If ‘church’ is what happens when people encounter the Risen
Jesus and commit themselves to sustaining and deepening that encounter in their
encounter with each other, there is plenty of theological room for diversity of
rhythm and style, so long as we have ways of identifying the same living Christ
at the heart of every expression of Christian life in common.- Mission-Shaped Church (forward).
We need to recognize that a variety of integrated missionary
approaches is required. A mixed economy of parish churches and network churches
will be necessary, in an active partnership across a wider area, perhaps a deanery.
- Mission-Shaped Church (introduction).
Our diverse consumer culture will never be reached by one
standard form of church. The working group has evaluated a wide variety of ‘fresh
expressions of church’. All have strengths and weaknesses, and none are
appropriate for all circumstances.
- Mission-Shaped Church (introduction).
One of the central features of this report is the
recognition that the changing nature of our missionary context requires a new
inculturation of the gospel within our society.
The theology and practice of inculturation or contextualization is well
established in the world Church, but has received little attention for missions
in the West. We have drawn on this tradition as a major resource for the Church
of England.
- Mission-Shaped Church (introduction).
Church has to be planted, not cloned.
- Mission-Shaped Church (introduction).
The gospel has to be heard within the culture of the day,
but it always has to be heard as a call to appropriate repentance. It is the
incarnation of the gospel, within a dominantly consumer society, that provides
the Church of England with its major missionary challenge.
- Mission-Shaped Church (introduction).
