Diocesan Synod

9 November 2013

The Diocese of Canterbury

David Heywood

Re-imagining Ministry

Reimagining MinistryCanterbury Diocesan Synod, November 9th 2013

Saying Goodbye to the Old

Wondering what the New will be like

Familiar ways are coming to an end

What holds us back?

‘New insights fail to get put into practice because they conflict with deeply held internal images of how the world works, images that limit us to familiar ways of thinking and acting’

Peter Senge,

The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organisation, p.163

Mission-shaped pastoral reorganisation

Possibilities for gradual change

Benign competition Recognising each other’s distinctive gifts and affirming each

other’s differing emphases

Cooperation• Clergy covering each other’s holidays

• Shared contracts on guttering

• Shared funeral administrator

Coordination• Joint work in secondary school covering multiple parishes

• Sharing marriage preparation, residential home ministry

Coevolution• Praying and planning the shape of mission together

Martyn Snow, Mission Partnerships, Grove 2013

Mission and therefore ministry are local and contextual

Inherited mode of church:

Stipendiary ministry is the standard form of ministry and all other forms of ministry are auxiliary optional extras

Emerging mode of church:

Local ministry is the standard form of ministry and stipendiary ministry exists to guide, resource and ‘connect’ local ministry

Meeting needs or discovering vocation?

Meeting needs or discovering vocation?

Meeting needs or discovering vocation?

Your SHAPE for God’s Service

Spiritual gifts (God's unique gifts to you)

Heart's Desire (what motivates and excites you)

Abilities (your talents, knowledge and skills)

Personality (your character, qualities and strengths)

Experiences (what you have gained from your life experiences)

Developed by Amiel Osmaston, Diocese of Carlisle

Only in church or out in the world?

Human work is

cooperation with God

in the transformation of creation

empowered by the Holy Spirit

As part of the coming kingdom of God

Miroslav Volf, Work in the Spirit

Chaplaincy: the new front line

From ‘Come’ to ‘Go’

Our Terms, Our Turf

e.g. process evangelism

Their Terms, Our Turf

e.g. church halls

Our Terms, Their Turf

e.g. some church plants

Their Terms, Their Turf

e.g. chaplainse.g. fresh expressions

‘Beyond the Fringe’ research (2003)

1. Destiny: what happens when we die? where, if anywhere, are we going?

2. Purpose: what is the point of life? what values should I live by? whose life and values might I take as an example?

3. The universe: how did it start? is it designed? is it planned? is it controlled in any way?

4. God: does he/she/it exist? if so, what is he/she/it like? what, if any, viable relationship could there be between God and human beings?

5. Spiritual realm: is there a spiritual realm? what form does it take? does it have any relevance to me and my life?

6. Suffering: why is there so much suffering in the world? what national and international issues particularly concern me? what can be done about them?

Foundational and vocational domains

Ann Morisy: Journeying Out, 2004 and ‘Mapping the Mixed Economy’ in Future of the Parish System

Foundational Domain: ‘The task … is to strengthen people’s confidence in their intimation that there is an enduring spiritual reality … it involves helping to foster a sense of the possibility of God.

Vocational Domain: ‘… encouraging people to discover and embrace their distinctive call from God … everyone has within them the urge to be a better self.’

Christianity is ‘a campaign for real humanity’ (Rowan Williams)

What is Christianity? 1. going to church; taking communion;

keeping Lent; confirmation; cathedral worship

2. who was Jesus? sin and atonement; resurrection; moral teachings

3. maintaining the building; keeping services going; royal weddings; Establishment

4 supportive Christian friendship; experience of loving and being loved 

5. uplifting worship, from Catholic to charismatic; festivals, pilgrimages, conferences; retreats 

6. guidance on daily living; coherent identity, uniting fragmented life pattern; wholesome religious teaching for children

7. opportunity to serve the community or wider world; expression of idealism or better self

1.Christian practices

2. Christian beliefs

3. The institution

4. Face to face community

5. Spiritual experience

6. Wisdom for living

7. Making a difference

What are the relative priorities in your deanery or parish?

Identifying and training local ministers

Mission to specific groups not normally relating to church

Developing chaplaincy opportunities

Changing structures to facilitate mission

Helping people relate faith and daily work

Reflecting on the different aspects of being a Christian

See if you can identify the THEOLOGICAL reasons for your order of priorities