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Jesus in the City
The 2nd UK Urban Mission Congress
"Community Conflict and Celebration"
Belfast, 26-30 September 1998
The church without walls
The Story of a City Centre Church
The parish of St Cutlibert's in Edinburgh has a 1300 year history, rooted in the Celtic tradition, and the mother church of many Edinburgh Churches. Until 30 years ago it sustained a rich missionary tradition, but demolition and depopulation then separated church and community. The last decade has seen the re-emergence of recognisable communities with the "2,8,20 Profile':
2000 live in the parish, 8000 commute into its legal and financial centres and 20,000 visit its entertainment community over a weekend. Like many city centre churches, homeless people are on the doorstep and represent a particular call of Christ. The story was told with slides and video.
The Missionary Strategy: The Church without Walls
It was suggested that urban missionary ministry is to identify, nourish and equip the "church without walls" already at work in the city, both the consciously Christian and the tentative and unwitting supporters of God's Kingdom. The workshop told the story of a developing ministry to the business sector, and new opportunities for a Pastoral Advisor in the local nightclub in partnership with Youth for Christ. The congregation has established a team to reconnect with the residents who have almost no contact with the present congregation, and a team to facilitate work among homeless people alongside other agencies. From this story the workshop was invited to identify any marks of the urban missionary church and to add others from their experience.
City Lights and Celtic Clues
The missionary strategy described has been informed by looking at church and community through a "Celtic Lens": living with the spirituality of insecurity, developing patterns of community for sectors of a mobile society. Connecting creatively with the various cultures and winning leaders, keeping down to earth while bcing sustained by an awareness of heaven. These Celtic elements were explored and interpreted for our different contexts.
Carrying People Forward
Time was given to exploring how to carry forward a traditional and mainly elderly congregation into new models of missionary engagement. We emphasised the importance of listening, sharing the story, keeping Jesus central, judging the pace, inviting people on a journey, taking risks, reshaping structures and winning supportive partners. Our inspiration was in the vision God gave to Paul at Corinth (Acts 18:9.10):
Do not be afraid; keep on speaking and do not be silent.
For I am with you, and no one is going to attack or harm you.
because I have many people in this city.
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