‘Life on life, together on mission’ lies at the heart of the NT vision for discipleship and it should therefore be at the heart of our vision for the local church. This has been the central conviction of the ‘Crowded House’ since it began in 1996, under the leadership of Steve Timmis.
But how could this conviction begin to shape the approach of churches with a similar theology and similar convictions about mission, but which have existing patterns of church life which may or may not facilitate this missional emphasis? That was the key question explored in a highly stimulating consultation in October facilitated by the Crowded House team, which brought together people from 11 churches (mostly, but not exclusively, from the FIEC but all conservative evangelical).
It began with Steve Timmis explaining the way in which their approach had been shaped by the biblical narrative (creation, de-creation, re-creation, new creation). Within that narrative, the church community occupies a pivotal place (Ephesians 3.10-11), as the reconciling of sinners to God and to each other in that community through the gospel anticipates the ultimate reconciling of all things in Christ in the new creation.
Mission is communal
Mission, therefore, is not to be primarily a lonely pursuit but a communal one. The gospel is best explained to others in the context of an authentic Christian community, in which its truth and power to reconcile can be seen as well as heard.
The way the consultation was hosted reflected this approach, with generous hospitality and a significant time given to eating and sharing informally together. A number of different churches also shared their experiences. Andy Upton (from Knighton EFC) spoke movingly of the joys and struggles of pursuing some of these principles in two challenging estates in Leicester. Paul Webber and I shared lessons we had learned in Above Bar’s missional communities in Southampton, following input from St Thomas’ Philadelphia, Sheffield. A number of others shared the struggle of what sometimes felt like ‘going against the grain’ of existing church cultures in the desire to do everything ‘for the sake of the gospel’ (1 Corinthians 9.23) and the joys when progress is made.
Principle rather than method
For me the great strength of the consultation was the emphasis on principle rather than method. Our friends in the Crowded House have thought deeply about the gospel, the church and mission and how these three interrelate. The result is a challenging rethinking of the shape of church life, in which the sufficiency of the gospel and the centrali-ty of mission (understood as a community pursuit) are the driving principles.
The challenge for us it not to copy the specific approach of the Crowded House, but to reflect deeply on the principles that have shaped it and seek God’s wisdom as to how those same principles can shape our churches. I think all of us who were there hoped this would be the first of several opportunities to explore that question together.
