For many years the 'Christian' part of the YMCA acronym has been pretty much invisible. Go into most YMCAs in NZ - or YWCAs - and you'll be hard pressed to find much reference to things Christian. And it's been the same overseas.
However, slowly but surely, Christians are discovering that the YMCAs scattered around the globe can be mission fields in their own particular way. It may not be so easy in the YMCA system in New Zealand, where things seem somewhat different to the set-up in the States, but an article in the latest Leadership Journal online discusses how a vision to bring church to a particular Y has begun to grow into a vision to bring church to all 14,000 of them around the world.
What started as a temporary solution for a church that was without a home has turned into something altogether different. Again, the principle of going out where the people are instead of expecting them to come to you has born fruit.
Showing posts with label ymca. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ymca. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Innovative Church x 3
One church discovered that meeting in the Y (the YMCA) wasn't going to be just a temporary move, but would become the base for a mission operation amongst all those who visited the Y day in and day out.
Another church found itself scattered into small groups after its church was destroyed by arson. The people formed into 'smaller, organic expressions' of church, led by lay-people with the minister still keeping an overview of the total organism. "Mustard Seed is not so much a program as an attitude," pastor Eileen Hanson clarifies. "It's an effort to put into practice the biblical principle of the priesthood of all believers."
A third church was given twenty-four hours to shift out of its building. On its last Sunday, the minister divided the congregation into six neighbourhood groups, and announced, "Welcome to your new church." Initially the plan was to reconstitute the church at a later date, but this never happened. The six new 'churches' became The Church in six different areas.
You can read more details about these three churches on the pdf file, Missional to the Max.
Another church found itself scattered into small groups after its church was destroyed by arson. The people formed into 'smaller, organic expressions' of church, led by lay-people with the minister still keeping an overview of the total organism. "Mustard Seed is not so much a program as an attitude," pastor Eileen Hanson clarifies. "It's an effort to put into practice the biblical principle of the priesthood of all believers."
A third church was given twenty-four hours to shift out of its building. On its last Sunday, the minister divided the congregation into six neighbourhood groups, and announced, "Welcome to your new church." Initially the plan was to reconstitute the church at a later date, but this never happened. The six new 'churches' became The Church in six different areas.
You can read more details about these three churches on the pdf file, Missional to the Max.
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