Forge (Vic) new transition stream
Here is an article that I wrote for the Australian Christian introducing the forge (Vic) transition stream. It is reproduced here with permission as the full article is only available to subscribers. I encourage you to have a look at the other offerings of the Australian Christian and consider subscribing….
For much of Forge’s history in Melbourne its emphasis has been on those that are embarking on pioneering mission projects. However, for many years Forge (Vic) has envisaged bringing the same sense of innovation, creativity and missional imagination to other contexts, including to those wishing to remissionalise the established church. People within the established church are realising that our traditional church practices are not connecting with many Australians, and that the future of the church requires a link between heritage communities and expressions of pioneering mission.
This has led to the creation of the “Transition Stream” in Forge Victoria in 2006. This is a stream for training and supporting missionaries within the established church. The practical challenges and difficulties for established churches who attempt to become more missional within the structure of existing churches are vastly different than those facing church planters. Therefore the training and support offered by the transitioning stream incorporates some teaching specific to the demands of transitioning church practitioners.
The transition stream has the vision of resourcing and nurturing the emerging church within established church settings. This will sometimes involve established churches changing their operation and at other times planting new missional projects alongside their traditional structures. The stream operates within the existing framework of the three intensives, monthly gatherings and coaching. At times during the intensives, the re-emerging stream receives teaching specific to the established church setting. Participants in the stream have monthly meetings with other participants, largely revolving around sharing the challenges and context of each participant’s church environment.
In Melbourne we linked a day’s seminar where the new transitioning stream was launched with a two-day conference led by Neil Cole. It is essential that the conversation between leading missional thinkers and our established church leaders is fostered. Recently Forge convened a conversation in Queensland in which a number of key Australian missional leaders of established churches participated. For two days we explored together the essential characteristics of churches which engage missionally in their culture and community. The conversation included people with a wide range of experiences from different denominations and situations.
The transitioning stream has the potential to bind new missional energy with the resonance and heritage of our established church traditions. We believe that forge can assisting churches in responding to the new missional context in which we find ourselves. If you would like further information on participating in this new stream offered by Forge (Vic) then please contact Phil McCredden (phil at signposts.org.au or 0417 343 645).