I spent Saturday and Sunday afternoons of the Forge Grassroots Festival based at the UCA Hub in Little Collins Street, Melbourne. Cheryl Lawrie (of [hold :: this space]) (right below), Sam Charlesworth (middle) and Blythe Toll (left below) worked with a team to transform a corporate car park into Holy Ground : : Holy City. I was there to talk with interested people about alternatives to standard models of worship - a conversation deeply enhanced by the environment in which we met.
The burning bush/sacred ground experience of Moses was juxtaposed with the glimpses of God’s redeeming, transforming, hope-giving presence in the cities. iPods hanging from the ceiling showed video clips of the Tianenmen Square protester, the monks protests in Burma, and the destruction of the Berlin Wall. Around the walls and ceilings were projected films and photographs of pedestrian traffic in Melbourne. This was an invitation to explore the small clues to life, including the nature of concrete, cigarette butts and shoes.
In the middle was a space surrounded by security tape, with the words “Do Not Enter”, alongside phrases connecting the sacred ground experience of Moses with our experience.
Out on the wall outside was a chalk outline of the cityscape, with the words “New Earth”, and the invitation to dream of a future life for the city.
It’s now Day Two for the Forge Grassroots Mission Festival in Melbourne. Somewhere around 350 to 400 people have gathered from around Australia to catch up with each other and keep the cutting edge of the missional church movement sharp.
Al Hirsch was in full swing on Thursday, providing a bonus day of input for Forge interns and other interested visitors, talking through his book, The Forgotten Ways. Inspired by the early New Testament church experience, and that of the persecuted churches in China, Al talked about hallmarks of strong vital missional movements. Al spent a fair amount of time in the morning setting the scene for why the church needs to get its act together as incarnational and missional (being sent beyond itself). The afternoon was focused on developing common values, beliefs and practices expressed in practical ways.
Al reflected on the dangers of hierarchical approaches to church expressed in high views of ordination, and attempts to reproduce the Old Testament temple approach to worship. At the same time he expressed concern that ‘house church’ models were limited because they lacked the broadness of community found in the extended household models of the New Testament.
Al has spent the last year in the United States, on a speaking tour and working with leaders there. It was interesting to note his concern about the tendency of some emerging church leaders to lose a sense of confidence in the gospel. Moving past faith into doubt, Al suggested, would put the brakes on any sense of healthy movement. I’m not sure I agree with Al here. Yes, when we stop standing for anything positive we often stop looking beyond ourselves. But there is a season for reassessing and deconstructing before redeveloping expressions of faith that can be held with integrity and passion.
More to Come
It’s not too late to turn up at the Forge conference - at 488 Swanston Street, Carlton, Melbourne. I’ll be taking workshops in the afternoon on ‘post liturgical, post charismatic, post alt worship’, working with Cheryl Lawrie in the basement car park of the Uniting Church Centre, 380 Little Collins Street, 1.30 - 4.30 pm, Saturday and Sunday. Cheryl and team have set up a ’sacred space’ art installation with a focus on life in the city. In the same space Adrian Greenwood and the Praxis team have set up a cafe and exhibit focusing on ending sex traffic.
Stewart and Susan Harris, members of the Forge missional training network in Brisbane, are starting a missional church in the context of Brisbane’s Central Railway Station. Here’s the text from an article recently printed in the Queensland Baptist Magazine…
What is Central?
Central will be a group of Christian ‘City Dwellers’ (people who work in or live in or near the City) forming a church community that will be intentionally shaped by the mission of Jesus. Central will meet on Tuesdays @ 5:30pm in the Dining Car of the Grand Central Hotel (Ann St, opposite the Shrine of Remembrance).
Why meet at Central Railway Station?
Simple answer: because there are lots of people there! It’s going to be great doing church right there in the flow of city life! Our long term goal is to make Jesus and His church more accessible to the average person. Initially a core group will meet to renew their commitment to Christ’s mission. In time, our interested non Christian friends will be able to continue their search by coming along to Central with us.
What will happen at Central?
We will restructure our lives for mission by using Lifestyle – pray, standout, socialize, include, companion*, 5 clues to living mission. So a night might include investigating from the Bible how to live an attractive, distinctive Christian life, discussing a topic dominating culture, planning how to create meaningful social opportunities, praying for friends, learning how to engage people in conversations, discussing ways we can share the gospel in word and action. Most of the evangelism will happen through relationships in the flow of life, not in a building. (* Lifestyle developed by City North Baptist.)
Why meet on Tuesday’s?
First, it’s a good time for ‘City Dwellers’ to meet. People who work in the city can easily come to Central on their way home. Second, it will make some Sunday’s more available for meaningful socializing with non Christian friends. Third, it will be easier for curious ‘City Dwellers’ to access a church community.
If someone joins Central will they have to leave their church?
Yes and No. Central would become the core group’s church. But because we won’t meet on Sundays, people could continue their association with their local church. Central’s aim is to work in partnership with other churches that would release people who share Central’s focus.
Interested? Need more info? Contact Stewart & Susan Harris ssharris at tpg.com.au / 0401 762 121 and come along to an info night on Tuesday October 16, 23, 30.
