The Transitional Leadership Team have been continuing prayerfully to think through the Lord’s way forward for us as a congregation at this time, and hope that what follows will provide both an informative update and also a positive stimulus to our thinking as together we seek to discern the Lord’s direction.
Timescale
A word, first, about the timescale, since we’re persuaded that it’s in everyone’s interest to have at least a rough time-line. We believe the different issues are best addressed in the order indicated below, and that time-scale suggested balances the need for urgency with a dose of realism.
April to August
Our aim between now and the end of the summer is to see our ‘purpose’ or ‘vision’ finally clarified: we hope to use these next few months to gain, together with you all, a common clarity of mind as to what we’re about as a fellowship of God’s people, and as to how our life will best be structured to that end: and that with a view to our being able to articulate such a ‘purpose’ clearly by the start of September.
- We hope, indeed, that we may be able to have some sort of brochure available by the start of September as well – a brochure setting out and explaining who we are and what we’re about, along perhaps with specific material relating to each particular aspect of our life.
- And, of course, we have a church weekend away planned for October 21-23 and we’ll plan to use that time also to work through the future God has for us.
September onwards
Come the autumn, we anticipate being ready then to start addressing a number of attendant issues. Once our ‘purpose’ is clearly established, we will then be better placed to give some concentrated thought to this further stratum of issues.
Clarifying purpose
We believe that it’s important for us to have a clear sense of direction as a fellowship and we’ve sought to build on the work already done in previous years in relation to precisely this; and through the on-going discussion we’ve had in this regard, both formally at our meetings and informally with others, we’ve certainly come to some clarity ourselves about that sense of direction.
We share with every church certain ‘core’ commitments
These are drawn from the Scriptures themselves and we understand them, therefore, to be non-negotiable.
Our mandate under Christ is, in very broad terms, to make disciples, to grow disciples, and to establish disciples as churches – all in the context, and as the expression, of our worship of God: or, putting these three core commitments slightly differently, they are – evangelism, discipleship, and ‘church-planting’.
We recognize three important ‘distinctives’ about Gilcomston
We can see that the location in which we are set, the ‘partnership’ through which we minister, and the culture for which we are known, are all significant and distinctive features of our life as a fellowship under Christ.
- We understand the significance, and the attendant responsibilities, of our location as a congregation whose building presently fronts onto Aberdeen’s main street. While our ‘purpose’ is not defined by the location, this is where we find ourselves set by God at this time.
- We see the sovereign providence of God in the partnership we share with a number of like-minded fellowships in our immediate neighbourhood, all committed to those same core gospel convictions, and all with a history of partnering with one another in the work of the gospel: we see in that not only the providence of God but the potential under God for the growth of His kingdom.
- We recognize the hand of God at work in the establishing, over many years, of a culture here of training, sending and mission; and we believe this, too, must help define the shape of the future which the Lord has for us here.
We see the importance of two significant ‘foci’ for our life
We are clear that, in pursuing those three core convictions to which reference has been made, both the ‘small group’ type of context, and the central, ‘whole-church’ gatherings, are alike of real importance.
We recognize the challenge, therefore, of ensuring that the pattern of our life as a fellowship prioritises both: for if being able to grow as disciples of Christ through the support and care of others is as important as being able to come as the servants of God and engage in both corporate worship and prayer, then the patterns and rhythms of our life as a fellowship must have the time and the space for both.
Simplify structure
So what might all this look like in practice?
We recognize the need to ensure that the ‘structure’ of our life is as ‘fit for purpose’ as possible: defining that purpose must be matched, therefore, by our deciding on patterns of congregational life which reflect and support that purpose.
Here’s where we’re at, then, in our thinking – stated simply in deliberately broad brush strokes, with a few explanatory comments thereafter.
We see the importance of developing the Community Group structure as the backbone of our fellowship’s life
We believe that our pastoral oversight should most helpfully be set it in the context of the Community Groups
We recognize the need to secure a healthy balance between our gathering together centrally and our life together in the Community Groups
We see that it’s helpful for everyone if there is a simple and single ‘framework’ for our congregational life: and we believe that the Community Groups are best placed to form this ‘backbone’ to our fellowship’s life, with the different groups functioning as so many closely connected vertebrae.
We recognize that for this to function,
- every member of the congregation will need to be assigned to one of the Community Groups (even if not able to join with others in the regular meetings of that group): and
- our pastoral oversight will need to be exercised within that Community Group framework also:
We recognize, moreover, that to develop the Community Groups (which in many ways are still finding their feet) in this way will involve our patiently learning together how such discipleship and pastoral oversight is actually exercised, and carefully exploring together how such a framework will actually work best.
We are very aware, also, of the vital ministry already being exercised by many through the teams of ‘carers’ within our existing Pastoral Care Groups; and while moving away from the ‘framework’ of the Pastoral Care Groups, we see the importance of ensuring that the ministry of such ‘carers’ is continued now, and enhanced, through the ‘framework’ of the Community Groups. We believe that such a ‘re-calibration’ is not just desirable but feasible, and we understand that some careful work will be required to facilitate it.
We recognize, finally, that
- both the larger, ‘central’ coming together of God’s people, and our joining with others in the smaller context of the Community Groups, are equally important for the health of our life as a fellowship:
- that in the life of any fellowship this is not always an easy balance to secure:
- that to create and maintain such a healthy balance will involve necessary and significant change to the present patterns of our congregational life – and that in relation to matters on which, for good and varied reasons, sensitivities run high:
- and that effecting such change, therefore, will require great care, no little patience, and much Spirit-given wisdom and grace, as together we seek and see His way forward.
We remain, accordingly, so very grateful for your on-going prayers and support: and we hope that you find this ‘update’ of some help. This is a joint venture and all of us as a fellowship are thankfully in it together – so don’t hesitate to be talking this through!