Category: eNews

WHAT WOULD STOP GOD TOUCHING OUR CITY?

Our dependence on our own strength and resources
Our desire for our comfort
Our failure to recognize and stand against the declining spirituality which is changing our laws and social values and threatening our peaceful way of life.
 
WE BELIEVE JESUS IS SHOWING US HOW HE SEES THE CHURCH

The draft copy of the Major Report of the first ever research of the whole Church across Melbourne is now ready.  We now have data on many issues about the Church we have wondered about – and these will be released first to Church Leaders on 12th March and later to pastors and leaders and the wider Church. 

For the first time we have clear data on the massive social and welfare support provided by local churches for their communities.  This is one of the areas in which our city depends on the Church, and how Christian faith is integral to our society. 

These will be highlighted and celebrated in a civic event in Fed. Square next year.
 
The data on church attendance brings a serious challenge to the Church and its future. This is an Inconvenient Truth!   But also the research includes data on where God is changing lives and communities, on areas of effective outreach, on the great number of ethnic churches, and the amazing range of resources in the Church in Melbourne. It indicates ways we can best minister to people of different ages or situations, including the challenging area of the Y-Generation and the Church.

WE INVITE YOU TO BELIEVE FOR GOD’S KINGDOM TO BREAKTHROUGH IN 2009

– To Welcome this in your own life
– To Join with others to Pray for it expectantly
– To be open to Pursue it as God leads
– To Support it as you have opportunity
– To Praise God as we see it

 

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The extraordinary thing is that He personally touched so little of the world when He was in it.  He trusted that task to a few often confused men – and yet within a few years the world was “turned upside down”.  We know it was because he powerfully mentored/ discipled these few, and empowered them by the Holy Spirit, that they touched thousands and taught many to obey all the things that Jesus had commanded.  But even they did not touch the world. They made disciples – and these people made disciples who made disciples – and the nations were transformed in Jesus’ Name.

That movement of transformation has continued at times and in some places since the 1st Century, and powerfully in some places today.  But in Melbourne and the West, that dynamic growth and influence has shrivelled.  Research shows maybe 3 million outside “the Church” in Melbourne, and probably outside God’s Kingdom, and attendance declining compared to the population growth.

A major factor is the failure to make disciples.  Strategies aimed at “getting people to church” can never reach or impact the city.  Calling people to “become a Christian” will not do it either.  Church growth methods have not worked.  Building more church buildings is not a key to changing lives.  It is not more Christians that will see our city impacted for the Kingdom.  It is disciples: people who are mature in their relationship with Jesus and committed to obey His call to live for Him – expecting Him to give them divine appointments with the lost, the least and the lonely, or anyone else, so through them God will change lives. Effective discipleship not only impacts more people and communities.  It leads to a dynamic experience of the love and power of God at work, and the reality of the glory of God leads to inspiring worship and praise.  Faith, worship and prayer and the Bible come alive.  It becomes contagious.  Our transformed lives touch more and more people and sothe City.

Powerful teaching on this core element of ministry and mission was given at the recent conference of the Evangelical Fellowship of the Anglican Communion national conference at Ridley College  (see http://home.vicnet.net.au/~efac/ )

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Local churches, faithfully praying, worshiping and ministering the Gospel can be totally unaware or even suspicious of nearby churches, ministering faithfully and singing the same songs.  One may be in great need, the other rich in resources, yet all share the same call and vision to bring the Gospel to their community.

Like separated body-parts: they all belong to each other, need each other, have unique gifts and contributions, but never experience the love and joy Jesus planned for His Body.    Church programmes and traditions often seem so important, but can be the barrier to reaching our city for the Kingdom of God, and those outside seeing a loving and healthy church. 

JESUS’ CALL FOR UNITY – There is only one Church in each local area.

Across the Church in Melbourne it is impossible to relate to all the other churches, but it is possible for leaders of denominations and citywide movements to relate and collaborate in the corporate mission and Kingdom life.  It is certainly possible (and vital) for churches in a local city to join in their commitment to bring the love of Jesus to their community. In some areas of Melbourne many local churches are relating praying and serving their communities together. To not make serious attempts to do so, despite the differences we have inherited, limits the influence, impact and spiritual authority of the Church in the city.  Our commitment to relate in unity with other parts of the Body, despite all the historical differences and barriers, demonstrates the power of the Cross to reconcile across divisions to a broken world that is waiting for reconciliation at all levels.
 
Jesus prayed fervently that we would be one, as He and the Father are one. 
That is His strategy for evangelism – “that the world will know who I am.”

Can we faithfully serve Him and ignore His passionate prayer?

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The Contemplative Tradition: The prayer-filled life.  Nothing is more striking in Jesus’ life than His intimacy with the Father in a life of prayer. He prayed alone, with others, taught his followers to pray, and was furious that greed had taken over the House of Prayer. It was out of His times of prayer that He lived out His life of love and power.

The Holiness Tradition: The Virtuous Life.   We cannot understand the holiness and ingrained virtue of Jesus’ life apart from His 40 days of fasting and temptation, where He feasted on Bread that really mattered.  His total commitment to holiness came out of His submission to His Father, and allowed Him to come to the Cross as the spotless Lamb who could take away man’s sin. 

The Charismatic Tradition: the Spirit Empowered Life.  Jesus moved in the power of the Spirit.  The Spirit descended on Him, He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. He spoke with great power and wisdom, promising the Living Water of the Spirit to all who came to Him. He healed, cast out evil spirits and raised the dead “in the power of the Spirit”.  And He empowered His disciples with that same Spirit, calling them to do all that He had done.

The Social Justice Tradition: The Compassionate Life.  Jesus defined His ministry as bringing Good News to the poor, releasing captives, restoring sight to the blind, setting the captives free and restoring their rights as in the Jubilee.  He lived a life of forgiving, loving, giving, touching, blessing and accepting those who others rejected. The power He used for others He refused to use for Himself.  He brought peace to all who came to Him.

The Evangelical Tradition: The Word-Centred Life   Jesus came proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom of God – the News that in Jesus Himself the Way had been opened for all to come as they are freely into God’s Kingdom of Love. And how?  By grace through faith in Him we receive God’s forgiveness and love and life in His Kingdom.

The Incarnational Tradition: The Sacramental Life.   It is as Jesus lived out and revealed His divinity in the ordinariness of His humanity that we find a model for submitting whatever we have to the divine purposes God calls us to.  The sacramental tradition calls us to make our waking and sleeping, our working and playing, all our living and loving flow out of the divine well-spring – as He did.

All these aspects of Jesus’ life are gifts to us and His Church.  They fit together in Him.  We can’t focus on all of them, but they all play a vital part.  So we see in the Church there are those who focus on prayer and contemplation (as the Catholic tradition does) though we are all to pray.  We are all called to holy lives, seeking to live out and promote God’s high standards for living – and some (e.g. Wesleyan tradition and Brethren) make that a focus of their lives and influence.  We are called to be filled and live in the power of the Holy Spirit (Pentecostals highlight this and seek His power to see people healed).  We are all called to share Jesus’ compassion for those in need, but some traditions take a lead in this area (The Salvation Army are known by all for their care and Uniting Church for seeking justice).  Every part of the Church is founded on and preaches the Word, but some see their main call as sharing the Good News and calling the lost to the Cross and new life. (e.g. evangelical Baptists and Presbyterians).  We are called to live our lives in relation to our Father and reveal Jesus in the way we live. (e.g. the liturgical traditions of Catholic and Anglicans, and the missional order that sit as Christ with the poor).

WE ALL NEED EACH OTHER!

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Sadly, many pastors are faithfully and prayerfully are doing as much as they can, but find that this is not enough.  There may be great blessing, but somehow there is always more to do.  Usually current expectations are so different to those when the pastor began ministry and how they were trained. Many people don’t understand the pressure.  While some members are very supportive, some feel let down that their needs are not met. Some openly criticise or oppose the pastor or stir dissent.  Many pastors in our city are struggling!

TM PHONED HUNDREDS OF PASTORS in our recent survey.

We spoke to many pastors who were worn out, discouraged and wondering why they were there. There were those who were “just too busy to talk about other things”.  There were some who wept on the phone.

Research shows that there are now 14,000 pastors in Australia, but the same number of ex-pastors.  These are people who have left their pastoral call, often in a painful and conflicted transition to some other work.  This is one of the highest attrition rates from any vocation in our country.   (20 years ago the number was 10,000 active and 10,000 ex-pastors).

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1. MANY TRENDS THREATEN OUR CITY:   (BUT THEY DO NOT HAVE TO CONTINUE)
 
60,000 Australian children affected by abuse and neglect (Fed. Gov. report May08)
9,860 Vic. youth (10-14yrs) arrests for violence, rape, shoplifting (up 18% 2006-07)
48% households single person occupancy by 2030 (“Melbourne 2030” Report)
33% 18 to 24yrs classify themselves as binge drinkers (37% of young women)
Assaults in Melbourne CBD increased by 17.5% in 2007
100,000 homeless in Australia; Continuing increase of Poverty in Australia
Record gambling losses in Vic. in last 6mths – over $1.3bn on pokies (up $55 million)
500 people took their own lives in Vic (2007).
Young girls self-harming up 45% in 10 years
Decline in personal morality impacting business ($2bn losses by Shoplifting 2007)
Child obesity 30% (20-25% in ’90s),
100,000 new cases of Diabetes pa nationally,
 
ALL THESE ARISE FROM SPIRITUAL NEEDS WHICH JESUS CAME TO ADDRESS,
He calls us to believe God can reverse them by His Spirit and a faithful Church
 
2. POWERFUL MOVEMENTS ARE INTENTIONAL ON SHAPING OUR FUTURE

Secular humanism, the homosexual lobby and extremist religions
Multiculturalism claiming all faiths (incl witchcraft) accepted as equal to Christianity
These are seeing increasing restrictions of church freedom & Christian values
(Pushing for legislation to legalise all abortion, euthanasia, to remove tax exemptions for Church work)
 
3. THE CHURCH AS A WHOLE IS NOT INTENTIONAL ON SHAPING OUR FUTURE
(What if the whole Church did become intentional in seeing God’s Kingdom established here!)
 
These trends ARE reversible!   God Could do this in our city!
He has transformed cities and nations before – eg social transformation of Wales 1904
And in Melbourne in the mid 1800s and in the great revival in 1902.
 
Will we – the Church – Claim the Future?  Or just continue as we are?
He will not renew our city unless we let Him renew us.
 
IT IS URGENT!
 
“Something is happening among God’s people
In these cities of ours
It’s happening right now
Two kingdoms are wrestling for the city’s soul
It isn’t too late to win
If we will rise up early
Our cities deserve a tomorrow
Unable to possess their tomorrows on their own
All Children of Joshua arise!”
 
Jack Hayford
 
ENCOURAGING SIGNS OF THE RENEWING OF THE CHURCH
a. Growing prayer movement:  24/7, prayer networks
b. House Church Movement gathering momentum
c. Developing Marketplace ministries
d. Many Young Christians – dedicated, radical, praying disciples
e. A new concern for justice
f. Restlessness amongst God’s people for something better
 
What can we do NOW?   PRAY!
 
JOIN WITH OTHERS IN UNITED PRAYER for the Church and the City
“There has never been a spiritual awakening in any time or place that has not been preceded by Sustained United Prayer”
 
The Great Revival in Melbourne in 1902 was preceded by small groups of believers joining to cry out for God to visit and renew our city.  Over years it grew to a movement of 1700 groups from many denominations praying together.  The call to UNITED PRAYER has been the core focus of all transformation movements, including Transforming Melbourne.
God will be known in our city as WE are transformed be His love and presence!

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