yes - advent 2009 - cms a global community of mission service

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yes Advent edition. Published by CMS.

General Secretary: Canon Tim Dakin

Editor: John Martin

Designer: Seth Crewe

Printers: CPO

Printed on a sustainable paper that is elementary chlorine

free and can be traced to bona fide sources.

CMS is a community of mission service: inspiring a

mission lifestyle; equipping people in mission; sharing

resources for mission work.

Views expressed in yes are not necessarily those of CMS.

Church Mission Society, Watlington Road, Oxford, OX4 6BZ

Registered Charity Number 220297

04/06 From our correspondents

07 Being missional in turbulent times by Tom Sine

10 The best surprise is no surprise by Joseph Steinberg

12 CMS and SMCs by Ian Adams

13 A year of living 2/44 by Emma Woo

15 Firm foundations: Houses of mission by Chris Neal

16 COMMUNITY: Good questions by Tim Dakin and Chris Neal

18 Crowther Centre news

19 Notebook by John Martin

John [email protected]

3 yes Community Edition 2009

missionary presenceOur theme for this issue of yes is community

and mission. The Church Mission Society has

been formally acknowledged as a mission

community by the Advisory Council on the

Relations of Bishops and Religious Communities

of the Church of England. What does this mean

in practice?

Samuel Escobar, one of the most influential majority world mission voices of our

times has written, “Before searching for methods and tools for communication of a

verbal message we must search for a new style of missionary presence relevant to

this moment of human history.”

Throughout the history of the church, various forms of community have played a

vital role. Community was part of the experience of the church in Jerusalem in the

early decades. We can speak of the desert fathers and mothers. Then there is the

mostly forgotten story of the Persian church, whose missionary enterprise was far

more substantial and far-reaching than our Western missionary movement of the

past three centuries.

Communities seem to come into their own when conditions are hostile and have

sustained the presence of the church in places where life has been tough and

external forces antagonistic to the gospel. It seems to me – and trends in the

West bear this out – that community as a vehicle for the maintenance and

expansion of the church will become more and more important as Christianity is

marginalized by cultural forces in Britain and Europe. What is certain is the parochial

model of Christian presence no longer works in many of our inner city areas and

rural contexts.

Not everyone is called to residential community living, but there are many ways

community can be lived out for the expansion of the gospel and renewal of the

church. This edition of yes looks at just a few.

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No man is an island...John Donne


Allan and Anne Lacey write from Uganda

Unexpected blessingsIt was Sunday morning and Allan had been invited to preach at a small rural church near the Congo border. We set off at about 8am and picked up the archdeacon on the way, as we had little idea where the church was, and neither maps nor signposts are common sights here.

On arrival, however, we found a traditional palm branch of welcome at the church entrance. We were seated in a small pyott – a circular, open-sided building near the church. There was no sign of activity in the small, roughly constructed church, but after a half hour or so, we were joined by various church leaders and presented with breakfast: Tea, peanuts, boiled eggs, and sweet potatoes, which were to sustain us for the rigours of the two or three-hour service ahead.

During the meal we began to hear singing from the church, and then the insistent beating of a drum – the equivalent of church bells. Maybe an hour after the advertised time, the service began. We were delighted to find young people playing traditional udungus (stringed instruments in a variety of sizes) to accompany the music, and a choir of children singing and clapping enthusiastically. The building gradually filled up as the service progressed, and it soon became evident that some infant and child baptisms were to take place as well.

After the vows had been made by an assortment of parents and godparents (the archdeacon commented on the absence of some of the fathers) Allan was asked, with no notice, to baptise a seven year old lad dressed in a dapper suit. The only service book available being the Lugbara equivalent of 1662, he was a bit nonplussed – but managed to summon to mind the English words of baptism and signing with the cross.

The whole service proceeded with considerable enthusiasm and energy, if a little chaotic at times, and Allan’s sermon was ably interpreted by the archdeacon. At one point, during a particularly boisterous Lugbara song, spontaneous dancing broke out at the front of the church, and we joined the jumping worshippers.

Reconciliation reflectionsA month ago we held one of our continuing national reconciliation meetings for leaders of African Independent Churches (AICs). It wasn’t just men who were present, but women and young people as well. After a prophetic address by the General Secretary, and reports from the grassroots on the progress – or lack of it – in reconciliation, a journalist gave a summary of political events over the past 12 months. We went for lunch deeply depressed.

Afterwards we asked the leaders to reflect on what they had heard. Most of them are not very highly educated, so they did not propose legal or constitutional reforms. (That’s left for

..from our correspondents...

John Padwick writes from Kenya

the National Council of Churches of Kenya). Instead they returned to what they know best – reflecting on the state of the community in urban and rural villages. Eventually the talk turned to the problems of young people. Whether we had nudged the discussion in this direction, or whether it was simply the leading of the Holy Spirit is difficult to say. But now participants began to speak from their hearts.

Millions of male youth are unemployed and frustrated. This leaves them vulnerable to politicians with money. Over the past 10-15 years, during the election periods they have been recruited into political gangs. This being Kenya, and politics being essentially a struggle for ethnic supremacy, the gangs are also tools of tribalism. The violence of December 2007–February 2008 was carried out by these gangs. A few of them have graduated into permanent militia. The most prominent of these are the SLDF on Mt Elgon, and the Mungiki of Central Kenya. It is the Mungiki who are currently the main cause of concern.

Central Kenya has a history of guerrilla warfare (the Mau Mau) going back to colonial days. Like many such wars, Mau Mau was against both an external oppressor (the British) and against those who allied themselves with the foreign rulers, as well as those who refused to take the Mau Mau oath (e.g., the homeguards and some of the members of the mission churches). Mungiki dates back only about 20 years, but it looks back to Mau Mau for some of its methods and ideology. In the urban shantytowns, Mungiki and other militia are an unofficial layer of government, providing security, collecting waste, and providing (illegal) connections to water and electricity. But Mungiki also terrorize populations that refuse to pay their (illegal) taxes, usually cutting off people’s heads. Like the Mau Mau they are bound by an oath that sets them free from the warnings of their conscience and their ancestors. In consequence the security forces find them extremely difficult to control. In fact Mungiki have members in the police and in some churches.

Most Mungiki members are young people, some only 16 years old, who have been attracted to the movement because they get a sense of purpose, affirmation and income that is otherwise denied them. Our church leaders spoke of these youth as people for whom they had a deep concern. A few leaders explained how they struggle spiritually and pastorally to rescue youth from the militia. This should be a critical issue for the churches, but whatever is being done isn’t much discussed. (Quite naturally, people fear.) The conclusion of our meeting was that we should hold another smaller and more confidential meeting just to hear people’s stories – from both sides, if possible. Then we can decide how we to support those who are working with gang members or with youth who are vulnerable to recruitment.

Pakistan: Fighting the powerful “In Jesus Christ there is freedom, and that’s for ever. We can’t go back to the old way, even if they kill us.” These are the words of a young man who had recently been baptised, having


To find out more and keep in touch with all our mission partners, log on to www.cms-uk.org/linkletters for the latest reports

The soul that is alone…is like the burning coal that is alone. It will grow colder rather than hotter. St John of the Cross


To find out more and keep in touch with all our mission partners, log on to www.cms-uk.org/linkletters for the latest reports

come from a non-Christian background. They express how much of society is bound by compulsion, fear and oppression of the weak by the powerful. We’ll call him Peter. His words were very soon put to the test.

A young woman from the same background had also recently been baptised. We’ll call her Alice. Alice’s father was a kind man who loved his three daughters, but was very poor and without any power in society. He was effectively dependent on his bully of an elder brother, who gave him work from time to time so that he could feed his family. He did, however, own a little scrap of land. He did not know that one of his daughters had been baptised, and it wouldn’t have done his health much good if he had found out.

Soon after Alice had been baptised, her father’s brother declared that he wanted his three sons to marry Alice and her sisters. (Marriages between cousins are, as you probably know, very common here.) Her father’s scrap of land would pass to his brother, but the family’s economic future would be secure.

Alice and her sisters begged their father not to force them to marry these objectionable young men. At first he agreed, but then the pressure which came on him was so intense that he eventually told them they would have to go through with the marriage. To Alice and her sisters, such a living death was not an option. They could see only two possibilities: flight or suicide. And if they were to flee, then without doubt they would quickly be recaptured.

At the moment of extreme tension, Peter had an idea. Drawing on every ounce of courage he could find, he went in trepidation to Alice’s father and asked that Alice might marry him instead. And for good measure, and in line with the culture, he asked for her two sisters to marry his two brothers. Peter was a very hard worker, but he hadn’t any wealth or prospects or social power. All he had was the joy and delight of Alice and her sisters at the prospect of rescue and marriage to loving husbands. The struggle was intense, but in the end Alice’s father accepted Peter’s offer. From somewhere Alice’s father found the strength to stand up against his bullying brother and tell him that his daughters were promised to someone else.

There is a high price for the father’s love; immediately he was disowned by his brother and can expect nothing but hatred from him for the rest of his life. It is to be expected that the brother’s family will seek revenge for this insult.

There can be no vulnerability without risk; there can be no community without vulnerability; there can be no peace, and ultimately no life, without community. M Scott Peck


Few people deny these are turbulent times. Most

agree all the portents signal even more change at an

even faster rate. Yet for some reason, when changes

hit, Christians on the whole seem to be taken by

surprise. Few churches seem to be geared to help their

congregations and neighbourhoods with the aftermath

of change. Even fewer seem ready to turn these

challenges into missional opportunity.

Long-time friend of CMS, Tom Sine is author of the

bestseller The New Conspirators (2007) and part of the

Seattle-based Mustard Seed community. He has been

on the road with a message that Christian attitudes to

lifestyle and living the life of faith need to change.

“Essentially what we’re about is not only challenging

churches and individuals to become more missional

but to shift that missional concern into the future

tense. We need to anticipate some of the new waves

like the business people do, then we have lead time

to do something before they blow up on our doorstep.

Apocalypse now?

“Since that huge economic tsunami broke on

countries all over the planet we have all become

painfully aware of people in our congregations and

communities who are still struggling with lost jobs,

homes and diminished resources,” he observes. “A

few churches have created new ways to be God’s

compassion to their neighbours. Regrettably, most

churches we have contacted still haven’t awakened

to this opportunity to create new ways to be God’s

compassion to those who are still struggling.”

Even so there seems to be a new mood. “I find a

growing number of church leaders don’t want to be

blind-sided by this kind of devastating change again.

These leaders want to learn to lead with foresight.

They are searching for practical resources to enable

them to both more effectively anticipate and more

creatively respond to other new challenges.”

Looking to the future, those potential challenges

are no less daunting than today’s economic crisis.

“There is a serious possibility of global inflation. The

stimulus packages in Europe and the US – not so

much Australia – mean a number of economies

are vulnerable to a serious inflationary spiral. Oil will

probably hit between $200–300 a barrel by 2020.

Another trend happening even before recession

hit was serious inflation in the price of grain. The

Millenium Goals are in real trouble now. Make Poverty

History is at risk because of the price of oil, food, or

the aftermath of trying to turn round the economy. So

the poor are going to be hit the hardest.”

Other worrying problems loom. Water availability will

become an issue that may even lead to wars. There is

the H1N1 challenge but it may not be the last. Another

future scenario could be an avian flu epidemic. Sine

wants to see churches building networks like Flu

Friends (an idea promoted by the Evangelical Alliance)

where local church networks visit, collect medication,

provide food help and child care.

Then there is the demise of denominational Christianity

– in Britain church attendance is down to as low as

eight per cent and with the boomer generation nearing

retirement there are questions about how church life

and charities will be funded in the future.

Green shoots

Nevertheless, in the midst of current mayhem and

panic about the future, Sine believes God is doing

something new. There are green shoots that are

the work of a generation of innovators, risk takers

and entrepreneurs. So where did all this begin?

“The ‘emergent’ movement didn’t begin with Brian

McLaren [in the USA]. It began in the UK in the late

80s. In my New Conspirators book I make a case

that many of the young leaders emerged after the

house church movement began to run out of gas –

people like Jonny and Jenny Baker, Phil and Wendy

Walls and Gerard Kelly.

“They started creating new expressions. What

characterised these emerging churches was they

tried to contextualise – connect with, say, an artists’

community in Liverpool by starting a cafe. Many of

them were much more outwardly focused. Phil and

Wendy Wall write about a Salvation Army church

plant which not only had a significant impact on

working class estates but also started Hope HIV

which is still going. From there it began in Australia

and New Zealand in the early 90s and last of all it

came to the USA.”

It runs deeper than mere activism. “One of the

Being missional in turbulent timesyes magazine talks to tom Sine, author of the new Conspirators, about how facing up to the challenges of discipleship amid the ravages of recession can lead to a festive future

tom Sine with his wife Christine


“i find a growing number of church leaders don’t want to be blind-sided by this kind of devastating change again. these leaders want to learn to lead with foresight”

to compose their own mission statement. Mustard

Seed is on the same track. “We encourage families

to work together to produce a calling statement.” It

sounds very like what CMS has in mind.

Then, he says, creatively in small groups begin to

re-imagine and free up time for daily scripture and

prayer, free up time for relationships but also a

couple of hours a week for witness and service as

the opportunity presents itself.

“I think this is a very teachable moment as we come

out of recession. In the US we have adult Sunday

school classes. These are not present in UK churches

but some have strong cell group networks. I think

there need to be places to help people re-evaluate

how they steward time and money.”

He has hosts of stories and suggestions for putting

this into practice.

“Here in Britain we found one family had written a

calling statement about being the hospitality of Christ

in their neighbourhood. So they regularly ask a different

child in their family to invite a different neighbouring

family in for a meal. And after a few months they’ve

seen the neighbourhood change through the gift of

hospitality. The kids have started to change and focus

outwardly on the needs of others, instead of on getting

the latest, the neatest, the coolest.”

People tell of offering one lunchtime a week to do

something for people who are clearly in trouble. A

woman in Seattle freed up Wednesday nights to

work with seniors who were bed-ridden, to help

them with their chores so they wouldn’t lose their

homes. She took her pre-school children with her.

“They didn’t watch Mom work – they were right

down scrubbing the floor alongside her.”

Back in the UK, a Vineyard church in Southampton

challenged members to live at the level of welfare

recipients for a period of time and then give the

money to the Jubilee 2009 Fund. This small

congregation were able to free up £24,000. There

are many examples of churches offering debt

counselling and job search support.

making mission a lifestyle

Even so there is still a huge lifestyle challenge

too many Christians seem oblivious to. “On the

evangelical and charismatic side many still have

discipleship wrong. In the US a lot of middle class

people, including a lot of committed Christians, have

been bingeing on borrowed money which of course

is not sustainable. One wonders where the teaching

of the church was to help these good people really

question to what extent they have to have the mega

mansion houses, vehicles and expensive holidays.

“I think part of the problem here in Britain, Down

characteristics of this new movement was that many

of the young leaders really raised the bar about how

to be disciples and how to be church. One of the

words I’ve learned from them is ‘authentic’. They

really want to see more authentic whole-life faith and

they want to see churches, whether traditional or

experimental, more outwardly focused and focused

on mission.” It’s had an influence on Anglican

churches through Fresh Expressions, a network now

led by Graham Cray, the Bishop of Maidstone. CMS

has been part of this from its earliest days.

“One of the things I always find striking when I come

to the UK is how churches in Britain are much more

outwardly focused and interested in mission than here

in the states. When I work with churches in the USA,

whether they’re evangelical or liberal, most of them

do not have a single ministry that they sponsor into

their communities or neighbourhoods. But it would be

unusual, in Britain, with churches I am working with,

to find they are not sponsoring four to five ministries.

So there must be something in the water. I don’t know

what it is.

“We’ve seen in Australia that the Uniting Church

has something of this on a smaller scale. And

in the last two years or so, in the United States,

virtually every major denomination is trying to help

local congregations give birth to more missional

expressions in churches.”

Sine tells the story of a Baptist church in Bangor,

Maine. “It’s a downtown church. They realised they

didn’t know their neighbours. So they did a bonfire

picnic on their grounds and they invited everybody.

The starting point for really engaging with the

community was establishing a community garden on

the land. That kind of thing is beginning to catch on.

“In the UK before the recession hit the Evangelical

Alliance was doing similarly with One Square Mile

projects. Churches were encouraged to create

mission initiatives within one square mile of where

they were located.”

Sine talks about the work of Andrew and Debbie

Jones, who have close links with CMS. “Tall Skinny

Kiwi (that’s Andrew’s blog persona) has done a

remarkable job of creating some small economic

enterprises in the Orkneys. I think we are going to

need more ventures in the future that are oriented to

working with resources in the community rather than

relying on charity funds.”

it’s all about your call

So, where to make a start helping people raise the

bar in discipleship to become more missional?

“The first small step is to help people discern their

calling.” CMS will encourage its community members

There are two things we cannot do alone. One is to be married and the other is to be a Christian.Paul Tournier


“i think the very good news

is that we can create a new

way of life that is less stressed,

that is more festive, more celebrative”

Under and in the States is the teaching on tithe

stewardship. It would be wonderful if everyone gave

a tithe, which of course very few do these days. The

problem I see is frankly that as soon as people give

10 per cent or some portion thereof, then they are

kind of off the hook. They tend to think what they do

with the rest of their time and their money is pretty

much up to them, their taste, preferences, class,

where they like to party, where they like to holiday. I

think that’s a serious mistake.”

A festive future

What else is needed to get the churches really facing

up to the future? “Our Christian communities in

Britain, Australia, New Zealand and North America

tend to do their long range and strategic planning as

though they were frozen in a time warp. Business

people always do contextual and environmental

forecasting before they plan.

“In The New Conspirators in 2007 I said there was a

real possibility of a major global recession and it would

behove Christian organisations and leaders to develop

some contingency plans now. I urged them to develop

contingencies in case they can’t pay the bills, lose jobs,

can’t pay loans. Frankly they weren’t responsive.”

However, far from doom and gloom, Sine is full of

hope for the times ahead. “Looking to the future I

think the very good news is that we can create a new

way of life that is less stressed, that is more festive,

more celebrative. We have got to reduce our footprint

in terms of our use of energy and money. The only

way we can do that is re-examining the single-family

detached or semi-detached model – people treat it

like it came with the Ark of the Covenant.

“It’s the most land-intensive, energy-intensive way to

live and for people under 40 it’s becoming such an

expensive model. If people can significantly reduce their

living costs and increase their community, then there’s a

much better chance they’re going to be missional.”

Most of all we need to hear God speaking to us

through the needs of others. As Mother Teresa said

‘Jesus Christ is thinly disguised in the poor and the

suffering of the world.’”

Explore Tom’s Mustard Seed world on the Web:

Mustard Seed Associates: www.msainfo.org

Mustard Seed House (where Tom lives):

mustardseedhouse.wordpress.com

When i was growing up in the mid 1970s there

was an advert on the telly by a popular hotel chain

named Holiday Inn whose slogan stated, “The best

surprise is no surprise.” This was to let its customers

know that no matter which Holiday Inn you stayed

at, no matter where it was located on the map,

you could be sure you would get the same quality

accommodation that you had come to expect.

I know there is some trepidation about CMS as

a new mission community post the CMS-South

American Mission Society integration. Everyone

struggles with change and when we think about

community we often think of men with shaved

patches on their heads wearing camel-hair habits,

devoted to suffering in order to help make a better

world.

When I first joined CMS nearly five years ago and

was asked to join the Society, I had to ask myself the

same question you may be asking now: “Why?”

Why did I need to join CMS? I already gave to

mission, prayed for mission, stayed informed

about mission and had a passion for mission. What

difference would it make for me or for CMS if I

joined?

So for the first four years I resisted membership

in the Society. I worked hard in my job to ensure

as best as I could that CMS was not only making

a difference in the world, but telling others about

it so they could be inspired to action, too. I cared

passionately about our work and our people and

our impact. I sought to help find ways to resource

the prayers of our members and supporters, for

instance by helping to create Misson Update and

Prayerlines. I wanted to find new and fresh ways to

get our mission stories out so that people would

be encouraged in their faith and their own personal

witness for Jesus. And I also worked hard with others

to make sure people knew that the support they

gave was making a difference.

But still, I wouldn’t join the Society. Until one day I

realised…

Why not?

When I re-read the five promises of the society

(here condensed): to commend the Gospel, keep

myself informed of mission, pray for mission, use the

resources God gave me responsibly and encourage

others to do the same – wasn’t that what I was doing

already? What was there to disagree with? So I joined.

In CMS, we directors meet every week for prayer

and fellowship and to encourage each other as we

seek to live for Jesus. I have always appreciated that

time we spend together as we share our personal

lives and stories, and encourage each other to keep

seeking to make a difference in all we do.

As followers of Jesus with a special passion for

mission we all need that kind of accountability. A

time to reflect, a person to pray with about the

personal challenges I face, with someone I know has

“I know there is some trepidation about CMS as a new mission community post the CMS-South American Mission Society integration”

the best surprise is no surpriseJoseph Steinberg on why he joined CmS (finally)


a similar passion. That is the kind of community I am

thankfully part of now in CMS. And one I want to be

a part of in the future.

Thankfully, that is the kind of community we are

becoming. One that not only seeks to live out the

same values that helped form us 210 years ago, but

also acknowledges the need to do it together, to help

each other, to be accountable to one another and to

seek to regularly review how we are doing, and then

ask how we can do it better.

When the CMS Community re-launches at Pentecost

next May I can safely say “the best surprise is no

surprise” and there will be no surprises.

Sure, we had five promises and now we have seven –

but are they really much different? Are they promises I

am already living, or wanting to live anyway?

The seven promises of the CMS Community are

essentially: 1) to make my life about mission, 2) to help

be a part of God’s transforming work in the world, 3)

to acknowledge that mission is also my responsibility

to live out, 4) to live for Jesus every day, 5) to ensure

I keep myself fuelled up through Bible study and fuel

mission through my prayers and connection with

others, 6) to help keep mission as a priority in my

church and 7) to regularly review how I am doing with

the other six promises and renew my commitment to

them, preferably with another member.

I have to say, I love the seven promises. They help

keep my life intentionally focussed on mission in the

name of Jesus. They help me regularly renew my

commitment to Jesus and to seeing his love shared

with others – not only in those I seek to support

overseas, but also in my own life.

There is integrity in this. I can look my African, Asian,

South American, and other brothers and sisters

of the faith in the eyes and say, “Yes, I believe in

mission where you are and am seeking to make

a difference there through my praying giving and

sending. But I am also helping to make a difference

for the gospel here where I am too. I am living a

mission lifestyle. You can trust me on that.”

For me, living for Jesus, seeing him shared and lives

changed is what my life is about. Being a part of the

CMS Community helps make that happen and helps

me help others with the same passion to dolikewise.

Why wouldn’t I want to be a part of that?

Joseph Steinberg is director of mission stewardship

at CMS in Oxford.

“...i love the seven promises.

they help me keep my life intentionally

focussed on mission in

the name of Jesus.”

the seven promises.the mission spirituality of the CmS Community.

Mission of God in Christ 1. To participate in the life and

mission of the community so as to engage more fully in God’s transforming mission amongst all peoples in all places.

Image of God restored2. To encourage the transformation

of individuals, communities and societies by sharing

Jesus and encouraging others to become his disciples.

Serving Christ in others3. To discern and live out my vocation,

my mission service – encouraging and learning from others in theirs.

Sharing the Good News4. To follow the Lord Jesus daily,

witnessing to his love in everything I am, say or do, and with all the resources that I have, encouraging others to do the same.

Inspiration for daily life5. To shape my life by regular prayer,

Bible reading, study, reflection and mutual encouragement (one possible pattern of prayer is the CMS Daily).

Outcomes in local-global mission6. To be part of a local Christian community,

working to see its life shaped by the global ministry of Jesus and by sharing in the mission of the worldwide

church.

New life in the Spirit7. To participate in the regular review

and renewal of discipleship and the life of the community, reviewing personal ‘rhythms of life’, and being open to sharing with others.

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It takes a whole village to raise a child.An African Proverb

Some 2,000 years ago a movement began,

which would go on to transform individuals and

reshape empires with a vision of a world renewed

through love of God and love of neighbour.

Initially comprised of Jewish followers of the healer-

teacher Jesus of Nazareth, later known as People of

the Way, then as Christians, this movement was, from

its beginnings, formed in community. Jesus grew a

community of disciples, and the early church sprang

to life in small communities around the empire.

Community life soon became a surging stream

through which the flowing resurrection life of Jesus

was shared – and the world changed.

Two millenia on, there seems to be a renewed

discovery of the possibilities for good that can

come from small groups of people getting together

to try to follow Jesus, to experience sharing his

resurrection life and to see their lives – and their

wider communities – transformed.

Why the emphasis on community? Since the time of Jesus his followers have perhaps

most effectively embodied his presence by living

out stories of community. The late Br Roger of Taize

memorably called for Christians to ‘”live a parable

of community.” And in this wonderful but suffering

world the need for new Christ-centred communities

serving their wider communities is as vital as it has

ever been.

Why missional? In the gospels Jesus called his followers to look

outwards to engage lovingly and creatively with

the world around them. [“Blessed are those who

mourn, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for

righteousness, blessed are the merciful, blessed are

the peacemakers...”] The risen Jesus is for all peoples

and for all times, and cannot be contained, limited or

selfishly hoarded.

Why small? Small is not necessarily a virtue on its own. But in

Christian community smallness enables participation,

and participation is crucial if people are to shape

and be shaped by their following of Christ in their

own context and setting. Smallness enables genuine

transformations, authentic relationships and gritty

engagements with the world.

Small missional community experienceFor the past five years I’ve been part of a small

Christ-following community in my town. It’s been an

amazing experience, at times tough, often wonderful,

always shaping us for the better. The community is

made up of people in all kinds of jobs, and includes

both children and adults, not living under one roof

but trying to live a community rhythm of weekly

community meals, daily prayer, weekend worship,

and acts of service to neighbour and stranger.

As one member put it, “This community has given me

space to contribute whatever God has given me...has

reawakened creativity in me, and has started to help

me reconnect my faith and aspects of my life that had

somehow come to inhabit separate boxes.”

It’s just one model, it’s not spectacular, and it’s

definitely not the right or the only way, but the

community’s life has quietly rippled out and seems to

have made a difference to people in it and around it.

the small missional communities projectChrist-centred community life can change the world,

but experience shows that it is neither easy to start

nor simple to sustain. It’s pioneering, demanding

work that can feel fragile and hard. This is where the

CMS Small Missional Communities project comes

in. Our aim is to facilitate, encourage and enable

the growth of small missional communities, initially

in the UK, through offering a mix of conversation,

mentoring, guiding and resourcing.

There’s an online network where people interested

in starting and sustaining communities can share

learning. The network resources include a weekly

series of discussions called ‘Ways into Small

Missional Community’ offering insights and inviting

group members to share their experiences and

learning in these areas.

Why CmS? For 200 years CMS and our forebears, inspired by

the Jesus we find in the gospels and rediscover in

daily experience, have been seeking to transform

the world, beginning with the fight against slavery

and continuing in the 21st century. Currently CMS

mission partners are working in areas such as urban

CmS and SmCs


that’s “small missional communities” to the rest of us. ian Adams explains how starting a small missional community can change the world.

The nature of this network of small missional

communities – largely lay-led, incorporating shared

learning styles, and shaped by the people in each

community – means that a new generation of small

missional communities will have the flexibility to

emerge from and adapt to their own cultures and

settings. This is an exciting prospect.

Ian Adams is the CMS missional community

developer.

For more information on small missional communities:

web: cms-uk.org/smc

online network: cmskindling.ning.com/group/smc

email: [email protected]

phone: 01548 550388

mobile: 07889906983

development, caring for underprivileged children,

hospitals and environmental action and protection.

CMS knows what it’s like to engage in mission, and

its global insights, experiences and partnerships

provide a rich store of resources and inspiration to

small missional communities.

CMS is also now an acknowledged mission

community in the Church of England. So, in a similar

way perhaps to the Franciscans, CMS is working

out another fluid model of mission and presence

alongside – and complimentary to – existing

parish or diocesan models. Some small missional

communities are exploring formal links to the CMS

community and may come to see CMS as their

primary place of belonging and accountability. Others

will be happily plugged into their own local networks.

“Smallness enables genuine transformations,

authentic relationships

and gritty engagements

with the world”


We’re putting our wheels in mission on a 13-city cycle, rolling into Oxford just in

time for Day 50 celebrations (see back cover).To learn more about being part of the ride, or sponsoring a cyclist, contact Chris Woo: [email protected] tel: 01865 787517

Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead

CmS sponsored national cycle tour may 2010

For more information visit: www.cms-uk.org/challenges


We moved from Watford to oxford last August

in order for my husband to be near the CMS office

where he works, and also to be part of the new

CMS-instigated residential community in East Oxford:

House 244. After a year of helping to get the house

in order, along with nine other residents ranging in

ages from age zero to fiftysomething, we’re starting

to settle into a new way of living. Recently, I have

found myself meditating on all that we have brought

to this community, and all that we have gained.

Whilst the Freecycle network in Watford benefited

greatly from my family’s move to Oxford I fear we

still brought too

much with us. As

I sifted through

our belongings

I was caught by

the urge to get

rid of as much

as possible,

motivated both

by the smaller

space we were moving into and the desire for a fresh

start with less clutter. Other community members

have said the move to Oxford gave them a “chance

to re-evaluate how much stuff we have.”

Acts 2:44 tells us that early believers “were together

and had everything in common.” I can’t claim that

we share everything but I have found unexpected

blessings in sharing some things. When there are so

many things you can share you realise how little you

actually need to own. More than one couple living

in the house has small children. One of the benefits

we have found is the sharing of toys between the

children in the house. We only “need” one television

(much to the confusion of the television licensing

agency) and find that we don’t watch it very often

as there are always other more interesting things to

do and people to talk to. After years of feeling guilty

about how much television I watch, it now seems

dull in comparison to conversation.

A major motivation for us as a community is the

good stewardship of the resources we have been

given and our impact on the planet. By living

together we hope to pool our resources and

ultimately use less. By buying the majority of our

groceries in bulk we can afford to buy higher quality,

more environmentally friendly products. I have also

found that it is a good lesson to have to wait to use

something like the washing machine or telephone as

it reminds you that having access to these things is a

privilege and not something to be taken for granted.

Although Acts 2:44 is often used to show the

Christian principle of sharing material goods, I doubt

very much that the early believers left it at that. The

“stuff” we all bring with us into community is not

just physical. One of the questions we were asked

upon applying to move into the house pertained to

the particular interests,

skills and abilities we

could bring to the

community. It has

been fascinating to see

how different people

can contribute to the

running of the house,

from organising events

to draw people in,

to growing vegetables in the garden, to using their

networking skills to meet others’ needs. When faced

with a new challenge, you discover just what skills

you have. Rather like Mary Poppins pulling just the

thing needed out of her carpet bag, I have seen

different community members (both residential and

from the wider community) draw upon different skills

and abilities just as the need arises.

It goes without saying that when you choose to live

closely with other people you also bring with you all

the rest of who you are, even the bits you wish you

could leave behind. When I imagined living in the

community I envisaged myself turning overnight into a

paragon of virtue, simply by sheer force of will. I would

leave behind my bad habits, my judgemental attitudes,

and any tendency towards gossip. I would never make

myself vulnerable by exposing my weaknesses because

I wouldn’t have any. I believed that in order to find my

place in the community I would need to be perfect. A

year in, I have found that it is precisely in times when

our weaknesses are exposed by close communion

with others, that we are transformed in more than a

cosmetic way. God uses others to knock the edges off

us and refine our characters.

A year of living 2/44

“the ‘stuff’ we all bring with us into community is not just physical”

All that you can’t leave behind, you bring with you, says Emma Woo, resident of the House 244 community in oxford


As humans we have a deep desire to be known,

even in all our imperfection. The relief in living

closely with others and finding that they are not

perfect is magical. The acknowledgement that you

don’t have to be perfect to be loved and accepted

is an important step in healthy Christian growth and

transformation.

My reflection at the end of this year then is that when

you are trying to build community, be it a residential

community like ours, or simply a stronger relationship

with your neighbours or your fellow church members,

you should bring with you all that you can’t leave

behind. Everything that makes you “you” can be

used by God to build community and intimacy.

Your material resources could be more of a blessing

“As humans we have a

deep desire to be known,

even in all our imperfection”

to others than you realise and your openness and

willingness to use your skills and experiences could

change someone else’s life for the better.

in August 2008, seven adults and two babies

moved into House 244 in oxford and began a

new phase in the ongoing journey of CMS.

As we explore what community means and how

to express it in our world, it is important to recall

our roots. CMS was birthed from a group of people

passionate to live out their Christian discipleship in a

relationship not only with the Lord Jesus Christ, but

also with each other. Gathered in Clapham Common,

they met three times a day for prayer, and in so doing

rediscovered the power of God’s Spirit lifting them

from their immediate concerns to hear the cry of the

oppressed. Within a short time they had changed the

world by challenging and then abolishing the slave

trade, and discovered for themselves the call to share

in God’s mission for the whole world—and so birthed

what is now the Church Mission Society.

This call to a shared life has always been part of

the CMS experience, whether residentially, through

various training colleges, or retreat houses such as

St Julian’s or the Fellowship House of Foxbury, or in

gatherings for prayer and fellowship. Such a com-

mitment flows not simply from our history, nor the

human desire to meet together; it comes deep for

the heart of God, who revealed himself as commu-

nity – the community of the Trinity. Early followers of

Jesus discovered this call to relational living. This was

reflected in the early church, has echoed down the

generations, and now needs to be rediscovered.

There can be little doubt that our world teeters on

the edge of disaster, and that many of the ways in

which we have lived, especially in the West, will be

insufficient to deal with impending challenges. We

need to discover new ways of living, which build

deep relationships, enable people to give themselves

in service of others, and encourage the sharing of

ever-scarcer resources. Houses of mission are intend-

ed to be beacons of light, enabling God’s people to

explore and then express a different rhythm of living.

Their ministry is to call all of us to reflect on how we

publicly live out our discipleship.

The opening of a house of mission in Oxford is,

hopefully, just the beginning. The community there

has, at the end of its first year, developed a rhythm of

life, sought to shape that life by a generous hospitality

and is beginning to discover ways to reach out to the

wider community around them. The vision is that such

houses will be established around the country, build-

ing a network of mission communities, committed to

helping Christians grow in their discipleship, and follow

Jesus into his world to share in his mission.

Chris Neal is CMS director for contextual mission

and community.

Firm foundations: Houses of missionA few words from Chris neal

Their community life [of the early Christians], though far from perfect . . . was nevertheless sufficiently different and impressive to attract notice, to invite curiosity, and to inspire discipleship in an age that was as pleasure-conscious, as materialistic and as devoid of serious purpose as our own. Michael Green

We sat down with tim and dakin and Chris

neal and asked some pointed questions about

CmS and community. Here are their candid

responses, somewhat condensed.

First of all, why community?

Well, of course Christian community isn’t a new thing

– the Christian church has always expressed itself

as koinonia – fellowship. God reveals himself to us

in community: the Trinity. A key thing to remember

is that community isn’t, and never has been, an end

in itself — our purpose is to share in God’s mission,

participating in the transformation and renewal of all

creation.

Where did the idea of a CmS community come from?

Community has been part of the fundamental nature

of CMS from the very beginning. Our founders,

members of the Clapham Sect, were an informal

community, living in close proximity, visiting each

others’ houses and sharing hospitality, praying and

working together for the transformation of society

and the extension of the gospel beyond Britain.

This close-knit community became the basis for

a new more spread-out communal expression of

the faith as CMS became an association of those

committed to world mission.

John V Taylor (CMS General Secretary 1963-73)

advocated a vision of CMS as a community of

mission service. He didn’t mean people wearing

strange clothes or living in monastic houses. He had

in mind a spread-out community, people linked by

a shared commitment to sharing Jesus: living in a

Christ-like way with a regular rhythm of work, prayer,

reflection, study, hospitality and witness. Being a

community is a way to refresh our founders’ vision

and explore new ways of living it out.

Aren’t there already lots of Christian communities?

Yes, however, the world situation has changed and

mission is changing all the time. Since our particular

focus is on mission, CMS has some unique things

to share with the wider church, like experience and

skills in cross-cultural mission and ways for people to

respond to Christ’s call to life-long discipleship.

you just said mission has changed. Can you elaborate on that and tell us how CmS becoming a community is a response to the times?

Britain and Europe used to be the heartlands of

world Christianity, enabling the expansion of the

church all over the world; today they are in spiritual

recession. The mission field is no longer just “over

there”. It’s right at our doorstep. More importantly,

the task is too big and too important to be left to

professional missionaries alone. What we need is

every member mission. As a community, CMS can

help the church understand this and become globally

and locally connected in mission.

does that mean CmS will no longer work in Asia in Africa, but only in Europe?

Absolutely not. The community will continue to be

linked to CMS–sponsored work and partnerships.

It will continue to foster the exchange of mission

partners, short-term mission projects, and the

interchange of people from Africa, Asia and

Latin America. Also, as well as stimulating and

encouraging people to directly participate in mission,

our experience of cross-cultural mission training

is now seen as highly relevant to the Church of

England’s desire to train people for pioneer ministry.

How did CmS become recognised/acknowledged as a mission community by the Church of England?

As we’ve said, the idea has been around a long

time. It re-emerged as CMS undertook various

strategic reviews around its bi-centenary year

(1999). Last year, members were consulted in a

series of meetings held throughout the country.

Then in November 2008 the Advisory Council on

the Relations of Bishops and Religious Communities

of the Church of England formally recommended

that CMS should be acknowledged. CMS needed

to satisfy the Advisory Council that it was properly

constituted, ready to agree a rhythm of life, put in

place a process of review and appoint an Episcopal

Visitor. In the first instance the Bishop of Coventry,

the Right Rev Christopher Cocksworth will take on

this responsibility.

Community: good questions


So what do individual members do? What are the obligations and responsibilities?

Members are encouraged to commit to seven

promises: (i) use the community to engage more

fully in mission (ii) work for the transformation of

individuals and communities through sharing Jesus

and helping others to become disciples (iii) serving

others (iv) sharing the good news (v) regular prayer,

Bible reading, study and reflection (vi) being part

of a local Christian community connecting to and

living out the global ministry of Jesus (vii) regularly

reviewing and renewing their discipleship with the

help of others. It’s important to understand that there

is plenty of space for each individual to express these

in their own way.

What values does the community stand for?

CMS has four key values that inform our common

life. We strive to be (i) pioneering (ii) evangelistic (iii)

relational and (iv) faithful. Community is not an end

in itself, but a way of sharing the special gifts of CMS

with the wider church.

does membership require living in a residential community?

No. CMS members have always been a spread out

movement, people committed to being salt and light

wherever they are. Even so, some members may

wish to form residential mission communities or be

linked to one.

if i’m already a CmS member, will i be required to start all over again?

CMS members have been the lifeblood of its

mission work from the earliest days. The integration

of CMS and the South American Mission Society

(SAMS) requires the creation of a new legal entity.

Consequently, existing members will need to renew

their membership. There’s an expectation that

mission partners will be members of the community.

In the buildup to that we will all be encouraged

to engage in a special six-session study of the

membership promises during Lent 2010. We’re

planning to give this Lent resource to all members,

so that we can all work through it during Lent. Then

during Pentecost, we will ask people to renew their

membership and we will celebrate this renewal with

some very special events.

What steps are involved for newcomers to become members?

People who wish to become members of the

community are invited to indicate their commitment

to its vision and values. They will be encouraged to

write their own membership commitment and then

share this with an existing member who will link

them with other Community members.

is the community primarily for the uK? Can people from elsewhere join?

It’s fair to say that the community is primarily UK-

Europe. It is understood, however, that there will

be many from elsewhere who share our mission

vision and values and will want to join CMS including

mission partners sent from the UK and Salt

Fellowship members.

What is the leadership structure?

Members of the CMS community will regularly elect

a body of Trustees from among their number. They

are responsible for governance and policy making.

They appoint a General Secretary who with a senior

management team and staff are responsible for day

to day operations of the CMS mission organisation.

The community will open up many new

opportunities for members to participate in mission

locally and globally.

does it have a constitution and rules? How can these be changed?

Yes. The purpose of these is to set out the vision and

values of the Community. As with all constitutions,

there are procedures to be followed in the event that

members propose constitutional change. The aim of

the community is to assist its members to live out their

discipleship, energise people for mission, and to offer

ways to help people to review how they’re getting on.

What’s happens if the community goes off the rails?

First of all, the community will have an Episcopal

Visitor whose task is to ensure that it is faithful to its

vision and values and that it’s rhythm of life is in good

shape. Elected trustees carry a special responsibility

for governance and oversight. And members are

encouraged to be accountable to each other. The

Ethos Statement of CMS is another important

safeguard of our vision, values and spiritual life.

If you have questions that haven’t been answered

here, please feel free to request an extended version

of this question-answer session.



Crow

ther

Cen

tre

new

s Forthcoming events:

you are invited to the following free,

public lectures:

7.30 pm, 23 november 2009: Nick Spencer

“Darwin: Evolutionist, agnostic... and honorary

missionary” at St Giles’ Church, Oxford.

Nick Spencer is Director of Studies at the public

theology think tank, Theos, having previously worked

for the Henley Centre, the London Institute for

Contemporary Christianity and the Jubilee Centre.

Annual Crowther Lecture at the Crowther

Centre for mission Education:

7.30 pm, 3 december 2009: Stephen Bevans SVD

“Constancy or Fidelity? Contextual Theology and

Christian Tradition”

missiologists in Residence

dr Stephen Bevans SVd – Sept to dec 2009

Dr Stephen Bevans is currently Professor of Mission

and Culture at the Catholic Theological Union in

Chicago, USA.

Before joining the faculty in 1986, Stephen Bevans

spent nine years in the Philippines teaching theology

at a diocesan seminary. That experience coloured the

way he does theology and influenced his theological

interests. His teaching and research probes issues in

faith and culture, of mission theology (particularly its

Trinitarian roots), and in ecclesiology and ministry. He

is author of Models of Contextual Theology and co-

author (with Roger Schroeder SVD) of Constants in

Context: a theology of mission for today.

dr Lalsangkima Pachuau – Feb to may 2010

Dr Lalsangkima Pachuau was born and grew up in India.

Currently, he is director of postgraduate studies and

associate professor of history and theology of mission

at Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky, USA. He

has authored and edited several books, including Ethnic

Identity and Christianity (Peter Lang, 2002).

His interests are world Christianity, missiology,

social and religious movements in South Asia and

contextual and intercultural theologies.

Dr Pachuau, an ordained minister of the Presbyterian

Church of India, is a parish associate for the

Nicholasville Presbyterian Church and is a member of

the church development and evangelism committee,

Transylvania Presbytery. He is married to Lalneih Kimi

Sailo. They have two sons.

The Crowther Centre for Mission Education is located at CMS, Watlington Road, Oxford OX4 6BZwww.cms-uk.org

For more information please contact Berdine van den Toren Tel: 01865 787400 Email: [email protected]

Current titles:

1. In the Shadow of the Elephant: Bishop Crowther and the African missionary movement Jehu J Hanciles, March 2008

2. Trauma, Migration and Mission: biblical reflections from a traumatised Hebrew Ida Glaser, June 2008

3. Bula Matari and Life-Community for God’s Mission in Congo Titré Ande, July 2008

4. The Bible and Tomorrow’s World Tom Wright, September 2008

5. A Biblical Basis for Project Evaluation Johan P Velema, March 2009

6. Christian Mission in a Pluralist Context: on the margins and in competition? Tim Dakin, March 2009

7. A Church of England Approach to the Unique Significance of Jesus Christ Martin Davie, May 2009

8. Telling it Slant: the need for ec-centric mission John Pritchard, May 2009

9. Christianity in Europe: the way we are now Parush R Parushev, May 2009

10. The Demographics and Dynamics of Christian ExpansionTodd M Johnson, September 2009

11. Wrestling with Angels — Inspiration and WritingCatherine Fox, September 2009

12. Growing Hopeful Earthkeepers: Training Missionaries in the Care of CreationFay Farley, September 2009

13. Global Poverty and Integral MissionC René Padilla, September 2009

“Excuse me, may i have your monograph?”of course you can!Crowther Centre monographs are proof that good things come in small packages. These occasional publications from key mission thinkers and practitioners highlight current issues in mission. They’re already a bargain at £2.50 each, but purchase a subscription and get 6 printed monographs for only £12 or £10 for digital (pdf) versions. They’ll be sent to you as soon as they are published.

Orders can be placed through the CMS website: www.cms-uk.org/monographs Or go to the CMS online shop: www.cms-shop.org.uk

Crowther Centre for Mission EducationCMS, Watlington Road, OX4 6BZ 01865 787400 www.cms-uk.org


Evangelism and conversion to Christianity

can be of public benefit, the Charity Commission

found in a public-benefit assessment report on

the Church Mission Society released in July. The

report gave CMS a full bill of health and made no

recommendations to the Society’s Trustees for

changes. The Charities Act now requires all registered

charities to show that their work contributes a public

benefit. CMS was one of 12 organisations selected

for in-depth assessment. The other Christian

organisation involved was Stoke-based United

Christian Broadcasters. The public benefit credentials

of independent fee-paying schools has been the

major issue under scrutiny in public debate.

it’s with great sadness that we note the death

of ian Smith 29 July 2009. For the last two years

he was mission director for CMS Ireland and before

that, he spent 23 years with CMS. In Ian’s own

words, mission was “in his DNA.” Our thoughts and

prayers are with his family – particularly his wife Carol

and his son and daughter Luke and Colletta.

Pakistan’s blasphemy laws are imprecise and

often misused to incite violence against religious

minorities, particularly Christians. Now the Network

for Interfaith Concerns of the Anglican Communion

is inviting people to sign a petition seeking their

abolition. Bishop Samuel Azariah of the Church

of Pakistan comments, “The time has come for

the government to seriously reflect that they have

not been able until now to control the misuse of

the blasphemy law and it keeps increasing and

increasing.” To add your voice to this initiative, go to

this website:

http://pakistansignnow.petitionhost.com

the Rt Rev michael nazir-Ali, a former CMS

General Secretary, ended his time as Bishop of

Rochester at the end of August with a ringing call

for the Church of England to speak out more to

preserve the country’s Christian heritage and offer

clearer moral guidance. “I think it will need to be

more visible and take more of a stand on moral and

spiritual issues,” the bishop said. Born in Pakistan, he

became the Church’s first Asian bishop when he was

appointed to Rochester in 1994.

A word of welcome to the Most Rev Nicholas

Orogodo Okoh who has been elected Archbishop

of Nigeria. He succeeds Archbishop Peter Akinola

who was interviewed in Yes magazine back in 1997.

He revealed himself as a very plainspoken leader,

deeply concerned about how Nigeria’s army had

been exhausted through being politicized, and highly

critical of the country’s culture of corruption.

We note with sadness the passing of Archbishop

Joseph Marona, fifth Archbishop of Sudan. Yes

magazine interviewed him with the man who

became his successor, Dr Daniel Deng Bul, in 1998.

Joseph Marona was a fearless wartime leader of

his people. His stories of endurance and God’s

providence in hard times were always an inspiration.

Speaking of Sudan, massacres in Jonglei State have

exposed deep fears for Sudan’s peace process and

prompted an international appeal by its archbishop.

The killings took place in Wernyol, a town in Twic East

County, Jonglei State, and were politically motivated,

according to the Archbishop of the Episcopal Church

of Sudan, the Most Rev Dr Daniel Deng Bul.

by John Martin

“there are over 55,000

Congolese people living

in exile in Britain”

there are over 55,000 Congolese people living in exile in

Britain and a growing number of diaspora churches; we

know of over 40. CmS is connecting with some of them

through a new Prayer for Peace in Congo network, which

held a prayer vigil in London on 21 September.

nEXt iSSuE oF yes duE February 2010

Ian Smith

yes - advent 2009 - cms a global community of mission service

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