The Harvest is rotting in the field” Lings tells Australian Conferences
George Lings, Church Army’s Director of Research, challenged evangelists at a residential Church Army Australia Conference this week to “start far further back” with those utterly distanced from all forms of church – now easily the majority of those under 40. To them, approaches in word alone are becoming redundant and suspicious. Evangelists also need to gain skills to help create fresh expressions of church with those converts, for very often new Christians will not survive joining existing churches. As such, they should see themselves as cross-cultural missionaries. Revd Lings was “overwhelmed” to receive a standing ovation.
The Director of Church Army’s Sheffield Centre then spoke about the Mission-shapedChurch report at a day conference in Sydney, attended by a hundred members from and beyond Sydney Diocese. Sponsored by the Anglican General Synod, National Church Life Survey and Church Army Australia, Revd Lings claimed that the recent Mission-shaped Church report in the Church of England has raised the profile about fresh expressions of church, but more should be done to demonstrate the range of what contemporary church is - if Christianity is to convince a sceptical public. Response to Revd Lings presentation of the Mission-shaped Church report was very warm, with some Dioceses wanting to send the report to all their clergy and other strategists considering how it might be brought to the Australian General Synod. The developing role of Church Army Australia in seeking to model its principle was also noted. Conrad Parsons, Australian New Initiatives project Consultant, said: “George Lings blew the minds of some radical people. His powerful effect lies largely in his revelations concerning the reality of our situation and the possible responses - particularly that if church doesn’t fit our experience-driven lifestyle, then forms of church must diversify.”
In both sets of presentations, the stories from Lings’ Encounters on the Edge publication were used to illustrate the diversity of the mission context and challenge that the church faces in reaching the four key “tribes” he outlined as fringe, open de-churched, closed de-churched and non-churched. Each of these needs a different or tailored approach yet for too often most evangelist programmes, successful though they may be, have focussed on the fringe. “1990’s research from John Finney tells us that 76% of new Christians come from the 30% dechurched, a fast diminishing pond.” Added Lings, “Even with HTB’s very successful Alpha courses around 50% do not make it into church after making a personal commitment. The harvest is rotting in the field because converts cannot make it into church, so we need to ask “what expressions of church are needed now?”
Lings went on to provide an honest and frank assessment of why traditional Sunday worship is seen by many as outdated and irrelevant and yet the interest in spirituality, new-age faith and paganism has never been greater. He attacked “the Christendom distortion” which connects church too much with provision of public worship, too often presents poor quality of community and is disconnected from mission. He advocated the approach of “mission re-discovery” whereby a community is sent to model and build community from which a specific shape of mission arises. Only after that comes the evolutionary discovery of contextualised worship. ”We must have the courage to go with them to a place nether you nor they have been before” concluded Lings, accepting the challenge posed by Vincent Donovan - apostle to the Masai.
George Lings’ speaking tour of the southern hemisphere continues throughout July with a Church Army New Zealand conference followed by days organised in Wellington, Auckland and Waikato Dioceses, covering most areas of the North Island.
For more information and a copy of the full transcripts from George Lings’ talks an interview contact Claire Dalpra on 0114 278 7020.
