PRAC Summer Edition #62

IN THIS ISSUE I’m dreaming of a Christian Christmas Missional Intelligence Gathering Interview with Phil Greenbury Busselton Baptist Free Fun Fair: A Case Study in Fun

SUMMER 2010-11

ISSUE 62

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In this edition of PRAC there are two dominant and overlapping themes. One is Christmas and the opportunity we have to claim it back as a Christian festival and a platform for the presentation of the gospel. The other theme is around doing things as a church for the enjoyment of our local community.

From the Director

There is such a thing as “presence evangelism” whereby a Christian community seeks to represent itself before its neighborhood in a positive light. It’s a subtle and less overt form of evangelism, but helpful in altering people’s perception of the church. Those who drive past our churches have many perceptions of what goes on inside them (if they notice us at all!) and often imagination fills in the blanks. By contrast, when churches do things for the good or pleasure of their wider community negative paradigms are broken down.

Stop Press

For all the talk about being incarnational, rather than attractional, in our mission, perhaps we also need to perceive that a Christian community that genuinely incarnates into local community is also one that softens those cynical or entrenched negative perceptions about the God around whom the church gathers. In this edition there are two great examples of churches blessing their local communities and creating opportunities for future contact.

Brian Winslade

National Director Baptist Union of Australia

The subject of church polity or organizational systems is not usually linked with cutting edge evangelism. But maybe they are not as distantly related as we might think - especially so if the manner with which a church organizes itself creates an impediment for the gospel, or distracts it from its primary purpose.

Brian Winslade’s new book, A New Kind of Baptist Church – Reframing Congregational Government for the 21st century” offers an historical overview and critique of the way Baptist Churches behave and discern the will of God. Baptist congregational government has sometimes being called the “Baptist Way,” but this book challenges that view squarely.

At the heart of being a genuine Baptist Church is a commitment to the cause of mission and evangelism. Might it be that some Baptist Churches have lost their missional way by being overly concerned for the preservation of an egalitarian system of decision-making and a low recognition of those with leadership gifts?

A New Kind of Baptist Church is available from the Crossover office for $25 + $7 Postage. Contact the Crossover office by phone, fax or email (P: 07-3550 3777; F: 07-3550 3779; E: admin@crossoveronline.com. au) or post your Cheque to PO Box 6166, Mitchelton, QLD 4053.

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Missional Intelligence Gathering Shining the light on our church life

By Stan Fetting Churches have moved beyond a “bums on seats” approach to evaluating their effectiveness and, when it comes to planning for healthy and highly missional churches, Australians have a gift that the church worldwide is envious of. NCLS Research is a world leader in research focused on connecting churches with their communities.

Its rigorous and thoughtful research is based on millions of participants – the biggest sample base of church information in the world – and its upcoming 2011 Church Life Survey has the most practical and grounded focus on community yet. Incorporating surveys for young people, local community contacts, church schools and church-based community welfare services, the 2011 Survey could provide the most comprehensive and enlightening picture of church life in Australia we have ever seen.

Brian Winslade says, “Participating in an NCLS survey is a bit like looking in the mirror. In the same way doctors rely on research drawn from medical statistics to formulate helpful diagnoses, so too gathered information from NCLS data helps us examine the health and effectiveness of our mission engagement.”

The 2011 NCLS Survey offers churches a more comprehensive range of surveys so that a wider range of church and community voices can be heard. These new surveys are optional for churches who take part in the standard Church Life Survey.

The Standard Church Life Survey The standard Church Life Survey always has three components: the Attender Survey, the Leaders Survey and the Operations Survey.

The Attender Survey is designed to hear the views of those who attend spiritual nurture activities of the church, such as church worship services, small groups, etc. The Leaders Survey is designed to hear from those who are involved in decision-making, clergy and lay,

paid and volunteer, full-time and part-time. The Operations Survey is designed for one person to provide a description of the staffing, property, programs, activities, worship services and more.

Children’s Survey (for those under 15 yrs) This new survey is for those aged under 15 years. This will be an optional extension of the adult Attender Survey for local churches that choose it. While individuals remain anonymous, the views of children will be provided back to their church in their Church Life Profile.

Online Community Contacts Survey (CCS) This survey is for those who have a connection to the local church through either: •

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Activities of the church, such as playgroups, special interest groups, and social justice or care programs initiatives or Relationships with church attenders (eg. work colleagues or non-attending family members)

The purpose of the Community Contacts Survey is to find out who goes to church-related activities and what their views are on faith, the local and wider church, and the activity they attend.

This general Community Contacts Survey will have specialised modules for particular groups.

For example, the Youth Survey module invites young people who have a connection with the church to give their views on a range of social and cultural issues.

Crossover Support Crossover sees this survey as a unique opportunity for Australian Baptist churches to benefit from specific feedback in their own

congregation and from the wider cross section of Baptist churches. National Director of NCLS Research, Dr Ruth Powell, says, “The focus is much more than simply measuring attendance.

The 2011 NCLS will build on the foundations of the past 20 years to map Australia’s changing church landscape, evaluate health and vitality and chart changes since the first survey in 1991. As previously, the 2011 Survey will help local churches identify and build on their strengths, resource denominational consultants and denominational leadership, inform the wider community and potentially correct myths.

Financial Help If cost is an issue for your church, Crossover is prepared to provide financial support to any Baptist church that needs it. At our recent Task Force meeting we unanimously agreed that the survey provides a critical missional advantage and that we needed to encourage maximum participation.

So what? Taking the next step.

In conjunction with State Unions, Crossover is committed to helping churches understand and interpret their survey results. The last place the survey belongs is the filing cabinet. We are keen to help churches use the survey to inform their missional planning and strategising.

You will need to move quickly if you have not registered. Talk to your State Union and find out more at www.ncls.org.au, e-mail: info@ncls. org.au, Phone 02 8267 4394, PO Box A2178 Sydney South NSW 1235.

Stan Fetting has been a Baptist Pastor for 15 years in both Darwin and Brisbane. He is married to Julie and is Crossover’s Communications Manager.

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By Brian Winslade It’s that time of year again! A few more weeks and Christmas will be upon us. What does this time of year represent for you? The answer for many, I suspect, is stress! So much to do and so little time to do it in. There are mounting orders and looming deadlines before the great Aussie shutdown over Christmas and January. There are presents to buy and menus to think through. Then there’s the worry about how we’ll afford it all, let alone the much needed holiday!

You might have heard the story of “Tattoo,” the basset hound from Tacoma, Washington State, who inadvertently was taken for a very fast ride. His owners didn’t realise his leash was caught in the car door when they drove off.

Fortunately a policeman saw what was happening and pulled the car over but not before Tattoo had reached speeds of 20-25mph, rolling over several times!

That story sounds a bit like the rush and hustle of the Western Christmas season. We can all get dragged along with our leashes caught in the door of commercial hype.

The culture of our world has taken over Christmas and redefined it. We spend more than we can afford buying gifts and goodies that people don’t really need. We consume massive amounts of food and on Boxing Day collapse in a heap, wondering about the point of it all. And in the meantime, the essence of Christian Christmas sails off into the distance.

So, what can we do to capture it back?

Maybe Paul’s advice in Romans 12:2 is a good place to start. I like the way The Message paraphrases it: “Don’t become so well adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking…”

In other words, we Christians are supposed to be non-conformists. We live by different values. What would happen if we applied this principle to the way we teach our people to celebrate Christmas this year? Here’s a bunch of suggestions:

Give gifts that cost little but have meaning In our frenetic, commercial age we’ve lost the art of real giving. We hurry to choose gifts so we can tick them off the list rather than thinking about the one to whom we are giving. There was a time when Christmas gifts were not purchased in a store and given brand new, rather, they were given from the giver’s possessions. Giving a gift meant giving something away and the recipient knew the sentimental value involved in parting company with the item given. What values do we teach our children regarding gifts and giving? I read once of a mother who wrote to her son’s grandparents, “We want our son to learn the real meaning of Christmas. Please send him only one gift. On his birthday you may indulge him, but on Jesus’ birthday we want him to honour Christ by doing something loving for others.”

Restore broken relationships For many people, one of the more stressful elements of Christmas celebrations is the forced gathering together of people who don’t get along.

They’ve managed to keep their distance during the year but Christmas is going to bring them back together. One of the greatest gifts we can give this Christmas is the gift of forgiveness or the mending of a quarrel. The really good thing about this gift is that it doesn’t cost very much! Among the gifts

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we give this Christmas, include a few olive branches for those with whom we have a chip on our shoulder.

Invite a stranger to share a meal with you One of the good things about Christmas is that families get together. One of the sad things about Christmas is that families get together. Christmas can be an excruciatingly painful and lonely day for those without families. Jesus gave us a new model for kingdom living when it comes to celebration feasts: “…when you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbours; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous” - Luke 14:12-14.

Maybe one of the biggest gifts we could give this Christmas is the model of Christian love and hospitality toward those who otherwise celebrate the birth of Jesus in loneliness and isolation.

Spend less time in the kitchen and more time with people I reckon our Christmas celebrations have lost all sense of perspective when it comes to the food we consume. We typically follow a Northern Hemisphere winter menu, which we then ingest on a hot summer day, only to lie around feeling bloated and uncomfortable. The story of Mary and Martha (Luke 10) has something to teach us here. Mary was more fascinated by Jesus and his teaching, whereas Martha was more concerned about preparing food and tidying the house. Celebrating the presence of the Son of God is much less about the quality or quantity of food and what the house looks like.

Martha had lost perspective. Why don’t we plan this year to celebrate the day rather than the menu? Perhaps host a simple meal that the whole family can contribute to making. How about a BBQ outdoors rather than a winter’s hot roast? If we typically get stressed out over food at Christmas, let’s make a decision today not to be. Rewrite the menu and give more energy to the reason for the season.

Remember the poor In the midst of our Christmas giving to all those who will give back to us in return, let’s include gifts for those who will never give back to us. The true spirit of a Christian Christmas is giving. God gave the gift of his Son and we follow his example in giving gifts to our loved ones. But let’s be honest, don’t we sometimes view the gifts we give as a kind of investment? We prune back what we spend on some relatives because of what they gave us last year.

Why not this Christmas give like God gives: with no thought of reciprocation.

Rather than bless the “already wealthy,” let’s bless the poor. Jesus said in Matthew 25 that when we give to the poor and the needy we are actually giving to God. Maybe a good rule of thumb in our Christmas budgeting this year is to give to God (by giving to the poor) as much as we’ll spend on ourselves.

What are your plans for Christmas this year?

Whatever they are, it’s not too late to make this Christmas the most profound ever. All it takes is a bit of thought and planning. Imagine how we might celebrate if Jesus came to stay with us. What would we do differently?

According to our theology, Jesus will be with us this Christmas. It’s His birthday after all.

The question is, will He recognise the party?

Brian Winslade is National Director for Australian Baptist Ministries and is married to Liz and lives in Brisbane

“Twas the night before Christmas and people were jaded From hustling and bustling through malls they had waded.

They’d spent all their money and shopped till they’d dropped But the meaning behind it seemed more and more cropped.

The joy and the laughter had gone from the season, As media and retailers perverted the reason.

But for one group of people the light still shone through The hype and commercialism they knew wasn’t true.

The jingles and trappings they chose to ignore, For them, Christmas wasn’t something bought in a store.

Sure, the essence of Christmas is all about giving, But God’s kind of presents - a quality of living.

For this group of people Christmas wasn’t about shopping Or holidays and tinsel and food till you’re popping.

To them it was time to worship and recall The fact that God gave them the best gift of all; The coming of Jesus and the changes he made In the lives of his followers and the debt he repaid.

Rather than copy others and try to compete They resolved to become a new Christmas elite.

They shunned all the junk mail and specials unending, Refusing to be lured by material spending.

To all of the pressure and tension they cried, “Enough!

We want to get back to the true Christmas stuff!”

That night before Christmas these people decided To stand up for truth that their culture derided.

They cut through commercialism and retailer bluster With all of its hype and its tension and fluster, And paused to give thanks to the God they adored For his mercy and grace and their lives he’d restored.

They put to one side all the presents received The goodies that tempted and kept them deceived; They turned their attention once more toward the Lord To receive with both hands his heavenly reward.

The rest of their lives to Jesus surrendered, And this Christmas became the best they remembered!

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Every church wants to be a light in its community and, at Christmas time, the people of Maroochy Baptist Church do this in a very special way.

PRAC recently caught up with Senior Pastor Phil Greenbury to find out all about their Christmas Lights.

PRAC: Tell us about Maroochy Baptist Church’s Christmas Lights.

What does it involve?

The Christmas Lights are MBC’s main community outreach. We run the program each year, every night from 6:00pm to 9:30pm, for the two weeks leading up to Christmas. The event has grown enormously since we began seven years ago. We started small but the Lights now attract more than 20,000 people over the two-week period.

There are a number of facets to the program.

We do a major light theme on the front of the building each year that encourages people to come and find out what is happening inside. This year the major lights will feature the words “The Wonder of Christmas” and this theme will be carried right throughout the presentations in the building.

We have a musical production that runs for about 45 minutes each night. There are songs, dancing, drama multimedia presentations, lighting effects and a 5-minute preaching spot to challenge the people with the true purpose of Christmas.

The animal farm is a great attraction for the families. We have over 100 animals including baby ducks, guinea fowls and chickens, which are always a hit with the kids.

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We run a “Bethlehem Walk” that depicts the full story of Christmas. People line up and are escorted in groups through the old town of Bethlehem (created in our church hall and joining rooms). With all the sights and smells of village life, people listen to various actors unfold the story as they move from room to room. The journey leads them into a large marquee where there is an evangelism room and prayer area. People are challenged with the gospel and then given an opportunity to write out a prayer or be prayed for before exiting into the market place.

And finally, the Food Piazza is open every night for people to get a cheap meal while at the Lights. They can wander through the market place where there are lots of goodies for sale.

There are kids areas with jumping castles, balloon creations, shows and games as well as free fairy floss and popcorn for everyone.

Why have you opted for Lights instead of the traditional Carols service?

There are a few reasons we have decided to do the Lights instead of the traditional carols service. Firstly, it is the wet season and many outdoor carol services are washed out while our program continues rain, hail or shine!

Secondly, by holding it inside the church complex people build a greater connection with the church through the Christmas Lights.

We have heard a number of stories of people claiming that MBC was their church for the sole reason that they go to Christmas Lights! During the event we distribute a comprehensive church booklet to explain the many ministries of the church and people turn up to various events throughout the year based on the information and connection they made through Christmas Lights.

Thirdly, because it runs over two weeks rather than being a one-off event, many people come back time and time again, bringing more friends with them!

How long has it taken you to reach this scale of event?

It has taken us seven years to get to this scale.

The first year was small – just a handful of people, some lights, and some carol singing.

We have varied it each year and added some different things as we have grown. People enjoy the changes from year to year.

To what degree do you think this taps into a cultural vein?

Because people already have a small understanding of Christmas, I believe it is tapping into their cultural veins. People today have a spiritual hunger but don’t like or see the relevance of church. Through the Christmas Lights they see a Christian community in action, inviting them into to the church to celebrate part of the Christmas culture.

I have been amazed by how many people take the time to write out prayers when given the opportunity through the Bethlehem Walk. We started with a few bits of paper, not expecting people to be bothered with writing a prayer. We now have 40 books and hundreds of people taking the time to write out prayer requests each night. Our prayer team faithfully prays through each prayer every night. We send out follow up letters to the prayer requests and from time to time have taken food parcels to those who have been in need.

What principles drive the creative content of your Christmas Lights?

The creative principles we use reflect the culture of the community. We take a contemporary approach and try to do things equally as well as the world does them.

We communicate our message in a way that we believe the everyday person will be able to understand. We watch X Factor and Australian Idol to get ideas on how to present our musical program. At times we have used some well-known songs from these programs. This year we are using Amazing Grace by Stan Warner. We have a great team of musical people, creative dance teams, sound and lighting guys and multimedia presenters as well as actors who help us with our production each year.

What is your missional intent behind putting on an event of such a large scale?

Our aim is to reclaim Christmas on the Sunshine Coast. There are no Santa Clauses or reindeers in our Lights. We believe that there is enough in the true Christmas Story without them. I can’t think of a time in the last seven years when Santa has been missed with all that we have had to say about Jesus!

How does this help you connect with people who don’t come to your church (or any other church)?

We connect with so many people who don’t come to church. We have people coming to our church throughout the year because they have been to Christmas Lights. Many Sundays when we welcome new people they tell us that they first came to the church at Christmas Lights. All over the Sunshine Coast whenever someone says they are from Maroochy Baptist Church, they hear praise for the Christmas Lights. They call us “The Lights Church!”

What impact does this have on the people of your church?

Our people are really blessed as they serve in Christmas Lights. There is such a sense of community as young and old work shoulder to shoulder with each other. God gives us all a sense of His presence throughout the time and there is a real buzz about the place. We’re tired once Christmas is over and need a slow start to the New Year but the effort is worth it!

had been losing her sight but God had healed her after they had prayed for her.

Another particular lady was driving past the church on the way home from work and God just drew her to the Lights. She was drawn in and felt compelled to come every night. She then came regularly to the church and got her heart right with God. Now, a few years later, she is part of our worship team.

Another lady saw the star on top of the building and was drawn to come and see what God was doing. She had been thrown out of a church for smoking 18 years earlier and had felt isolated and unloved. She came and God challenged her and she has been part of the church ever since. She gave her testimony as she was baptized earlier this year.

Where would you like to take this in future years?

Our aim is to continue developing the presentation in ways that impact the community. We long to see more churches involved and using the Christmas Lights as an outreach by bringing their friends to the evenings, talking about Jesus, then taking them back to their own churches and discipling them.

I believe that the whole community can be changed as more and more people over the years encounter God in some way during the Christmas Lights outreach.

What are some examples of the fruit that has come from your Christmas Lights?

We have a number of examples of people encountering God throughout the Lights. Last year we had a family come back to thank the prayer team for praying for their daughter. She

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BUSSELTON BAPTIST FREE FUN FAIR

By Grant Hendry

When Busselton Baptist Community Church moved from rented rooms in a child care centre to their own purpose-built Community Centre six years ago, they wanted to make a splash in the community to mark the long-anticipated event.

It was decided to hold a “Free Fun Fair” on the opening weekend and this “one off” event was such a success that it has happened every year since. The splash, you might say, is still making ripples.

Since that first year, the purpose of the Fair has evolved from “making a splash,” to the only slightly more sophisticated “building bridges to faith in Jesus” by positively raising the profile of the church in the community and promoting the pre-evangelistic and evangelistic ministries of the church. It’s also seen as a way to further God’s kingdom beyond the walls of Busselton Baptist so that people are more receptive to the gospel message, irrespective of who communicates it.

Initially, the Fair used half of the car park and the building foyer but it grows each year and now utilises every bit of space inside and outside the church building. Everywhere they look, visitors to the Fair find a multitude of fun and engaging activities that are totally free. But just as importantly, they see an army of patient, caring, smiling volunteers who work hard to ensure that everything is well organised, clearly sign posted and colourfully decorated. While there is nothing particularly radical about what Busselton Baptist does – it is something that all churches could be encouraged to try – the final package is refreshing and unique.

We haven’t yet had the community break the church doors down in a stampede following a Fair but we have had a small flow of people joining longer-term ministries. And just as significantly, barriers against the church and Christianity in general, have been steadily eroded. We regularly hear non church-going people speak positively about the Fair at the Baptist Church. In a climate of indifference and widespread negativity towards Christianity, we think that something that provides a loud positive message is priceless.

THE TOP 5 FAIR DO’S

5 EQUALLY PASSIONATE DON’TS

Do show Jesus

Don’t call it a Fete

Unashamedly communicate the significance of Jesus by word and action. Encourage all volunteers to communicate grace in what they do, have some people giving out well-produced evangelistic tracts, and have an outdoor stage with live Christian music.

The word Fete is widely understood to mean ‘a public gathering designed to extract as much money as possible from as many people as possible.’ We are talking about something radically different!

Do be super generous A fair with only one or two draw cards is far from generous and will fall far short in the stakes of attracting people. Some activities will be expensive so complement these financially expensive activities with some less expensive labour-intensive activities.

Do show excellence This is an opportunity to show the world that Christians can do things well. If this is the only positive encounter some people have had with the church, make it positive in every way that you can: how things are run, how everything is presented, and how friendly all church volunteers are.

Do showcase the church

Don’t do White Elephants This is not the time to clear the craft group’s cupboard of excess crocheted booties. Nor is it an excuse for a mega church-wide jumble sale. This sends a mixed message to the community at best, or the wrong message altogether at worst.

Don’t charge for food or rides For many people, the word ‘church’ is synonymous with lots of negative things, including ‘money grabbers’. Demonstrating that we are more interested in giving than receiving is a great way to raise eyebrows. So, give it away!

Rides, high quality kids crafts, Devonshire teas... make it all free

Don’t run the Fair by committee

Choose a small number of ministries that have a good connection with the community, and actively promote them. For example, have big posters of pictures of kids having fun at Kid’s Club, complete with a catchy description of what happens.

Clearly organising a Fair is too much work for one person but the formation of a committee probably isn’t the best answer! Appoint one to three pumped up leaders that occasionally meet and frequently phone and email each other, and have these leaders inspire and assist the whole church to be actively involved.

Do it all at the right time of the year

Don’t dismiss the idea

People generally make most year-long choices at the start of a year. This is particularly so for activities such as playgroups and after school activities. Consequently, the most strategic time for the Fair is very early in the year.

A Free Fun Fair isn’t for every church, but rather than focusing on all the reasons why such an idea is beyond your resources, try channelling energy into making it happen! It’s our experience that many who don’t serve in other ways, happily participate in the Fair. And when there is an enthusiastic work force, a lot can be done with only a few dollars.

Grant Hendry is Senior Pastor of Busselton Baptist Church, WA