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Why not do C3 as a mission arm of a local church? |
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Written by Tony Hardy
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Thursday, 24 November 2005 |
Why not do C3 as a mission arm of a local church?
C3 aims to be an independent, network church for Stockport and surrounding areas, but was it necessary for it to be independent? Could it not have been a mission arm of a parish church?
As a mission extension of a parish church, it would tend be restricted to that geographical area, or at least fairly close to it. We are trying to respond to the reality that people increasingly connect over larger areas yet still may need local expression of church. A local church could develop a fresh expression of church by extension of a different nature e.g. a café church or a school-based church – C3 is a cross boundary church and is therefore a different animal. We want C3 to be independent in culture – like many church plants in the past, if C3 were an extension of a mother church, it would most probably take into it the DNA of the mother church and much of its culture. We felt that C3 should mix things up a bit – gathering different people with greatly differing experiences of church and life. As an extension of a parish church the natural progression in peoples’ minds might be to encourage people, eventually to go to Sunday service – that is after all the prevailing culture. If you ‘go to church’ that almost always means, go to Sunday services. As a mission-shaped church we do not have that preconception and will try to progress people in ways that are appropriate to them. We find that even though we have broken away from inherited church, its still very easy to slip back into those patterns and ways of thinking. A clean break is probably best.
The practicalities of resources in mother church, just keeping things going, draws people in. We findi it is necessary to be freed up to concentrate on the new vision.
Aiming to be church in our own right certainly concentrates the mind – C3 will not work if we are not praying, focussing and working hard. This is not comfortable church, being linked to a mother church might be too strong a pull back when times are tough.
In summary, had we have been a mission extension of a local church we would have been too close to mother church. We needed to ‘cut the umbilical cord’.
Having said all that;
Small initiatives will need the generosity of larger, established churches to survive the early months and years – generosity of spirit and generosity in sharing resources, even funds. C3 was never set up competitively and we hope for healthy relationship even partnership with local churches. We have received such support and are grateful for it.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 24 November 2005 )
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