The vision - " All you can't leave behind."

CWW as a 'brand' The term 'Church without Walls' is not peculiar to the Church of Scotland. Indeed if you google the phrase you will find it is a title that has been used by many writers to describe churches and movements that desire to move the church from behind closed doors to engage with the community. Jim Petersen is one of a number of authors who have used the title to challenge Christians today to make church more relational, relevant and responsive to an ever changing world. Church without Walls (CWW) has become an effective brand name that has allowed congregations within the Church of Scotland to access, or at least think about, an alternative way of being church. It is equivalent to the Church of England's 'Fresh Expressions'. For many this has been a liberating experience allowing Kirk Sessions the opportunity to focus on what is core to their ministry and purpose. Many within the Church have interpreted the CWW Report of 2001 to the General Assembly as giving permission to explore change. CWW Ethos CWW is not a movement that congregations join. It is a mindset that we believe every effective church leader already owns. Church without Walls is not about a programme or a new kind of church. It is nothing more nor less than a description of what it means to be a group of disciples effectively making Christ known within the community in which they work or live. If you are seeking to do just that, then you are living out the ethos of Church without Walls. CWW aims to encourage diverse congregations to share with others their stories of faith and renewal. It is as local stories of hope and endeavour are told that expectations begin to rise. We believe that we must also break down the walls that divide us locally and globally, and explore creative ways to network at local and global levels. The Cause before the Vision The purpose of "Church without Walls" for the Church of Scotland is to re-focus the church on Jesus Christ rather than being preoccupied with concern for buildings. Central to the gospel is the mercy, justice and compassion of God. It is about focusing us on our first cause and our first love, Jesus Christ himself, and on his words of discipleship, "Follow Me!" If, as many say, we have created movement and change in the church, then is it time to ask, "What is it that we can't leave behind as we press forward in our calling as disciples in the 21st Century?" The one thing we can't leave behind of course is our freedom in Christ to speak for the poor. We cannot allow ourselves to become slaves to the culture of western materialism. We must be prepared to travel light; to leave behind buildings if no longer required, and even power bases, in order that we establish a church that is faithful and flexible. Such a church may become the church of the exile, the church of the stranger, the church of the sufferer, the refugee, the marginalized; the church of the seeker, the saint and the sinner. A church perhaps that is despised and rejected, a church acquainted with grief. Such a church will be less structured and more relational. It will be shaped by the gospel of grace, shaped around the gifts of the Holy Spirit, shaped out of friendship, and shaped to connect with the cultural environment; though not controlled by that culture; a church where the cause drives the vision. The Vision The CWW 2008 National Gathering at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, Edinburgh will seek to model the cause through the practical demonstration of a vision. The first great visual aid will take the form of a tented city. 500 tents each representing a congregation will be used to explore the themes of the ministry of the local church in a changing culture. These tents will demonstrate prophetically the fact that there are hundreds of churches seeking to be obedient to the call of Jesus. These will be the tents of the risk takers, the tents of the vision casters, the tents of the faith story tellers. Vision Sharing Church without Walls or CWW is the equivalent of being the permission granter to local churches. We invite the church to become today what it has been called to be. In many ways CWW has encouraged others to begin to consider what the church will be like in 5 -10 years time. By doing this, CWW has begun to make it possible for others to consider and debate the ideas that have become known as 'Emerging Church'. However, we need to address the church as it is today in order that we can connect with the vision for tomorrow. One thing is for sure: God is calling all the churches, both independent and mainline, to a place of humility and repentance; to a place of compassion and service. It is when we are in this place of obedience and service that we are able to attract others to encounter the living Christ. This is what we mean by breaking down walls and building up people. For me the great challenge facing the 21st century churches is this: "Are we willing to re-energise ourselves through acts of mercy and justice?" Somehow it seems to me that the Church in Scotland is getting ready to reach out to the broken people of the world in compassion and service. In doing so I believe we will touch the whole nation. It is our expectation that we will engage with around 20,000 people at t he CWW Gathering 2008. The cause of compassion, mercy and justice will be shared and explored through all forms of media. This will be a weekend to remember. What could happen in Scotland if 20,000 Christians were filled with compassion and sent out to live in their space as disciples? It is our prayer that we will all become more inclusive and less exclusive, we will begin to consider ourselves as disciples of Jesus rather than members of a denomination. We need a Christian church that is willing to become interdependent, learning from each other in humility and grace. We want to gather all God's people together to celebrate our common faith in Christ. This is the vision that is driving the planning group forward to launch 'CWW 2008 - the National Gathering'.

Recent Articles

0 Comments
Leave a reply