Day 8 - Ministry Sites

Today was a day of touring various ministry sites.  The United States is headed in the same direction that England is already in with most of the population being unchurched and highly secularized.  Very old churches are finding ways to be the church within this new context.  

Today we visited some of the sites doing creative ministry to reach an unchurched population.  The church is not a building, it's a people doing missional ministry to bring people into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.  We often call these churches that look different "fresh expressions."  

We began at St. Georges in Gateshead.  It's an old Church of England church that was barely surviving until a new, young pastor came along whose wife convinced him that this where they need to be. They saw a vision for the church and developed worship that people can relate too and a ministry called Alpha that gives people a safe place to ask the most important questions in life and point them to Christ as the answer.  

He talked about how the church has a famous organ that only gets used occasionally, but really, in our culture today, how famous can an organ be?  Is it more important to do worship in the same way it's always been because of the organ, or is it more important to worship in a way that will reach people?

Pink Floyd and Jesus

Our next stop was the Ark.  It was also an old church building that they have turned into children's play area.  It wasn't as centered on Christ as I would've liked for it to be, but they do have a breakfast church for kids and parents once or a twice a month.  At least a church building is being used to offer a safe place for parents to bring their kids.

Our third stop was Brunswick Methodist Church in Newcastle.  John Wesley visited Newcastle and preached.  His first time preaching on the street 4 or 5 people turned into hundreds of people.  He preached again the same day at 5pm and had thousands in attendance.  Wesley bought land there and established an church and an orphanage.  The church there today is struggling like so many others.  They have just appointed a pastor there who feels called to bring new ideas and revitalize the church.  

 Our final stop was in Shieldfield at a ministry began by Jesmond UMC called SAW: Shielfield Art Works.  They are in an area near a University, but the building itself is planted right in the middle of what we would call government housing.  They are there to be a light and safe place for people to learn and share art. 

 

Tried to buy this painting, it wasn't for sale.

We had one lecture on Faith in Culture when we got back to Durham, then several of us had dinner and walked around Durham.  

Day 7 - Dinner at the Castle

Woke up for a traditional service of morning prayer led by Phillip Plyming.  It was simple, refreshing and beautiful.  What a great way to start the day!

The rest of the day consisted of lectures.  The two best were one by Phillip Plyming called "Lessons from Paul in Corinth" and one by David Wilkinson on the intersection of Faith and Science.

I didn't realize that a group of scientists in the 1800's decided that science needed its on professional arena.  Science and religion were tied too closely together so this group called the X club set out to create conflict between faith and science to give science it's on professional arena.  It worked and now there's this myth that faith and science are at odds with each other when in fact they compliment each other.

The day ended with something I have never done and will probably never do again.  

WE HAD DINNER AT A CASTLE!

I felt like I was on an episode of Downton Abbey.  The company was good, the atmosphere was beautiful and the food was delicious.

Seriously, I had dinner at a castle.

After dinner, Chris Westmoreland and I walked Dr. Liz Kent to her car because we are chivalrous.  We crossed a bridge and she told us there's a possibility that C.S. Lewis got his inspiration for the lamp post in Narnia from this spot. I'm going with it!

It was an exceptional day of learning and eating at a castle that I will never forget!