I've been reviewing the idea wall in my study. It was rather small until I got into conversation with someone today and now there are 10 projects to be undertaken this year! All the ideas have come from people in the congregation over that last month or two (some longer) but only today did they all find their way onto the wall.
The beauty of them is that they dovetail together. Joined up thinking. One leads to another and compliments others etc and none of them involve getting rid of pews.
Here's a wee list and your comments are always welcome. Always. Of course, none of these descriptions are full descriptions.
1. OUTPOST: An open community of searchers looking for honesty in faith. Weekly, non-Sunday meetings for the whole community exploring belief through cafe style church, art, film, communion, reflection, contemporary worship etc.
2. Big Books: A library for our Sunday School chidlren with guest readers and a reading space and a book club.
3. Timeline: a piece of art that timelines all the Bible characters and events in the context of bronze age, iron age etc. Images from the congregation used to illustrate. Sunday School researches it over a year and community artists hels design. There for all to see across the biggest wall we have!
4. A green Peace and Justice: Putting together the yet to be formed peace and justice group and the yet to be formed green group.
5. Faith No More Communion: a whole month diving into communion practices and exploring what they meant in the past and what they mean now and why. This has been the biggest discussion on the blog be far.
6. Group 12: some adult education looking at what the church can be rather than what the church has been. Using big people in the chruhc like Peter Nielson (Church Without Walls) to work with us exploring all the stuff we do and finding new hooks and possibilities to explore the emerging church in our local place. Getting a paradgim shift going in the life of the faithful. A series of courses that tries to expand our idea of church beyond what we've traditionally been and settled down with as the true way. (Its working title is Group 12 because there were 12 disciples who had a paradgim shift 2000 years ago. That doesn't mean this is limited to 12 people. Nothing is exclusive!)
7. New spaces: Looking at the church space we have and working togetehr on how to best use the space we have. Creating multifunctional spaces where we didn't think they existed.
8. Cafe Church: This links with OUTPOST with the very real attempt to find new ways to be the church for those who aren't the church as we have created it. Looking towards outreach rather than a group for ourselves.
9. Death by Chocolate: A lent series that gives chocolate a new meaning.
10. Living the Word: An Alpha course for the liberally minded. Inviting people into the church but taking a liberal, left of centre understanding of who we are. Meals, DVDs, discussion and everything Alpha is, but with a liberal approach.
Few of these have been discussed formally, some have, but I place them here to show you where some of the ideas from the Blog and other discussions I've had round the church lead to. There is also the very big project of the Community Arts Worker as well. That's moving apace too.
So there. Thats what happens when you say 'Yes!' to ideas rather than, 'Well, the last time we tried that...'
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