Tim Abbott

Crash

Last night I was part of a simple but profound encounter. Eight people, some of them Christian, gathered round a meal to discuss faith, doubt and the possibility, or otherwise, of God. “Crash” is the brainchild of my friend Joe who says,

“It is called ‘Crash’ because so often in life two opposing views come crashing together and we try to salvage answers from among the wreckage.  Crash seeks to be different and looks to enable different views to come together in such a way that enriches us all rather than tearing us apart.”

Wisely, Joe established a few simple rules to ensure the playing field was reasonably level. Everyone is encouraged to get involved in the discussion and conversations. No-one is allowed to dominate the evening and conversations. And because the evening encourages various belief systems and world views to engage with each other there should be no aggression.

After a short introductory talk around the subject of the incarnation and the point of Christ and Christmas to provide fuel for potential discussion, dinner was served and conversation began. Predictably, to start with we chatted about all sorts of things. But quite soon conversation gravitated towards our respective beliefs and doubts in a natural flow of speaking and listening that included everyone and judged no one. Our discussions around the meal permitted a degree of honesty and reality about faith and doubt that I have not experienced in any other context. It was painful to hear how damaging some people in churches have been to some of those present. Is it any wonder that people give up on God when God’s people behave like pharisees? But there was also a confident hope expressed in Christ in a way that was confessional and gentle, respecting the beliefs and feelings of all in keeping with Joe’s vision for the evening.

In some ways, Crash seems pretty obvious. There may well be similar things happening all over the country. It left me wondering. There are lots of people who, faithwise, live in something of a cloud of unknowing. I wonder where they go to discuss their ideas, to hear stories of the Christian life, to chat about life’s big issues without feeling, rightly or wrongly, ‘evangelised’? Where do people go who have been hurt by church to stay connected to some expression of Christian community?

‘Crash’ is simple and, as an unpressured place to talk about eternal matters, very effective.

Big thanks to Joe & Sarah for hosting and to everyone else who took part.

We’ll probably do it again in January.

Is evangelism child abuse? ... some thoughts...

Following my "link with no comment" yesterday, highlighting the forthright discussion that Internetmonk has stirred up about whether evangelism is child abuse, here are a few of my thoughts about this from our perspective.

As someone who has been involved in mission to young people for many (many!) years I believe that any kind of youth event has to have the following features. Advance information should be available to parents and make clear that the event is organised by Christians. Invitations to young people should make them aware that there will be more information about the Christian faith to help them decide if this is for them. I don't think it's appropriate to ask young people to make a decision to become a Christian at an event that is highly likely to be their first exposure to the Christian message and, crucially, is outside of any meaningful connection with a community of faith.

In our schools work (11's - 16's) we see our role principally as inspiring young people to develop a curiosity and hunger to find out more about a relationship with God - getting them to ask, seek, knock. This takes into account the fact that they are still developing in all sorts of ways, including their beliefs. So we are clear and confident about our faith in Christ and how that works out in practice, and we hold firmly to the principle of conversation and dialogue that allows the young people to express their views openly.

We have no right to be in schools - it's a privilege. We earn that privilege through being the best educators and youth workers that we can, by respecting the young people, the staff and the wider school community. Everyone knows we are Christians and we're often invited in specifically because of this; sometimes we're invited in simply because we are good news. I think the day is slowly coming when the 'traditional' routes into school life will no longer be available to us, the clasic 'proclamational' opportunities of lessons and assemblies. But I'm beginning to wonder if this loss may actually create a greater gain as we explore new ways of helping young people explore and encounter Christianity, as many are already doing.

I believe that children and young people can make a decision to follow Christ at any age. But we need to recognise what's happening for them developmentally. Jesus instruction to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength hints at the different aspects of our nature and personality that are involved. As young people grow up it's quite possible for them to love God at one stage of their lives and then to move on from that stage leaving the faith that was attached to it behind. We're trying to walk with them, helping them to make sense of the Christian message at every stage of their lives.

I'm concerned when Christians effectively abandon these principles because they have a 'captive audience' or some kind of historical or cultural advantage, even in private or Christian schools. It's just too easy to take advantage of the situation and veer into manipulation or coercion. All this produces is flash in the pan conversions or deep seated resentment against Christianity. But when a young person is inspired to ask, seek, knock, their discovery of God will be entirely in harmony with their own development and, with the right support of others from the community of faith, they stand the best chance of becoming disciples.

Is evangelism child abuse?

Question: Is evangelism child abuse?

Collective - end of an era

Saturday evening marked the end of an era as Collective East Anglia gave their last ever performance as part of the Radiate youth event at Thumdersey Congregational Church. TCC have been amazing partners with us in using Collective in their ongoing schools work and their follow up youth events and are a great example of a local church making a real impact in their local schools.

Collective East Anglia was one of a number of Collective bands set up by Innervation Trust around 2003 to work in schools and with churches to front youth missions. The band have been based with CYO since January 2004 and has involved nine diferent team members over the years in a rolling line up as first a three piece and later four piece band. They have visited schools all over the region and, crucially, have been involved in regular follow up, going back to churches and youth groups to encourage young people in their Christian faith.

This was one of the strengths of the local bands model - that a week in school and a concert wasn't just hit-and-run evangelism. Wherever possible we would encourage churches to be involved in the schools week and especially any end of week event, and then make sure Collective were involved in follow up activities the next week and subsequently. Often this was as 'themselves', not as a band, and they would turn up and join in with the church youth workers in running activities and chatting with young people. One of the reasons that Collective worked so well was because of the quality of the people in the band - the fact that they were also a band was simply a starting point for their relationships with young people as youth workers. Some of these relationships extended long after the original schools mission with ongoing contact and occasional return visits for 2 years or more. The fruit of all this, recognising that it was a partnership between Collective and local churches, was dozens of young people who became Christians and continued to grow in and live out their faith long after the initial schools week.

Now Innervation Trust are changing the way they manage schools bands which will in future all be based with them in Manchester. Teams will be available to spend a week in any part of the country, where previously Colective bands have served only local regions. But we will miss Collective East Anglia, and so will many churches and organisations round here. One compensation is that at least two of the current team will be staying in Colchester and continuing in some form of youth ministry.

So, to Kath, Liz, Laura, Sophie, Kat, Ally, Jayne, Laura and Vicki - and to all the team at Innervation Trust, especially Mark, Zarc and Helen, thanks for all you've brought to us, to local schools and to thousands of young people. It's been an amazing five years.

Random acts of seeking

It's been a bit quiet here recently, due mainly to real life being both mighty busy and existentially challenging. Since Sanctum we've had three weeks of missions in school with Collective, including this week and a week of lessons and assemblies in two other schools. The last few weeks have also produced some remarkable random acts of seeking on the part of young people.

Random act 1 - two lads came to our office to ask for prayer for their mate who was in hospital. They had no connection with any church, they just wanted to pray. Tom was in the office (the rest of us were in a school) and prayed with them. Later that afternoon they came back with some more of their mates. The friend they'd prayed for was considerably better and they 'knew it was the prayer that had made the difference' so they all wanted to pray.

Random act 2 - a Yr.8 girl put her hand up in a lesson with Collective and said she wanted to become a Christian so what should she do? The complete absence of embarrassment or ridicule suddenly made it seem the most natural question in the world.

Random act 3 - another girl (same school as RA2) spoke to one of the members of Collective at lunch time to say she wants to become a Christian.

Random act 4 - a secular help agency for young people got in touch with us because one of the young people they have as a client wants to join a church.

I'd like to say this is all the result of greater work / prayer / proclamation / presence / whatever on our part.  But it just seems to be down to God bringing people, and us being the right people in the right place at the right time.

We need a revolution of the self

Wise words from Mark Sayers about what's missing in our conversation about the reimagining of church.

Young people seeking God...?

In my many years of working in schools, I have not experienced times like these. Whilst, in some ways, the work we do through assemblies, lessons and lunchtime groups has hardly changed, we're seeing a much warmer response from young people. Many have a real interest in what being a Christian is all about. But more than anything else, we've noticed an increasing number of young people asking us directly how to become a Christian, or seeking out God independent of any intervention from youth workers.

There was the boy who came into the lunchtime group we run and asked how to become a Christian. He had no church background and neither of his parents are Christians. We got the other young people there to explain how to become a Christian. The next week he was back, and said, "Since I've become a Christian I'm not afraid of death."

Then a few weeks ago I chatted with two 14 year old girls who had come to the evening service at our church. They were there because they were seeking God and just knew they needed to get to a church. They had no apparent church background and no-one had invited them, they just decided together.

Today I had a text message from one of our team. She said, "Just went to a really old church in ... to look round and there were 3 kids there on their own exploring and I had a long chat with them about God. It was amazing. Young people are so hungry!"

I wouldn't call this revival, but I've never come across this level of active seeking, as distinct from general interest. Is it happening anywhere else? Are we just reading too much into a few coincidences? Or is God quietly at work stirring up young people to seek him. It's what we've been praying for - perhaps we're beginning to see our prayers answered.

Todd Bentley

There's a lot of interest here in the revival meetings taking place in Lakeland, Florida, with Todd Bentley. Whilst most of the attention is on the big meetings, this video interview with Todd reveals the background to the man and this ministry.

Big meeting type stuff is always vulnerable to hype and 'crowd-think', and I'm sure there's a bit of this happening here. But my cynical side has been tempered somewhat.
Firstly by hearing Todd speak of his passion for a close relationship with God, regardless of whether it leads to any kind of ministry. Secondly, I've noticed in the meetings there is quite a focus on testimony from people who have seen God heal or work in their lives or the lives of their friends other than at the Todd Bentley meetings.

I still have an open mind about what's happening. But there are a few things I still hope to see:
- similar things breaking out elsewhere and perhaps in surprising settings/churches/streams
- people and churches touched by this move of God engaging with their communities, not just having amazing meetings
- people outside our churches being touched by the manifest presence of God as Christians offer to pray for them
- lasting fruit in people's lives

What are your thoughts about what's going on?

UPDATE 17 May: Honest questions about the Lakeland revival over at Charismamag - in a fast moving avalanche of views this seems, in my opinion a very balanced reflection which recognises gladly signs of revival whilst acknowledging sensitively the concerns of many.

Arthur Blessitt in Colchester

    Arthur Blessitt in Colchester, originally uploaded by timabbott.

               

Since 1969 Arthur Blessitt has carried a 12' cross into every nation on earth. As you can imagine, he's got some remarkable stories to tell.

He was in Colchester over the weekend courtesy of Kingsland Church and spoke at the Charter Hall twice on Sunday. An amazing man, bold for Christ and gentle with people. Stories that speak of the activity of God more than the achievements of the man. He's not showing any signs of slowing down!

More on Arthur here

More photos on Flickr

Faith in (un)expected places

A few weeks ago a boy walked into a lunchtime group we run and asked how to become a Christian. Some gentle questions revealed that he wasn't involved in a church, his parents weren't Christians and yes, he did understand what he was asking. So Tom & Amy got the other young people there involved in explaining how you become a Christian, which they did with a theological literacy that astounded us because, to our knowledge, none of them have yet made a definitive decision to be Christians themselves. The following week the boy came back to the group and announced that since becoming a Christian he was no longer afraid of death. I don't think death got a mention the previous week.

Today, at the end of a lesson, a group of non-Christian girls encouraged their Christian friend to ask us to pray with her for healing of a medical condition, which we did (Child Protection note: with the teacher's permission, in public, no laying on of hands.)

We've had a few other interesting, if slightly less dramatic, examples in our work in schools where we've recently noticed a lot of faith in (un)expected places. Expected, because it's an answer to part of our prayers over what we do. Unexpected, because it's always a surprise.