Digging Out the Embedded Church - The Maranatha Community

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m) Para-church Organisations Para-church bodies have evolved, especially with the use of modern technology and the internet, into very important agencies for evangelism and social welfare, but also for promoting Christian Unity. The vast majority were begun by Protestants, mainly Evangelicals, but from the middle of the 20 th Century Catholics, and to a lesser extent, Orthodox believers have contributed to their work. I define a para-church body as an organisation that is not a church or denomination in itself but exists independently of them to further the evangelistic, social welfare or teaching ministries of the Church at large. Monastic and religious orders are not included in this definition as they are usually an integral part of a denomination. Para-church groups came into existence in Protestantism as early as the 17 th Century. In Germany, P J Spener‟s collegia pietatis were in this category as „ecclesiolae in exclesia‟, „little churches within the Church‟, to promote the renewal of the Church. Spener‟s groups, like John Wesley‟s Methodist societies, were rejected by their own churches, and to the degree that this happened, they can be called „para-church‟ movements. Practically all para-church groups have come into being to meet a need which it was considered the churches were not meeting, or to enlarge or improve their work and witness. Protestant missionary societies such as the London Missionary Society and CIM (1865) were founded as inter-denominational societies to help churches of various denominations in their work overseas. The CMS and SPG were founded primarily for the missionary work of Anglicans. Most of the missionary societies were para-church in spirit and effect. Without its parachurch societies the Church of England would have still never officially sent out a single missionary. At home, para-church bodies such as City Missions (1830s) and the East London Christian Mission (1865) were founded to meet the needs of the poor in the growing industrial cities. Though both these bodies eventually became „churches‟ in their own right, they were founded on non-denominational lines. From the Hope 08 handbook can be drawn up the areas of service in which para-church bodies are working in the United Kingdom. Ninety-five associated groups are listed in this handbook. The book states: „From its beginning Hope 08 has been an ecumenical initiative which can thus witness to the power of the gospel to unite people in a world of many divisions. Hope 08 is a God-given opportunity for the Church to work together and share the good views of Jesus in all its fullness.‟ Page 147
n) Shared Study Courses There is a wide range of Study Courses on the Bible and the Christian life. Some are on websites, other use booklets and envisage groups getting together, either in church settings or completely secular ones, and often with a meal as part of the programme. o) Bible Colleges Out of the 14 listed as „The UK‟s leading Bible Colleges‟ in the Church of England Newspaper, 10 October 2007, only five had denominational affiliations. Even the „denominational‟ Colleges attracted students from denominations other than their own. p) Pastoral help agencies; support for families and marriage The Marriage Course and parenting courses are becoming established and grew out of previous inter-denominational successes such as the Alpha Course. Other Church Growth agencies are helping to produce leadership and discipleship in Churches in order for them to grow. q) Relief organisations Together, Christian Aid, Tear Fund, World Vision and many other organisations provide emergency and long-term aid to victims of „war, poverty, famine, disease and natural disaster.‟ r) Specialist ministries Many specialist ministries can only work effectively on the understanding that different denominations will work cooperatively or support the work of non-denominational agencies. This is approach is seen in chaplaincy work in hospitals, prisons, universities and the armed forces. In addition para-church bodies help churches to engage in ministering to prisoners, members of the armed forces, the police, nurses and doctors. One agency places Bibles in hotels and hospitals, schools and prisons and others work with the police in partnership for reducing crime. An interesting development in specialist ministries has been the forming of fellowships within professions. Such groups as the Christian Medical Fellowship draw people from all traditions for fellowship and specialist support in their work. s) Missions and Campaigns Missions and campaigns were strong and effective in the past and are now less popular. Towards the end of the 20 th Century Catholics became welcome members of these outreaches, which were previously mainly attended by Evangelical protestants. Page 148
Page 1 and 2:
Digging Out the Embedded Church Dis
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The Maranatha Community comprises t
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Introduction CONTENTS Chapter 1 Chr
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ead, nicely browned on top. He plac
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HOW DO WE DIG OUT THE EMBEDDED CHUR
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That the Church should express this
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For Alfeyev, „Faith is a gift, th
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„heresies„ of the Early Church
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Traditionally, the Church has made
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CHAPTER 1 CHRISTIAN UNITY IN THE EA
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A certain Docetic teacher, often id
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Novatianism When the persecutions o
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The fortunes of the Arian party in
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An attempt was made in 482 AD (29 y
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was development in the interpretati
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CYPRIAN AND AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO The
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position would see baptism as not t
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The Eastern Church‟s relationship
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insisted from the second Lateran Co
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There is so much that Orthodoxy sha
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we do not talk to each other. Our t
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The question of heresy does not com
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They were missionary-minded and the
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Lollard ideas lingered in English r
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CHAPTER 4 THE SECOND GREAT SPLIT: W
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unity‟s sake in subsequent centur
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Erasmus wrote he asserts, through o
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attle-cry, is perhaps the most famo
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Regulations for the good ordering o
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Eucharist was not just a commemorat
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CHAPTER 5 QUOTATIONS ON THE THEME O
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How rare then it is to meet a man w
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are often much bigger divisions bet
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St Germanus of Constantinople - 8 t
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manner. He declared that men could
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S L Greenslade - 20 th Century: „
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CHAPTER 6 HOPES FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY
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imminent return of Christ (Komensky
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a concern that merchant adventurers
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also anti-Socinian. Calixtus himsel
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The Eastern Churches were not rent
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everyone - from outward forms to in
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Women were not usually members of t
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work in America, shows him, though
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The aim of the conference was to br
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From 1768 Harris‟s home at Talgar
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twice more to congregations of Whit
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denominations was not their distinc
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It was from the overseas Protestant
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THE OXFORD TRACTARIAN MOVEMENT Anot
Page 101 and 102: the Church of England‟s doctrinal
Page 103 and 104: „We pray that… all who desire t
Page 105 and 106: thereof, in prayer, in the remembra
Page 107 and 108: honours the Lord and his Word; the
Page 109 and 110: apostolic church enjoyed, and that
Page 111 and 112: episcopate were too radical for mos
Page 113 and 114: Denominations began to form their o
Page 115 and 116: In this Shanghai Conference‟s Rep
Page 117 and 118: With so much talk of unity and coop
Page 119 and 120: „The liturgical movement in weste
Page 121 and 122: • Sharing a corporate life of wit
Page 123 and 124: • Our acknowledgement of the Apos
Page 125 and 126: (h) The Evangelical Church in Germa
Page 127 and 128: It changed nothing in respect of do
Page 129 and 130: Some Evangelical Protestants want t
Page 131 and 132: • It is in continuity with the
Page 133 and 134: But things have changed. Richard Ma
Page 135 and 136: evangelism - (and) state what the r
Page 137 and 138: Repentance and faith are at the hea
Page 139 and 140: outcome of being justified. Agreeme
Page 141 and 142: Virgin‟s salutary influence on me
Page 143 and 144: h) Confession The sacrament of pena
Page 145 and 146: demanding way would be sin. The que
Page 147 and 148: If the opportunity for the Church t
Page 149 and 150: Ministers, priests and laypeople in
Page 151: West Kirby, near to my home, the Si
Page 155 and 156: Even some Protestant churches today
Page 157 and 158: Vincent de Lérins spoke of a „pr
Page 159 and 160: It is not likely, in the foreseeabl
Page 161 and 162: Christ and are trying their best to
Page 163 and 164: upon the name of our Lord Jesus Chr
Page 165 and 166: Perhaps this dying process is now b
Page 167 and 168: economic factors giving rise to suc
Page 169 and 170: deeper ecumenism, one that does not
Page 171 and 172: APPENDIX 1 THE NICENO-CONSTANTINOPO
Page 173 and 174: APPENDIX 2 FOUR BIBLICAL TEXTS ON T
Page 175 and 176: The „apostles and elders‟ of th
Page 177 and 178: „The purpose of the Reformation C
Page 179 and 180: What all three traditions have in c
Page 181 and 182: Cromwellian period, in a treatise o
Page 183 and 184: BIBLIOGRAPHY OF BOOKS AND DOCUMENTS
Page 185 and 186: Cullman, Oscar, The Earliest Christ
Page 187 and 188: McCarthy, Tim, The Catholic Traditi
Page 189 and 190: Letter concerning the civil princip
Page 191 and 192: Coptic Orthodox Church, 10 Council
Page 193 and 194: Parousia, 24, 68, 93 Paul VI, 10, 1
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