by Matthew Davies ENS 051804-1 Tuesday, May 18, 2004

[Episcopal News Service] Understanding the ‘unchurched’ and cultivating the ability to communicate in broad contexts are essential for the Episcopal Church to achieve its objectives to take seriously Jesus’ command to “build my church” and to “spread the Gospel.” That was the message that 170 participants took home from the first annual Plant My Church conference, held in Lansdowne, Virginia, May 13-15.

The three-day training event, which focused on new church development, included special learning opportunities for bishops and diocesan staff members, ‘launch team’ members, new and experienced church planters, and those less experienced or exploring a call to church planting.

Hosted by the Episcopal Church’s Office of Congregational Development under the leadership of the Rev. Charles N. Fulton and in partnership with the diocese of Virginia, more than 30 presenters held workshops designed to help participants gain expertise in church growth in various contexts and a chance to “capitalize on the experience of others’ successes and failures.”

Fulton expressed his encouragement at the comprehensiveness of the event, which not only focused on suburban contexts but also urban and rural environments. “It was certainly broad in scope, with particular focus on generational and racial issues,” he said. “I was particularly inspired by the energy and connecting that shaped the conference.”

‘Removing obstacles’

In his address to the conference, Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold spoke about the importance of removing obstacles to reconciliation for church planting to be successful. “Church planting is about establishing communities of reconciliation so that love can flow forth into the world,” he said, expressing his gratitude for the people who are working in this field.

Griswold also identified the significance of the language that is used, pointing out that there are many different vocabularies centered on evangelization and mission within the church. “Some use a vocabulary of ‘justice’, others use a vocabulary of ‘holiness,’” he said. “It is important that we make the effort to broaden our vocabularies so we can more effectively reach out to people.”

Speaking about the “diverse center,” which Griswold has previously described as “a many-membered body being shaped and formed by Christ,” he said that one of the glories of Anglicanism is its ability to make room for difference. He added, “This group is very important in working for the ‘mission energies’ named by the 20/20 movement and in how they are being realized in the life of the church.” The 20/20 movement–centered on doubling average Sunday attendance by the year 2020–is a goal that General Convention adopted in July 2000 to contribute to the growth and vitality of the church and its congregations.

Adapting to people’s aesthetics

Guest speaker George Hunter, an author and leading authority on communicating the Gospel to secular people, identified the necessity for church planters to “begin with where people are, rather than where we would like them to be.”

Hunter, who as a young seminary student spent eight weeks sharing his faith with “Muscle Beach” surfers, beatniks, and body builders, explained how culturally conventional people do not like traditional churches and urged the importance of understanding this when starting a “seeker church.”

“Our churches are now placed in secular mission fields,” he said. “For a long time the church had the luxury of Christendom. With the events of secularization the church was moved from the center of a culture’s life to the periphery.”

Mentioning the differences between message, mission, style and strategy, Hunter, who has led seminars for more than 30 denominations in more than 20 different countries, said, “Though we are not called to change the message, we are called to change the style; and though we are not called to change the mission, we are called to change the strategy.”

Seeker churches are meant for contemporary worship, he added, and they are good at giving options to congregations that are indigenous to the culture of the present day. “Culture is the silent language,” he said. “[If we] adapt to people’s aesthetics, we are able to communicate meaning.”

Reiterating his point about beginning with “where people are rather than where we would like them to be,” Hunter implored the conference, “Don’t try to change the traditional congregation you have inherited…love that congregation while building a second congregation on the edge.”

Small churches–strategic assessment

The Rev. Ben Helmer, the Episcopal Church’s missioner for congregational development with expertise in rural and small communities, explained some of the strategies of the 20/20 initiative in responding to the needs of small congregations.

“We decided to develop a strategic assessment as a way to work with congregations that are small,” he said. The result is a four-part plan entitled Expanding Mission and Vitality in Small Congregations, which divides into subcategories: self-assessment; discernment; local ownership; and congregational development [http://www.episcopalchurch.org/3577_39650_ENG_HTM.htm?menu=undefined

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