BuildingBridges

[13.1] BRADFORD SETS THE PACE

One of the most challenging of the 'pilots' related to BBH in England is the Bradford Inner Ring Group, which exists "to support the Christian communities of Bradford in their common discipleship of Jesus and to encourage them to be good neighbours in their differing contexts." Working together across confessional boundaries, the major churches in the centre of Bradford (Anglican, Baptist, Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, URC and West Yorkshire Council of Caribbean churches as well as the Salvation Army and the Society of Friends) are seeking to transcend their normal 'denominational' structures and ways of working so that they can invest in common mission in a multi-cultural and inter-faith context. The project is described here. Current priorities are: relations with other faiths; evangelism; buildings; young people/children; training and education; and support of families.

The notion of 'church action zones' is very positive -- a new way of forging ecumenical cooperation which puts the needs and character of the neighbourhood / city at the top of the agenda. It also creates opportunities for structured working with agency partners. In Bradford's case that includes the Church Mission Society and the Shaftesbury Society. The Building Bridges of Hope accompanier is Professor James O'Connell.

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[12.1] INTRODUCING 'WORKSHOP'

One of the speakers at the 2003 Future Church Conference was Noel Moules, who coordinates an innovative training initiative simply called 'Workshop'. Supported by the Anvil Trust, Workshop is open and ecumenical, but it is also works with partners in the Anabaptist Network and uses the resources of the excellent Metanoia Book Service.

This is how they describe themselves:

"In an atmosphere of friendship, you will meet people from a wide variety of backgrounds, and a broad range of experiences. Some have church leadership responsibility, while others are just beginning to discover faith for themselves; but all aspire to know God and be used by God, or to work through doubts and questions. Few are able to attend full-time theological training, all want the stimulus to think and to learn; many find more than they ever hoped for or expected.

"Workshop exists solely to run training courses which are designed to serve both local churches and individuals in their exploration and experimentation with truth. Its specific aim is to equip participants for the ongoing challenges of church life and secular society. To this end Workshop brings together a quality of teaching resources that it is often difficult to provide in a local setting, making them available at six regional centres.

"On Workshop we are able to structure the material in the most creative and relevant way possible. The course is not primarily academic, (though a nationally recognised qualification may be gained), but neither is it superficial. By building on experience it has developed a quality, depth, range and diversity in its subject matter which is very extensive within a timescale that is realistic."

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[11.1] ENCOURAGEMENT FOR 'FUTURE CHURCH'

We are grateful to Paul Johnston and Jackie Price for the following article from Churches Together in Harpenden:

To keep you all in touch with developments in the UK church, two representatives of Churches Together in Harpenden recently attended a conference on Future Church Leadership and Mission for the 21st Century. The conference was organised by the Churches' Commission on Mission (a branch of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland) and was held at High Leigh Conference Centre, Hoddesdon.

Paul Johnston (co-ordinator of local Alpha initiatives) and Jackie Price (CTH Secretary and co-ordinator of the Youth Evangelist project) went along, partly to share what is happening here in Harpenden, but also to learn what is going on in other parts of the country, and to gain insights into how the current church 'scene' is changing.

Probably the most inspiring aspect for us was hearing about the many collaborative inter-church mission projects which are happening up and down the country, and the ways in which God is working to draw different churches together to make a real difference to the communities in which they're situated.

In Edenbridge, Kent, churches have collaborated to run an outreach cafe called "Bridges'. They employ a full-time manager, the rest of the staff being volunteers, and the aim is to provide not only physical refreshment but also a listening ear and friendship.

In a socially challenged area of Dublin, the churches have built a community centre which is used by various groups, but especially as a youth centre, staffed jointly by the local churches. These include Methodist, Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland.

In Cardonald, Glasgow, the Churches Together group embraces a community divided by class differences and sectarianism. Here, the churches have been instrumental in helping Protestant and Catholic communities work together, and those on the council estate (an Urban Priority Area) to work with those who live in a comparatively wealthy suburb.

In Bradford, the majority of churches within the inner ring road have agreed to functionally work as one on the following priorities: evangelism, best use of buildings, relationships with other faiths, supporting Christian families, education and training, and youth.

The leaders of two churches (one Anglican, one independent evangelical) undergoing the transition to Cell Churches discussed their vision and progress in what subsequently provoked a very lively debate which continued over the dinner table.

One very inspiring speaker from Sheffield [Dr Malcolm Grundy of MODEM] spoke about vision and values for leaders, and we were continually reminded of the need to affirm one another since our faith is relational.

We left greatly inspired and excited by the ways in which God is working throughout the UK and beyond, and challenged to 'dream big dreams'. as one speaker put it. Many people there had certainly done this.

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[10.1] BBH LEARNING INDICATORS

As many reading this will know, the basis for BBH's current 'action-research' pilots throughout Britain and Ireland is the seven key factors we identified from the previous stage of work -- the 'learning indicators' derived from a cross-section of local Christian communities engaged effectively in the mission of God in contemporary society. It's good to be reminded of them from time-to-time. They are as follows:

1. FOCUSING VISION. The importance of local churches articulating their specific calling through integrated strategies for community engaging, mature spiritual life, enabling leadership and appropriate structure.

2. BUILDING LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS. The significance of seeking and forming partnerships of action with those who share similar concerns in the wider community, both inside and outside the church.

3. SHARING FAITH AND VALUES. A commitment to exploring respectful and creative ways to share values, aspirations and faith in and beyond church circles in relation to the Gospel story.

4. NOURISHING DAILY LIVING. The critical need for believers old and new to relate biblical faith to personal life, work and culture in society today through worship, prayer and reflection.

5. DEVELOPING SHARED LEADERSHIP. The importance of forming in context clergy-lay (and other forms of) team leadership, animated by one another and linked both to church learning institutions and to genuine community participation.

6. BECOMING COMMUNITIES OF LEARNING. Churches at every level need to become places where the lessons about how to be ‘bridge-builders’ with others can be developed, consolidated and extended.

7. WILLINGNESS TO BE ACCOMPANIED.The value of welcoming systematic accompaniment and evaluation in non-directive ways from beyond the local – and the networking of stories and experience in order to be able to look at each other with fresh eyes.

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[6.1] EVANGELISM RESOURCES

Evangelism.Net describes itself as a webspace: "to offer suggestions and ideas to UK Christians and churches to encourage and enable their evangelistic thinking and action, and to help evangelism get done. The site covers different sources, representing a breadth of Christian approach and tradition. This site is maintained by the Church of England's Division of Mission and Public Affairs. If a site or resource is featured here, it does not mean it is approved or recommended by the Church of England or the Archbishops' Council – it simply means that the site or resource exists, and you may or may not be interested in it. Different resources will be valued differently by different people."

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[9.1] BBH 'PILOT' LINKS AND RELATED

Lou Ashworth has written in to give the URL of the South West District Methodist site. She's being accompanied as a mission enabler both for the Methodists and the URC.

Jackie Price has written an article about the Future Church Conference 2003 for the quarterly newsletter of Churches Together in Harpenden. See also the article 'At Your Word, Lord' -- on an exciting evangelization initiative in the local Roman Catholic parish.

Here at BuildingBridges we are seeking to revise the permanent links (on the right) as we go along -- and to include a section specifically dedicated to the BBH 'pilots'.

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[8.1] CUTTING EDGE

A comment from Dr David Goodbourn, General Secretary of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, following the 2003 Future Church Conference: "Thanks to BBH, we have seen the difference it can make when Churches at the cutting edge accompany one another in thinking through their work."

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