THE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH SESSION 2

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THE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCHSESSION 2

• Having considered the ministry of Jesus Christ
  demonstrating the purposes of God through his
  Reign. We seek to draw together the implications
  for us today.
• But first of all let us worship God

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• Hymn They Kingdom come on bended knee
• Reading Exodus 161-12
• Hebrews 111-2, 121-2
• Prayer Let us pause to thank God for
• Those who have led the Christian life where we
  live and made the life of faith possible for us.
• Those who have shared the love and grace of God
  within our nation saints who established
  fellowships, translators of the Word, doers of
  the Word.
• Those who helped spread the Good News to every
  part of the world from early Jerusalem and
  throughout the centuries.
• Those who continue to cross boundaries of
  language, tradition, religion, culture as
  channels of the Good News .
• For each other in this place now, inheritors of
  the pilgrims of the ages and in Christ the
  inspirers of pilgrims to come.
• All Amen

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• We saw in Session 1
• Jesus Christ living the life of Gods reign
• Keeping fellowship with people and responding to
  their needs.
• Teaching and training them in the life of the
  kingdom.
• Showing them actions of the kingdom
• what about us?

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• Our task in Christ is to
• Continue his remarkable ministry.
• To live the life of the Kingdom.
• To incarnate the Kingdom
• - its nature
• - its actions
• - its priorities
• - sharing story

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• To be pilgrims of the Kingdom called and sent.
• We today belong to the long chain of Gods
  pilgrims.

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• OUR PILGRIMAGE
• A journey with God.
• A source of blessing for others.
• A means of our development and growth.
• A movement of Gods life amongst his people.

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• READING
• The whole Israelite community, setting out from
  Elim, arrived at the wilderness of Sin, which
  lies between Elim and Sinai. This was on the
  fifteenth day of the second month after they left
  Egypt. The Israelites all complained to Moses
  and Aaron in the wilderness. They said, If only
  we had died at the Lords hand in Egypt, where we
  sat by the fleshpots and had plenty of bread!
  But you have brought us out into this wilderness
  to let this whole assembly starve to death.
  (Exodus 161-3)

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WORK SHEET 11

• Have we lost the awareness of movement, of
  pilgrimage?
• Facing challenges is not new which are they?
• Consider the challenges of Exodus 131-3

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OUR CONTEXT

• Our cultures, Welsh, English, older and younger
  generations, ethnicity, other faiths
• Popular concepts of life
• - Post-modernism
• - Secularism
• - Materialism
• - Humanism
• - Science

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• These influences frequently are impersonal and
  undermine the personal, undervalue relationships
  create a vacuum and loneliness for many.

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• Pilgrims required to struggle with difficulties /
  threats.
• Discussion
• What language or concepts should we use to convey
  the call / challenge of Jesus to this generation?
• Are there difficulties within the Church itself
  today, and how may they be overcome?
• What should be our aim and objectives be within
  the community?
• Who are our fellow pilgrims?

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• Pilgrims need to plan their journey
• The importance of a broad inclusive vision.
• How to
• Realise objectives
• Plan carefully
• Share resources
• Value mountain-top experiences
• Cope with disappointments

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• Discussion
• What makes you want to celebrate your faith and
  rejoice in God through Jesus Christ today?

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WORK SHEET 12

• Verses
• When he saw the crowds he went up a mountain.
  There he sat down, and
• when his disciples had gathered round him he
  began to address them. And
• this is the teaching he gave (Matthew 51-2)
• I tell you, many prophets and kings wished to
  see what you now see, yet
• never saw it to hear what you hear, yet never
  hear it. (Luke 1024)
• Afterwards the disciples came to Jesus and asked
  him privately, Why could we not drive it out?
  He answered, Your faith is too small. Truly I
  tell you if you have faith no bigger than a
  mustard seed, you will say to this mountain,
  Move from here to there! and it will move
  nothing will be impossible for you. (Matthew
  1719-21)
• What do these quotations say about the
  relationship between teacher and disciple?

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Purpose of the Church To Motivate Disciples

• Jesus calls the disciples immediately after
  proclaiming the message (Marc 115).
• They are disciples of the Kingdom
• - accompany Him
• - learn from Him
• - be part of His work
• They learn by being with Him, engaging and
  reflecting. (Luke 1017-20)
• They are called to give their all (Luke 957-62)

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• We learn
• The closeness of the teacher - disciple
  relationship
• He is the teacher
• He sends and authorises
• He meets them upon their return to listen /
  reflect
• He rejoices and gives thanks for their work in
  proclaiming the Kingdom
• It is a process of sending, acting, reflecting,
  thanking and
• rejoicing
• BUT

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• The disciples secret is to be willing to learn
  ... (Matt. 1129-30)
• Like the Master, sacrifice belongs to the
  disciples vocabulary.
• The faithful disciples reward is more
  responsibility (Matt. 2521).

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• Disciples individually and corporately should
  enquire about
• - willingness to be taught
• - reflection upon their discipleship
• - development and maturing
• grow more Christ-like
• effective witness.

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Purpose of the Church To Serve

• Jesus pattern of ministry is the Servant.
• To serve and not to be served (Matt 2026-28)
• Service is the secret of the great (Mark 1043)
• The disciples to serve one another (John
  1312-17)
• suffered the ultimate (Phil. 28)

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• The church is to be servant of the Lord and
  servants like the Lord
• Serving community, neighbourhood, nation and
  world.

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• This requires
• - obedience
• - humility
• - commitment

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• Reflecting upon his ministry in a deprived area
  of London, David Sheppard said
• The Christian church would have to have spent
  years of much more sacrificial commitment both to
  working class London in general and to the areas
  of greatest deprivation before we could properly
  talk about shaking off the dust from our feet.
  Most people who live there have not yet seen the
  church acting in terms which make Christianity a
  serious adult proposition.
• (Built as a City, page 390)
• Symbolic of how the church should approach her
  task.

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Purpose of the Church Friends of Jesus
ChristRead John 151-16

• Disciple, servant and FRIEND
• The Disciple ? servant ? friend of Jesus.
• Marks of the friend are - sharing
• - trust
• - closeness
• - warmth
• - not counting cost
• - loyal
• Jesus said you are my friends if you do ...
  (John 1514)
• The Church Pilgrimage of the friends of Jesus
  Christ

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PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH TO RECONCILEWORK SHEET 13

• For he himself is our peace. Gentiles and Jews,
  he has made the two one, and in his own body of
  flesh and blood has broken down the barrier of
  enmity which separated them for he annulled the
  law with its rules and regulations, so as to
  create out of the two a single new humanity in
  himself, thereby making peace. This was his
  purpose, to reconcile the two in a single body to
  God through the cross, by which he killed the
  enmity. So he came and proclaimed the good news
  peace to you who were far off, and peace to those
  who were near for through him we both alike have
  access to the Father in the one Spirit.
• Thus you are no longer aliens in a foreign land,
  but fellow-citizens with Gods people, members of
  Gods household. You are built on the foundation
  of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus
  himself as the corner-stone. In him the whole
  building is bonded together and grows into a holy
  temple in the Lord. In him you also are being
  built with all the others into a spiritual
  dwelling for God. (Ephesians 214-22)

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• What do these verses mean for you?
• our peace
• he has broken down the barrier of enmity which
  separates them
• annulled the law
• to create a single new humanity
• proclaimed the Good News of peace
• fellow-citizens with Gods people, members of
  Gods household

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• Paul speaks of
• The power of love
• Destroys divisions
• Brings people together
• Creates a new community
• The household of God see Ephesians 219,
  1 Peter 29

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• The Church is about
• Being a community of reconciliation in
• love
• locally
• nationally
• globally

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Summary

• The Church is Gods pilgrim people at the
  beginning of the 21st century. It is
• - the pilgrimage of disciples
• - the pilgrimage of servants
• - the pilgrimage of friends
• - the pilgrimage of reconciliation
• - the pilgrimage in fellowship
• - with the Living God
• - in love and sacrifice
• - in meaningful service

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THE CHURCH AT WORK

• Five snap shots of the emerging church
• Morlan, Aberystwyth
• Lightship, Cardiff
• Ystrad Mynach
• Chaplain to Deaf People
• Together Creating Communities

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MORLAN

• Morlan an expression of the faith and mission
  of Morfa Church, Aberystwyth ...
• a centre of faith and culture.

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• In 2006
• Music for all age groups
• Exhibitions e.g. The Inner Kingdom

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• Meeting place for dramas, poets and writers.
• Question and answer

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PICTURES OF MORLAN
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LIGHTSHIP

• Cardiff Bay transformation of post industrial
  port ?
• Centre for business and commerce
• leisure and entertainment
• homes for thousands
• BUT
• Christian witness?
• It was decided ...

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• ... to adapt an old lightship
• Symbolic significance
• Moveable
• Different
• Small chapel and meeting rooms
• Café preparing snacks
• An open space and the light tower
• The lamp symbolic of the gospel
• Open air meetings
• A community of welcome
• A Chaplain to the Bay

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PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE LIGHTSHIP
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YSTRAD MYNACH

• A disused chapel sell or develop?
• Decision
• adapt as a meeting place
• appoint a leader
• invite local groups
• set up a quiet room

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• What is Siloh Centre?
• A meeting place gospel and world
• a quiet place
• new way of being church

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PHOTOS OF SILOH, YSTRAD MYNACH
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CHAPLAIN FOR DEAF PEOPLE IN NORTH EAST WALES

• Why? Deaf and hard of hearing people are
• isolated
• forgotten
• deprived

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• He has
• Mastered sign language
• Set up local groups
• Raised awareness
• Established a congregation of deaf people
• It is a new way of being a church.

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PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE CHAPLAIN AT WORK
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TOGETHER CREATING COMMUNITIES

• What is it?
• Groups working together for the benefit of
  community

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• How does it operate?
• Agree issues
• Gathering detailed information
• Meeting with officers, councillors etc.
• The principle of accountability
• Training

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• Why do churches belong?
• An opportunity to co-operate
• An opportunity in community
• An opportunity to be Good News
• Enrich worship, meditation and prayer

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• New life in small church fellowships in
• decline?
• YES
• Through seeking to be good news in Christ
• BUT HOW?

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• 1. Consider who we are
• 2. Pray and Enquire
• 3. Dreams and Plans
• 4. Act
• 5. Reflect

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• STORY
• The small things
• Why didnt she turn to the church and its
  ministers?

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• If quality of life issues such as
• - loneliness
• - environment and ecology
• - work and economy
• - human rights and justice
• concern our people, are they not also
  Kingdom or gospel issues. We must
  listen, interpret, identify with and
  build a bridge.
• In order to communicate the Gospel
• of the Kingdom. But action is
• Necessary

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• Need desire for the Kingdom
• Need enthusiastic people loving Jesus
• Christ
• Need Kingdom building people

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Prayer

• Faced with decline and the disillusionment of our
  times about any salvation we insist on saying,
  Lord, you are the way, the truth and the life.
  Through you we know the Father. Help us to walk
  the way, to live the truth and in you be filled
  to overflowing with life which is life indeed.
  May we, in you, live in such a way as to create a
  desire in our age for a change of direction and
  belief in your living, dynamic Kingdom today, as
  we follow each preceding generation of pilgrims,
  Amen.