following richard‘s series of reflections he has written a manifesto for a new way of being and doing church…

A Manifesto Calling for a New Way of Being and Defining Church.

1. The first reformation gave the bible back to the people and we need to give church back to the people (not just christian people).

2. This will take a redefinition of church NOT just a change in style.

3. The churches sub cultural weakness is a leaning towards evolution over revolution, hence style over definition.

4.
Theologically there are many examples of revolutionary steps or leaps
in thinking, eg Peters vision, Jesus new covenant and so redefinition
is plausible.

5. Any redefinition that is put forward needs to
collapse the old ways of being that distinguish between
church/worship/prayer and the whole of life, BUT hold the tension that
whole of life may not be church. (which is where intentionality comes
in)

6. The redefinition we are offering of Church in the post-
Christendom west is a way of being and living that is a series of
chaotic but intentional encounters with God, one another, and the
world, founded on the holistic teaching of Christ, and encompassing the
whole of life.

7. This encompasses the critical outcome of the
imagery of church used in the bible, this being that all the bibles
images of church include “attitude and course of action”.

8. This whole of life process is not about walls, rules or fences but about wells, mutuality and redemptive processes.

9.
The theological processes and reflections offered so far are consistent
with the biblical tradition and can be seen to offer an authentic and
consistent redefinition of church.

10. DO-BE-DO, offers one practical way of putting this redefinition into action.