FUTURE GILC town hall

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Roderick Curtis
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1 FUTURE GILC town hall Wednesday 25th February 7.30pm This paper is provided to help us all to prepare for the gathering on the evening of February 25 th. This is the original paper, called Future Gilc, written by the Minister for the elders. It has been modified a little, not least by including the page headed Process: a Starter, written for an elders meeting in January. Helpful and stimulating additional reading is also available from the Information Point or, if you a request (info@gilcomston.org), we can send it to your inbox. You are asked to do what the elders did. Read Future Gilc and pray. When you ve done that, read it and pray again. And when you ve done that, do it again! Our aim for the Town Hall meeting on the 25 th is to state the vision as clearly as possible, then to describe the strategy and also outline the process. These three elements are summarised below. To help us all respond to what s in Future Gilc, there will be plenty of participation on the 25 th. We plan a very interactive Town Hall! You ll find a question and answer sheet at the end of the paper. Please write down any questions that you might have as a way of preparing for the evening. The outcome that we d love to see is that we all understand and own this vision of our church s future and, more crucially, the future of discipleship in Aberdeen. We look forward very much to seeing you on the 25 th. The Vision of Future Gilc Discipling Aberdeen to the glory of God The Strategy for fulfilling that vision Becoming a church that makes whole-life disciple-making disciples who multiply church for those outside church and transform Aberdeen The Process that enables that strategy Change the culture, Develop the multiplying mind-set, Multiply church.

2 FUTURE GILC And Jesus came and said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Matthew 28:18-20

3 THE TIME TRAVELLER S GUIDE TO GILCOMSTON Walk up Union Street with me a few years into the future and take a look at Gilcomston Church. What would you see and hear? What is the fellowship like? Where does it meet? What would you be part of? The future Gilc that we enter is larger and, periodically, smaller than now: larger in its reach and its engagement with the life of the city and periodically smaller in its weekly central gatherings in the building on Union Street. Because Gilc has become many-branched (planting, assisting, seeding), multi-form (its branches taking different shapes and sizes and having different life-spans) interconnected (with other fellowships in Aberdeen and beyond: kingdom before congregation ) and decentralized, or centrifugal (moving attention, service, time and resources outwards, not inwards to a central geographical point in the Union Street building). Church is not just an individual s leisure-time activity; it s much more communal and connected with the whole of life. The people we meet at future Gilc are deeply and actively committed to Gilc being a means to Christ s ends rather than being a religious end in itself. Our church activities focus on making disciples; thus Christ as Lord and Saviour first, people as people-before-god second, Gilc as religious organization last. The believers live inside out and have learned to value smallness, cherish individuality, appreciate quiet, respect newcomers, actively resist the evil one and be deeply committed to one another s growth in Christ. Future Gilc is a safe place to be weak, vulnerable, broken or different, but not an easy place to compromise discipleship of Jesus. Gilc is now part of a growing church in Aberdeen. Gilc itself is growing geographically and numerically because more people are believers and because it has planted. It is also growing in its knowledge of God and his gospel; growing in the freshness and authenticity of its worship; growing in its creative and innovative responsiveness to God s moments ; growing in its transformative impact in the city; but mostly growing in its love, of which there are countless expressions. Such growth is expected. People at future Gilc are gladly aware that God sends them out to the city each week and each day on his mission. Thus disciple-making, which includes evangelism and active pastoral care, is the normal activity of all the believers, whose lives are noticeably different from those of non-believers. The quality of a person s walk with God is gauged by what they are like on the frontlines of their life in the world and by their love for God and others, not primarily by their attendance on Union Street. Teaching and training are of prime importance. They take place in a variety of settings, at different times of the week, using differing formats to enable us to be a learning church. In this and in other ways imaginative use is being made of knowledge, expertise, mobility and technology. The leadership leads. It is strongly future-oriented, helps people to live according to the gospel rather than conform to an institutional culture, learns actively from other places, and generates creative initiatives. The leaders serve with one mind and heart. Their decisive questions are about discipleship in Aberdeen and beyond. They strongly feel that there are almost no places in the city where church cannot grow. Future Gilc s structures, resources and locations are always being re-tuned to serve this life. The trellis serves the vine. Staff are appointed, supported and resourced to enable them, and therefore the fellowship s life, to flourish. Dominic Smart, February 2015 I

4 OMSTON 1. CLEARLY FOCUSES ON THE MISSION OF GOD: MAKE DISCIPLES IN ABERDEEN Sharing Jesus Fruitfulness on the frontline whole-life discipleship is taught and exemplified One-to-one witnessing is normal; regular opportunities for training are provided Small group seeker studies are happening all the time all over the city Pioneering impact on the city and beyond affiliation and collaboration Multiplying Church Intentionally centrifugal mind-set a scattered church Diverse forms of new church life three initiatives up and running by 2020 Train, release and trust young leaders Excellent teaching and development: novice, apprentice, journeyman, master Concern for discipleship in the whole city and beyond Consciously working out ways to love one another and to love our neighbours 2. EMBODIES THE GRACE THAT IS PREACHED: THE FINAL APOLOGETIC Culture Values and Ethos: Towards This rather than That Towards loving recognition of all, rather than a two-tier culture (1Cor 12) Towards discipleship out there, rather than religion in here (Matt 5:13-16) Towards gospel and faith, rather than religion (Galatians) Towards active learning from others, rather than insularity Towards flexibility and creativity, rather than value-laden routine Towards innovation rather than repetition and formulae Future-oriented (Christ s return), not preservation-minded 3. IS INTERCONNECTED Affiliated with like-minded congregations in Scotland Benefits from a Council of Reference 4. DOES THE FOLLOWING Sunday Morning Worships in the Union Street building and in the other locations where people are deployed and church is growing. It s different in different places. Teaching God s word is central. Sunday Evening Enjoys a creative variety of gatherings in the Union Street building and in the other locations. Mostly for teaching/learning and worship Other Days Gathers in small groups where people live and work and at the Union Street building, at various times of the day; meets for e.g. Bible study, prayer, hospitality, one-to-one or small-group seeker Bible studies, street evangelism, street-clean, gardening, etc. These can happen in people s homes, neighbourhoods, workplaces, coffee shops, parks, wherever people are. Also Continues to train new preachers and leaders. Holds events for evangelism, enjoys social events, has a church weekend away, holds learning events and other one-offs. II

5 THE SERIES Aim: To cast a theological vision that engages our hearts with God s big picture in the Bible. Comprises: Bible teaching on Sunday mornings with study material for the whole fellowship: for individuals and groups, for midweek/daily reading. Contains: Biblical doctrine regarding God s Mission, Church and Kingdom, together with examples of multiplying church 1. VISION THE TIME TRAVELLER S GUIDE TO GILC Our part in discipleship in Aberdeen 2. GOD FATHER, SON AND SPIRIT The God we adore 3. GOSPEL 1 THE GOSPEL FOR BELIEVERS Living it not straying from it 4. GOSPEL 2 THE GOSPEL FOR UNBELIEVERS Knowing it, knowing them and telling it to them 5. KINGDOM KINGDOM VALUES Your will be done on earth as 6. TOGETHER RELATIONSHIPS AND CHERISHING Love one another as 7. FOLLOW JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES Follow me 8. CALL THE COMMISSION Why it s fundamental and what it is 9. CHURCH THE PEOPLE OF GOD What it is, what it isn t and what it can look like 10. INSPIRE IDEAS FOR GROWING CHURCH How others do it 11. STEPS WHERE WE GO FROM HERE Next steps for all and each III

PROCESS: A STARTER There are several steps in a process that enables what was called, in the January Minister s Letter, Culture Change and Preparing to Multiply.

6 PROCESS: A STARTER There are several steps in a process that enables what was called, in the January Minister s Letter, Culture Change and Preparing to Multiply. These stages are all designed around aligning the life and culture of the fellowship with the vision in Future Gilc, which itself comes out of a missional reading of the Bible. These steps are not all sequential: some elements of each would run in parallel; and the order can t be rigidly fixed. There is necessarily some sense of evolution about the process since it s new to us and we re working on the process together. And God might move faster than we d planned for. What s outlined below is simply a starter to focus our minds and inspire our reason and our imaginations. 1. Vision Development Develop the Future Gilc vision document Hold an office-bearers conference on vision, strategy and implications Identify staffing requirements Discuss budget implications with Trust Who Elders and trusted friends Trustees Action Group 2. Vision Casting and Ownership Introduce Fruitfulness on the Frontline (?and Imagine?) Early: Town Hall meeting to engage the whole fellowship Hold the first vision prayer gathering Weekends with Becky Pippert (March), Dave Male and Mark Greene Formulate the start of an apprenticeship scheme Prepare for the relaunch Write and run the Future Gilc study material Who Elders Action Group Everyone! 3. Relaunch A Big Sunday for new Gilcomston 4. Developing the Multiplying Mindset Develop the multiplying imagination stories shared, prayer, possibilities recognised Develop the apprenticeship scheme for launch Continue the prayer gatherings Start any new staff including first apprentice(s) Progress the start-up preparatory work: Identify needs and opportunities Identify and begin to prepare specific people Consolidate the multiplying mind-set Set approximate dates for any larger start-up One picture that might help to capture what these steps are about is this: IV

7 RE-LAUNCH FOR BUILDING WHAT IS A RELAUNCH AND WHY HAVE ONE? A relaunch is a thoughtfully planned, significant moment in the congregation s life where we say that from this day forwards this is what we will be. It doesn t mean the closing down of everything that we were; it s a public, shared, marker to ourselves that we are transforming: a celebration, a commitment, a staging-post on the journey. Such a moment has high value in signalling to us that we are on the move. It is not a rebranding exercise for the watching world, but a moment when together we commit ourselves to becoming a church consciously shaped by a biblical vision that we share. The week following the relaunch will be different from the weeks before it. It is a decisive big moment of change among many smaller moments. WHAT S NEW BECAUSE OF A RE-LAUNCH: AMONG OTHER THINGS Multiplying Church Aiming for at least three new branches by 2020 The Gilc Week Start with a blank sheet and no thraldom to past forms Media Completely new Record and website, wide use of digital media Structure Vision-centred organisation of congregational life; appropriate contexts for discipling Apprenticeship Scheme Training and developing new gospel workers Staff profile Consider: senior, associate, pastoral, children and youth, students and young adults, community, prayer and counselling, admin. Name? New wineskins might need a new label. Or might not Location? We have to be absolutely sure why being in the Union Street building serves the mission. V

8 HELPING US 1. PEOPLE TO GO AND CONSULT OR HAVE VISIT US Dave Male (Ridley Hall, Cambridge): Ways of being church Becky Pippert (Saltshaker): One-to-one evangelism and seeker Bible studies (March 27 th 2015) Mark Greene (LICC): Fruitfulness on the frontline, and/or Neil Hudson (LICC): Imagine Church Hugh Palmer (All Souls, Langham Place): Planting, stability and team Fiona MacDonald (Scottish Bible Society): Bible out there Vaughan Roberts (St. Ebbe s Church, Oxford): Structure and training Tim Keller (Redeemer Presbyterian, New York): City-wide ministry and Galatians Other minsters and churches in and around Aberdeen. 2. BOOKS TO READ OR RE-READ Fruitfulness on the Frontline. Mark Greene Imagine Church: Releasing Whole-Life Disciples. Neil Hudson Out of the Saltshaker. Becky Pippert Church Unplugged. David Male Being Church, Doing Life. Michael Moynagh Centre Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel Centred Ministry in Your City. Timothy J Keller. See The Because Approach. Andrew Baughen Gospel Centred Church. Steve Timmis and Tim Chester Total Church. A radical Reshaping Around Gospel and Community. Tim Chester and Steve Timmis Trellis and Vine. Colin Marshall and Tony Payne Crazy Love. Francis Chan VI

9 Q&A PLEASE PREPARE YOUR QUESTIONS! Q.Has anyone else done this that we can learn from? A. Yes, it s quite common nowadays. For instance, Redeemer Presbyterian in New York, St. Helen s Bishopgate in London, Hillview Community Church in Cults (used to be International Baptist Church), Deeside Christian Fellowship planted Banchory Christian Fellowship, City Church have planted in Stonehaven, All Souls have planted Clubhouse and Inspire, loads of churches down south are doing the new pioneers growth, there are also lots of other examples around Scotland. Dave Male teaches this pioneering work at Ridley Hall in Cambridge. VII

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