The following seeks to explore a theological perspective on the purpose of the Mission Area and what drives it. It does not seek to be representative of the theologies of churches which make up the area.
What is “The Church”?
The New Testament speaks of the church of God as Ecclesia. This has a sense of the gathered and sent people of God – rather than what we can easily think of when we translate ecclesia to church; we can often equate church to a place, or a ritual or a person (a vicar). Counter to this, the New Testament vision of the Church is: varied, fluid and dynamic; there is a greater sense of revolutionary movement rather than institution.
The mission area seeks to live this out by releasing the congregations to look beyond themselves and in birthing New Worshipping Communities in the model of the sending of the 12 and 72 (Mark 6.7-13 and Luke 10.1-24)
The Church as the Body
The Mission Area is working to enable each, church, congregation and worshipping community to discern its missional identity. This model is explored by St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 12.12-31; here he using the varying parts of a physical body to help us to live our unity and diversity within the body of the church.
As we, as a Mission Area seek to live this out there is no desire for all the Anglican churches of Greater Redditch to be the same. We long to see diversity in style of worship, a variety of ways in which we are called to serve the communities we are based in and to explore how demonstrate the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives. Each place using Scripture, Tradition and Reason, led by the Holy Spirit to determine what we are called to be.
The complimentary gifts of the Spirit
1 Corinthians 12.31 concludes, “Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.”
As we seek to be united and diverse as God’s Church here in Greater Redditch we also pray that together we can demonstrate a more complete, and more Christlike way of ministering in the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
We are led, in particular, by the 5-Fold ministries described in Ephesians 4.11-16. We long to see the church exhibiting these gifts of:
Apostles – Leadership and of being sent to discover new ways of being the church Prophets – Listening to God and speaking truth in the world. Evangelists – Being willing to speak of God and sharing in bringing new disciples along on the journey of faith in Jesus Christ. Pastors – Caring for the church and the community Teachers – Helping the next generation and those who have not heard to press into what God has for us through the Bible, in Worship and in listening to the Spirit of God.
In all of this we long to live out the Great Commission that Jesus left his disciples with.
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
