whose churches are frequently visited by non-churchgoers. Maybe helping them develop something that visitors can look at and take away with them, which emphasises key elements of the Christian faith using unique features of the individual churches?
The major needs are identified here are: • Signposting to good resources and examples related to ministry to church visitors. • Tools enabling a local church to design a visitors’ guide to their own building and churchyard, also explaining who they are, what they do and why.
e. Reaching Out to Men
One further issue mentioned by a few respondents concerns attracting men to the Christian faith. This is not seen as a specifically rural issue, although it is pointed out that many rural churches have few men active in their congregations. Several others also highlighted concerns about a lack of resources appropriate for affirming and developing ‘male’ spirituality. The key needs appear to be two-fold: • Well-designed, male-friendly resources that attract men to elements of Christian faith, and which are appropriate for rural backgrounds.
• Resources and simple training that help both ministers and lay people understand contemporary male spiritual needs, incorporating rural specifics.
Nurture, Faith Development and Discipleship A further gap highlighted by significant numbers of respondents relates to discipleship, for those already within congregations (faith development) and those emerging into faith (nurture). Various issues were raised by both clergy and lay people across different denominations, falling into two categories: generic and specifically rural issues.
a. Generic Discipleship Concerns
Nurture, Faith Development and Discipleship: Generic issues One West Midlands’ Methodist minister believes: My church members need to be encouraged in reading their local context, and then how to reflect theologically on it. I feel that lay people should be helped to develop in their own faith with such skills; otherwise ministers will always be telling them what and how to think. An Anglican lay training provider from the West Midlands suggests: We need to provide or develop contextual Bible Study tools that can be used by lay people without theological training. It is important that we help laity to take [some] responsibility for their own spiritual development. It doesn’t need to be complex, just some simple tools with plenty of good examples of how it is done.
Page 77 of 111
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111