Start The Week

Back To Church for 37,000 people

 

Absolutely brilliant. Warm congratulations to everyone who joined in this year. Please stay with this one - it isn't over yet by a long way.

Back to Church Sunday 2008

welcomes back 37,000

Back to Church Sunday is celebrating another rise in the numbers drawn back to church by the event this year as organisers gather in London for a special event at Lambeth Palace. Figures based on returns from dioceses suggest that more than 37,000 people took up the invitation to try church again on Sunday 28th September 2008 – with more than 31,000 of them ‘coming back’ to an Anglican church.

This achievement was marked with a ‘thank you’ party for people across the country responsible for promoting Back to Church Sunday to local parish churches and encouraging them to extend the warmest welcome to visitors. The day involved multimedia presentations, buzzgroups, and giveaway treats from the sponsors Traidcraft.

Thirty-eight Church of England dioceses from Cornwall to Newcastle took part this year, in addition to Churches Together in Scotland, the Church in Wales, Baptist, Methodist, United Reformed and Elim Pentecostal churches, and Anglican churches in New Zealand and Canada. In all, around 3,000 churches took part – inspired by research that recently revealed three million people (six per cent of the adult population) would come back to church if they received a personal invitation*. The figures released today are extrapolations based on returns from approximately 20 per cent of participating churches.

Research by the Diocese of Lichfield after last year’s Back to Church Sunday showed that, six months after the event, between 12 and 15 per cent of ‘returners’ had become regular members.

Canon Paul Bayes, the Archbishop of Canterbury's adviser on church growth, welcomed the news and said: “What happened on Back to Church Sunday? More than 37,000 people invited someone they know to something they love. That's how Christianity has spread over the centuries, and it still works. What's new is this: when churches everywhere unite to invite on one special moment in the year, something really good is added.  It feels like one big church with one big welcome. And that strengthens the resolve of the inviter to invite and the returner to return.”

"Mixed Economy" - new magazine from Fresh Expressions

FE press team send this news:

MIXED ECONOMY – new magazine published

Mixed Economy, a new magazine charting the development so far of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Fresh Expressions initiative, is published this month.

The magazine, packed with articles representing projects all over the country, features the involvement of Church Army, the Methodist Church and the Church of England.

It is to be distributed free of charge across the churches.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, writes an upbeat contribution for the first edition of Mixed Economy in which he suggests that Fresh Expressions has demanded questions of each church or community: ‘What is the kind of vitality, imaginative life, integrity and quality of worship that is appropriate in this specific circumstance, with these specific people?’

He adds:” The traditional parish pattern, worked out with flair and commitment, may be completely the right priority to work on in some situations; in others, the actual needs of the people around will suggest new possibilities. And this is probably most often the case when we’re talking about those who live in less traditionally focused communities, those who have never had any experience at all of Church life - and many, perhaps most, of the under-25s”.

Dr Williams also welcomes the expansion beyond traditional denominational boundaries and the challenges this raises: "It’s true, from one point of view that this takes us beyond a concern with denominational identity; and for some this is worrying. Is it really Anglican, or Methodist, or Baptist? What I hope is that, in the next phase of the work of Fresh Expressions, as it continues to enter more fully into the bloodstream of the churches, we start asking instead - of Fresh Expressions, but also of some of our inherited patterns - ‘Is it really Church?’

Other articles contributed include Howard Mellor (evangelism as parable), Steven Croft (milestones on the journey), Brother Damian SSF (mission and spirituality) and Ian Adams (international perspectives and developments).

Mixed Economy is edited by Rob Marshall, who is Media Advisor to Fresh Expressions.

Fresh Expressions, an initiative of the Church of England and Methodist Church, has resulted in hundreds of new church communities now existing side by side with more traditional church congregations.

Copies are available via the Fresh Expressions website (www.freshexpressions.org.uk) or via

mixedeconomy@freshexpressions.org.uk 

There probably is, you know

George Fisher (Lichfield diocese) has this. For more contact him at george.fisher@lichfield.anglican.org

In response to the Atheist Bus Campaign, Rev Evan Cockshaw who is a Pioneer Minister in West Brom (Lichfield Diocese) and part of the Diocesan Evangelism and Outreach Team has developed a website www.thereprobablyis.com

What he needs now is testimonies! He says, "The idea I had for this website was to simply provide the testimony of 100 or more Christians from all walks of life talking about why they believe in God. Not from an academic point of view so much as just honest testimony about experiences in life they've had which causes them to continue to believe in God to this day despite being intelligent and sensible people. So can we please be promoting this and asking for contributions from people finishing off the sentence "I believe in God because ..." in no more than 500 words. There is a form people can fill in on the website which will submit the contributions automatically."

He is also intending to produce a design for some postcards for churches to buy and hand out to people as the campaign hits their area.

Fresh Expressions Pioneers' retreat, March 09

Led by a great team including our own Rachel Jordan, and Colin Brown. From the Fresh Expressions team Colin writes:

Fresh Expressions Pioneers' Retreat

Lee Abbey, Devon

March 16^th – 20^th  2009

Time & space especially for individuals and teams pioneering fresh expressions of church

A vital opportunity for those pioneering fresh expressions of church, from whatever tradition of the wider church, to come together for spiritual refreshment and Bible study and to share their experiences of the journey. The pioneers retreat will be led by Rachel Jordan and Colin Brown from the National Fresh Expressions Team, Tom Stuckey from the Methodist Church, and Angela Brown.

Many pioneers feel the burden of being ‘on the edge’ and are naturally very active in their ministry. This retreat offers the space to follow Jesus’ example – of rest and prayer in a remote and beautiful place. ‘Come away to a quiet place…’ Mark 6.31

What to expect:

A special, prayerful place to stop for a few days

Space to reflect, pray, worship and listen

Time to be recharged, refreshed, reinvigorated, encouraged…by giving space and time to God and to yourself

Scriptural reflection from Tom Stuckey and Rachel Jordan relevant to pioneering ministries

Creative approaches to prayer and reflection

Opportunity for one-to-one accompaniment with a member of the team.

Engagement with Lee Abbey community’s ministry

Please note that this is a retreat for those already engaged in pioneering fresh expressions of church, and not a training event. Should you require information on teaching and training in relation to developing mission and fresh expressions of church, please visit our website at www.freshexpressions.org.uk and follow the link to training.

Please book through Lee Abbey. Their online booking system address is

http://www.leeabbey.org.uk/devon/book.

Alternatively telephone 01598 752621

Sheffield Centre Research Bulletin no.3

Laurence Keith writes from Sheffield:

We have pulled together our third research bulletin for Winter 2008. Our theme, ‘synagogue to marketplace’, links to the change from the mindset of the gathered church calling people in, to a community of dispersed missionaries going and starting something new. To read it please click on this link: Research Bulletin No.3. We hope you enjoy it.

Evangelism Linebacker

Try it where you are, if you dare.

Sent in by Miles Baker of Peterborough Diocese, who will be giving workshops on Evangelism Linebacking at the Missioners' Conference 09.

Church Army conference - Participation in Church

From Jenny Richardson at Church Army:

Participation in church

Fresh expressions and new forms of church can easily fall into traditional ways of leadership, structures and decision making.

This day conference explores new and innovative ways of ensuring that people are involved in the life, decision making, shaping and transformation of the 21st century church. It is designed to suggest and model approaches including Open Space technology, World Café and other empowering approaches.

7 Feb 2009, 11am – 4pm (coffee from 10.30)

FREE! (£25 deposit required, this will be returned to you when you attend)

Lunch and refreshments included.

Wilson Carlile Campus, 50 Cavendish Street, Sheffield S3 7RZ

Facilitated by Rob Husband (Space2Think), Nigel Pimlott (Frontier Youth Trust), Jenny Richardson (Church Army) and Chris Sissons (Methodist church)

To book, and for more information, contact Wendy Evans, at the address above

Tel 0114-278-7020

w.evans@churcharmy.org.uk

If Starbucks marketed like the church...

You must watch this. A fabulous video from "Beyond relevance" - http://www.beyondrelevance.com/

C of E key facts

Church House communications division are bringing these regularly before people - lots of interesting stats culled from Lynda Barley's work. For example:

Key facts about the Church of England: Church attendance and visits

The Church of England has the largest following of any denomination or faith in Britain today. Almost half the people in England regard themselves as belonging to the Church of England, while 7 in 10 consider themselves Christian.

More key facts about the Church of England today can be found at: http://www.cofe.anglican.org/about/thechurchofenglandtoday/

Faith in Research consultation, May 09

This should be good. Not till May next year, so you should have space in your diary. Why not come?

Research & Statistics Department, Church House

and  the

Oxford

Centre for Ecclesiology & Practical Theology

invite you to

Faith in Research?

Exploring current research in ministry and mission

Tuesday 12 May 2009

10.30 am to 4.30pm, at Church House,

Westminster

LONDON

Chaired by Bishop John Packer, Ripon and

Leeds

Cost of the day - £30 including buffet lunch, coffee and tea

This conference is designed for those who shape policy and practice in ministry and mission at national and diocesan levels in the Church of England. The aim is to share current research and to take soundings on the future direction of research on ministry and mission. The day will also raise awareness of the issues involved in designing and executing research relevant to the church.

Full flyer is here:  Download 2009_invitation_faith_in_research_may09.doc