Harcourt Memorial United Church

Christian Formation: an invitation to Harcourt

Introduction

What does Christian Formation mean? Recently, this phrase has entered Harcourt’s vocabulary. It is heard in conversations among members at the Church Council, at Committee meetings, and at coffee gatherings after worship and study sessions through the week.

The phrase is most frequently used in contrast to the more familiar expression ‘Christian Education’. For most of us, the latter focused on the task of imparting information. Much of the history of the twentieth century taught us, however, that information, while capable of expanding knowledge, did not on its own guarantee growth in wisdom and compassionate conduct. Practice, however, has proven a more effective means of breeding new habits, growing new skills, and effecting new and preferred behaviour. This shift to an emphasis on ‘practice’ lies at the heart of what we mean by the phrase ‘Christian Formation’.

Within a community such as Harcourt, people come with various expectations as to how their lives as Christians may be enriched. They also bring a variety of skills that they offer to the community to help it function. This is hardly surprising. As human beings we show predictable variation as to how we experience God: some are introverts and others are extroverts; some find God in quiet meditation and others exuberant song and dance; some find God in the quiet of nature and others in the hustle and bustle of the city; some serve God through pastoral care while others serve through physical labour. Clearly there is no one way to find and serve God, and there is no right or wrong way to do so.

Life is a journey. As Christians, either through infant baptism or adult choice, we understand that it is through Christ that we come to know God. It is also by following the ways of Christ that we engage with the world in which we live. But, as with any discipline, it is unlikely that we are born with the necessary skills to live as disciples of Christ; instead we have to work to acquire them. In sport, music, education, etc. we know that it is only with practice that our skills develop. As they do, our performance becomes better and more satisfying.

This is also true of our Christian journey. By developing our skills (e.g. prayer, biblical understanding, social awareness, stewardship), and being devoted to the process, we are already engaged in ‘Christian Formation’. For most of us the expectation is that life’s journey will be long. Therefore, the journey is a never-ending one that requires diligent commitment for the long haul. “You’ve achieved a lot in your life,” someone remarked to an 87 year old Harcourt member who was attending a learning session at the Five Oaks Conference Centre. “I’m not done yet,” she spryly responded. None of us on the Christian journey is done yet.

From the Past to the Present

Over the past 50 or so years there have been marked changes in Christian Education within the United Church. During this period it was assumed that Christian education was primarily for children and youth. Gradually we have moved from an international, ecumenical curriculum, through the United Church’s own New Curriculum to a wide variety of curricula based on engaging young people in many ways, including computer technology and multi-media.

Likewise, the structural model of ‘Sunday School’, with its Superintendent and teachers, and its emphasis on Christian Education, has given way to the less formal ‘Church School’ and a wider understanding of Faith Formation. In the former it was often the case that the Sunday school staff had little involvement with the congregation, whereas with the latter, congregations have assumed greater responsibility for this educational activity.

As the approach to Christian Education has changed over time, so has the understanding of what education in the faith will require. The changes are not just in language and curriculum design, but also at a much more profound level of perspective.

The changes required are both incremental and transformational. The Church will have to address new perspectives, new situations and new questions that it has not had to face before, particularly if it seeks to be faithful to its call to exercise a ministry of intentional learning for the whole people of God.

First, a redefinition of the word ‘curriculum’ will be essential. No longer can the curriculum be dependent on finding the best-written program resource for use with a peer group. The life, relationships and governance of the congregation will be part of the curriculum and the congregational agenda. Ideally ALL participants will play a major role in clearly identifying what it is that they need to learn about becoming followers of Jesus Christ. This will require innovative thinking. Formation and learning will be for the whole community - to equip it and the individuals within it to be God’s living and loving presence in a broken and ever-changing world. In reality it is likely that more and more activity will be outside church buildings.

Second, there will need to be a shift of resources from the exclusive education or formation in the faith for children and youth to an emphasis on life-long learning. Much more attention will need to be paid to the learning of adults and to the ways that a congregation like Harcourt can become a learning community.

Third, the new horizons of the world in which we live present fresh challenges, particularly in the ways we use technology to communicate. This shift in communication patterns continues to invite those responsible for the formational ministry of the Church to discover new ways to support learning about faith, faith practices and faith actions (i.e. Christian Formation) in a digital world.

Finally, as facilitators of learning our role should be “to start conversations not end them!” If Harcourt is to commit to those new endeavours in Christian Formation, then   individuals, groups, committees, the council and the whole congregation will need to participate intentionally in significant conversations about the future of the Christian faith. We will all be invited into many fresh and exciting conversations as we focus on the future of our own Christian Formation.

Christian Formation within an Intentional Learning Community

As stated at the beginning of this article, Christian Formation can take place at a variety of levels (individual to the institutional) and in a variety of settings (solitary to the congregational). If it is to be effective, however, our development as practicing Christians will require individual effort.

‘Church’ can be approached in a variety of ways. There are perhaps two extreme models. On the one hand there is the ‘consumer’ model where church attendees act as consumers. Here the worship experience is likened to entertainment that requires little of the consumer but much of the producers (ministers, music director, lay readers). Worship is there to be ‘consumed’ as personal needs and time dictate. Further, the worship ‘consumer’ doesn’t hesitate to provide feedback – usually to the ministers - on the ‘goods’ provided. But is this really what Jesus had in mind when he spoke of furthering the Kingdom of God?

On the other hand there is the ‘discipleship’ model. From this perspective, ‘disciple’ is substituted for ‘consumer’ and ‘service’ for ‘entertainment’. Those involved are not simply an ‘audience’ but ‘agents’: ‘participants’, not ‘recipients’. In this model, participants attempt to become disciples of Jesus, living life as he lived his. The purpose of this involvement is to offer a more just and compassionate way of life as an alternative to what is currently the norm within our communities; and the heart of involvement is active mission alongside worship.

Commitment to the discipleship model demands much of both the individual and the church. As with any transformative experience the journey will not be easy as the church community becomes the primary agent of God’s mission. If we listen to what Jesus had to say, the church should be working towards a new social order. The church is no longer about entertaining us; it is about “gathering us, equipping us and sending us out” to the world as apostles of the Good News. And so, above all, the invitation is to become disciples of this Jesus.

To do this effectively three components are essential:

“Gathering”: The ‘discipleship’ church doesn't gather disciples the way the Galaxy cinema gathers customers (e.g. through enticing advertisements, special promotions, etc.). Further, its effectiveness is not measured by simply filling the pews. Instead, this church gathers all those who feel the call to become committed disciples of Jesus to help build God's alternative community of justice and compassion.

“Equipping”: Someone said that the church of the past was involved in “teaching children and welcoming adults”. The discipleship church, by contrast, is concerned with “teaching adults and welcoming children”. For this task the members will need to check the contents of their tool kits to see if they are adequately equipped. If they have nothing more than the simple tools of a distant Sunday school education, they will find the going tough. All in the community will need to ask and answer tough questions about their preparedness for the task.

“Sending out”: The discipleship view of church asks: Do we feel “sent out” to intentionally make this world a better place? How would our lives need to change if we took seriously the fact that the Church continues to send us out to lead our lives in society, the way Jesus did with his followers?

Of these three tasks, perhaps the “equipping” piece is the most challenging, and it is here that the ‘intentional learning community’ has a part to play. In such a community, members spend time equipping themselves for their task in the world. In particular, they would have opportunities to become better acquainted with the Bible, to participate in spiritual disciplines, to intentionally engage in personal growth, and to engage in theological reflection. To be the alternative community that Jesus talked about involves deepening the community’s identity, practice and life committed to radical justice, equality, hospitality, diversity, and, above all, constant and intentional learning.

Christian Formation at Harcourt

In view of the understanding of Christian Formation presented above, what steps might Harcourt take to expand and strengthen its character as an intentional learning community? Even though some might not find the concept attractive and relevant to their lives, others might feel differently. For those who would wish to be part of such an initiative, it would require reconsideration of how to become a more effective disciple devoted to mission and service. Some might think that already they are well equipped to meet this challenge. Others, however, might be puzzled by what the proposal requires, and wonder how their lives would have to change and what different commitments they would have to make to continue on their re-directed Christian journeys.

As members of the Harcourt community we should be able to help each other. One way of doing this might be to ask each other to reflect on a few simple questions that relate to our individual journeys e.g. where we have come from, where we are now, and where we would like to go. In other words, to take stock of what would be required to become a member of Harcourt’s intentional learning journey.

A The present

Despite what may appear as a daunting task, already there are in place at Harcourt opportunities that could help committed individuals to begin to refocus their journeys to one of discipleship. We note, affirm and commend the following ways people at Harcourt are engaging the opportunity for life-long learning and growth in faith. They include, but are not limited to the various mid-week groups listed on Harcourt’s web page. And to this list we would add and affirm all of the men’s, women’s and mixed groups of the congregation that regularly include a study/reflection component to their gatherings as well as opportunity for mutual support and encouragement.

B The Future

Most would acknowledge that we live in a time of profound societal change, a change that invites thoughtful engagement and conversation about what is meaningful and helpful to our secular and spiritual lives. We have to decide what values and practices from the past are worth holding on to, and what can be let go. In the seesaw tension between holding on and letting go there is a third way of renewal that both preserves and recasts. Most renewal movements are educationally driven. The United Church shares this understanding. But even movements of the ‘heart’ or ‘spirit’ need a language and a framework of understanding to make them known and meaningful. Learning   that is both conceptual and practical   seems essential.

All churches attempt to serve three functions:

• to welcome people in (the New Testament phrase for this is “to call”);
• to strengthen people once they are here (“to equip”);
• and to invite people to go back out to serve the world (“to send”).

In this context,“equip” links well to the word “strengthen” in Harcourt’s purpose statement (“To welcome and strengthen in community all who wish to serve God’s world and follow the way of Jesus.”). As it considers Christian Formation,Harcourt’s task should be to ensure that everyone who connects here feels sufficiently strengthened – in mind and spirit – in order to engage with greater clarity and confidence in those forms of outward service where he or she feels best suited.

How might we go about this significant task? The secret of a vital church lies in two dimensions: the church’s intentional connection to the Biblical Story (or “Word”), and the existence of an array of small groups. Recently held workshops at Harcourt , such as “The Picture on the Puzzle Box” – have helped us connect our personal stories with the Biblical Story. In them we discovered ways in which the scriptures provide tools to make sense of our world and our lives.

The second dimension is the task of creating a range of small groups to help people feel connected to each other and to their spiritual journeys. The Women’s retreat, organized by Wendy Brown and Diane Clark, was one expression of this. There are many more. We believe that the church of the future will define itself in terms of connectedness in small groups, where pastoral care, personal growth, support and challenge can take place in the comfort, safety and familiarity of small groups.

The shift from the comfortable status quo to a challenging change of direction can be a dramatic one, e.g. St. Paul’s experience on the Damascus road. But more often the shift is subtle, with gradual transformation being the more common experience. We tend to become more intentional in some small way and work forward from there. This discipleship path is both well known and well worn. It usually starts with some sort of ‘tipping point’, an awakening moment when we begin to see our lives differently.

As a people of faith we have probably observed that once the journey has started we encounter different stages in the journey. Recently someone described that beyond the tipping point comes a phase called “Exploring Christianity,” followed by “Growing in Christ”, which then moves into “Getting Close to Christ”; a few move on to a mature final stage of “Being Christ-centred.” These stages make logical sense. Many of us have the tools, know the disciplines, and can provide support to individuals as they, with intention, embark on their respective journeys.

If Harcourt is to deepen its commitment to Christian Formation a shared congregational strategy will be required to create multiple opportunities and entry points for exploration, learning and growth. Breathing space for adult Christian faith formation to take root, in as many as seek it, will be required. Ideally, this can be facilitated through the work of strong and well-trained lay leaders. Such persons will be equipped by their own work and reflection to accompany others who seek to do likewise. Such persons will be well equipped to help lead the church in challenging times.

Although some might hope that mature Christian Formation can be acquired through, short-term programs, this is unlikely to be effective as personal and collective renewal – some call it transformation – is required. Such transformation occurs slowly, persistently, and throughout the life of a congregation – in worship, in service, in committee work, in pastoral care, in children’s church, in casual conversation, and in small group reflection.

Respect for adult learning is an important aspect of Christian Formation. Adults learn differently from each other and have different learning styles. Thus, people on their journeys, regardless of learning preferences, will need to feel comfortable and supported. Further, as they journey, people will be at different stages as they advance from one stage to another. In the light of new experience this may require them to let go of cherished beliefs, an experience that some may find both challenging and distressing.

Conclusion

Sometimes we come to church and just sit. Other times we come and sit and think. And still other times we come and sit and think and grow and change. At any given time any one of these three ways will be the right one for us that day. Today, for example, might be just the perfect day just to sit, or walk, and do nothing else. But what the times seem to be calling for on balance over all of our days is a more frequent encounter with the third of these ways. The goal is to be more intentional. The path is to be more invitational. Nevertheless, the risk, growth and work involved in learning and change requires the blessing of Sabbath rest. The journey need not be relentless!

Embracing the way of Christian Formation is an exciting and daunting prospect. The task is large, but the opportunities many. The journey would be a marathon, and not a sprint. However, for those who accept the challenge to journey with, and towards the Christ, joining with others in strengthening a journey that would lead to a deeper maturation in mind and heart, spirit and practice, the rewards would be deeply satisfying. Will Harcourt rise to this challenge? With God’s grace, we hope it will.

The Adult Christian Formation writing team included Andre Auger, Bill Lord, Sandy Middleton, Jim Ball, Wendy Brown, and Kyla Riach.

The Discussion Paper was received and endorsed for circulation and study to the congregation by the Christian Formation Committee of Harcourt Memorial United Church. ( June 2011 )