April 2009 Anglican News Vol 26Page 1 No 3 Anglican News April 2009 The Newspaper of the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn 3600 copies every month FREE Is the church a barrier to the Gospel? Visiting UK taken him to New Zealand as in our ecclesiology to relate to specialist challenges part of his research into the se- mission imperatives, is to relate lection of ‘pioneer’ ministers. to people that God loves, out- church to reach new “One of the problems facing side the church.” sub-cultures the church in England is, how Using a very interactive style do you actually select people for of presentation, Peter Pillinger by Lewis Hitchick pioneering abilities?” he ex- showed several challenging quo- ‘The greatest barrier to the plained. In New Zealand he had tations (including the above Mike Gospel in contemporary West- worked with both the Method- Riddell quote) on a Powerpoint ern culture is the Church. The ist and Anglican churches presentation and invited com- forms of the church, its life and He explained that he himself ments and reactions. Other ex- pronouncements: these act to had grown up as an Anglican in amples were: prevent people from hearing an Anglo-Catholic church, but In working with young peo- the liberating story of Jesus.’ “then I was converted in my late ple in America, do not try to call Visiting UK specialist on teens”. them back to where they were, Fresh Expressions of Church, and do not try to call them to Peter Pillinger, challenged a re- where you are, as beautiful as cent Canberra conference with that place might seem to you. this statement, quoted from ‘It is as if we are You must have the courage to go Mike Riddell’s book Threshold trying to preserve with them to a place where nei- of the Future. ther you nor they have been be- Peter Pillinger was speaking telephone kiosks in fore. at a workshop on Fresh Expres- an age of mobile It’s the idea that we are go- sions of Church at St John’s phones.’ ing on a pilgrimage with the church hall in Canberra on Fri- people we’re being called to min- day March 13. ister with and witness to, not to While he acknowledged that bring them in to what we’ve al- the statement was deliberately “I’m actually convinced that ready got, and make them like provocative, he said he also be- people’s spiritual journey over us, but to explore with them our lieved there was some truth in their lifetime, particularly in the joint future before God. (Vincent it. 21st century, may take them into Donovan, Christianity Rediscov- Peter Pillinger, a member of any number of different expres- ered.) the UK Methodist Church’s sions of church, and those may ‘It is as if we are trying to Fresh Expressions core team, not be confined to a single de- preserve telephone kiosks in an assured his listeners he was “not nomination,” he commented. age of mobile phones.’ (Tom here to tell Australians how to He said some churches were Stuckey, President of Great Brit- MISSION FOCUS: Bishop Trevor Edwards, who hosted the run their church”. encouraging fresh expressions ain’s Methodist Conference Fresh Expressions Conference, takes an opportunity to Rather, he said he wanted to out of desperation, because if 2005-06, commenting on the tra- promote Bishop Stuart Robinson’s book, Starting Mission- share the experience of the Brit- they didn’t do something they ditional church). Shaped Churches, before introducing guest speaker Peter ish church, “in the hope that we would not exist in 20 years’ time. Peter Pillinger added a caveat Pillinger. will both learn from the conver- However, he discouraged this to this comment: “I know peo- sation”. reasoning. ple who still use telephone ki- The workshop attracted 35 “Fundamentally, we’re not osks. They are not a second-rate wanted to affirm the existing doing it the right way, I’m say- participants, mostly clergy, rep- making change because we love means of communication; they church. ing there are limitations on tra- resenting a wide range of par- the church, and we want the do a particular job.” “I want to affirm it as the ditional ways of church, that we ishes across the diocese and in- church to continue,” he ex- His quotes proved to be very Body of Christ, and I want to need to think outside of - we cluding a pastor and a lay leader plained. “We’re making change effective discussion starters, and affirm the Gospel of Jesus Christ need to enlarge the tent, as it from a Canberra Baptist church. because we have to serve a com- highlighted the diversity of opin- as the core of my living and my were.” Peter Pillinger squeezed the munity outside the church. The ions and attitudes to traditional being – and that’s the kind of Canberra workshop into a three fundamental reason for any church in his audience. church I want to be part of. (continued on page 2) month sabbatical leave that had missiological change or change However, he stressed that he “I’m not saying you’re not alsoalso inin thisthis issue:issue: St Mark’s opens Diocesan Clergy Soul in the City new offices Conference ... page 3 returns ... page 12 ... page 5 Page 2 Anglican News April 2009 THE BISHOPS’ COLUMNS Evolving churches for new ‘ecological niches’ I was struck by a phrase that mately six ministry units to avail ‘school’ for rural ministry that vivor organisation. Matt, a invited Marva to Canberra on the a recent visitor to our Diocese, themselves of the services of Archdeacon Genieve and Bishop Church Army Officer, is look- afternoon of May 28th. Details the Reverend Pete Pillinger used. John Barnes. John is a skilled Allan are developing. Such a cen- ing for opportunities to train will be available presently. You He spoke about a ‘mixed- Church Army mission facilitator tre will be lo- young people can learn more about her re- ecology’ church. His point was and strategist. He’ll work with cated in from our Dio- markable ministry at that different plants are shaped teams of leaders (in situ) and Goulburn Bishop cese (and fur- www.marvadawn.org (so to speak) by different eco- help them develop culturally apt (most likely). ther afield) in In the course of this past logical niches. His thesis (to and accessible strategies for Examples Stuart rural mission month I have come to the view which I subscribe) is that outreach and mission. of new and en- and will be that (under God) we need, as a churches ought to be ‘shaped’ gaging ‘mixed Robinson conducting Diocese, to articulate a vision for by their context or ‘ecological ecology’ mod- (with my en- the period 2010-2020; a ‘20/20’ niche’. els that I’ll be couragement vision! A fuller report on Pillinger’s Be assured that I promoting in- and blessing) The latter will be predicated thinking is in this edition of An- am committed to clude the ‘forc’ project (focus a number of ‘Soul in the Bush’ on the excellent principles, ide- glican News. Suffice it to say, on restoring community) in mini-missions to rural centres in als and forward movement gen- we need to carefully evaluate ‘received’ or Belconnen led by Judy Kocho the second half of this year. erated by our Confidence in this notion of ‘ecological ‘traditional’ forms of Douglas and ‘Broken Chapel’, Small teams of people aged Christ program. Your prayers are niches’. Do please be assured worship ... I am also Queanbeyan under the direction 18-25 will engage in social ac- very much appreciated as I seek that I am committed to ‘re- committed to of Josh Dinale. tion and outreach activities over to discern more clearly the Spir- ceived’ or ‘traditional’ forms of facilitating mission in We’ll report on these initia- the course of a weekend. it’s leading and direction in this worship. Indeed in some cases, tives in subsequent editions of Information on this program matter. a whole generation of young and through Anglican News. Judy and Josh is available at: http:// For Jesus, people are connecting with Je- ‘pioneering’ will concentrate on reaching peo- www.soulsurvivornsw.org.au/ sus through beautiful liturgy, rich ministries – urban ple who have had no connection soulinthebush.php +Stuart hymnody and the dominical sac- and rural. with local churches. Please pray Marva Dawn is an accom- raments. Brilliant. for them as they launch out with plished and gifted author and That said, I am also commit- very little in the way of re- speaker based at Regent College ted to facilitating mission in and sources – apart from a high level Vancouver where she is Teach- through ‘pioneering’ ministries – It is also my hope that within of confidence in Christ. ing Fellow in Spiritual Theology. urban and rural. To assist in this the next six months I’ll be able I have also been contacted by Marva’s doctoral work is in Eth- process I have invited approxi- to bring you details of a new Matt Gelding from the Soul Sur- ics and the Scriptures. I have Anglican Fresh Expressions Clergy moves and News (continued from page 1) miles an hour? he asked. “Which parish priest is the leadership of appointments The newspaper of the He pointed to UK statistics that church responsible to? Anglican Diocese of showing that current methods “Do you see the questions - The Reverend Peter Blundell has been elected Area Canberra and Goulburn effectively reach 26% of the and why those questions are ir- Dean for the North West Deanery.