Manchester Cell Church Forum

I am conscious that I am wearing a variety of hats.

As a vicar in the Church of England I feel a bit like an officer on board the Titanic who has realised that the boat is going to sink, even though the passengers are still having a wonderful time and many of the senior officers are in denial.

As a member of the New Wine Network and I am part of a group of happy cowboys who are bucking the trend of decline and proving that “come-to-us” churches can still attract some of the people. The key to this is (probably) having a generous heart that enables us to bless those who are not yet part of us.

As Chair of the Greater Manchester Cell Forum I am part of a group of evangelistic baby-boomers who believe that a radical restructuring of the Church is needed. We are already seeing some of the benefits of this restructuring, but we have not yet broken through into significant multiplication. As a self-reflective aside, we are a curious bunch who are post-modern at heart, but very modern in our belief that we can adapt a model and make it work here. Alan Roxburgh describes us as “Liminals” in his new book, The Sky is Falling (recommended by Todd Hunter).

Finally, in my racoon-skin pioneering hat I am standing on the brink of a brave new world. I hear the call to call together a team of church planters who will go to the gentiles with the message of the Kingdom. Is this just because I read Wild at Heart by John Eldredge? I don’t think so. I am being called out.