
Creating a church that meets the needs of everyone is pretty much impossible. Church leaders often feel like they are walking a tightrope between the traditionalists on the one hand ("Don't change my church") and the progressives on the other hand ("We NEED to change or die!!!). So what is the solution?
Former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowen Williams encouraged church leaders to see their ministry in terms of (what he called) the "mixed economy". In short, rather than churches trying to create one gathering that meets everyone's needs (call it Church A) they instead create multiple, alternative expressions of church alongside Church A (we'll call them Church B). Church B looks different than Church A: they may meet at a different time, in a different place, under different leadership, with a different style. However, Church A and Church B continue to exist in a supportive relationship with each other. This is the Mixed Economy of Church. Not "either/or" but "both/and". Join us this morning we discuss how St. J & B needs to move toward this model of ministry if we want to preserve our wonderful tradition but also continue to reach new people with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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What is the Missional Church? |