WEB VERSION
Study (1) Models of the Church
It is often said that the largest group of Anglicans in Australia is its alumni. I am sure that all of us know people who were brought up in the Church, but no longer attend or are actively associated with a Church. The reasons for this are complex, but are often to do with three areas:
(i) A breakdown in relationships with the pastor or members of the congregation.
(ii) Frustration with the church / local parish are not addressing or answering their spiritual, etc. needs.
(iii) Exhaustion: The local church or even denomination has simply tired them out.
Another reason for the decline of Church attendance and for the Church having less of a role in society is the questioning by many people of institutions that have long been the backbone of our society. Some people regard the law, medicine, government and the churches, with cynicism and suspicion. Sadly the recent incidences of sexual abuse in the churches and the intense media coverage have not helped promote the goodwill the churches once enjoyed.
But even deeper than this is the questioning by many who are asking if we need the Church to experience God? Over 70% of Australians believe in God and there is a great interest in spirituality and exploring issues of meaning, but many ask do we need the Churches to do this. Associate Professor David Tacey if Latrobe University recently commented on television;
"The churches aren't terrible interested in young people's spirituality because it's not churchy and not overtly religious and it's not performing in formal religious ways."
The result of this is that people are seeking and looking for different ways of being religious, practicing spirituality and believing God, but having nothing to do with denominational churches. The challenge for the churches will be to discover, "New Ways of Being Church".
The following quote from Hope from the Margins: Stuart Murray and Anne Wilkinson-Hayes sums up the situation:
"Although we are moving steadily into a post-Christendom environment, where the church is increasingly marginal and Christianity is but one of many options in a pluralistic society, the Christendom mindset remains strong within many churches. Reflexes and reactions, as well as structures and expectations, suggest that we have not really come to terms with the loss of ecclesiastical power, status, wealth and social centrality. It is unlikely that the privileges churches enjoyed under Christendom will be sustained indefinitely, and many would argue disestablishment may free the church to respond more radically to the challenges of contemporary society. This has import not only for the established church, but also for many free churches which are often even more committed to the Christendom model of church life.
A vital task as we enter the third millennium is to discover new ways of being church that operate from the margins, do not require as much institutional support, are much less grandiose and expensive to maintain, abandon an inappropriate moral majority stance in favour of prophetic vocation, and embody the missionary ethos appropriate in post-Christendom."
For Reflection
Can you think or suggest some new ways of being Church?
What do you think of the emergence of House Groups and Cell Groups?
How do you think the churches can more effectively engage people?
Visit a church, preferably of another denomination and see what it is doing to address the above questions. Discuss what you found and would be helpful with members of your group.