Events

“Church in the Wild” |
Rethinking Community &
Becoming a Church for the World

Saturday 5 August 2017, 12-5pm
@ Toowong Bowls Club, 59 Gailey Rd. Taringa
$10 cover charge for afternoon tea; option to stay for dinner
RSVP by Wednesday 2 August to Paul at paul.wetzig@cofcqld.com.au

 

As you may know, Nikki and I (through Christ’s Pieces) have been grappling for some time with what it means to be the church at this cultural cross-road.
But we’re only a small community among *many* across South-East Queensland who are asking the same kinds of questions.

SO, Paul Wetzig (Churches of Christ), Scott Guyatt (Uniting Church) and myself (Baptist) thought it high time to make some rallying points so we can share the journey, and together consider what it means to become a “church” that exists for the sake of the world. In today’s increasingly secular and anti-institutional context, this often means being a church in the wild.

Whatever you call it, we would *love* to have you involved. … Whether you’re out on a limb, loosely connected with an experimental house church, or part of a mainstream fellowship but looking to innovate and experiment toward a more faithful and fruitful expression of the community of God in this time and place, we’re keen to connect!

I’ll pass onto Paul’s invitation, with all the key details.

Blessings,

DAVE BENSON (Director Malyon Traverse)

What:

From: Paul Wetzig <paul.wetzig@cofcqld.com.au>
Subject: church in the wild | invitation to August 5 gathering

Dear friends,

Over the last few years, we have been meeting and working with groups and individuals within our particular denominations, and more broadly in the wider community, who are exploring and experimenting with how the church could be, and what the church might look like in our rapidly changing world.

As we’ve met with you and others, we have realised that there would be a significant benefit in bringing us all together to share and grow from our experiences and to explore what “church” is and how it engages in the world to create flourishing communities that reflect “the Kingdom come”.

Some of us have already informally met on June 11 to start the conversation, considering the article “5 Signs of the Parish Movement“.
Now it’s time for a more in depth and collaborative exploration of what the church might look like in the near future.

We’ve now sorted out a venue for our Church in the Wild gathering, for those who are currently undertaking or exploring new/fresh/emerging/insert-preferred-term (!) expressions of Christian community.

We will be gathering on Saturday 5 August at the Toowong Bowls Club,
59 Gailey Rd, Taringa from 12:00-5:00pm.

Our intention for the afternoon is to explore some of the most recent data around what is happening to faith in Australia (e.g. McCrindle, NCLS and ABS census data–compiled here) and then consider what we as the church should and could do about it. This will be blended with stories from practitioners who are experimenting in this South East corner of Queensland, and considering our personal response in our neighbourhoods, right now. <<handout/process here>>

Once the formal part of the afternoon is finished, if you’d like to join us for dinner and further conversation, some of us will be sticking around at the Bowlo, and possibly kicking off the shoes & rolling the arm under.

Some practicalities: lunch won’t be included in the time together so feel free to BYO or purchase from the Club, whose Bistro will be open. We will however, provide afternoon tea at some point so if you do have any particular dietary requirements, please let Paul know at paul.wetzig@cofcqld.com.au. There’s a $10 charge paid to us in cash on the day to help cover costs (venue hire, afternoon tea, printing of materials), though we’re open to more generous donations and certainly won’t turn the cash-less away!

If you have any further questions don’t hesitate to contact any of us.
Please RSVP by Wednesday 2 August to Paul at paul.wetzig@cofcqld.com.au
(or txt 0424 103 676 with your details), so we can ensure there are enough chairs and food.

Finally, feel free to distribute this invitation widely to those who you think need to be a part of this conversation.

We look forward to seeing those of you who are able to make it on the 5th.

Scott, Dave & Paul

 

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