Good news from Devon

Often we hear about the demise of the Christian Church and judging my congregational sizes, such talk is perfectly justified. However, I do not see the Christian church walking quetly into oblivion.

In North Devon, one hopeful sign is the interest being shown in The Misssion Shaped Ministry Course. This is a course that has come out of Fresh Expressions which is a movement within the Church of England and the Methodist Church. The desire for new ways of being church comes out of the need in post modern society for what the Archbishop of Canterbury has described as a "mixed economy."

Last week, I attended the "Taster Evening" for the course which I am joining in Barnstaple. There was a large and enthusiastic turnout from both traditions with also a small United Reformed Church presence. The course in North Devon is being provided free of charge although we will be encouraged to make a contribution for next year's courses elsewhere in Devon.

I was enthused by the opportunity to look at how society is changing. I believe that we need to understand society if we are to positively engage with it. Certainly, there are changes which call into question whether tried and trusted ways of being church are necessarily foing to be appropriate in contemporary society. We seem to be becoming a more fragmented society with some distrust of big pictures.

A positive feature of the course which I am joining is that in its local form, we are bearing in mind the need to see how "inherited church" can play its role in mission as well as looking at "fresh expressions church." After all, it would be crazy to reject that which has been passed down to us and only emphasise the new. I think that a holistic approach to mission will see the two types of church as essentially complimentary rather than competitors.

It looks like we will have a few people from my Circuit on the course. Furthermore in the village where we are beginning an ecumenical "cafe church", the course is interesting noth ecumenical partners. We long to see where the journey will lead.

A few months ago, we had a Circuit Review which continues to influence out thinking. The combination of the "Mission Shaped Ministry Course" and the issues raised by the Circuit Review, makes me think that we are at a time of opportunity. Whatever doomsayers may proclaim, this is not a time for despair in the church!



The above post is a contribution to the initiative by Sally Coleman for February 2nd to be a day in which bloggers should write positively about the church. I am a day late as I was in Cornwall visiting my father yesterday.