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Churches of Mission or of Maintenance; What is the predominant UK model?
Topic Started: Friday, 11. November 2011, 13:58 (200 Views)
OsullivanB

In a letter to to The Tablet Paul Donovan identifies two kinds of church.

"Churches of mission are involved in the community where the exist. They contribute positively and their absence would severely detract from that community. They live out the teachings of the Church."

"Churches of maintenance merely exist in physical form, going through the motions, with a fixation on ritual. They are concerned with sustaining their own fiefdoms financially. The absence of such churches would barely be noticed in the wider community."

My experience of parish churches in the different parts of London where I have lived is that maintenance may be more common than mission (though not necessarily in exactly the terms set out by Paul Donovan).
"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance - that principle is contempt prior to investigation." Herbert Spencer
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Gerard

There are quite a lot of books around just now about the need to change from maintenance (the model of church when almost all were christian) to mission (what is needed today).

Gerry
"The institutional and charismatic aspects are quasi coessential to the Church's constitution" (Pope John Paul II, 1998).
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Rose of York
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OsullivanB
Friday, 11. November 2011, 13:58
My experience of parish churches in the different parts of London where I have lived is that maintenance may be more common than mission (though not necessarily in exactly the terms set out by Paul Donovan).
Having lived in a few parts of the country and attended Masses in churches large and small, rural and urban, I find the general culture is of maintenance, I would say ghetto mentality.

Where is RCIA generally advertised? In the local paper and community halls, or on the church notice board where the Catholics see it.

I have been told that "if people want to come here, they know where we are, it's up to them."

In contrast, when Father Pat Lynch founder of the Sion and Ceili Communities was a young parish curate he held an outdoor service on the Birchwood Council Estate, Lincoln. The following year our parish received over 20 converts into the Church, a high proportion had their first experience of Catholicism at that service. :nw: Some disapproved of him, because he had "new ideas", i.e. he evangelised and encouraged laity to be be actively involved in reaching out to the whole community, making them aware of JESUS. His communities now have four houses, and communities formed of priests, trained lay people, and nuns.

http://www.sioncommunity.org.uk/
http://www.ceilicommunity.net/info/faqmini.html
Keep the Faith!

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Penfold
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It upsets me how many of my younger colleagues have got the idea that their job is maintenance of the church. Thank you for opening the thread OSB. We should, in my opinion be a missionary church; we have perhaps become too comfortable and complacent. There were some great priests who emerged from the trenches off WWI and the Battlefields of WWII.
I have no solution other than the need to kick a few of the Lazy, fat so and sos up the rear end. There is no excuse, in my opinion, for the maintenance mentality.
I cycle or walk around the district and meet a great many more folk than I would if I drove around, but this simple and healthy expedience ensures that during the cause of the day I have some great conversations, some are about faith. Like police men who sit in a panda car some of my colleagues miss the simple things that could so easily be addressed if they got out and walked the beat.
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Rose of York
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Rose of York
Friday, 11. November 2011, 16:05
OsullivanB
Friday, 11. November 2011, 13:58
My experience of parish churches in the different parts of London where I have lived is that maintenance may be more common than mission (though not necessarily in exactly the terms set out by Paul Donovan).
Having lived in a few parts of the country and attended Masses in churches large and small, rural and urban, I find the general culture is of maintenance, I would say ghetto mentality.

Where is RCIA generally advertised? In the local paper and community halls, or on the church notice board where the Catholics see it.

I have been told that "if people want to come here, they know where we are, it's up to them."

In contrast, when Father Pat Lynch founder of the Sion and Ceili Communities was a young parish curate he held an outdoor service on the Birchwood Council Estate, Lincoln. The following year our parish received over 20 converts into the Church, a high proportion had their first experience of Catholicism at that service. :nw: Some disapproved of him, because he had "new ideas", i.e. he evangelised and encouraged laity to be be actively involved in reaching out to the whole community, making them aware of JESUS. His communities now have four houses, and communities formed of priests, trained lay people, and nuns.

http://www.sioncommunity.org.uk/
http://www.ceilicommunity.net/info/faqmini.html
The Sion Community, which began in a small terrace house in Lincoln, is now at the forefront of Catholic Evangelisation.

http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=20311

Quote:
 
Representatives from countries across Europe met in Brentwood, Essex, this week for the 23rd meeting of the European Association of Catholic Schools of Evangelisation.

Twenty-two delegates from nine countries attended the meeting which took place from 26 – 29 April. The gathering was hosted by the Sion Catholic Community for Evangelism in Brentwood and Director of the Meeting, Albert Galea, from Malta, said: “It was a very exciting gathering which encouraged everyone in their efforts to continue to support the work of Catholic evangelisation. We discussed the opportunity presented by the Year of Faith and also the creation of the new Council for promoting the New Evangelisation. Gatherings such are these are essential to learn from each other, pray together and enjoy a time of fellowship.”

The countries represented were: Croatia, Slovakia, Poland, Czechoslovakia, England and Wales, Malta, Germany, Ireland and Portugal. Among the speakers was Michelle Moran from the Sion Community and Clare Ward from the Home Mission Desk, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.

The theme of the event was "Opening the door of faith". Some of the programme was dedicated to the opportunities presented ahead of the London Olympic Games, specifically the Joshua Camp, which will equip and support up to 600 people for outreach and service.


So much for the people (priests and laity) who disapproved of the zeal of the curate in his twenties, who was on fire with enthusiasm to convert souls to Christianity. Lessons need to be learned by people with enough clout to ensure Mgr Pat Lynch's example is followed. He is not afraid of hard work.

Keep the Faith!

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garfield

Its good to read about the Sion community, I went to a 'Women's weekend' there a few years back led by Michelle Moran which was very good
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Rose of York
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http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=14190
Quote:
 
The number of Mormons in the United States increased by nearly 50% between 2000 and 2010, while the number of “active members” of the Catholic Church declined by 5%, according to the latest decennial religious census published by the Association of Religion Data Archives.

The Mormons train people in the pews, to go out and evangelise.
The Sion community train laity to evangelise. When its founder was a young man, some senior clergy regarded him as a thorn in their side, he had "new ideas", I think they felt threatened by their "junior" showing them up.

We have RCIA courses in our parishes, but nobody even knows about them until the spark that leads them to explore Catholicism has been lit. Big deal, we advertise the courses in parish newsletters and one notice boards INSIDE our churches. We reach out to people who are already attending. When I suggested placing a display advertisement in the local newspaper the reaction was "that will cost money." What is the monetary value of a soul? I did point out that if one person responded and attended our church, the money they put in the collection would cover the cost of the advert. My suggestion was not taken up.
Keep the Faith!

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Derekap
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"What is the monetary value of a soul? I did point out that if one person responded and attended our church, the money they put in the collection would cover the cost of the advert. My suggestion was not taken up"

An excellent point Rose!!!!
Derekap
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