Church Without Walls


What’s it all about?





At its heart, CWW is about changing mindsets- 


* From church focus to Christ focus
- following Jesus to see what church forms round him.

* From settled church to church as a movement
      - going where people are rather than waiting for people to come.

* From a culture of guilt to a culture of grace  
      - freeing people to love and be loved while not counting the cost. 

* From running congregations to building communities  
      - working towards a relational reformation.

* From isolation to interdependence 
      - encouraging churches to work together.

* From individualism to teamwork
- seeing teamwork as essential to all ministry.

* From top down church to upside down church 
      - putting the local church at the centre of the agenda.

* From centralised resources to development resources
      - releasing funds to encourage local vision.

* From faith as security to faith as risk
	-looking for new courage to break out of old routines.






















  
Where did it start? 


The Remit of the Commission  

To re-examine in depth the primary purposes of the Church 
and the shape of the Church of Scotland as we enter into the next Millennium; 
to formulate proposals for a process of continuing reform; 
to consult on such matters with other Scottish Churches; 
and to report to the General Assembly of 2001.

What’s in the Report?

The Report restates the primary purpose of the Church is to follow Jesus Christ. We are His people, travelling where He leads us. We are invited to risk this way and break our addiction to security. 

A Church which hears this call will be shaped by

* The Gospel – a rediscovery of the grace of God
* The Locality – responding to the varieties of our changing contexts
* Friendship – with fellow members, the next generation, the searcher, the community, other churches, rich and poor, the world Church, God’s creation
* The Gifts of God’s People– growing the Church around the gifts we have been given

The Regional Church and the Central Church will be shaped by trust, a sharing of responsibility and a focus on the resourcing of local needs. 

Key Proposals for Change

* Live with a Gospel for a year
* Review community, worship and leadership
* Integrate children and/or create new churches
* Develop paths for the journey of discipleship
* Plan strategically to develop leadership in congregations in worship, pastoral care 
and mission
* Work in teams and partnerships
* Recover the role of the evangelist
* Turn the church “upside down”- priority to the local
* Renew prayer life
* Encourage sabbatical time from church activities
* Fund new initiatives through special funding
* Review overall financial strategy
* Dare to take risks




Where we’ve come from and where we’re going


The Third Declaratory Article of 1921

“As a National Church, representative of the Christian Faith of the Scottish people,  it acknowledges its distinctive call and duty to bring the ordinances of religion to the people in every parish of Scotland through a territorial ministry”.

Our Calling Restated in 2001


* We re-affirm our commitment to the spiritual welfare of the Scottish nation and to share in God’s mission across the world.
* Along with other branches of Christ’s Church, we seek humbly to represent the Christian Faith among the Scottish people.  
* Together, we acknowledge our distinctive call and duty to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every person in every part of Scotland. 
* We recognise the call, through a shared ministry of pastoral and prophetic evangelism, to serve people in all the communities and sectors of their lives. 
* As part of the world church we celebrate the privilege of partnership in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
* As the Church of the Way, we sit loose to every pattern of organisation, ready to respond to the call of the Spirit in our times.
* As part of the whole church we are called to share the whole Gospel with the whole nation - and the whole world.



To find out more
The Report with questions for discussion and a study book, “Church Without Walls: working it out together” are available from Wesley Owen and the Scottish Book Source (Tel. 0131-229-6800) who will accept payment by Visa, Mastercard and Switch.
Three booklets for personal and group use, ‘Transforming the Local Congregation’ by David Currie, ‘The Spiritual Journey- Towards Life to the Max’ by Ken Lawson ‘Following Jesus Today’ by Peter Neilson are available from the Board of National Mission. Contact Agnes Menigall at 121 George Street, (Tel. 0131-225-5722) and from Wesley Owen Bookshops in Glasgow & Edinburgh. More booklets exploring other CWW themes are planned, including ‘Building Church Round the Gifts of the People’ by Gordon Reid; ‘Church for a new generation’  by Steve Mallon and Philip Wray; ‘Worship that Changes Lives’ by  Roddy Hamilton & ‘Together in Partnership’ by John Purves, Carol Findlay, and Donald Bruce.
Visit the website at www.churchwithoutwalls.org.uk