GG's PROBES

FXFC - Intro

A FRESH EXPRESSION FOR A FAITH COMMUNITY
An Immersive Church for an Emergent Culture

By Way of Introduction

My name is Gordon Gray, and for the last thirty years or more I have been involved in helping Churches and Christian Non-Profits think through ways of being more effective in reaching out to the wider world. I studied theology at Ridley College, an Anglican Theological College here in Melbourne, Australia. Currently I worship at Murrumbeena Baptist Church (MBC) in SE Melbourne. Over the years I have been involved in ‘christian marketing’ activities, assisted in Church Plants, run alternative worship services, and visited churches in many parts of the world. Recently I have immersed myself in books and blogs concerning the ‘Emerging’ or ‘Missional’ Church.

Please note that all I say here is the expression of one person’s particular viewpoint – albeit heavily fed by writers within and without the various expressions of the Christian Faith.

Please also take on board that I am not attempting a prescription for the Church at large – rather I am exploring ‘a’ fresh expression to living out the Christian faith. I value the term that the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, has been quoted as using in this regard -- “a mixed economy” – that there are many ways of being Church, new and old – there is no one way. One impetus for writing this at this time is that I am facilitating a Strategy TaskForce for MBC – seeking a direction for our church as we move towards 2020.

Another foundational perspective is that I am looking at things from a Western point of view (with a definite Aussie twist) and that I fully understand that things are very different in various parts of the world – vastly different in many parts of Africa and Asia – but also that there are significant differences between Australia, Canada, NZ, UK and US.

The overall shape of this series of ‘Probes’ will (I think) follow the following framework:

The Cultural Shifts
I have a Dream…
Exegeting the Dream
A Possible direction to finding an appropriate Fresh Expressions


I have subtitled this document “An Immersive Church for an Emergent Culture”. In this I am intentionally using words in a different way than the latest norm. “Emergent” is used extensively to describe the latest incarnation of church (see “A Generous Orthodoxy” by Brian McLaren, pp.275-7, for the origins of the use of this word in this way). However I often feel that the emergent church is focussed on where it has come from, rather than what it is there to do. Thus the use of the word 'emergent' = coming to the surface / coming into prominence / being discovered (see “The Emerging Church” by Dan Kimball p13). I feel this is not the most appropriate term for the new faith expression, but that it is an appropriate term for the changed culture in which we have to operate (more of that later).

Another word often used to describe the latest incarnation of church is “Missional”. This has the advantage of having an outward focus, but also carries with it overtones of ‘promotion’ and ‘hard-sell’ and fails to convey anything of the relational aspect that I feel is so important.

Consequently I would prefer to use the word "immersive" for the church - focussing on being in the world but not of it. At times it will be so immersed it may not even be seen, but it will still be there below the surface as a clear identify and catalyst for change.

I hope this concept will become clearer as you read through this document. Please note that it is very much a ‘work in progress’ to be discussed – it is not a formal proposal.

Gordon

posted by Gordon Gray @ Tuesday, February 01, 2005