward looking or as if they describe a slow to change institution, not a movement...

To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom

To teach, baptise and nurture new believers

To respond to human need by loving service

To seek to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and to pursue peace and reconciliation

To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth 

I guess my focus is more on:

An ethos or values that understand us as a community and individuals sent

Seeking to be followers of Jesus and inviting others to do the same

Seeking to meet the hurts and hopes of people in our community

Working for authentic relationships and purposeful communities of reconciliation

Sharing the story of a world lived according to the values of God

or something like that....

'I Keep Faith'

If you want to make the weather

Then you have to take the blame

If sometimes dark clouds fill the sky

And it starts to rain, folks complain

And though your head may tell you

To run and hide

Listen to your heart and you'll find me

Right by your side, because

I keep faith, I keep faith

I keep faith, I keep faith in you

Yes, I do, I keep faith in you

If you think you have the answer

Well, don't be surprised

If what you say is met with anger

And contempt and lies

No matter how hard you may want to

Just walk away

Reach out, you'll find me there beside you

All of the way because

I keep faith, I keep faith

I keep faith, I keep faith in you

Yes, I do, I keep faith in you

All the dreams we shared

I never knew no one who cared

About these things the way that I've seen you

It doesn't matter if this all falls off the cliff

Together we are gonna see it through

I know it takes a mess of courage

To go against the grain

You have to make great sacrifice for such little gain

And so much pain

And if your plans have come to nothing

Washed out in the rain

Let me rekindle all your hopes

And help you start again because

I keep faith, I keep faith

I keep faith, I keep faith in you

Yes, I do, I keep faith in you

I keep faith in you

Yes, I do, I keep faith in you

I keep faith in you

Yes, I do, I keep faith in you

I keep faith in you

Yes I do, I keep faith in you, yeah, yeah

I keep faith…

Billy Bragg from 'Mr Love and Justice'