A Summary

Well, it's been a while since the Pilgrimage Conference finished up, and I've been thinking about the principles I've heard and observed. Meanwhile the three of us have headed up north into Scotland, through Edinburgh, up past Perth and to the Isle of Skye. Beautiful, stark, dark and rugged countryside. More about that later.

As a first go at drafting a summary list:

• Doxology before formation before missiology before ecclesiology. The worship and glory of God is foundational. The rest of the list needs to be motivated from an encounter with and concern for the glory of God. Often, I feel, that energy is expended out of a concern for the church or the state of the world. It begins with surrender to God. Doxology brings the desire and the power to obey, which leads to the sharing of God's heart for mission. Getting the church sorted comes last not first!

• Mission as driver: The love of God, and the sacrificial example of Christ is our impetus for loving others. We live and relate and serve for others not ourselves. 

• Call of all believers to mission: The call is to all who follow Christ. Ministers and 'missionaries' are not a priestly cast with 'sentness' thrust upon them. We have a lot of work to do to help our people see themselves, not as congregations to be cared for by the sent ones - but as the sent community themselves! The Spirit empowers and gifts all!

• Intentional formation: The process of discipleship is central if this is going to happen. The western church has not done this well at all over many generations. Discipleship for maturity wouldn't happen without discipline and careful intentionality. It needs to be about shaping behaviour not imparting knowledge alone. It cant be about entertaining the Sunday audience. It needs to include mentoring, coaching, practice, encouragement and high accountability. The 0-30s who have abandoned the church (through boredom, I think) are up for this if we model it with joy and zeal. I wonder where the 30-80s are who will lead this?

• The importance of intentional leadership: Leadership has tended to be anathema in recent decades. Visionary and prayerful leaders who practice high accountability but low control are needed. High control and high accountability stifles the creativity of the congregation. It is not empowering but homogenising. Low control and low accountability,laissez-faire leadership ends up in either chaos or stasis. High accountability modelled all the way through a team ensures synergy and alignment to the shared values but allows for diversity and creativity as the individuals are led to develop their call.

• The importance of leadership training: The recruiting, training, orientation and development of leaders is absolutely crucial.  It is about forming a leadership community with members who share the same 'ministry DNA' that will support each other and will in time raise up, develop and release future leaders. Gathering together, intentionally structured times, as well as informal times for food and play are vital. Leaders who can discern God's voice and who obey it; leaders who have vision and can impart hope.

• Openness to the gifts and power of the spirit: All of this needs to be imbued with a recognition that the Holy Spirit is present, active and works beyond our capacity. Prayerfulness and dependence on God daily is the fuel. It is interesting that some 200 years on, most of the 'great awakenings' movements have lost momentum - and have a good measure of suspicion about all things charismatic - yet this was their heritage! Is it possible that in their fear of not imitating the extremes of the pentecostal movement, the baby got tossed out with the bathwater?

• The importance of group size: Rather than emphasise the importance of just the Sunday congregation or the small cell-group, there is a recognition that whilst large gatherings and small more intimate gatherings are needed, it is the mid sized 'extended' family group of 20-50ish that is what is missing in many churches. It is the optimal size for local mission engagement. Not too big to be impersonal nor too small to be threatening. A church can actually multiply out many of these (low control and high accountability) to connect with different networks or neighbourhoods. Provided good leadership and discipleship processes are maintained, there will be growth and community engagement within a flexible structure.

More later, as well as some questions about how this all might work out in practice.

I found it interesting to see the high proportion of young men involved in one way or another with the churches with a heart for worship and mission.

The time finished with all participants being anointed with oil and prayed for as they                were 'sent out.'

'Was once described as a 'thin' place, a place where heaven touches earth.