EMERGING CHURCH

There is a great deal of interest and discussion these days centred around developing new forms of Christian community. We have grown up with a model of church which is centred around a gathering at 11am on a Sunday morning. This model is in terminal decline in the West. It nolonger connects with society in the way it once did. Many people who are part of this inherited structure also struggle. Research indicates that many people have left the church but have not abandoned their faith. Yesterday, I attending a conference at The Hub in Gilmerton which was exploring these issues. We heard a number of stories of christian churches who are seeking to engage in new ways across Scotland. I was particularly impressed by the work of Hot Chocolate in Dundee. This is something I really want to explore further in Hilton and beyond. What kind of church will engage with the families of all the children we work with through the schools and clubs we run? What kind of church will truly be home to the young people who Youth Inclusive work with? We can't do it all at Hilton, but what we can do is create space for new expressions of Christian community to emerge. What we can do is encourage those with the vision for these new expressions to have a go.