It was just a week ago today that I was at the Alpha Day for Church of Scotland ministers. Here is my final post on themes from that day.
Further to an earlier post on evangelism and Alpha - here. I turned the page and found another very helpful note of the final point, evangelism as community.
The new community into which evangelism welcomes us, and others, welcomes us into a set of new relationships:
with God > > > > Adoration
with others > > > Belonging
with creation > > Compassion
with self > > > > Discipleship
with words > > > Evangelism
One of the great and highly visible signs of human sin is our broken relationships. Only through reconciliation with God and the renewal of our lives in the likeness of Christ can we enter into the joy of new relationships.
Graham Tomlin finished off the day by speaking of his present work at HTB in the St Paul's Theological Centre and the St Mellitus College in London. St Paul's was started as a theological centre within HTB offering biblical and theological resources to members of the congregation and others. Having proved successful the centre united with St Mellitus and is offering ordination training within the Church of England which is focused upon keeping those being trained within the local church.
Graham, having spent 16 years teaching theology in Oxford recognised the disjunction between training in a secular university and service in local church.
To prepare candidates for ordination the vision is that they be prepared within the church and by the church for service through the church to the world. What a wonderful vision for ministry preparation and formation.
The one question I have is why do we not have something similar in the Church of Scotland? Why do we continue sending candidates for ministry to be trained by non Christians in godless universities? This is a time for radical change - well here's one I think is long over due.
No comments:
Post a Comment