London Chaplaincy Team, 14th February 2010 by Dean Ayres on Flickr. Some rights reservied.
Do chaplains have an increasingly important part to play in Christian outreach as church attendance declines? A new report suggests so. You can read about it here, and buy or download the actual report itself here.
On 17th November 1957, Martin Luther King preached a sermon at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. An audio extract has been preserved. Listen to how MLK links the Cross to love for enemies and hence to transformation in the world.
Australian author and broadcaster Sheridan Voysey retells the story of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4 to talk and lead a discussion on how we take risks of faith to enter our ‘Samaria’ with the good news:
Beer Tasting by Toby Keller on Flickr. Some rights reserved.
Jon Kuhrt writes about outreach from his church to lone men at the local pub.
Some British Christians will remember the Hope 08 initiative. The same team is now bringing Hope 14 as a way of blessing our communities in Christ’s name. Here is Roy Crowne introducing the project and encouraging churches to get on board, either on their own or in partnership with others:
From Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, where a food bank has been running since 1990:
(Via Freedom 90. Hopefully Paul Simon doesn’t object.)
Neighbourhood by Nicola Since 1972 on Flickr. Some rights reserved.
One of the most depressing features of many churches is the number of people who think that if we just tweak what we are doing right now in a certain way (which often happens to chime with their personal tastes) then we will finally get ‘bums on pews’ again. (And yes, it is put that crudely at times.)
However, in an age when it is no longer normal to visit a church, let alone attend it regularly, this is surely a vain hope. Does the church not need to reconnect with the local community, in order to share the Gospel in word and deed? Kirk Kirlin recommends five strategies to do just that. Do these constitute a valid set of challenges that you, your church and her members could and would take up?
Germinate by Jason A Samfield on Flickr. Some rights reserved.
Are you interested in outreach in a village context? Germinate could be the day conference for you in October, with speakers ranging from Archbishop Justin Welby to experienced local practitioners.
Congregation by Kevin McGee on Flickr. Some rights reserved.
What is the emphasis in your church? Is it just about recruiting people to do church jobs, or is it on resourcing the congregation to live faithful lives in the world?
Here is an account of the latter. Yes, it may envisage a larger church than many typical British churches if it can gather together a whole coterie of teachers, but possibilities would still be present in smaller congregations.
Is this at the very least a challenge to the question of how world-facing some of our churches are?
Chaplain Kammer by Herald Post on Flickr. Some rights reserved.
Chaplains are official representatives of the church who bear God’s love in all sorts of areas of life outside the church. Schools, hospitals, shopping centres, prisons, football clubs, the armed services and many more you’ve never thought about.
Chaplaincy isn’t just for ordained ministers, either. Regular, committed church members can be chaplains, too.
Read and download the Chaplaincy Everywhere report, which also contains reference to an accessible training course.
Thinking About Mission 