Emerging Jargon
I am currently reading an interesting book called "The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation and Mission for the 21 Century Church" by Michael Frost and Alan Hirch.
I have just finished chapter 3 which deals with the incarnational approach to ministry over the traditional attractional approach. This is really good stuff - it is pretty much they way we have been approaching ministry in the Kick Start program (a youth drug and alcohol program I run for Mission Australia). The challenge is now going to be introducing it to the more traditional "church" setting in my local community. But one step at a time.
I titled this post "Emerging Jargon" for a purpose - the authors of this book are using some new terminology that I think, in one sense is infuriating (because jargon words bug me) but also helpful in a descriptive way.
So todays emerging jargon phrase is "proximity spaces". A proximity space is basically any place where Christian's are able to interact with yet-to-become Christian's (those we would have traditionally called "lost" or "unsaved") in a culturally relevant way. It involves entering into their communities and interacting with them on their terms in their environment. This is cross cultural ministry without getting on a plane! Exciting stuff.
Questions for discussion
How are you using "proximity spaces" effectively?
Can we mix something of the attractional and the incarnational in creating new proximity spaces? (My answer at this point would be "yes").
Can you come up with a better (less anal) phrase to describe this idea? :)
4 comments:
I’ve read “The Shaping of Things to Come” some time ago along with a few other books dealing with the same topic. I love the idea of being incarnational and am trying to plant a church with the idea of helping, supporting, and equipping each other to invest in other communities and culture in order to be the Kingdom in that context.
So often we want people to adapt to church culture (something I never was able to do) and we fail to take the church to them. I have a small core group for our church plant and the first thing I told them was to find some other kind of community to invest in, and start being the church instead of just asking people to “come to church”.
We are still kicking all this around and it is good to talk to others doing the same thing. On one of my blogs I posted something on the You Tube Community and I have been wondering how we might become incarnational with it. That post is at http://indigenousstranger.blogspot.com
James
Hi James!
The church plant sounds exciting.
I agree with your comment re. expecting people to adapt to church culture. I did adapt but have never been terribly satisfied with it - which raises a whole other lot of questions regarding contentment and what "church" is really all about - but I am faced with the reality that those we are getting alongside in our community look at our traditional way of doing things and say "that's not for me". It's not that they reject Jesus just the way we do things. While for the past while I have been trying to find ways of "easing" them into our culture, it just isn't working and I have been faced with the fact that we need to remodel!
I will check out your blog. I am interested in community on the internet (I guess that is what I am hoping I will be able to generate via this blog - so far it isn't really working!!!) but I wonder how deep we can really go without the face-to-face, life-to-life experiences of truly incarnational ministry over the virtual.
Thanks for your comments. I would love to hear more about your plant and your ideas.
Hey Dave,
Now I know who iyou are - travelling incognito huh? How's it all going?
Lyss told me about what you have been doing when she caught up with your other half a couple of weeks back. Sounds pretty cool!
I think that introducing an incarnational approach is only counterproductive where people are stuck in a discipleship rut. I have always (or at least for a long time) seen this as being the biblical approach to ministry and evangelism generally and I think if we are not incarnational in our approach then we are not really living the gospel. I think it does take time for people, who perhaps have been reluctant or scared or unsure of their own place in this kind of ministry to get their heads around it, but it isn't impossible. And I think there are many different ways to "be" incarnational as well, my own journey has taken me on some varied approaches, some more productive than others!
I agree that the either/or approach to attractional/incarnational ministry is counter productive, and being effective is much more important. I think, even in the emerging context, attractional methods have a role - after all there is still a need to draw people into the kingdom and into our churches.
I like the "third space" idea but don't really understand how it is different from a proximity space (that phrase isn't growing on me!). I am keen to know how you have gone about implimenting and promoting your monthly gatherings.
I think that building community and growing relationships is crucial to growing the kingdom, but I also think that neither of these matters one iota if we never get around to the Gospel and Jesus. Of course, even if Jesus is rejected the relationship can remain. Check out the link to Scot McKnight's presentation where he touches on this bit - also the discussion over at Backyard Missionary.
Great to hear from you - I believe we are going to see you in Feb. Would be good to catch you for a cuppa earlier if you are down this way at all.
Big Dave said:
"There is no reason why the two should not be able to coexist. Food for thought..."
I whole heartedly agree!
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