Downstream Magazine is an occasional publication of the NSW Uniting Church Board of Mission for anybody interested in issues facing new forms of church and new mission initiatives in post-Christian Australia. The latest issue was posted at the end of December, during my first week of leave. So this is my first opportunity to write it up.
This issue includes:
1. Why would anybody want to start a new congregation? Aren’t there already enough? A helpful outline of the need for new Uniting Church congregations.
2. “That would never happen in private enterprise.” Rob Hanks on ‘Worship Unplugged’ – an approach to worship that encourages people to start new initiatives appropriate for their context.
3. Brian McLaren, Mainline Theological Education and the Emerging Conversation. Darren Wright writes up Brian’s recent lecture at Princeton Theological College.
4. John Thornton writes on planting a new church
5. Conrad Parsons writes on how he starts new things.
6. Glen Powell writes a 2 -part article on a ‘new kind of gospel’, with a challenge on the “Frankenstein’ gospel. Definitely worth a read.
7. Glen Powell on starting a movement
10. Darren Wright on lessons from Steve Jobs.
The online zine has some great cartoons from Chris Morgan.