Dear Friends,
I extend a warm invitation to you to join us for the School of Intercultural Studies’ Annual Missiology Lectures being held at Fuller Theological Seminary on Wednesday, November 11, 2009. The theme this year is entitled “Turning
the Ocean Liner: Perspectives from the Fresh Expressions Movement in the UK.”
Our speaker is Bishop Graham Cray
who is involved in the Fresh Expressions movement. Facing the challenges of engaging in mission
in a post Christian context, Fresh Expressions encourages new forms of church
for a fast changing world, working with Christians from a variety of
denominations and traditions in order to reach the un-churched and de-churched. Characterized by the principles of listening,
service, incarnational mission and making disciples the initiative has resulted
in hundreds of new congregations being formed alongside more traditional
churches.
Bishop Cray was consecrated in March 2001 when he
became the Bishop of Maidstone and the Bishop for Mission in the Diocese of Canterbury. Before this, he was Principal of Ridley Hall,
Cambridge, a Church of England theological
college. Prior to that, he was vicar of St Michael-le-Belfrey, York for fourteen years, where he worked
with and then succeeded the late Canon David Watson. His special concerns are the engagement of
the Gospel with contemporary culture, youth ministry and the theology of
renewal. He has been chair of the
Greenbelt Festival as well as the working party which wrote the Mission Shaped Church
report on church planting and fresh expressions of church. He is currently chairman of the Soul Survivor Trust and the Church of England Working
Party on Pioneer Ministry (lay and
ordained).
I invite you to explore the additional Missiology Lectures links on this webpage for information about accommodation, parking, and locations for the lectures and dialogue panels. I hope you will avail yourself of this unique opportunity to join us as we seek to engage with the topic and become transformed to better partner with God in His mission to and in the world.
Serving together by God’s grace,
Doug McConnell, Dean