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General Assembly 2008: The Kirk must change its image
The Church Without
Walls team will tell the General Assembly that
the public's perception of "church"
must be challenged and changed.
The planning group said that churches across
Scotland have continued to move forward creatively,
and not in conventional ways that people would
typically expect: |
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"The church is still engaging
with communities, often during the week rather than
at the traditional Sunday services.
"A growing number of congregations...
are now beginning to re-assess what it means to be a
parish church delivering the ordinances of religion,
while they and their communities around them are going
through transition.
"This can only be a healthy
and hopeful process." (p.4, para 3)
The report emphasised that the Kirk is a grassroots
movement, and this message is being taken into the heart
of local areas through prayer and social action:
"We have learned... that
in an age of transition the church has to be aware of
the importance of its locale and the opportunities being
made available to share the gospel in a changing culture."
(p.4, para 2)
Through their efforts in pushing the church further
into the community, the group is delighted to inform
the Assembly that they have engaged with over 40% of
all Church of Scotland charges.
The team felt that the response had been very positive,
and has provided a launch pad for future opportunities:
"We have shown that members of
the church will attend weekend conferences if they understand
their significance for them at a local level.
"The experience of networking
with congregations across Scotland has been of great
benefit to the Church and is one that should not now
lose its momentum.
"It is time perhaps to
begin to develop a national events strategy across the
Church of Scotland and a network for those engaged in
new ways of being church." (p.6, para 5)
However, the group warned that change must be properly
facilitated and implemented if the Kirk is to make its
mark on today's society:
"Undoubtedly, communities and
individuals are going through change.
"It is rapidly becoming one of
the greatest challenges of the twenty-first century
church.
"How we manage that transition
as a church will affect our future influence in Scotland."
(p.3, para 5)
Ends.
Note to News Desks
For further information contact Rev Albert Bogle, Convener
of the Church Without Walls planning group, on 077 1537
4557 or e-mail albertbogle@mac.com
A full copy of the report is available on our General
Assembly pages online
here.
GANR/22/04/2008
Tuesday 13, May 2008
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