Parish Planning Resources
RATIONALE
The purpose of the Resources is to stimulate thought, creative dreaming, and discussion -- "the conversation"
NEW
Insightful article on the church post-COVID
"The future is unkind to the unprepared. The best thing a leader can do is prepare."
May 2020
"The good news is that leaders who embrace change, who find the energy, passion and time to keep pivoting, will likely end up advancing their mission in the future.
"So what are the new 2020 church trends you should watch in what is shaping up to be a very pivotal year?
"Here are 7.
"Let me just say I hope I’m wrong on some of them, but I’m including them because I think they’re happening.
"As I’ve had to remind myself as a leader and Christ-follower for decades, just because you don’t like something doesn’t mean it isn’t true.
"I don’t like all these trends either, but that doesn’t mean they’re not happening.
"The best question to ask in a time of disruption is, “What does this make possible?”
"There’s a lot that’s possible for the future church."
10 Predictions for the future of the Church
"We have to relate to our culture as pilgrims"
By Dave Stetzer - Outreach Magazine 17 March 2019
We have to learn how to relate to our culture as an exiled church full of pilgrims. The problem is that a significant number of churches have either forgotten or ignored the mission of God, or the missio Dei.
NEW RESOURCES FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ADVOCACY
INTERVIEW
Here's some really thought-provoking stuff
DOING CHURCH DIFFERENTLY
One of the first things he did was get rid of the pews.
This is an interview with an Anglican priest in Montreal who talks about 'St Jax' in downtown Montreal. He's a graduate of the London School of Economics. He has planted and re-planted churches in the UK.
He shares some risky and very creative ideas that are about really "doing church differently"!
CHECK IT OUT
WORTH EXPLORING
Updates plus previous info
27 January 2019
IMAGINATION AND CREATIVE DREAMING
Some thoughts on prophets... ministry of imagination and creative dreaming.
“It is the vocation of the prophet to keep alive the ministry of imagination, to keep on conjuring and proposing future alternatives to the single one the king wants to urge as the only thinkable one.” -- Walter Bruggemann
25 January 2019
CHALLENGE OF ATTENDANCE
Jason is a pastor, church planter and academic, helping the church to understand and confidently face cultural challenges. Here's a podcast from Jason about the challenge of church attendance.
19 January 2019
PLANNING AND OPTIONS UPDATE #1
There are regular updates about the work of the Planning and Options Group. Update # 1 includes FAQ's and names of Planning and Options Group members.
4 December 2018
BACKGROUND FROM NEWSLETTER
The new parish newsletter has a number of items about Planning and Options.
Re: Niewhof’s article:
1) The handwriting is on the wall. Will “our” church still be there in ten years? That depends on our determination to exist, including very big changes in the way we do things, including working together with other denominations, i.e., to be Christian, without denominational differences. We’ll need to get together to worship, learn, and serve.
2) The idea of home-based church is exciting too. Our buildings are a terrible millstone tied around our necks; we’ll drown if we insists on keeping them, so worship etc. in homes is a great idea.
3) It will be interesting to see how we can mix in-person participation with online participation.
Thanks for comments, Doug. Glenn