Churches Group for Evangelisation 08.03.11

Churches Together in England's Churches' Group for Evangelisation met earlier this month and have produced a 'popular report' of their proceedings.  Here it is:

Denominational news

Various national denominational officers for evangelisation brought news from their churches, including:

• Redeemed Christian Church plan to plant churches in the UK.
• Church of England Bishops listening to young people share the message of Jesus.
• Roman Catholic parishes had resource about the purpose and mission of the Church as Papal Legacy project. (Their February newsletter appears to have been withdrawn and so I have added a link to the legacy site.)
• Elim churches are being challenged in the 'Big Ask' to each plant a new form of church for the Centenary:
• Methodist churches have an initiative called Deepening Discipleship which helps Christians share their faith:
• Salvation Army are providing new resources to help members share their faith, eg for children and young peoples work
• Baptists are again working with Back to Church Sunday with their material called The Big Welcome
• Congregational Federation have resources on 'growing disciples':

2011-14

Rob Cotton brought us up to date with the myriad of initiatives, both local and national which are celebrating the 400th Anniversary of the King James version of the Bible. We were encouraged that many local congregations had absorbed resources and activities provided by Biblefresh and thought this was a good model of how a national network can helpfully provide resources for local groups.

We discussed the challenge of the Olympic Games and the opportunies for all churches to engage in the resources being coordinated by More Than Gold. We would hope that local groups would again strategically use the many resources being produced in to their programs.

We discussed the two fold aspect of Hope Together of 'word and deed' and the interplay between these two vitally important priorities in mission. How to equip Christians to feel confident in sharing their faith, remains a key priority of the Churches Group for Evangelisation.

Confidence in the Gospel

Various resources were brought to the table, including Peter Graystone, Director of the Christian Enquiry Agency who spoke of the 10,000+ visitors to http://www.christianity.org.uk/ since it was launched in November. Group members were delighted with the development of the website and commended Peter for the work he had done in bringing it together. Members agreed with Peter that every church website, magazine, mission initiative and email signature should have the link somewhere prominent, so people can find out more and make contact.

Related articles

• Group for Local Unity, March 2011 (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)
• Launch of the Papal Visit Legacy Programme: 'Some Definite Purpose' (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)

Working Together in Mission 2011 - 2014

Churches' Together in England's (CTE) Group for Evangelisation has produced the first two of a series of resource papers in preparation for the series of initiatives mentioned in their recent statement.  These papers can be found on the CTE website.

Mission together: where are you now?

The next three years will see the churches in England presented with a multitude of mission opportunities. A major initiative with the Bible, the Olympic Games, and a three year build up to Hope Together will all come with national publicity and resources.

This paper is the first in a series to help local churches pray and plan ahead. Even small steps can make a big difference and make mission possible, manageable, and hugely beneficial for individuals and local communities. In September 2010, a press release from members of the Churches Group for Evangelisation suggested the following four steps as a framework for what local churches to consider:

• Research the potential of each initiative
• Pray and discern a vision
• Strategically plan together in your own local context
• Work in close collaboration

… celebrating the various diverse gifts and strengths in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ together.

A local case study in mission and partnership

This is a case study of how one local Churches Together group, in Horwich, Lancashire, has made use of two very different partnerships with wider initiatives and networks to help them in their own local mission, which includes the Eden Bus project, illustrated.

It is offered as an illustration of how churches together groups could form future partnerships with the major networks Biblefresh, More than Gold and Hope Together 2011-2014.

Related articles

• A Statement from the Churches Group for Evangelisation (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)
• Biblefresh:Reading the Bible Together as a Church (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)
• Biblefresh (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)
• Hope Together Launched in July (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)
• 2012 Olympics: More Than Gold (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)

Biblefresh:Reading the Bible Together as a Church

Further to a recent post about Biblefresh, I have found more details about their approach to the Bible in 2011.  This is from the Biblefresh website and quoted in the September issue of CTAL Notepad.  Although this is a newsletter for churches in Lincolnshire, it includes information other areas might use.

Research has shown that Christians struggle to read the Bible regularly, so this is a good starting point for Biblefresh. By ‘reading’ we don’t just mean looking at the words on the page, but whatever it takes for you to ingest the Word of God, whether that’s listening to a podcast or watching a dramatic reading.

Whilst we want to encourage personal Bible reading, we recognise that the Bible was written to be read in community. When we study the Bible together rather than alone, we are less likely to skew the message, as each person brings a different perspective.

Why not make 2011 a year to read through the whole Bible as a church? There are plenty of schemes to help you, several with online commentary and forums.  Or you could focus in on some books that you’ve never really read before. Have a look at some of these resources to help you decide.

And of course, if we study the Bible together, an ecumenical group is likely to benefit from a wider range of approaches and insights.  To take this line of thought a step forward, it might be worth exploring scriptural reasoning.  They write: 'Scriptural Reasoning is the communal practice of reading sacred scriptures, in small groups, together. Normally the passages of scripture chosen are Jewish, Christian and Muslim and are linked together by a particular issue, theme, story or image. When read together in this way participants – or “reasoners” - have found that astonishing, powerful and, at times, quite surprising, new conversations and relationships may open up.'

Related articles

• Biblefresh (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)
• A Statement from the Churches Group for Evangelisation (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)
• CTAL Notepad (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)

A Statement from the Churches Group for Evangelisation

Image by Catholic Church (England and Wales) via Flickr

Churches Together in England have issued a press release, dated 23 September 2010, from the Churches Group for Evangelisation meeting at High Leigh on 21 and 22 September. 

Local Churches and Biblefresh, More than Gold, Hope Together 2011-2014

As members of the Churches Group for Evangelisation, we encourage churches in England to engage in the home mission opportunities afforded by the national initiatives Biblefresh, More than Gold and Hope Together, as they feed into national, regional and local churches programmes.

These three major initiatives complement each other, and provide significant resources for mission for the next four years. Each home mission initiative will provide a positive legacy for the future in terms of deepening discipleship, church growth, community transformation and people finding faith in Christ.

We encourage local groups of churches to:

1. research the potential of each initiative
2. pray and discern a vision
3. strategically plan together in your own local context
4. work in close collaboration

… celebrating the various diverse gifts and strengths in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ together.

Information
The Churches Group for Evangelisation is a Coordinating Group of Churches Together in England, with representatives of member churches and associated home mission agencies.

Websites:
http://www.cte.org.uk/
http://www.biblefresh.com/
http://www.morethangold.org.uk/
http://www.hopetogether.org.uk/

Further information:
Captain Jim Currin, CA.
Secretary for Evangelisation
Churches Together in England, 27 Tavistock Sq WC1H 9HH
020 7529 8135
Jim.currin@cte.org.uk

Related articles

• Biblefresh (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)
• 2012 Olympics: More Than Gold (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)
• Hope Together Launched in July (ecumenicalissues.blogspot.com)