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Building One Another Up in Love
Life-giving Communities of Faith and Discipleship

Feedback on Direction 1: Encourage local communities of discipleship and mission

There was generally widespread support for this Direction. The Church recognises that local communities of Christian disciples are the beating heart of our life. Over time many of these communities have become smaller and older. Some people see this as limiting our ability to do new things. Communities have told us that in some places it is. But ultimately, these communities find identity and meaning in belonging to Jesus, sharing in the practices of faith and participating in God’s mission in their context.

People are concerned that the language of ‘structured and consistent approach’ to making and growing disciples suggests uniform practices across communities of faith. People are nervous about this due to our diversity of contexts, sizes, shapes and theological perspectives. People also recognised that an intentional approach to faith formation and discipleship is greatly helped by resourcing from the wider Church, but that there are many examples of resources failing to get broad take-up. This challenge was captured well in one theological culture paper: “How will this resource be rolled out for use – not just mailed out.”²²

People affirmed the idea that communities of faith be oriented towards mission. There is a yearning to be at mission with other expressions of the Uniting Church within local communities. However, due to some history and relationships, people see this as a cultural challenge. ‘Do agencies and schools want to be in shared mission?’ was a common question. Quoting the work of Geoff Thompson, one agency submission answered: ‘Community services, isolated from the gathered (church) community cannot in any meaningful way be considered the church.’²³

People also noted the funding and regulatory environment, and that the mismatch of capacity and capability between some Congregations and some agencies may need careful navigation. Others noted that in some places there is only one expression of the Uniting Church (e.g., just a Congregation), limiting the application of this Direction.

Many people highlighted the ecumenical imperative that ‘we should only do apart what we cannot do together’. People also affirmed that shared mission need not be limited to expressions of the Uniting Church but that we can – and should – look wider. Mission is already taking place in our communities – where we can support or join in?

The Church clearly continues to struggle with the language of ‘discipleship’, ‘mission’ and ‘evangelism’. We believe we need further theological guidance and reflection on these to empower our shared understanding and practice.

We have struggled to define, clarify and live out our discipleship. It has tended to be framed through a lens of personal piety and core communal practices of worship, prayer and bible study. Movements within the Church such as the School of Discipleship have sought to embrace a more holistic vision of discipleship. Some feel we have struggled to prioritise and resource the core business of making and growing faithful disciples. People have regularly expressed a desire to recentre this work in the life of our communities of faith with support from the wider Church.

As a Church we have tried to reject coercive models of evangelism and have been reluctant to embrace the modern marketing techniques of more recent church growth models. We have been open to the language of missio Dei (mission of God) and the call to participate in the mission of God already at work in the world, but still struggle with the practical work of mission in a post-Christendom and post-colonial world.

We are clearer about what we reject about these concepts than what we embrace.²⁴

“We are unanimously warm to focusing on discipleship and mission, assuming ‘consistency’ of discipleship formation doesn’t become rigid or overly prescriptive.”

Church Council Response Form

“Council members responded positively to this Direction’s vision for new structures and practices enabling Congregations to be more integrated into community networks (including Uniting services) as a basis for shared ministry and mission.”

Church Council Response Form

“Developing discipleship really changes attitudes and energises people. This is what we are supposed to be about: enabling what people in the local area are dreaming about missionally.”

Synod Response Form

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