Towards A Strategy Of Gospel Growth For Churches Facing The Challenges Of Ministry & Mission In Coastal Contexts In Sydney

Richard  Wenden

Etd

Towards A Strategy Of Gospel Growth For Churches Facing The Challenges Of Ministry & Mission In Coastal Contexts In Sydney

Public Deposited

MLA citation style (9th ed.)

Richard Wenden. Towards A Strategy Of Gospel Growth For Churches Facing The Challenges Of Ministry & Mission In Coastal Contexts In Sydney. rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/dd059d0d-cf61-4fc2-a641-d03067b9647c?q=2021.

APA citation style (7th ed.)

R. Wenden. Towards A Strategy Of Gospel Growth For Churches Facing The Challenges Of Ministry & Mission In Coastal Contexts In Sydney. https://rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/dd059d0d-cf61-4fc2-a641-d03067b9647c?q=2021

Chicago citation style (CMOS 17, author-date)

Richard Wenden. Towards A Strategy Of Gospel Growth For Churches Facing The Challenges Of Ministry & Mission In Coastal Contexts In Sydney. https://rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/dd059d0d-cf61-4fc2-a641-d03067b9647c?q=2021.

Note: These citations are programmatically generated and may be incomplete.

Creator

Richard Wenden

Keyword

Church (Ecclesiology)

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Abstract

Churches in the 21st century find themselves in a post-Christian context, and the ongoing challenge for ministry teams and their congregations is how to adapt to this changing landscape with the accompanying cultural shifts. Churches in suburban coastal contexts face a myriad of challenges, especially the lifestyle that comes with living in what are deemed to be ‘destination’ suburbs. This Project is an attempt to consider these challenges afresh against the biblical and theological backdrop of the church’s mission, in line with God’s mission in Scripture. It explores these challenges through the lens of the Bible, 1 Peter in particular, where Christians are very much ‘in exile’. The Project shows how an understanding of cultural movements and demographics, the importance of contextualization as a way of engaging people with the gospel, and how a shift in the church’s thinking towards adopting a ‘Third Place’ posture enables us to show people what real gospel-oriented community looks like. Ultimately it seeks to offer some ways forward along the lines of embracing an urban spirituality, helping people to see how the gospel can ‘reorder their disordered loves’ as they are pointed towards Jesus, and how more intentional training in discipleship and evangelism might equip congregations to be a faithful presence in their spheres of influence.This Project focused upon congregations along Sydney’s coastal fringe. Through interviews with ministers of Anglican churches at the ‘coalface’ and by utilizing qualitative data, the goal is to assist churches that have historically struggled in coastal contexts to formulate strategies enabling them to be missionally effective, through a renewed approach to ministry planning. It is hoped this planning may bring significant, gospel-based, long-term impact on individual church members and the churches, to bring blessing to their suburbs, gospel growth to churches, and glory to God.

Year