The church in Australia and New Zealand recently expressed its genuine desire to engage in new and fresh expressions of church.
Over 100 participants, representing at least 23 cultures, from 27 Nazarene and other churches across the Australia New Zealand (ANZ) Field, gathered at "the Well, mission shaped church" conference, February 16-18.
The analogy of a well was used to foster the sense of a gathering place throughout the conference; a place where one's basic needs are satisfied; water, a source of life; a place to share stories, life, conversations; a place of refreshment; where primary needs are satisfied for the soul, mind and body.
"the Well" was another intentional avenue for strengthening the field's priority to engage and equip the local church more effectively in God's mission.
In 2011 churches across the ANZ Field participated in a conference with Stuart Murray, British author and founder of Urban Expression. Murray is an innovator, practitioner, follower of Christ, working with 25 denominations internationally on the subjects of missional church, postmodern ministry, church planting, emergent church, Urban church and Anabaptist tradition.
Lay leaders, pastors, youth pastors, leadership team members, church planters, participated on site, as well as via video-conference in Perth, Western Australia and Auckland, New Zealand.
Hosted by the ANZ Field, Nazarene Theological College (Brisbane) and the Missions Pathways Network (MPN), conference collaboration and co-ordination was undertaken by Aussie missionary, Belinda Allder, until the rapid decline of her health and untimely passing on February 15. It had been Belinda's goal and genuine desire, health permitting, to participate in the conference. The day after Belinda's passing, ministry partners and old friends surrounded Dr Bruce and Jacque Allder, sharing the burden of their loss, in a very moving time of prayer for God's comfort and healing grace for them and their family.
The conference was divided into three major streams -
A cross-cultural orientation provided participants with primary perspectives on communicating cross-culturally, major world religions and communicating Christ (evangelism) in culturally specific contexts. Dialogue provided an interactive and effective learning environment.
Presenter and noted author, Dr Robert Banks, proposed the First century church as a model for effective missional engagement in the 21st century. In his full day teaching "Church outside the box: moving beyond our comfort zone and into the culture", Banks' premise affirmed the denomination's new definition of church as “Any group that meets regularly for spiritual nurture, worship, or instruction, at an announced time and place, with an identified leader, and aligned with the message and mission of the Church of the Nazarene...”
The increasing relevance of the "Ministry to diverse faith and cultural communities" stream is highlighted, for example, by the growing number of followers of Buddhism and Islam in Australia.
Presenters themselves reflected that culturally diversity, including Rev. Satish Manmothe, a south Asian and pastor of a church in Sydney's culturally diverse south-west, Rev. Richard Giesken, a native of South Africa, Associate Lecturer (Missiology, Biblical Studies) NTC, Rev. Vipul Kharat, also south Asian, pastor of a multicultural church in Auckland, New Zealand, and other specialists from Anglo and Middle Eastern cultural backgrounds.
One local pastor shared his very personal encounter when God challenged him about his own attitude to neighbours at a global conference. God called him to account for his deeply personal bias against his neighbours, based on negative personal experience in his country of origin.
Individuals involved in pioneering new communities of faith, church, in creative ways, also shared their experiences - building intentional, purposeful, genuine relationships with neighbours, chaplaincy involvement in motor cycle club, taking the church to where the church is not yet, and responding to a shared need out of relational crisis and family breakdown, in a non-judgmental, caring and affirming environment.
Participants affirmed the value and need of such a conference, including their desire to participate in future equipping events. Some of the key outcomes, reflections, included:
A commitment to becoming more intentional about connecting with neighbours;
Recognition that God is always working;
Challenged to see people as Jesus sees them;
Reminded, challenged re intentional relationships, making whatever adjustments necessary to our personal schedules to allow for involvement in social opportunities for connection;
Avoid making people ‘projects’;
Dr John Moore, Australia New Zealand field strategy co-ordinator, reflects on the conference - "Mission moves on morale and momentum. THE WELL is an attempt to meet around topics and conversation that will move us closer together and then forward with engaged, encouraged, and challenged hearts. Our most recent gathering at NTC provided this opportunity, drawing diverse participants with stories and questions to share regarding new initiatives that are taking shape across each district of the ANZ Field. We are grateful."
