All the pieces matter: A framework for evaluating mission in Anglican Schools in Australia Submitted by Stephen Harrison BAppSc (QUT) , BTh (BCT) , BCW (JCU) , GradDipL&T (USQ) , MMin (CSU) A thesis being submitted to Charles Sturt University for the Doctor of Ministry October 2017 Table of Contents Certificate of Authorship ......................................................................................... 6 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................. 7 Abstract ................................................................................................................... 8 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 10 Anglican Schools in Australia. ............................................................................ 10 Issues of effectiveness and complexity. ............................................................ 10 Key Terms .............................................................................................................. 12 Anglican Schools in Australia. ............................................................................ 13 Governing and affiliate bodies. .......................................................................... 13 Mission. .............................................................................................................. 14 Faith and faith development. ............................................................................ 15 Socialisation. ...................................................................................................... 16 Plausibility structure. ......................................................................................... 17 Effectiveness. ..................................................................................................... 18 Research Methodology ......................................................................................... 19 Chapter Outlines .................................................................................................... 22 Chapter One. ...................................................................................................... 22 Chapter Two. ...................................................................................................... 22 Chapter Three. ................................................................................................... 23 Chapter Four. ..................................................................................................... 23 Chapter Five. ...................................................................................................... 23 Chapter One .............................................................................................................. 25 The Christian mission of Anglican Schools in Australia ............................................. 25 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 26 Defining Anglican Schools in Australia. .............................................................. 26 Methodology ......................................................................................................... 28 Christian Mission in Schools – A Diocesan Perspective ........................................ 30 Exploring and understanding the Christian faith. .............................................. 32 Experiencing a Christian community. ................................................................ 33 Christian service. ................................................................................................ 34 Developing in the Christian faith. ...................................................................... 35 The Christian Mission of Anglican Schools – A School Perspective ...................... 36 Evaluating the Christian Mission Goals of Anglican Schools in Australia .............. 39 1 Christian Mission Actions of Anglican Schools in Australia ................................... 41 Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 46 Chapter Two ............................................................................................................. 48 Plausibility Structures as a Mission Strategy ............................................................ 48 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 49 The Plausibility Structure ....................................................................................... 50 Intentional harnessing of plausibility structures ................................................... 54 Criteria for Identifying a Plausibility Structure Approach to Mission in ASIA ....... 56 Criteria 1: The ability to function as a plausibility structure for a single worldview. ............................................................................................................... 57 Criteria 2: The ability to self‐determine the worldview to be disseminated. ... 58 Criteria 3: The intention to disseminate a specific and definable worldview. .. 58 Criteria 4: The intention to act as a plausibility structure. ................................ 58 Evidence ASIA use a Plausibility Structure Approach ............................................ 63 The ability to function as a plausibility structure for a single worldview. ......... 63 The ability to self‐determine the worldview to be disseminated. .................... 63 The intention to disseminate a specific and definable worldview. ................... 64 The intention to act as a plausibility structure. ................................................. 66 Self‐Identification as a plausibility structure ..................................................... 66 The use of methods of socialisation to pass on a worldview. ........................... 68 Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 71 Chapter Three ........................................................................................................... 73 Factors impinging on an Anglican School’s ............................................................... 73 plausibility structure ................................................................................................. 73 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 74 Schools: complex organisations in a complex environment. ............................ 74 Systems Theory ..................................................................................................... 75 General systems theory. .................................................................................... 75 Rational systems perspective. ........................................................................... 76 Natural systems perspective. ............................................................................ 77 Open systems perspective. ................................................................................ 77 Methodology ......................................................................................................... 78 The school as a system .......................................................................................... 80 Rational Systems Perspective ................................................................................ 81 Key Structures for delivery of Christian mission goals. ..................................... 81 2 Impinging Structural Factors ................................................................................. 83 Purpose and identity. ......................................................................................... 83 School as a business. .......................................................................................... 86 The Anglican approach to education. ................................................................ 86 Natural Systems Perspective ................................................................................. 87 Internal impinging factors. ................................................................................. 87 Open Systems Perspective .................................................................................... 91 External impinging factors. ................................................................................ 91 Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 96 Chapter Four ............................................................................................................. 98 Factors impinging on student socialisation .............................................................. 98 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 99 Ecological Systems Theory. ................................................................................ 99 Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Model of Human Development ....................... 101 Overview. ......................................................................................................... 101 Defining and measuring faith development. ................................................... 103 Bronfenbrenner