Over the years I've had the privilege and opportunity of sharing with a wide variety of congregations and their leaders in their ministry work. That has involved all manner of interesting conversations and opportunities to participate in a number of activities such as:
- designing and taking training for team members,- running leadership development programmes,
- speaking at camps, services and retreats,
- helping groups put feet on their missional dreams,
- consulting around vision or governance issues,
- mentoring leaders in their roles,
- offering support in times of transition,
- preparing reports and recommendations for Boards,
As these opportunities continue to arise from time to time, I've decided to get a little more organised via some everyday tools such as getting an ABN, setting up a web-page and getting a fancy name and logo! (I hope you'll take note, that Mr Gates company also has four squares for a logo!)
The webpage is HERE (or at the top in the tabs for this page) and will give an idea of the sorts of things I might be able to help congregations, agencies, pastors or leaders with.
The name 'Fourth Place Consulting' comes from Ray Oldenburg's idea of three places. Oldenburg calls one's "first place" the home and those that one lives with. The "second place" is the workplace — where people may actually spend most of their time.
"Third places" then, are "anchors" of community life and facilitate and foster broader, more creative interaction. Oldenburg suggests these hallmarks of a true "third place": free or inexpensive; food and drink, while not essential, are important; highly accessible: proximate for many (walking distance); involve regulars – those who habitually congregate there; welcoming and comfortable; both new friends and old should be found there.
As we take seriously Jesus' commission to salt and light, so we will need to consider how to shape ‘church’ to become a ‘third space’ for relationship and care.
The local-church or faith-community or missional-community or table-church or what-ever-its-called, is in fact a third-place community, a catalyst for the grace and hope and love of Christ. A place where the gospel is incarnate.
The prayer and desire of 'Fourth Place Consulting' is to support 'third place' communities - hence the name.
I'm not planning for this to become my full-time 'thing', but rather to be available as opportunities arise. The rest of my time will be taken up with research I'm undertaking, as well as a number of other projects.
I'm up for a conversation and coffee about any of these resources. Shoot me an email, HERE, if you'd like to chat
Martin
