Church on The Edge

1
Church on The Edge

• Exploring the connections between, Whale Rider,
  Ambiguous Evangelism, Christianity Rediscovered,
  and Meet Them Where Theyre at and missiological
  implications for engaging with young people on
  the edge

2
Church on the Edge

• Ambiguous Evangelism Bob Mayo with Sara Savage
  and Sylvie Collins SPCK London 2004
• Christianity Rediscovered Vincent Donovan SCM
  Press London 1982 (2nd Edition)
• Meet Them Where Theyre At Richard Passmore SU
  Milton Keynes 2003

3
Ambiguous Evangelism

• Research into worldview of Gen Y via the popular
  arts
• Lack of knowledge and Generally happy and
  positive (p33)
• Did not connect spirituality with images
  (religious or otherwise)

4
Ambiguous Evangelism

• The assumption here, however is that the content
  of the message will be understood if it can be
  got across in an appealing way. Our conclusions
  from the research findings, however were that
  this is not the case the lack of underpinning
  religious narrative means that people are not
  going to recognise the Christian message for what
  it is however well it is presented. p 7
• Early stage unconscious ignorance to conscious
  ignorance
• How is it possible to share the Christian message
  in the cultural context in a way that will get
  over the barrier of ignorance and enable people
  to interpret what they are hearing?
• The son is the only way to the father, but there
  are many ways to Jesus Christ. (Fung,20023) p9

5
Ambiguous Evangelism

• Current Context
• People are broadly sympathetic to Christian
  beliefs and church.
• Majority of population Unchurched (never been in
  contact) or Dechurched (been but not longer)
• Christian Faith does not have a conscious impact.
• Generally people give little thought to the
  matters of the ultimate or transcendent on a day
  to day basis but live their lives more in terms
  of the immediate realities.
• YP framework more from friends and family and
  pursuit of self fulfilment
• when matters of ultimate concern, such as birth
  and death, occasionally penetrated normal life
  and more immediate loci of meaning were
  insufficient to explain events, the young people
  generally turned to Christianity as their back up
  system but there was little sense of the faith
  tradition which lay behind the beliefs and
  practices to which they turned there were just
  echoes of a memory p28

6
Ambiguous Evangelism

• The Claims of Christ can be presented
• Playfully appealing to imagination rather than
  intellect
• Through story so people can appropriate the
  concepts into their own context
• In an understated manner
• Through dialogue

7
Christianity Rediscovered

• Best summed up by the quote (THAT WAS NOT
  DONOVAN)
• In working with young people do not try to call
  back to where they were and do not call them to
  where you are as beautiful a place as that may
  seem to you. You must have the courage to go with
  them to a place that neither you nor they have
  ever been before.

8
Christianity Rediscovered

• To approach each culture with the respect due to
  it as the very place wherein resides the
  possibility of salvation and holiness and grace.
• To approach people of any culture or nation, not
  as individuals, but as community.
• To plan to stay not one day longer than is
  necessary in any one place.
• To give the people nothing, literally nothing,
  but the unchanging, supracultural, uninterpreted
  gospel before baptism.
• To help them expand that gospel into a creed and
  a way of life after baptism.
• To enable them to pray as Christians.
• To leave them the bible towards the day when they
  can read it and use it as a living letter in
  their lives.
• To insist that they themselves be their own
  future missionaries.
• To link them with the outside church in unity,
  and the outside world in charity and justice.
• To agree with them that baptism is indeed
  everything that the reception of baptism is the
  acceptance of the total responsibility and the
  full, active sacramental power of the church, the
  eucharistic community with a mission.
• To encourage them to trust in the Spirit given at
  baptism, and to use the powers and gifts and
  charisms given to the community by the Spirit.
• The final missionary step as regards the people
  of any nation or culture, and the most important
  lesson we will ever teach them is to leave them
  (page 162-163)

9
Meet They Where Theyre at

• Drew from a number of years detached practice in
  a range of contexts
• Author committed to relational, incarnational
  Youth work
• Model translates to a variety of contexts and
  value bases

10
Meet They Where Theyre at

• 1. SURVELLENCE -Working out which geographical
  areas or groups of young people to engage
• 2 COLD CONTACT. Visual stage where we acknowledge
  the groups
• 3 COLD CONTACT. Introductions where we introduce
  ourselves and the project
• 4. AREA BASED WORK This is when starting in an
  area or patch and a wide variety of contacts are
  being made.
• 5. PEER GROUP WORK This happens as the work
  becomes more defined and consists of natural
  groupings of young people. This stage is often
  where larger groups are identified usually around
  a shared interest. e.g. football or hanging out
  and may be too many work with or inconsistent
  attendance.
• 6. BASIC SMALL GROUP WORK As key young people are
  identified the work should be forward to this
  stage. This group is made up from the groups that
  exist within the larger peer group.
• 7. RISKY SMALL GROUP WORK This is about taking
  calculated risks to move the work and
  relationships forward such as 1-1 work, a
  relaxing , perhaps having a meal with the young
  people etc. However this is not about putting
  yourself or the young people at risk.
• 8. EXPOSURE AND EXPLORATION OF SPIRITUALITY Young
  people should be introduced to aspects of
  Christianity in practical supportive ways. It can
  range from events to raise their consciousness of
  Bigger things, e.g. watching the sunrise,
  exploring creation, to going to an event. The
  worker should explain some of the things that may
  happen at events and translate what is happening
  at the event and use the opportunity to explore
  spiritual issues in a supportive way.
• 9. RELATIONAL BASED EXPRESSION OF CHURCH This
  refers to supporting the young people in local
  churches or relevant groups, and developing new
  groups based around the young people developing
  their own expression of a discipleship group with
  the worker.

11
Church on The Edge

• Aims
• Building on the partners strengths and knowledge
  of working with young people on the edge of
  society to develop a fresh approach to
  challenging young peoples behaviour through good
  youth work processes with the critical intention
  to grow a relevant expression of church with
  marginalized young people.
• To identify the key issues in establishing church
  with marginalized young people through the
  process and disseminate this through the
  Christian community in the UK to facilitate
  locally grounded and resource light expressions
  of church.
• The project will to seek to work within a
  professional framework and believe good youth
  work is participatory, empowering, educative and
  promotes equality of opportunity. We seek to
  enhance the personal, social, emotional and
  spiritual development of young people that they
  may realise their full potential.

12
Church on the Edge
13
Church On the Edge

• Contacting Community
• Growing Community
• Connected Community
• Exploring Community
• Ecclesial community

1-3 SURVELLENCE and COLD CONTACT. 4. AREA BASED
WORK 5. PEER GROUP WORK 6. BASIC SMALL GROUP
WORK 7. RISKY SMALL GROUP WORK 8. EXPOSURE AND
EXPLORATION OF SPIRITUALITY 9. RELATIONAL
BASED EXPRESSION OF CHURCH
14
Church on the Edge

• How does Donovan sit alongside this process?
• What are the key questions Donovan would raise
  about the project?
• What are the implications of the findings from
  Ambiguous Evangelism for the project?
• What resources could Ambiguous evangelism provide
  for the project?

15
Church on the Edge

• Drawing from the previous answers develop a
  detached work plan in line with the four stages
  identifying key tension points and solutions?