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Mission and Evangelism as Fresh Expressions of Pastoral Care
Langley Mackrell-Hey, Presbyter, Lincoln South Circuit.
Liz Childs, Mission Enabler, Lincoln and Grimsby District.
Summary
The Methodist Church has reached both an innovative and pivotal moment in its history. As we become more aware of our decline we also become more willing to reshape the Church so that it can fulfil God’s mission as faithfully as possible, making the most out of every opportunity that arises.
Our covenant with the Church of England has become a catalyst for mission. The emergence of Fresh Expressions serves as an example. Their message has encouraged local churches to think realistically about how they embrace diversity, focus on outreach and work in partnership1. Although the Covenant is between the Anglican and Methodist church, the spirit of Fresh Expressions is one of openness towards all people, irrespective of background or denomination.
In 2007, conference adopted a Fresh Expressions report that called for a Connexional fresh expressions project. This would ensure that our existing work is sustained through the stationing of suitably skilled ministers. It would also require us to identify new opportunities for fresh expressions projects and train new staff for this role. Pertinent to this paper is the desire to ‘provide a framework where the ecclesiological and missiological issues raised by fresh expressions can be carried out’.2 Thankfully, since 1999 the Methodist Conference has adopted reports that clarify our own ecclesiology3 and the function of our ministers4 . The Church is now ready to consider how this can be applied to our many and varied challenging contexts.
At the 2008 National Fresh Expressions Conference, practitioners and supporters of the movement began to discuss how some of their work was hindered by our systems of governance and oversight. These are limiting the pace at which fresh expressions can develop. One clear example is the way in which Holy Communion continues to be a ‘converting and confirming ordinance5 and yet it is rarely shared in the absence of a minister. Whilst the reserved sacrament can be offered, anecdotal evidence suggests that this option is never explored. One suspects that the underlying concern is one of ensuring that the discipline of the Church is upheld in a context here many people are unchurched. Even so, if the purpose of Fresh Expressions is to develop new forms of church rather than new church activities, these issues will continue to press us. The inherited and emerging facets of Church are likely to be separated along cultural and sociological divides for some time. In many instances, visitors to fresh expressions
projects are openly sceptical about
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1Anglican Methodist Website, Stories of Covenant Living, 2007.
http://anglican-methodist.org.uk/stories.htm
2Fresh Expressions, Conference 2007 reports p.94, 19/2b.
3Called to Love and Praise (1999) and other reports can be viewed, on the Methodist Church website, http://www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=churchlife.content&cmid=138 (accurate on 19th November 2007.)
4 ‘What is a presbyter' (2002), ‘What is a Deacon' (2004), ‘What is a Circuit Superintendent' (2005), The Nature of Oversight (2005), ‘What is a Chair of District (2006), ‘Releasing Ministers for Ministry' 2007), ibid .
5Report on Holy Communion in the Methodist Church , 2003. Section (iii) http://www.methodist.org.uk/static/
news/papers/holy_communion03.htm Accurate as of March 2008.
‘traditional’ church without realising that they are meeting in an extension of it. New forms of church are here to stay.
In the Lincoln and Grimsby District we have already begun to reflect on how our increasingly mission based agenda is impacting local Methodist churches. As a consequence of Our Calling, the Connexional Priorities, the Fresh Expressions movement and our own District Policies, a number of creative tensions are evident. Many of these result from our successes. Fresh Expressions are encouraging ministers and churches to nurture new work. This must be held in tension with sustaining what is successful and ongoing. Whilst the divide between inherited and emerging forms of church is not as clinical as some might think, space does exist between the two. Many ministers find themselves in this place. Until now, little has been heard from circuit ministers whose appointments involve both fresh expressions and pastoral charge of congregations. Many want to actively support what is emerging but cannot work in isolation from what has been inherited.
This paper begins by exploring some of the tensions that are evident within inherited Churches. It then reflects on how our use of language and our mission-based agenda continue to challenge many long-established Methodists. These themes form a backdrop against which the incongruity between what has been inherited and what is emerging becomes obvious. Three major questions become apparent. First, is there a conflict between pastoral care and mission? Secondly, are expectations concerning the number of pastoral tasks that a minister should offer ever in conflict with the wider mission of the church? Finally, how can we support our ministers as they attempt to sustain what we have whilst nurturing (or even pioneering) new work? Much of our reasoning is limited to the role of firstly presbyters with pastoral charge of congregations, and secondly all ministers. Whilst the same questions apply to layworkers, in our view the expectations of what a minister will do are far more rooted in the history of the church and what our predecessors have been able to offer.
Apparent conflict between pastoral care and mission
The Fresh Expressions movement has reminded us of the theological, social and cultural gap that exists between what has been inherited and what is emerging. It encourages both congregations and ministers to engage with new people. In many case it requires ministers to serve pioneers. One way of encouraging the development of fresh expressions has been to appoint individuals with this specific intention. There is much to be commended in this strategy; the church needs such people as part of the reshaping process. However, it risks advancing the idea that mission in general is a speciality of regular ministry. We argue strongly against this. As ministers we all share a common pastoral heart. Our hope is that everyone we meet will experience God’s salvation. We also share a mission mind. Our compassion leads us to serve those who are both at the centre of the church and those who are at its fringes. To consider that we are called only to serve the members of the Church is to compromise our Methodist tradition. We are all missioners, even if we are not all pioneers.
Expectations about the scope of pastoral work offered by a minister.
Our ecclesiology projects the idea that presbyters and deacons serve at the heart of the church. Their ministry is one of word, sacrament and pastoral responsibility. They are to co-ordinate and equip the work of other disciples6. Within our structures much emphasis is placed on the pastoral care of members. This is overseen by the
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6 ‘What is a Presbyter’, Conference 2002 report, para. 5.
presbyter in pastoral charge who organises people to carry out specific tasks. Even so, many people within inherited churches have high expectations about the scope of pastoral work that a minister will undertake. In the worst cases these demands reflect a breakdown in the pastoral structures of the church and an inability for congregations to care for each other.
Our observation is that increasing numbers of ministers are being drawn away from the centre of the church towards its edge. Now more than ever, ministers are also seeing the value of being a pastoral presence, making the most of every new pastoral encounter as opposed to door-knocking the faithful. This is a different style of pastoral work. It is encouraged by the fresh expression emphasis on fellowship and can lead to significant opportunities for mission and evangelism. I one sense, ministers have always served outside the church; as school governors, trustees on charities, members of the neighbourhood watch. The difference now in some centres is that if the minister does not serve in this way, all contact is lost with wider members of the community. This is especially the case when monochrome congregations faced with decline are situated in a much more diverse community.
We submit that in certain instances unreasonable expectations about the scope of pastoral work offered by our ministers is inhibiting the wider mission of the church.
Supporting ministers as they stand in the gap
Whilst some ministers may be comfortable with these expectations, others may feel disinclined to use their other gifts. In one sense, life is easier if we serve only the pastorate. Then again, in many instances to do this is to offer a style of worship that meets the needs of only a faithful few, presides over the steady decline of the church and denies the needs of others who God is calling us to serve. Few ministers will be content with this. Many feel pulled in two opposing directions and must safeguard themselves against burnout. Some may reach the point where they feel compromised and unable to fulfil their calling within the circuit system.
Whilst we do not wish to undermine a deep sense of calling that some ministers may have to work on the fringes of the Church in areas such as chaplaincy or fresh expressions, one major attraction is the exchange of one context for a different one in which greater freedom can be found for ministers to be the people that God has called them to be. The nature of these appointments also requires that expectations between ministers and the organisations that they serve are clearly agreed. Oversight over the total number of hours spent is also likely to improve. We sense that work must be done on two fronts; churches must be encouraged to recognise that mission is a priority and that expectations concerning pastoral care must be agreed; ministers must be encouraged to use all the gifts at their disposal and to respond faithfully to where they feel God is leading them.
A way ahead
Within the Lincoln and Grimsby District we have therefore produced a document for use at every level of church life entitled, ‘Pastoral Heart, Mission Mind.’ It presents the issues that concern us in a simple way. It underlines how ministers share ‘a common pastoral heart’, ‘serve on the edge’, ‘manage a team’, and ‘safeguard the self.’ It encourages congregations to ‘support each other’, strive for ‘every member ministry’, ‘connect with outsiders’ and ‘embrace diversity.’ The need to agree expectations requires circuits to make difficult decisions about where their resources are focused. This assumes that they make an honest assessment of the potential for growth and the specific needs within each centre. Conversations must follow in every church. Aspects of this strategy also have implications for how we train ministers, how we agree expectations and how we safeguard our ministers from burnout.
1.0 Progress in the Lincoln and Grimsby District
As circuit ministers have shared their experiences, the tensions within struggling inherited churches have become more evident. As ordained ministers we are part of the inherited Church. Nonetheless, we have a role to nurture what is new and emerging on its fringes. When ministers find that they are standing in the gap between the two, deciding how they prioritise their time becomes difficult. Inherited churches have inherited expectations. Emerging congregations need careful nurture.
Reports from conference support the concept of ministers serving on the fringes of the church whilst overseeing the whole. Even so, this is not always recognised. There is a need to work on two fronts. From a ministerial perspective we must consider what we expect from our staff, how they are trained and how we safeguard them from stress, burnout or departure from the ministry altogether.
From a local church perspective we must help congregations to understand that the shape of ministry is changing. This is being driven by our shortage of ministerial staff, an increase in the number of churches that ministers serve, the decline of our membership and the need to support new work as well as sustaining what we have. The nature of ministerial oversight and the need for every-member ministry needs to be rediscovered. Our concern is that whilst good progress has been made within the District and circuit leadership teams, there is much work to be done at the grassroots .
7
2.0 Tensions surrounding vocation
For some ministers struggling to sustain what we already have, the prospect of outreach is daunting. They have neither the energy nor the resources. Some would even argue that their calling is to the pastorate and that mission is somehow not part of this. Whilst we recognise that ministry within a team will involve people who have different gifts and natural inclinations, we hold that this based on an extremely narrow understanding of evangelism and mission. Whilst pastoral visits to the faithful may not be tightly focused on evangelism in terms of making new converts and nurturing new disciples, they are nonetheless part of God’s mission to those in need. It will never be true that one minister is called to serve the pastorate and another is called to the mission field. No pastor can be a good pastor without a heart for mission and evangelism. No evangelist or missioner can be effective without being a pastor at heart.
In our view, all ministers are driven by compassion. We share a pastoral heart and a mission mind. Our desire is that everyone who we meet will experience God’s salvation. This requires an emphasis on both conversion and practical support. Whilst we welcome the creation of specific posts to encourage mission, we want to avoid the notion that such work is a speciality. It should be the norm.
Despite this, fresh-expressions and other mission-shaped posts have much to offer. In theory, they can only arise once a throughout review of mission across any given area has been carried out. In contrast to what may have existed before, these posts underline that any future work will have a different emphasis.
2.1 Whilst every effort is made through the stationing process to try and ensure that the right minister finds the right appointment at the right time, tensions will always exist between ministers, congregations and individuals. Even so, one of the hardest
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7 For example, some circuits may suspect that the life of a chapel is limited and encourage the minister to devote time elsewhere. It is however difficult to say this directly to a local congregation
questions is where a minister should invest their time and energy. This becomes increasingly difficult as the number of churches they serve increases. Legally, ministers are appointed by the circuit to serve in a local context. Often there is a conflict between the desire of the circuit and the demands of the local church – especially where a circuit considers that there is a need to focus on those churches that are experiencing growing pains rather than terminal decline. Typically, it is the ministers who are left to reach agreement in isolation with each local congregation. This paper recognises the need for circuits to make difficult decisions about where a minister focuses their energy and the scope of their work. There is often need for a much more honest and transparent process that is team led, consults with local congregations and above all, does not leave ministers isolated.
3.0 Tensions evident within inherited churches that are struggling
There are a number of tensions that form the backdrop against which the encouragement to become more mission focused are heard.
3.1 Vulnerability and closure
Within some congregations there is the realisation that closure is not far off. One familiar scenario is one where a small number of people are struggling to function as a local Church, wary that if anyone leaves or dies, their plight will become even worse. As a consequence, many people feel unable to resign from their responsibilities for fear that no one else will be able to fill their role. The topic of closure is never addressed. Instead, the church hopes that a miracle will happen and that if they remain faithful, growth will come. We know through experience that this is rarely the case. It is as if we hope for a resurrection without being prepared to face death – or the major changes that will be required for new life to flourish.
3.2 A siege mentality
Instead of becoming more outward looking, the pattern of decline can at times force churches to become more inward looking and self preserving. Struggling churches may view their more successful neighbours with mixed emotion and may misunderstand their ability to offer support. One common misunderstanding is that larger churches should have more resource to spare. In reality, they also have to contend with greater need. Sadly, it is also true that fear of closure sometimes leads to suspicion about the motives of another local church or the circuit as a whole. This may influence attitudes towards work in partnership.
3.3 Looking for a super-minister
The expectations placed on a minister by the inherited church are considered at greater depth at a later point in this paper. Even so, it is important to note that whilst many local churches acknowledge that their minister serves across a section, they would still like to see more of them; anyone that does not wear a dog collar is a poor substitute for their own minister. As congregations look outwards they recognise the tension between the need to sustain what remains of their own congregation and need to support the minister in outreach elsewhere. Often this work is among people who are not connected to the local congregation and who are unlikely to be encouraged by what is presently on offer.
3.4 Struggling with change
Change is also a source of tension in inherited Churches. It presents itself in two ways. Some demands for change are forced by difficulties that are more immediate. For example, a reduction in the number of ministers serving within a circuit may result in a decrease in the number of services that can be offered at the usual date and time. The only way of solving this is to change service times. Alternatively, a reduction in the membership of a church may result in a reduced ability to continue with other worship and fellowship events. A second way in which change becomes necessary is through more external pressures. For instance, the connexional priorities and the district policies that follow encourage local churches to revisit how they do mission. Furthermore, changes to the way in which we administer health & safety, property and finance (to give three examples) have a major impact. Add to this the need for computer literacy and the struggles faced by some inherited churches become even more acute.
3.5 Unable to offer anything different
Many of these congregations recognise the diverse needs that confront them but struggle to respond. Partly this is due to a lack of resources. As we have looked to encourage 20-30’s and young families in the life of the Church it has become clear that many local churches are struggling to provide for the needs of different user groups. Whilst many of our churches would love to welcome people from different backgrounds, they are not equipped to do so. For example, whilst many young people would see the benefit of joining a community with a host of surrogate grandparents and a vast pool of life experience, their natural inclination is to mix with people whose outlook and life-experience is similar to their own. This is human nature. Unless a Christian family moves into a local area determined to support their local church, such growth is unlikely. The family would need to have a Christian faith, see the value in supporting their local church (as opposed to an alternative that is within easy reach), be willing to exist in isolation (often trying to meet the needs of their own children) and prepared to serve as front-line evangelists, drawing in other parents.
6.1 In response, many monochrome churches have put their faith in the homogenous unit principle, despite the fact that they may have never heard the term before. Leaders will argue that they should focus their energies on what they are good at; they are concerned that to do anything else may destabilise them even more. Whilst some efforts may be made to reach out though family occasions such as baptisms or celebrations such as Christmas carol services, the mentality is one of hoping that visitors will embrace (or, to be crude, ‘fit in’) what the church is doing already. The best path ahead therefore seems to be the development of parallel congregations. However, the soft-option for ministers is to concentrate on work within the church because here, failure to live up to pastoral expectations is likely to produce criticism, whereas work within community is less likely to result in complaint about the minister’s absence. It will also require more work from the minister.
3.6 The Fresh Expressions 8 model seems an acceptance, almost by stealth, that what is emerging can rarely be combined with what is new. Many local churches recognise that parallel congregations are the way ahead. Whilst every case is unique, our experience informs us that even though we are united in Christ, our diverse needs, peer groups and cultural backgrounds make the prospect of full visible unity difficult. The desire for all-age worship and the problems in offering something for everyone is a good example of this.9 Even so, many people within the inherited church still yearn for visible unity.
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8 Atkins details coherently the tensions between inherited and emerging Church in chapters 2-4.
9 Mike Bossingham of the Family Friendly Churches Trust speaks of how some churches try to offer multiplex worship but also make the effort to unite different congregations on one Sunday of the month. In reality less people attend the united service than go to either parallel congregations on the other Sundays in the month. (Visit to Lincoln South Circuit, 17th November 2007).
3.7 To note, but for future debate
No minister takes pleasure in broaching the subject of closure with a local congregation. Some hope may be offered through the prospect of a society becoming a class of another church. Even so, this is often viewed as accepting defeat. One of our concerns is that frequently local churches hold fast to the hope for renewal until they reach the point of internal collapse. Unfortunately, when this happens the prospects of moving forward positively have been lost.
Perhaps one of the weaknesses of our church governance is a focus on the local church being able to exist so long as it meets the requirements of CPD. We hold that in certain instances whilst the letter of the law is being followed, the spirit of the law is not. This prevents churches from asking tough questions about what the future will hold and where God may be directing them. Perhaps the requirements for establishing new congregations should remain the same, but the point at which local churches are encouraged to think about becoming a class of a church elsewhere should be reached earlier.
4.0 Tensions as the Church reshapes itself for mission.
In recent years our understanding of ‘Church’ has begun to change as we have shifted from a ‘community’ model of witness towards a more missionary based approach. Herein, the ‘community’ model has been focused on worship and fellowship among those who have developed a connexion with the Church from birth. The ‘mission’ model has been energised by the realisation of Missio Dei. Its focus is on outreach among the unchurched, the need for pre-evangelism and the search for leaders whose specific gifts relate more closely to the context in which they will serve. This shift is evident in the efforts being made by inherited churches to reshape themselves for mission.
4.1 One such example is the development of ‘Our Calling’ within Methodism. Its emphases of ‘worship’, ‘learning & caring’, ‘service’ and ‘evangelism’ are considered to be essential features of any church. Whilst an imbalance does not necessarily suggest that a Church is failing, it raises questions. Recently, ‘Fresh Expressions’ has emerged, a pioneering work undertaken jointly between the Church of England and the Methodist Church. Within the movement there is a clear awareness of the cultural and theological gap that exists between the inherited Church and newcomers. Some of these people have had no involvement with the Church for one or even two generations. Both Fresh Expressions and Our Calling encourage congregations to return to the heart of what it means to be Methodist. The gospel must be proclaimed to outsiders; our service must be directed towards wider society; new converts are to be nurtured and introduced to discipleship through small groups. Among the mere re-branding of church events that has always existed, there are examples of fresh evangelism that are both sensitive and culturally relevant. These must retain some measure of connexion with the inherited Church. This is especially important as new congregations begin to form and we ask questions about what defines ‘Church’ and how groups are governed and overseen.
4.2 Often the place of tradition is viewed cynically by those who believe that it inhibits rather than encourages change. When people label themselves as ‘traditional’ and find their security by living in the past, this view may be justified. Even so, good tradition is dynamic. It is being refined constantly. One of its greatest assets is practical experience. This must inform our thinking as we nurture fresh expressions. At the same time we must not stifle the creative freedom of our emerging leaders or quench the work of the Holy Spirit.
5.0 Slippage in our understanding of commonly used language.
We are experiencing slippage in our understanding of simple terms that have been in common use for some time. For example, when we use the word ‘church’, do we mean its fabric, its congregation or both? Is it possible to have a church without walls? 10 What are the essential marks of a church beyond theology and community? Is it possible to have a church without a minister?
When we use the term ‘evangelism’, are we referring to the preaching of the gospel to bring people to a point of conversion or do we consider evangelism to be a much longer process that includes the early phases of discipleship? 11
When we use the term ‘mission’ do we have in mind replicating what we are doing now but doing it elsewhere? This was certainly the case at one time when the concept of ‘Overseas Mission’ was regarded as the export of British Methodism and community life to distant shores – even though in practice it had similarities with many of today’s parachurch organisations. Now we have ‘mission partners’ rather than ‘missionaries’. Whilst we still do mission for other people (“We’ll build an orphanage for you”), and authorise strong leaders to preach at large-scale events, (“Lets invite J. John to Lincolnshire”), there is a stronger emphasis on partnership. We want to encourage local congregations to do mission for themselves.
5.1 Not surprisingly, different styles of church are emerging that in some instances appear to clash, if not theologically then certainly culturally. For instance, one fresh expression may be no more than a prayer group that meets away from church premises. It is likely that such a venture would be welcomed. However, another fresh expression may operate in a nightclub, have a reduced sense of connexion with the local church and be culturally dissimilar. This type of project may be less well received by the inherited Church. Yet both are equally valid. The days when ‘evangelism’ meant Billy Graham and an altar-call, and when ‘mission’ meant a weekend of activity leading to more people becoming involved in the social life of the church, are well behind us.
5.2 As the Church is looking to change its shape missiologically, its ministers are looking for outreach opportunities. If this attitude is not present within the local church there may be a mismatch of expectations between minister and congregation. Note the emphasis; whilst districts and circuits may support this focus on mission, it may not be understood by members of the local church.
Christian disciples are called to have a pastoral heart and a mission mind12 . Methodist ministers are set apart to develop the outworking of this two-sided coin in their local communities. Where pastoral care is viewed too narrowly, it is perceived as maintaining the status quo by visiting the faithful. When evangelism and mission
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10 Pete Ward makes the distinction between ‘Solid Church’; getting in one place to do the same thing together’ and ‘Liquid Church’; informal fellowship, unrelated to buildings, not needing a weekly congregational meeting and living as Christ’s body in the World. His emphasis is on the Church needing to be flexible, fluid and changeable, adapting itself to address (rather than ignoring) those of a different culture. He suggests that many people today are longing for community and would welcome more opportunities for informal fellowship.
11 Abrahams defines evangelism as ‘initiating people into discipleship’
12 Croft refers to the dualism between maintenance and outreach.
are viewed to narrowly, they are perceived as door knocking in the name of Jesus and donating tinned food during the season of harvest festival. In either instance, difficulties will arise. Ultimately, it is the presbyter or deacon who is left with the unenviable task of satisfying any conflicting expectations. Whilst recent publications on purpose and priorities are to be commended, they will have little impact unless they are realised by the people whom ministers serve. In the short term, the way forward is for expectations to be agreed clearly between churches and minister under the oversight of the superintendent. In the long term the process of missiological reshaping must continue.
6.0 Tensions develop as Mission takes centre-stage
There is therefore a danger that the robust approach of the institutionalised, inherited Churches towards mission and evangelism may lead to division. The tension in local contexts is one of balancing maintenance with local mission. Many of our congregations include people who have devoted their lives to Methodism and who are now elderly and frail. They need to be cared for. When our emphasis on mission is considered against the need to tend the faithful, outreach and pastoral care may be viewed as opposites. This will be exacerbated by those who argue that this emphasis is relatively recent and that historically, the Methodist Church has always placed a strong emphasis on pastoral care. Furthermore, whilst the appointment of mission enablers and evangelists is absolutely crucial to changing the culture of the Church, we must guard against the idea that mission and evangelism are some kind of speciality or worse still, an optional extra.
7.0 Is there a conflict between pastoral care and mission?
Clearly, this depends on what we mean by the terms ‘pastoral care’ and ‘mission’. Connexionally, pastoral care is understood as the outworking of God’s calling upon us that we should love God and love our neighbour.
13 Whilst our neighbour includes those who join us for worship and fellowship, we also have neighbours on the fringes of or beyond the walls of the Church. It therefore follows that pastoral care is a key component of mission and must not be limited to the service of a familiar few. It is reassuring to see that the Methodist Church is encouraging local congregations to develop policies of pastoral care that are ‘clearly defined, adapted to the mission and situation of the local church, serving as a benchmark against which actual practice is gauged as to its effectiveness or otherwise.’14
7.1 One common difficulty seems to be a lack of resources. This of course will always be dependent on what we hope to achieve. Our present crisis is that instead of having to choose between one mission based project or another, many leaders feel forced to choose between investment in a local inherited congregation (to try and ensure its survival) and investment in what is new. Hence our discussions have shifted away from assessing the merits of one form of mission over another towards discussing how we can both sustain what we have and invest in what is emerging. The debate is not about who we value. It is not even about what we prioritise (despite the temptation to accept defeat over what is not producing fruit in the inherited church and focus on what is emerging). It is about how we focus our resources. Nevertheless, within the inherited Church the underlying concern is that the needs of the pastorate will be overlooked. Whilst we may be capable of resourcing ourselves differently, many life-long Methodists will look at who visits them as a reflection of how much they are valued. Sadly, there is no substitute for a visit from the minister.
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13 Michaela Youngson, ‘An introduction from the Connexional Secretary for Pastoral Care and Spirituality: Welcome to the Pastoral Care web pages. Accurate as of 30th December 2007. http://www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=opentolife.content&cmid=1017
14
‘Do churches need a Pastoral Care Policy?’ paraphrased. ibid.
7.2 From the centre to the fringes
This situation is exacerbated by the gradual movement of ministers from the centre of the Church (where they have served traditionally), towards its fringes. Many commentators would argue that from a missiological perspective, this is where ministers should be. In a sense this debate is now academic. Our pattern of decline and the potential for fresh projects to grow are now driving this change.15
7.3 Our ecclesiology supports the notion that ministers with pastoral charge serve at the heart
of their Church community. It is the minister who chairs the Church Council
and who oversees its work. It is the minister who visits different church
groups as a means of encouraging both the leaders and newcomers.
This model is more apparent when the church has a strong following in the local community.
Regrettably, in recent decades we have observed a shift from the church being the focal
point for community activity (with many local people attending) towards one where the
local church is seen as a venue. At one time many local churches will have been sustained
by their own biological growth. The emphasis was on calling people back to the faith that
they once had and to meet the ever-growing need. Mayo states that it is not that people
are opposed to the gospel; they are simply indifferent to faith and the Church.16 Today we need to rebuild confidence in the church (through pre-evangelism), share the Christian faith with people who are unchurched and network to a much greater extent with other community groups.
As a consequence, many ministers are finding themselves serving as both an administrator at the heart of the Church and as a missioner on its fringe.
7.4 Loitering with intent & being in the right place
As representatives of the Church, ministers often meet individuals with an immediate pastoral need. One clear example is the visit made by a minister to a member who is unwell in hospital. In doing so they may meet relatives or friends based locally. This is also true when visiting people to arrange funerals. However, there are other instances where ministers find themselves on the fringes of the Church. This becomes more obvious when the local congregation is in decline but the wider community is growing. It is exacerbated further when the two have very different needs. One clear example is of where a local church consists of a small number of retired and elderly people, set within a very different context. Led by compassion, the minister will meet pastoral need and identify opportunities in these new areas. Hence, the focus for pastoral care shifts to the fringes of the Church, looking both inwards and outwards, as opposed to being focused at the centre. For example, ministers may visit people who have been flooded, talk informally about baptisms with parents outside the school gate, serve as a school governor or assist with other organisations. Difficulties arise when the local church is unable to support the minister in meeting an obvious need on the fringes. Tensions develop as it becomes clear that even if a local church supports work with a different group of people, it does not have the resource or the inclination to do anything more.
7.5 Deliberate intent & making the most of the opportunity.
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15
Consider how baptisms, weddings, hospital visits and funerals involve contact with people who are on the fringes of the Church, or even unchurched.
16
‘Do churches need a Pastoral Care Policy?’ paraphrased. ibid.
In response to his paper, Geoff Harris 17 affirms that there is an intrinsic link
between mission and pastoral care – and makes the observation that in the gospels,
the pastoral care that Jesus provides is deliberate. During his itinerant ministry
Jesus embodies the gospel and makes the most of every opportunity that arises.
Whether He is feeding the hungry18 , welcoming onlookers19 , healing the sick 20 or
accepting the praise of others21 , Jesus appears to act deliberately. The disciples are called,
trained and commissioned to follow in his example. This includes them being sent out in pairs.
7.6 Our observation is that some congregations are focused on fellowship activities and
assume that presence of the minister at these functions is a reflection of their pastoral
concern and care. Yet when we compare the deliberate nature of Jesus’ work with the rolling
programme of Church events we can see that the two are very different. One comment from Michael
Townsend is that the deliberate nature of our care needs to be rediscovered by ensuring
that visits have some kind of spiritual focus, some conversation about faith and a closing in prayer22 . In some sense, the visit to a school by a church leader for an assembly that ends in a prayer or work as a trustee on a charity with similar goals to the Church, may have more credibility as a pastoral task than attending a coffee morning or drawing raffle tickets at a church fair.
7.7 The role of the laity
So far our reflections have been focused on the role of the minister,
which of course overlooks the contribution made by other members of the congregation.
Within Methodism, much emphasis has been placed on the role of the class meeting.
We have pursued its resurrection doggedly, believing that if we can succeed in this,
church growth will follow. Surprisingly, recent historical scholarship has questioned
the contribution made by the class meeting to the success of early Methodism 23. Nevertheless, the evidence from cell-churches and congregations who encourage the development of small groups is that this combination of worship, teaching and close-fellowship can be extremely helpful.
7.8 Historically, the Methodist Church has depended on lay leadership and support for its survival. Our pastoral oversight has depended on the success of the class system. For example, CPD requires that pastoral secretaries and class leaders should be appointed – and that the classes should meet under the oversight of the minister with primary pastoral care delivered by the leader. However, one wonders whether those who have inherited such titles today understand the authority that has been invested in them and the pivotal role that they have to bring to the health of the church.
8.0 Trend towards professionalisation.
The yearning for ministers to be at the centre of churches providing pastoral care has been made worse as our church members have aged; there is an increasing need for pastoral care and fewer people able to offer it. In addition, the few younger people we do have are nearly all working full-time in demanding jobs – the days when the pastoral work of the church was largely done by housewives who did not
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17
Of EMMTEC, response given before the Lincoln and Grimsby District Synod
18
Eg feeding of the five thousand.
19 Eg Zacchesus ‘I am coming to your house for tea.’
20 Eg The healing of the woman who is heammoraging.
21 Eg The anointing of Jesus.
22 At Lincoln and Grimsby District Synod – former chair of Leeds District.
23 Andrew Goodhead, PhD thesis.
go out to work have long gone. This is in no way intended to demean the contribution given by those spouses who continue to support the work of their partners. This is wonderfully generous. However, some congregations may still believe that a married minister arriving with wife or husband in tow counts as ‘two for the price of one’.
8.1 There has also been an increasing professionalisation of care which means that lay people feel less able to give pastoral care, and many people are less willing to receive it from them. Some feel that this is particularly true on the fringes of the church, where visits from for example, a cradle roll secretary are viewed with suspicion, whereas a minister can still, even in our secular society, find a welcome in most homes. Certainly, among church members, visits from the most devoted pastoral visitor do not seem to count as a visit from ‘the church’ – although a deacon or lay worker is generally as acceptable as ‘the minister’, suggesting that it is the title, or ‘professionalism’, that matters. In other contexts, such as visits from a community nurse or home-help, people are more concerned that the person has been trained and can be trusted.
9.0 Conclusion: Pastoral Care and Mission cannot be separated
From a theological perspective there is no evidence to suggest that pastoral care and mission are in conflict with each other. Indeed, when we consider the pattern of Jesus’ ministry in the gospel, the Missio Dei and the nature of pastoral care, it is clear that pastoral care and mission are instrinsically linked.
9.1 The challenge faced by the Methodist Church is centred on how we sustain what we have whilst encouraging new work. One underlying fear within some inherited congregations is that if our leaders focus on the latter, those who have given their lives to the Church will be left behind. Even so, some would argue that there is a clinical judgement to be made; if what we have inherited is not growing, greater priority must be given to supporting emerging work that is already showing promise.
9.2 This is the central issue. As circuits look at how they resource themselves differently
there is the potential for misunderstanding. Some members will associate how often they see a minister
with how much they are valued. This is not the same thing. At the same time there is a need to be
fair in how we share our resources, especially when there seems to be little hope for growth
and there is an immediate need elsewhere. One major task is the ‘abolition of the laity’ 24 , in that congregations need to become the engine for mission rather than a group that receives it from circuit staff.
9.3 Sustaining what we already have is a vital part of any strategy for growth. Nevertheless, this in itself will never honour our obligation to serve God, who is essentially missionary in character. Neither is it likely to reverse our decline in membership and community roll. If we are to live as authentic disciples we must respond to the needs that become evident through new pastoral encounters. Many of these are chance meetings that occur outside the walls of the Church, giving rise to fresh opportunities for mission and evangelism.
9.4 We have been greatly encouraged by the creation of new posts for evangelists and missioners across the connexion. Such people have become the hands that will help reshape the church for mission both now and in the future. However, we note that in many instances, some measure of pastoral charge has been exchanged to facilitate a deeper focus on mission. Frequently there are obvious reasons as to why
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24 Stephens speaks of ‘The Abolition of the Laity’ in a positive and enabling sense.
this is necessary. One example is of where a missioner is focused on building a
relationship between congregations and community groups, rather than overseeing the
business that is within them. Alternatively, time is allocated within a post towards mission.
Consider the following statement which could appear in any profile; ‘Minimum of a third of time
on youth work, a third on other mission based-initiatives, the remainder being given over to
pastoral charge of four small churches’. We are concerned to ensure that mission 25 and pastoral care of the faithful are not seen as mutually exclusive or even in competition with each other. Perhaps it is helpful to see evangelists and missioners as carrying out specific pastoral tasks on behalf of the wider church.
10.0 Secondly, are expectations concerning the number of pastoral tasks that a minister should offer
ever in conflict with the wider mission of the church?
Within the Lincoln and Grimsby District there are a number of support networks offered to ministers. This includes GIM, the Growing in Ministry Group and SPRINT, (Spiritual Renewal In Theology), The former welcomes individuals who join the District as probationers or who have less than five years experience. SPRINT is offered to those ministers who have more than five years experience. Superintendents have their own retreat.
10.1 Whilst it would be unhelpful to be too prescriptive in terms of relating the experience of ministers, considerable feedback has been gained from members of GIM and SPRINT which formed the basis for this reflection. Superintendents were present at the ministerial synod where everyone was given opportunity to reflect in groups.
10.2 The conclusion of the synod was that whilst there were exceptions, in many contexts the expectations placed upon the minister to undertake certain specific tasks were inhibiting the wider mission of the Church. In some cases this marked a breakdown in the mutuality of pastoral care with more being expected from the minister. In the worst cases we are seeing the unhealthy signs of dependency. Only two ministers stated that they did not feel under this pressure but recognised that it may exist elsewhere. Synod’s resolution to pass this paper for consideration on to the representative synod was passed unanimously.
10.3 Whilst there is a never a conflict between pastoral care and mission, every minister must agree the scope of their pastoral work. In any setting there are many different pastoral tasks which need to be done, some more urgent than others. In everything that we do our pastoral care is evident. Consider how pastoral care flows through ‘Our Calling’. When we lead services of worship we fulfil the pastoral task of celebrating the fact that God cares for us. When we engage in evangelism, we fulfil the pastoral task of reaching the lost and bringing them into faith and discipleship. When we serve others we fulfil the pastoral task of showing God’s love in the world. When we teach we fulfil the pastoral task of helping people to understand what drives our mission. In a sense, we need to avoid a narrow interpretation of pastoral care that is linked to providing an emergency response, visiting the housebound and those who are hospitalised.
10.4 Conscience and promise
As ministers we are led by compassion and conscience. At times we find ourselves serving in an emergency response role. When, for example, we consider the death
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25 Stephens speaks of ‘The Abolition of the Laity’ in a positive and enabling sense.
of a loved one, it is the minister is central to the pastoral and spiritual support offered by the Church. Members of the congregation provide additional support. The same is true for baptisms and marriages. However, we submit that often ministers are performing additional pastoral tasks because no one else is available.
10.5 This is most evident in struggling churches where the ability of members to look over each other has become reduced. In this instance ministers are led by compassion and conscience. One of our ordination promises is that no one should suffer through our neglect. In some contexts there is neglect, not by the minister but by the wider church. Much of the time this is not deliberate but as a consequence of frailty. Nonetheless, this ordination promise is deeply significant. Ministers struggle with their own conscience. They are aware of what members expect, irrespective of whether or not such expectations are voiced. Most of all they fear the accusation that they in themselves are being neglectful if they do not respond. We believe that these issues are the source of much internal and external tension. They are contributory factors to burnout.
10.6 Conclusion
We hold that some congregations have unreasonable expectations about the scope of pastoral care that should be granted by a minister. We believe that in many churches, an increasingly insular understanding of pastoral care is inhibiting their wider mission. Whilst some ministers do feel called strongly to serve the pastorate, others feel led to exercise a different balance of gifts and graces. Our duty is to ensure that we fulfil our pastoral obligations and that the churches under our charge fulfil theirs. We are not the sole carers. In a context where we speak freely about the need to safeguard everyone in our care, what emphasis have we placed on safeguarding our ministers?
11.0 Finally, how can we support our ministers as they attempt to sustain what we have whilst nurturing (or even pioneering) new work?
Thinking about ministers
As we reflect on the conflicting expectations that confront ministers, it is obvious that further efforts must be made to encourage local churches to consider their own mission. This must be critiqued against Our Calling, connexional priorities and district policy. Having done this, churches can then reflect on the scope of work that will be expected from their minister.
11.1 Ideally, local churches and ministers need to formulate an agreed set of priorities before an appointment begins. In the case of Methodist ministers, this negotiation must include the circuit, as one of the issues is dividing time between the churches (and other responsibilities). Whilst there is nothing to stop ministers from doing this themselves, it would be dangerous to leave them unsupported and exposed, having to implement a circuit policy on their own.
11.2 One common concern was a sense in which ministers are given pastoral charge and simply expected to do ‘the right thing’. Whilst the needs of a particular section may be evident from a circuit profile, it is the minister who often bears responsibility for agreeing where they focus their energies and the scope of their pastoral work. The pastoral committee and stewards meetings have a key role in this respect. Even so, the scope of pastoral care that churches can expect from a minister is unclear beyond baptisms, weddings, funerals, hospital visits and crisis visiting. Some ministers will feel that his is all they can bear. Rarely will all the expectations of a local congregation match what a minister can offer. When ministers are given pastoral charge of a number of congregations this becomes even more apparent.
11.3 One way forward is to ensure that representatives of the circuit leadership teams, the minister and the stewards of local churches meet together to discuss how their expectations may be negotiated and balanced. If representatives from across a section are able to meet together, the tendency for churches to think in isolation will be reduced. Whilst this process should always be part of completing a stationing profile, there is no substitute for clarifying expectations once a new minister has arrived. Currently our legislation looks at agreeing expectations within congregations but not between congregations and the circuit. Evidence suggests that there is, at times, a difference between the hopes and aspirations of the circuit leadership teams and that of the local church. More transparency is required. Perhaps even enough to be honest about how the circuit sees the future of some weaker centres.
11.4 We would encourage circuits to make tough choices over where a minister focuses their efforts and to differentiate between ‘pastoral care’ and ‘pastoral encounter’. Pastoral care can be considered to be the oversight of pastoral teams (or colleagues) by the minister. Whilst many ministers would expect to visit members in hospital, to be present during times of crisis and arrange funerals, the scope of this contact may be negotiable. Whilst we should encourage local churches to take their pastoral responsibilities seriously, some circuits may feel the need to appoint layworkers.
11.5 The separation of ‘pastoral care’ and ‘pastoral encounter’ is a recognition of the fact that when a minister is present within one particular area for a sustained period, fresh opportunities will arise for pastoral care, mission and evangelism. This dynamic is not the same as the minister working their way through some kind of pastoral list. It is more like ‘loitering with intent’. It is built on routine and the idea of being a Christian presence with which people can become comfortable. Presently, ministers are subject to an endless run of meetings where they are surrounded by familiar faces. Whilst these events are unavoidable they are not necessarily the best place for meeting new people. Assessing where pastoral encounter can occur places equal value on the natural inclinations of a minister contrasted with the church’s mission. Frequently, valuable pastoral encounters occur outside of the walls of the church.
12.0 Thinking about the laity
God calls us to be sheep and not stuffed animals
You may think that the analogy between stuffed animals and living sheep is a little harsh. We do not mean to decry the efforts of many churches whose members work tirelessly. Our intention is to challenge those churches who expect their ministers to be more paternalistic and who do not have the confidence to care for themselves. Stuffed animals are for looking at and cuddling. Living sheep can be left to their own devices for longer periods. Whilst they will occasionally find themselves in difficulty they should not expect the minister to be omnipresent. Neither should they expect the minister to make all their decisions. As the chair of the church councils our role is to enable discussion, conclusion and action. It should be their discussion, their conclusion and their action, with support from the minister.
12.1 In line with our arguments concerning the profesionalisation of pastoral care, we must help
lay people understand that they are not a poor substitute for the minister. 26 Whilst some people may struggle with a door-knocking style of pastoral visiting, the range of pastoral skills that are present within our churches is phenomenal. We all know of members who have experienced bereavement, who have been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness and made a full recovery, people who are professionally qualified in special needs support or counselling or who work in the medical profession. The list is endless. If we can affirm their gifts, give them a clear role and authorise them, our strength and depth in providing pastoral care from a corporate footing will improve. In addition, we should provide training, commissioning services, expenses and even payment. Some of these solutions are in place: we need to learn from them.
12.2 Finally, much is often said about the level of administration in the Church. This is made worse when the burden of complying with new Church and government legislation falls on the minister. Some ministers may already be completing tasks traditionally taken on by lay-people, especially in the areas of finance and property. One issue here is whether such a church should face closure as it is unable to meet the requirements of CPD. The key positions of treasurer and property steward are particularly difficult to fill in small rural churches. Whilst there is never any easy solution we need to find ways of spreading this burden, perhaps through the sharing of resources. This said, there will always need to be some input from local people.
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26 This emphasis on lay responsibility for pastoral care has been argued by Wright ‘We must not tolerate the heresy that visiting by anybody but the minister from the Church is ‘second class’: in my judgement, it is only the laity who are able to do ‘first class visiting’ in the sense of giving plenty of time to one or two people. (p.84-85) & Deeks ‘So much of the Christian tradition…..confines ‘pastor’ to an authorised church leader, normally an ordained minister. My emphasis….has been to break out of a clerical monopoly and argue that pastoral visiting is a ministry in which all God’s people participate.’ p.252
13 Final Conclusion:
Mission and Evangelism as Fresh Expressions of Pastoral Care
If fresh expressions are to reach their potential, ministers will need to be seen as leaders and not workhorses. Both fresh expressions and established congregations need to recapture the ministry of the whole people of God.
13.1 Pastoral ministry is broader than visiting members and adherents of the Methodist Church. To be a pastor is to be both a missioner and an evangelist. To be a missioner and an evangelist is to be a pastor at heart. Our position affirms the compassion that we all share as ministers. It affirms both those who feel a strong calling towards the pastoral ministry within the inherited Church and those ministers who have more of a leaning towards outreach. It places evangelism at the heart of the Church but reaching beyond its walls. It asserts that whilst pastoral care, mission and evangelism must be overseen by ministers, the minister’s gifts and inclination may not be so equally spread. It challenges the expectations of congregations who have not managed to disengage from a ‘community’ model of thinking. Our position is that good mission and evangelism arises from fresh expressions of pastoral care.
13.2 As we seek to encourage the Church in the future, it is important to underline how the church is already changing, how the partnership of minister and congregation is likely to develop. We must also explore make every effort to ensure that the tradition of the inherited church can protect what is emerging. Likewise, what is emerging must inform what has been inherited. All ministers share ‘a common pastoral heart’, have a function in ‘managing a team’, they all ‘serve on the edge’ (in some sense) and must be sure to ‘safeguard the self.’ Congregations must strive for ‘every member ministry’, ‘care for each other’, ‘connect with outsiders’ and ‘embrace diversity.’ These common themes can be applied into any context.
13.3 Discussion of these issues may help prevent:
- A rift developing between ministers holding perceived opposing views.
- A rift between ministers and local congregations over the role of the minister.
- The creation of stress in ministers and frustration in local congregations when no agreed expectations in regard to the role of minister and role of the congregation are in place.
- Overload for a minister where decline of the local church leads to less appointed time but expansion of the local community leads to more opportunities for pastoral and mission work.
- The haemorrhage of ministers, especially the younger generation, from Circuit ministry as their calling and expectation and social culture becomes further removed from that of the local church.
13.4 Recommendations:
Within the Lincoln and Grimsby District this report was received by ministerial synod and approved for presentation at representative synod. In addition, the following will be suggested.
- To produce a clear, written policy which affirms the broad range of gifts and graces that ministers bring to local contexts.
• This will emphasise the importance of allowing ministers to become the servants that God has called them to be.
• It will discourage unreasonable expectations about the level of pastoral care that ministers will provide. It will emphasise shared responsibility.
• Whilst acknowledging the need for ministers to oversee maintenance and the delivery of pastoral care, it will affirm those ministers who struggle to live out their calling as pioneers and entrepreneurs.
• It will affirm the pastoral heart that is at the core of all ministry.
• It will emphasise how mission and evangelism are fresh expressions of pastoral care.
- To ensure that materials are produced in the form of sermon helps and small-group material. These materials will focus on the link between maintenance, pastoral care, mission and evangelism. Significantly, churches will be encouraged to follow-up contact made through their own pastoral encounters.
- Ministers need to be released from making tough choices about the use of time in isolation. Circuit leadership teams and ministers need to formulate an agreed set of priorities in consultation with local Churches. We must identify areas where ministers will spend the majority of their time and seek fresh opportunities for pastoral care, mission and evangelism.
- We must find ways of authorising the pastoral work of lay people, by giving them titles, training, commissioning services, expenses and even payment. The formation of self-help groups and the appointment of community (rather than Church-based) pastoral workers has much potential.
- We need to find ways of training lay people in new church and government regulations so that the burden of complying with this does not fall on the minister.
13.5 We hope that our message it will carry beyond circuits to local congregations. This is where it needs to be fully realised. Let us not create a divide between pastoral and mission ministry. Both are essential to authentic Church. Let us instead discover where, and how together as the people of God in any particular Church and community, we can use one another’s gifts to be worth of the title ‘Church’ and to fulfil our calling.
References
Abraham, W, ‘The Logic of Evangelism’, Eerdmans, 1982.
Atkins, M, ‘Resourcing Renewal’, Inspire, 2007. Chapter 9, ‘Renewing Ministry.’
Croft, S, ‘Transforming Communities’, DLT, 2002, p.28.
Deeks, D., ‘Pastoral Theology: An enquiry’, Epworth, 1987. Chapter 15.
Jackson, B, ‘The Road to Growth’, CHP, 2005, p.145.
Mayo, B, ‘Ambiguous Evangelism’, SPCK 2004.
Mission Shaped Church, CHP, 2004.
Ward, P, ‘Liquid Church’, Paternoster, 2002.
Wright F, ‘Pastoral Care for Lay People’, SCM, 1982, p.64
Stephens, P, ‘The Abolition of the Laity’, Paternoster, 2000, p.25
Useful Web
Lincoln and Grimsby District Policy, 2007
http://www.lgmethodistdistrict.org.uk/district/
content/mission_policy.asp
President’s and Vice President’s Blog – the Methodist Church
Particularly interesting debate on why we are seeing fewer young people offer for the ordained ministry in Methodism.
http://methodist-presandvp.blogspot.com/2007/09/
thanks-for-help-lets-keep-going.html
Martyn Atkin’s previous presentations to the Lincoln and Grimsby District synod on churches in transition.
http://www.lgmethodistdistrict.org.uk/district/
content/ministerial_synod.asp
Glossary of Terms
‘Ecclesiology’ is a term used to describe how churches are structured. This varies across different traditions according to how different roles are perceived (i.e. presbyter, deacon, member, congregation) and how they relate to each other.
‘Evangelism’ tends to be thought of as preaching of the gospel and inviting people to convert to Christianity. However there are many ways in which we can relate the gospel (pastoral care being one of them). Instead, this paper considers evangelism to be a process by which people are led on a journey to conversion through to the early phases of discipleship.
‘Fresh Expressions’ is a joint initiative between the Church of England and the Methodist Church to encourage new or different forms of church for a changing culture. Within a fresh expression, members of the long-established Church reach out in appropriate and relevant ways to those who have had little or no contact beforehand. This may take place away from Church premises.
‘Homogenous Unit Principle’ The idea that Church growth can be targeted among single user groups. This idea has been inherent within ‘friendship evangelism’ in the USA. It has met with a mixed response. Whilst people will naturally gravitate towards others who have similar interests and backgrounds, the early church made tremendous progress in uniting different social groups (men, women, slaves, Jew, gentile) within one Church. The danger of the HUP is that Churches become too insular. One tension with fresh expressions is how the homogenous unit of inherited Church connects with the homogenous unit that is a fresh expressions project.
‘Inherited Church’ refers to the Church that has been passed down through the generations. When people inherit Church they inherit its expectations.
‘Mission’ is defined under the terms of Missio Dei. Mission belongs to God and extends beyond the traditional boundaries of the Church. When we do mission we recognise where God is at work, bringing restoration to a broken world and healing to a bruised humanity. We play our part in God’s mission to the world.
‘Missiology’ is a term used to describe the study of mission or the pattern of mission eviddent within an organisation.
Monochrome/Technicolor congregations: ‘Monochrome congregations’ are composed of people from one major social group. For example, the ‘retired and elderly’ or ‘teenagers’. ‘Technicolor congregations’ include people from different social groups and are much more diverse.
‘Pastoral Care’ is defined as support offered by ordained ministers or other representatives of the Church. This alleviates immediate need, encourages people in their faith and builds a deeper sense of ‘Connexion’. We hold that when many members of the Church use the term pastoral care, they are referring to the visiting of members and their support during trying times. It may extend to non-members who are known to the Church community.
‘Pastoral encounter’ is defined (by us) as those times when the minister (or pastoral carer) meets people who have a pastoral need. Away from the hub of the Church, these, encounters can give rise to ‘Fresh Expressions of Pastoral care.’ Such pastoral encounters arise from a willingness to ‘loiter with intent’ rather than knocking on doors.
‘Fresh Expression of Pastoral Care’ occurs when an encounter leads to a new opportunity for evangelism or mission. This may include baptisms, weddings and funerals requested by the unchurched. Alternatively, it may also include a fresh expressions project. As a consequence, the Church community roll grows.
‘Slippage’ is a technical term which illustrates how the meaning of language changes over time. This paper (in fact, this glossary) offers evidence that we are observing slippage in our understanding of the terms ‘Church’ and ‘mission’. Confusingly, people can have different understandings of what is meant. One extreme example is how the word ‘gay’ has come to mean something else over the years; at one time it simply meant ‘happy’. Now it means something else!
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