what is is our baptist missional strategy?

This question emerged in an afternoon session at college which was led by an anglican involved in Fresh Expressions.  While the Church of England (and the Methodists) seems to be committed to Fresh Expressions - which I read as a setting aside of ecclesiology and putting missiology in the driving seat, and also a desire amongst anglicans to become more baptistic (local and lay led) - the Baptist Union decided not to join (I can't remember the exact reason why).  It seems we don't really have a missional strategy apart from the recent crossing places initiative of the mission department. I wonder whether our strategy (unconsiciously) is to build more inclusive and welcoming churches. What do other baptist bloggers or readers think we're doing or should be doing?

Comments

[Norman Ivison]

Interesting thoughts Andy. Why not start a discussion on the Fresh Expressions Facebook page?
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/freshexpression?ref=ts

[Andrew]

Why look towards the Baptists re local and lay led? It should be there with a Methodist presence... maybe that is part of the problem!

If the service isn't about worship and the sending out then it won't work. If transformation is part of the aim (if not the aim, then a balance between the ecclesiology and missiology can co-exist rather than a choice between the two.... I do think that to be inclusive is the way, but don't lose accountability....and integrity whilst seeking and following.

[Simon Jones]

I'm not sure Crossing Places amounts to a strategy - though it's good as far as it goes.

We desperately to reshape Baptist life around mission and being intentionally missional. At the moment, it seems to me, we are intentionally ecclesial, wanting to create warm and welcoming communities that are still wedded to an attractional model of mission.

I've been blogging recently about how that model no longer works because whatever we do to our churches, we are not attractive and very few people are coming.

So we need to recast our thinking about what it means to be a missional people, reshaping our gatherings around a rediscovered mission.

So let's have a discussion, a pooling of ideas and models, about how we can breathe mission into our churches. Let's be bold and generous.

[Norman Ivison]

We do need to breathe mission into our churches but effective mission is going to happen 'out there' and may not result in more people joining our existing congregations.

On the ground, I see very few missional communities working well unless they are ecumenical. Giving up a degree of denominational identity and giving up a sometimes unrealistic desire to rescue failing churches, is may be what God is calling us to.

Perhaps we should start with taking listening, loving service, building community, and exploring discipleship seriously - and not being too surprised when church begins to form...