Patrick Mitchell’s new blog FaithinIreland is one of my better RSS feeds. His latest observations intrigued me today on post-Christendom realities. Check out his chart, courtesy of UK Anabaptist Stuart Murray Williams.
Most paid ministry professionals should feel a sense of discomfort considering these observations. The irony is that that this looks where I am headed – right to the epicentre of this great maelstrom of change in and throughout the church. I’m far from nervous, just anxious and excited to see where we are sailing for.
Bon Voyage!
PS. Let me know your thoughts on the chart.
| Post-Christendom realities
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Symptom / challenges |
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From the centre to the margins
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Is there even a ‘centre and margins’ any more? |
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From majority to minority
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Rapidly decreasing cultural and political and religious influence How engage with and live alongside others who hold radically different values and beliefs? How do we do unto others as we would have them do unto us and what might this mean in practice?
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Settlers ( at ‘home’) to sojourners
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Exiles, aliens, pilgrims A vision of counter-cultural lives and counter-cultural communities. Re-capturing the radical call of the Christian life. |
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Privilege to plurality |
One voice among many – with especially negative attitudes to Christianity in light of the past The call to be good news as well as talk about good news
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From control to witness
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Influence by witness, engagement, dialogue and respect – especially in light of Ireland’s legacy of control and authoritarian religion
|
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From maintenance to mission |
From a comfortable self-sustaining support base, into unknown territory of missionary engagement with western culture Missional church – full of missionaries with a clear vision of their identity in Christ and calling to follow him
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From institution to movement |
Unwieldy ecclesiastical structures / bureaucracies – towards flexible, maneuverable missional communities It is the Spirit who empowers the church for mission, who leads and guides and transforms his people. Study, reflection, prayer and seeking the Spirit’s lead |
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