Helping people make connections with God…

Captain’s Log: Is Denominationalism Dying?

Interesting status post today on a colleague’s Fb page with a question about a recent trend towards dumping denominational loyalties. I think this phenomenon is real, not imagined, and it’s a mixture of the healthy and the potentially dangerous, it seems to me. Most large denominations nowadays represent a broad spectrum of churchmanship, and it’s only natural and right that an increasingly mobile population should gravitate towards whichever church in their area most nearly reflects their vision and values, irrespective of the particular denominational tag on the notice board out front.

The downside of this general loosening of ties, however, is surely the unhelpful way it can combine with the Deconstructionism advocated by certain prominent voices these days, often under cover of the word “Missional”. They make extravagant claims for their theories on “reinventing church”, on the basis of poor theology and very scanty experiential evidence, and talk of an emergent/ing church, whilst ignoring: a) the new churches that have already “emerged” (like Vineyard) and b) the quiet revolution taking place in many brave traditional churches who are finding ways of constructing new wine skins without destroying the old.

I have also long been uneasy with a concomitant general undervaluing of the Body of Christ which chimes in with a largely healthy questioning of authority in society at large. This leads some nowadays to make foolish and unbiblical statements about “organized religion”, and others directly to insult the Bride of Christ in a way that must grieve if not anger the Bridegroom. The same attitude has also led many to abdicate accountable relationships within A church entirely, in favour of “getting fed” through THE church (Universal), by which they mean a range of conferences, books, online resources and para-church organisations. This is a survival mentality similar to a computer restarting in “Safe” mode. It enables very basic functionality and the possibility of a fix, but massively reduces the effectiveness of the Christian. It can be necessary for survival in the short-term, but it becomes a severe problem when people settle for it as the norm.

I hope that like Postmodernism generally, this is a phase of flux in God’s church which will soon be over, leaving the church stronger than ever. But I have to say my fear is that the faith of many will be needlessly damaged in the process. This culture-shift has much to commend it, but let’s not chuck the baby out with the bathwater. While this is going on around us the temptation will often be strong to respond to difficulties and disagreements by sweeping out and slamming the door behind us. But the truth is that the Local Church is the only mechanism God has ordained for the creation of true disciples. We need to encourage each other in these days (Heb 10.25) to gather together regularly, and oppose this foolish cult of individuality.

My own denominational ties to Vineyard are as strong as ever. Not everyone has to feel that way, but it’s no bad thing for those of us that do! At KV we are endeavouring to build a church that welcomes “Recovering Christians” as well as Established, and New, and Non-, and Pre- Christians. But we won’t be to everyone’s taste. And that’s ok. As long as people connect sustainably somewhere, that’s Job Done. Failure to connect is NEVER good for long.

As ever, this is intended as a discussion-starter. Drop me a response, if you like, or maybe I’ll see you at Pub-Church…..

Toby

KV Prayer & Fasting: What are we praying for?

The Kingdom Vineyard is in the business of “helping people make connections with God”. The phrase encompasses a huge range of activities our members engage in day by day: giving to the needy, healing the sick, lending a helping hand or a listening ear, etc. But we can achieve something even better when “the church” is seen to do the very same things. In fact, an organized approach to these activities can achieve much more than a scattergun approach. Storehouse is a good example.

Currently we are somewhat restricted, at least in our corporate contact with people, because our only regular point of access is a couple of hours on a Sunday morning, carrying out a specific programme within a borrowed building. The work of the church continues through the week, but apart from Home Groups, most of this happens in an office based in Strathkinness at the end of the Pastor’s garden – not the most visible or accessible of locations. Through the activities of Storehouse and regular events like Pub Church, we have made opportunities for contact, but we could do so much more with a constant presence, demonstrating that “church” encompasses everything we do and not just Sunday services.

As far as Storehouse is concerned, there is evidence that suggests that whenever ministries like it are opened up for people outside the church to make contributions, they grow to double or triple their size. That would be one wonderful result of placing it in our own venue, but through invitation events we could also start to make personal contact with people whom Storehouse benefits. And this would result in opportunities to invite the Holy Spirit into people’s spiritual and emotional lives, as well as the physical needs that Storehouse helps to address.

Being a church with limited financial resources, we rely heavily on the support of volunteers. With a large student population this is an abundant resource, but the lack of an accessible (St Andrews) venue prevents us from making the most of it. So far, thanks mainly to great effort from a very few, we have done incredible things with relatively little. But imagine what we could do with a massively increased pool of volunteers. Whatever we can imagine, God will do more, because his vision is far greater than ours.

The specific location we are looking at is of importance too. All of the churches in St Andrews are based in the Old Town. We have believed for a long time that God is calling us to “cross the burn” – i.e. to reach the two thirds of St Andrews on the side of the Kinnessburn that has no churches. It is highly visible and accessible, situated as it is on an arterial route on the way to the supermarket and the hospital. It is also just around the corner from the new Police Station.

Thanks to the recent growth of Young Vineyard, and the increase in different ministries of the church, space for meetings of various kinds is desperately needed. YV has long since outgrown the available space at Holy Trinity Church Hall. Until now, any worship, training or teaching on a smaller scale than our Sunday morning meetings has been squeezed into living rooms or required the additional hire of spaces. At the venue we have found, space could be given to constant prayer and worship, in addition to Alpha, Cluster, Social, Training and Leaders’ meetings…. And doubtless much more too.

Having our own space to do all these things is simply more sustainable and and creates a massive opportunity for growth. Access to leadership of the church can become a less random thing than a few moments conversation squeezed into a Sunday morning. Meetings could be arranged, existing and new ministries developed more easily and efficiently, and with the provision of a “storefront” venue, the inner workings of the church, and especially the office, would become more accessible and transparent, creating community as a natural outflow of its mere existence. There will also be a positive impact on external perceptions of the church. As an organisation, the more we are actually seen to be of benefit to our community, the more benefit we can bring, rather than being seen as existing only to serve ourselves. KV and Storehouse sharing one building is just the beginning of this positive publicity for God.

So, please join us to pray for:

• A venue where STOREHOUSE has storage and space to invite people to contribute and receive gifts; where it can grow and bless more people, meeting their emotional and spiritual as well as physical needs.
• A venue where YOUNG VINEYARD can spread out and grow.
• A venue where PRAYER and WORSHIP lifts God up in the most needy part of St Andrews.
• A venue where CHURCH can be at its most effective.
• A venue where this church ceases to be “invisible” to those we exist to serve.

As you pray, know that this venue is 62A Largo Road, St Andrews, and that nothing is stopping us from moving in except that the request sits unattended to on a desk somewhere. Pray for God to MOVE this forward.

captain’s blog

I’ve been corresponding with some people and thinking some more on the subject of revival since my last post. I’m grateful for the enthusiasm with which prayer (including prayer for revival) has been embraced by many here, following the successful launch of the Prayer Room initiative in St Andrews a couple of years ago. Now I’d like us to work towards focussing our ideas a bit more. In reply to some guys who believe good, old-style Revival is coming to St Andrews, I wrote the following. It’s not meant to sound negative; just to focus our attention a bit more strategically…..

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If indeed Revival does strike St Andrews, it will be essential to avoid the mistakes of the past. The recent revivals in the UK, including that spearheaded by Billy Graham in the sixties, when church attendance in Scotland DOUBLED in a matter of weeks, have all foundered on the lack of church structures capable of containing the New Wine. Three years after Billy Graham left, the status quo had been restored. Why? Because so many of the new and revitalized believers had not been drawn into accountable (“discipling”) relationships in well-led, Spirit-filled churches.

Revival, like the moment of salvation, is not the end: it’s a beginning, and as such it cannot be our goal. If it’s going to be worth the effort of praying for in the first place, we’ll first have to become a local church/churches full of leaders: self-sacrificing, dedicated, wise, patient, teachable leaders who are ready, willing and able to take the lead when the new people come in. Otherwise we’ll be like a thirsty man in a desert praying for a shower of rain. Actually, the first thing he needs to pray for is a bucket…… or perhaps he just needs to expend some time and energy making one. (That’s kind of what Carol and I are trying to do here.) Once he has a bucket he can sensibly pray for rain, knowing that when the shower comes he’s not merely going to move from a state of dry-and-thirsty to one of wet-and-thirsty.

In short it’s not much use praying for revival if you aren’t also planning for revival and preparing for revival. Consider how the St Andrews churches would cope if their congregations suddenly doubled or tripled, and that with completely unchurched people. How would we cope and how long would those new “converts” stick around?
…….

……I believe that as we work patiently to build up the church(es), through our relationships and every gift of the Spirit, we are approaching nearer to a state of readiness for Revival with a capital ‘R’, whilst witnessing every day the creeping, small ‘r’ revival we already have. “Do ye not perceive it?”, as the old-timers used to say!

Captain’s Blog 05092011

I believe we aren’t waiting for revolution or revelation, or even revival. I think we are already in the midst of all three, and if we have the patience to step each one through in obedience and tenacious fortitude, we’ll begin to see and experience them more and more. I believe it’s a creeping revival, a subversive revolution and a progressive revelation. And I believe patience is the primary call of the Spirit in our age. Not comfortable is it?

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A busy time is approaching, with new Freshers to welcome, and seemingly quite a few new families beginning to take an interest too.  We also look forward to Alpha and a new Evening Service, back at the Cosmos Centre, in addition to all the stuff we are doing already; much of which, like Storehouse, is simply growing whether we like it or not….and of course we do.

In periods of change it can be easy to get a bit flustered: to let things get under our skin that wouldn’t normally bother us. Things will look a little different at times, and mistakes will doubtless be made.  We’ll feel the insecurity, the seeming fragility and the strangeness of the New. At the same time, our lives may well get busier in all sorts of other ways, just with the stuff of work and family, especially in the run-up to Christmas.  And along with that comes an opportunity the Enemy never fails to take: to accuse the church of ignoring us, taking and never giving back, and perhaps above all of MAKING us too busy to enjoy life.

If we are to cope with this well, the first thing is to know our enemy, and see what he’s about.  Let’s all decide right now never to blame the church for over-busy-ness that really comes from other sources.  The second is to take adequate time to REST: and I don’t mean indulging in “leisure activities”, I mean proper, Sabbath-style Rest.  I’m not going all Pharisee here, or even Western Isles Presbyterian.  I just mean that high octane computer games, paint-balling, sky-diving, road-racing etc are leisure, but they are not REST.

Sitting with a Bible or a novel in the garden where you can hear the birds singing and the trees rustling in the wind would qualify.  Sitting with a coffee listening to a favourite album would qualify, especially if you have good hi-fi.  Going for a walk would qualify.  A night of pure silliness in the pub with people you are in no way responsible for might qualify.  If your work is mainly in the mind, even a vigorous work-out at the gym might qualify.  Certainly the prayer of thankfulness: best done with a journal, qualifies.  (In fact you might say that’s one of the purposes for godly rest: it gives us time and space to count our blessings, which re-calibrates our life-dials in a most wonderful way.) These are all activities that actively reduce stress.  They allow our adrenalin (etc) levels to return to normal.

Rest is a discipline.  That’s why God insists on it.  We’ve all got a thousand reasons not to rest, and if we allow our stress levels to get unhealthily high, we all have a million reasons why we CAN’T.  And that’s enemy activity too: telling us we don’t deserve to rest.  In fact I’m not sure deserving comes into it at all.  Rest is a medical necessity and a Biblical imperative, so only a fool wastes time wondering if he deserves it.

And the third thing, I think, that helps us keep a level head (“when all around are losing theirs and blaming it on you”{RK}),  which again takes time I’m afraid, is deliberately to reflect on the past.  We’ve been through changes and difficulties before.  We’ve added new activities and ministries before.  Things have gone-wrong-before-they-went-right before.  And as we look back, we can clearly see that most of the changes we’ve gone through have been for the better.  The church has grown in size, in the ministries we are able to support, in our understanding and dedication to the King of Kings, and in the quality and depth of relationships too.

We are all signed up to a vision that is simply encapsulated in the tag-line: “helping people make connections with God”.  We don’t have to do a thousand new things to achieve that goal.  In fact, on the basis that we want to try and proceed at a pace that doesn’t kill the church, best we don’t.  But it is time to welcome more pre-Christians through Alpha, Christians into existing and new Home Groups, and Everyone to more Sunday worship.  As we seek to help people find answers to their deepest questions in Alpha, friendship and support in Home Groups, and an added opportunity of meeting with Jesus on Sundays, I think we’ll tick most of the boxes for what we need to be doing as a church right now.

Let’s grab a coffee some time and talk about it.

Toby