our strange new world_web

8/9/2019 Our Strange New World_Web

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RETHINKING THE CHURCH


2/13

Most of us remember learning the hand activities that went

along with the rhyme . . .

here is the door

here is the steeple

open the doors

and see all the people

What does hand church teach us about church?

Click to the next slide to see what others said.


3/13

1. There is an assumption regarding what a church should

look like (steeple)

2. You have to go into the building in order to see the

people.

3. People are not the church . . . they are only inside of the

church.

4. Church is a building.

Check out the video WHAT IS THE CHURCH? on the

Message Resource page before moving on.


4/13

1. As we prepare to introduce our ministry vision for

Renew Community Church I want to give us some of the

why behind the what.

2. We talk about church in ways that make us loose focus.

Check out the examples on the next slide.


5/13

I am going to church tomorrow

We refer to the church as a building

Church was awesome this morning

We refer to church as an event.

What type of church is it?

We refer to the church as a system of doctrines and

traditions

Can you think of any? Leave a post with your input!


6/13

1. As we prepare to introduce our ministry vision for

Renew Community Church I want to give us some of the

why behind the what.

2. We talk about church in ways that make us loose focus.

3. The major shifts in our culture are forcing us to re-

examine the churchs identity, purpose, and practices.

Watch the POST-CHRISTENDOM PANEL video at the

Message Resources page before moving on.


7/13

the culture that emerges . . .

1) as the Christian faith loses coherence within a society

that has been definitively shaped by the Christian story

and

2) as the institutions that have been developed to express

Christian convictions decline in influence.

Stuart Murray

Post-Christendom: Church and Mission in a Strange New World


8/13

These seven shifts indicate the post-Christendom nature

of our strange new world.

1. From the centre to margins

In Christendom the Christian story and the churches

were central, but in post-Christendom these aremarginal.

2. From majority to minority:

In Christendom Christians comprised the (often

overwhelming) majority, but in post-Christendom we are

a minority.


9/13


10/13

6. From maintenance to mission

In Christendom the emphasis was on maintaining asupposedly Christian status quo, but in post-

Christendom it is on mission within a contested

environment.

7. From institution to movement:In Christendom churches operated mainly in institutional

mode, but in post Christendom we must become again

a Christian movement.


11/13

1. Jesus told his disciples that he would build his church

(Matthew 16:18)

2. The apostles understood the Great Commission to be

about planting churches.

Acts 15:36, 40-41

36 Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us go backand visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached

the word of the Lord and see how they are doing."

40 but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the

brothers to the grace of the Lord. 41 He went through

Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.


12/13

We will use the following definition as a framework for this

series and will be developing one phrase each week.

people created in the image of God

responding in faith to his provision

under his rule

serving his purposes

in meaningful community with him and others


13/13

Spend some time thinking about how you use the

word church and how you have though of it.1. Make an effort to only use it to refer to Gods

people.

2. What has church meant to you? Has it been

a place to go to, an activity to participate in,

or a community of people to be part of?

Reflect on the shift to post-Christendom.

1. Do you see evidence of this in your own social

network?2. What do you think is required for the

community of Gods people to faithfully

respond to this shift?

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