Section A: How to be Christlike in new housing areas
Introduction
In Pilgrims and priests: Christian mission in a post-Christian society, Stefan Paas states,
Decades of post-war missional thinking have been characterised by finding the most effective missional “structures“ and “models“; but in the end there are no missional structures, only missional people.[1]
In our eagerness to work out what to do on new estates, it can be easy to overlook the why. This section addresses this issue. It explores ‘being Christlike’ as an organising principle underpinning the missional engagement and the call to go beyond community development, to selflessly offer up our lives to a new community. These How To guides are a call to embrace deep discipleship, to be led by the Spirit, weaving our faith into all of who we are and what we do.
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.’ Mark 8:34-35 NIVUK
The Stowe Church, which has been birthed on a new estate in Swindon, articulates Christlike principles in their DNA which underpins who they are and helps them discern what to do.
[1] Paas, S. (2019). Pilgrims and priests: Christian mission in a post-Christian society. London, UK: SCM Press. xvii
