Where should church be?

16/12/08 | Posted by ellen

This week the Arch Bishop of Canterbury visited a Cardiff Pub - not unusual perhaps, after all why shouldn't the head of the Church of England enjoy a pint like the rest of us - but, he wasn't there just for the beer, he had been asked by the pub church Solace at Edwards on St Mary Street, Cardiff to answer the question: “Can God mend broken Britain?”

image
 The Temple Bar - is this the best place for church?

It was reported in the South Wales Echo that The Archbishop said his answer to the question was that, yes, God can mend broken Britain “but the way he does it is through us”.

“God doesn’t step down out of the sky, shooting thunderbolts out of his fingers. He comes down at a human level and says ‘You are going to do this, I trust you’.

“That’s how God mends – through you and me.”

So, where if we are going to mend broken Britain where should the church be -
In the Pub? In the street talking to our neighbours? At the football ground? In the supermarket? 
And where on earth do we start?

Back to the top

Please bookmark this post at Facebook or Twitter:   Facebook    Twitter

Your comments

I’ve been a Christian since the early 1980’s, and I have always thought of us (and what we believe) as the exception to the rule. Getting non-Christians to engage with the idea of ‘faith’ is a matter of guerilla warfare. We have to go into their territory as there is so little reason for them to come into ours (the established church)...until, that is, they are converted.
So I think the Archbishop is absolutely right to promote the Fresh Expression concept: ‘church’ should be anywhere it is needed. “Where on Earth do we start?” - wherever we, as individuals, find God has placed us.

#1. By Richard Chambers on December 19, 2008

We have to come out of our churches to reach people,not wait for them to come to us. We need to meet them “where they are” just as Jesus did ,for example when He spoke to the woman at the well. He didn’t invite them to come along to a meeting.

Just as society changes the church has to adapt especially in the current climate .

#2. By Jenni on January 06, 2009

The Church building and the services that take place are only a minute part of God’s Kingdom - where we support one another and gain confidence in our faith as we praise him together and learn how to respond to the world.  The rest of the time we need to be putting that into practise out in the world bringing hope, love and making a difference.  We need to wake up to our responsibities and stop being so scared of what we think people think of us.  We might just be suprised at how God will use us.

#3. By Helen L on March 09, 2009

Name:

Email:

Comments:

Remember my personal information

Notify me of follow-up comments?

Enter this word:

Search rejesus

Blog post categories

Lives, Experiential,

Facebook

Related modules

RJ is hiring

Rejesus is looking for new content contributors: artists, writers, thinkers, coders, film makers, creatives. If you have a great proposal get in contact.

Categories

arrow Art & image

arrow Articles

arrow Biographical

arrow Downloads

arrow Experiential

arrow How to

arrow Interactive

arrow Interviews

arrow Poetry

arrow Reviews

arrow Seasonal

arrow Sound & vision

If you've found something useful on this site, or use it regularly as a resource, please make a donation here to help us continue.

Latest Blog posts

Queen Accession

Monday (6th February) is the 60th anniversary of the Queen coming to the throne. Whether you are an ardent fan… more

Wheat!

more

Moral news

The Leveson inquiry into how the press behave (following various scandals) has produced some amazing moments. None more so than… more

Seeing things differently at www.mysticchrist.co.uk

prayer christian auschwitz faith abolitionist text message christmas foodball timeline artist interaction amen veronica photo quotable poor office pdf celtic sayings slum mother teresa simon taylor global warming poverty workplace happiness quiz forgiveness golf bishop animation jerusalem nun friar interview course photographer poet nature war theology clouds exercise mark cross freedom plants saint astrophysicist
© copyright
rejesus 2002 to 2012
Powered by ExpressionEngine
Design by Embody