14th September, 2006

RUSSELL STUBBINGS

The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation and Mission for the 21st-Century Church
Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch
Published by Strand Publishing, Erina, NSW, 2003

"Certainly this book should stimulate thinking and action within the Christian community, and while there may be disagreement with some of the authors’ suggestions and bold statements, at the very least healthy debate is far better than indifference and a resigned acceptance of the status quo."

The Shaping of Things to Come is a seminal text with regard to mission and ministry within the postmodern Australian context. One of the most refreshing features about the book is that it is written by Australians, Mike Frost and Alan Hirsch, both of whom have extensive experience as practitioners and thinkers within the Australian Christian community, for Australians, and with the Australian social and spiritual context in mind. This makes it directly relevant to any who seek to understand the tension between mission and ministry within the Australian setting.

The framework for the book is the premise that Christendom is dead. While we once lived in an overtly Christian country where church-going was a common, even popular activity, that landscape has now changed. Simply, the authors assert, the approaches used for mission 40 or 50 years ago are no longer applicable since we live in a post-Christendom culture. Mission in the current cultural context requires a new approach, one which grapples with innovative approaches to sharing the Gospel and bringing God’s love into the marketplace. From this perspective the book is enormously challenging, inspiring, and at times confronting and even disturbing. Certainly this book should stimulate thinking and action within the Christian community, and while there may be disagreement with some of the authors’ suggestions and bold statements, at the very least healthy debate is far better than indifference and a resigned acceptance of the status quo.

Frost and Hirsch question the validity of the church in its current form as an outdated model stemming from the Christendom era. They argue the church as it exists is attractional, requiring that people come to the church to receive ministry. As such, the church develops programs, outreach events, contemporary music teams, and ministry arms with the purpose of attracting people to the church. In contrast with this model, the authors advocate what they term incarnational ministry, the concept of the church going into the cultures and sub-cultures of the local community to build relationships, meet needs, and build bridges for sharing the Gospel. This approach advocates a shift from the passive Christianity experienced by many who simply attend church with little involvement, to a form of Christianity that requires all to be actively involved, and fuller expression of body ministry. This attractional versus incarnational tension is explored in detail with the authors convincingly arguing their position as they describe innovative approaches currently being trialled across the country.

Frost and Hirsch challenge many of the sacred cows of the Christian community and the church model as it currently exists. For example, they question the use of church buildings which sit vacant for up to 90 per cent of the time, noting the waste of finances involved. Alternatively, they suggest the use of shared spaces, buildings which are used for other activities during the week, such as community centres, playgroups, art centres, counseling centres, providing a missional dimension simply through innovative use of valuable space.

The authors refer to their involvement in the mission organization FORGE which provides training for those seeking to explore innovative methods of engaging with those outside the church context. One of their key concepts is that church is not something which should be separate from the rest of life. Rather, church should be a part of everyday existence, not simply what a believer does on Sunday, whilst the rest of the week is spent in the world. The authors suggest this is dualism, a separation of the sacred and secular, church life from life in general. An extension of this thinking is that the world is a dangerous place for Christians, and that refuge and safety can be found in the church. This, according to Frost and Hirsch, is not compatible with the Jewish-Hebraic worldview, which sees that God is everywhere and deeply and intrinsically involved in all human history. The appropriate response is to break down the barriers between church and world and develop innovative approaches to mission which provide for meaningful dialogue and interaction.

The final section of the book explores the concept of leadership in a similarly confronting and challenging manner. The authors propose that a new kind of leadership - apostolic leadership - is necessary for the church to move forward in mission and ministry. In explanation of this proposition they explore the leadership functions of Ephesians chapter four: apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher. They contrast how these roles have been regarded as specialist roles possessed by only a few, with a broader view suggesting that many in the church are not fulfilling their offices simply because there are limited opportunities and ministry is viewed as the function of the select few. Whilst undoubtedly confronting to many, especially those who may be involved in church leadership, what they suggest has merit and could certainly lead to a more even expression of ministry across the body of Christ.

A couple of concerns need to be raised in response to the book. To my mind, the book fails to provide a clear picture of an appropriate, Biblical leadership structure for the emerging, missional church. At best, the type of leadership structure proposed seems to be fluid and somewhat unstructured, possibly a response to the sometimes limiting, authoritarian leadership structures present in many contemporary churches. Also, the book fails to adequately consider the role of Christian discipleship. This is an important area which is largely missing and the reader is not left with a model or process for discipleship within the missional church. While this may not be in line with the purpose of the book, it does require consideration if the emerging missional church is to fully emerge. Similarly, the book advocates leaving people within their sub-cultures when saved. While this appears sensible and allows for continued mission within the sub-culture, there is a need to provide a pathway towards Christian maturity for the new believer. Again, this needs further thought and development.

A final comment regarding the area of incarnational mission must be made. While the authors strongly defend immersion in local communities and sub-cultures as legitimate missional activity, a word of warning is also pertinent. There must be an awareness of avoiding compromise in reaching out to others. It is not acceptable to engage in sinful behaviour in order to save a sinner. Jesus didn’t do this, the authors do not suggest this (but at the same time don’t warn clearly against this potential trap), and it clearly stands against the injunction to be salt and light in the world. Simply, care is needed in order to not blend with the culture to the extent that we can no longer be recognised as somehow different.

The Shaping of Things To Come is a must read book for Christians serious about mission, ministry and innovative endeavours aimed at engaging local communities. Christian leaders, students, pastors and lecturers would be well advised to thoughtfully and prayerfully give due consideration to the broad and specific themes of this text. It is literally packed with concepts, thoughts and strategies that are potentially transforming in terms of the church as we know it, and as it may become in the future. You may not agree with everything the authors suggest, but one thing is for sure, you will be challenged and inspired as you grapple with the concept of the missionary nature of the church particularly as it applies to Australia in the 21st century.