BEING A BORDERLANDS CHURCH
Ideas for Engaging our Secular Society
-1INTRODUCTION
The message of the gospel does not change. That we take as a given. But the means by
which the gospel is communicated must change as society changes. As a very simple
example of this, we know that the language of much of the church in the early centuries
was Latin. But societies changed and other languages took the place of Latin. The church
however refused to change, continuing to use Latin. Eventually almost no one, outside of
the clergy and scholars understood what was going on during worship services. One of the
changes made by the Protestant Reformers was to insist that the Bible and church services
be available in the languages of the ordinary people, instead of Latin.
Western society in general, and Canadian society in particular has seen dramatic change in
matters of faith, in a short time period. Consider a few numbers:
-In the 1991 nation census 12.3% of Canadians indicated they had “no religion,” but ten
years later the number had risen to 16.2%. Here in Regina, the 2006 census found that 19%
of our neighbours indicated they had “no religion.”
-Only 28% of Canadians say faith is “very important to them” (2005 Gallup Poll) and,
according to the most recent Ipsos-Reid survey, only 11% of Canadians attend church
regularly.
-Most Canadians don’t know even some of the most basic facts about Christianity. A 1990
survey found that only 34% of Canadians age 34 and under could correctly identify who
denied Jesus three times (Peter) and only 29% could correctly name the second book of the
Bible (Exodus). (Reginald Bibby Unknown Gods: The Ongoing Story of Religion in
Canada)
What has happened? Simply put, our society has changed. Christians are no longer – if we ever
were – a majority in Western society or in Canada. We have moved from a time when Christian faith
dominated the public marketplace to being largely secular. While most of our fellow citizens still
believe God exists, and usually have some other “spiritual” beliefs as well, these beliefs do not
influence day to day life, or how life is shaped. They do not form an overarching system of meaning
which informs, shapes or directs all of life. We now live in a secular society, in which being a
Christian is the choice of a minority.
This is the society to which we are called to make Jesus Christ known. It is a far different society
from the one which existed even 50 years ago.
-2Over a period of many months, the senior minister and deacons have been reading, reflecting,
visiting our members, and praying about how we, as First Baptist Church, can engage seriously
with our secular culture, with the majority of our friends and neighbours. We have looked at our
ministries, programmes and staffing, asking ourselves, “Is this just us talking among ourselves?
Does this actually connect with anyone outside the church?”
The results of our work were put in written form, distributed to associate ministers for reflection, and
at a joint meeting of deacons and all pastors further changes and revisions were made and new ideas
added to the mix. On February 10, the discussion expanded again, as current and immediate past
chairs of Commissions, the Chair of Governance Advisory and our honourary deacon met together
with deacons and the senior minister. Further ideas, improvements and revisions came out of that
time together. You hold in your hands the result of this long process.
However, please do not jump ahead and just read the recommendations! We ask that you:
(1) Read the list of three definitions which we have come to use often in our discussions.
These terms appear throughout the recommendations we are making, so it will be
important for you to understand them. (2) Read the section Maintaining the Core Ministries
and Emphases which explains what we believe is important to retain and maintain as a
church.
DEFINITIONS
SECULAR refers to the lifestyle, approach to life, or worldview of a person for whom
religious or spiritual beliefs do not form an overarching system of meaning which shapes
or directs all of life. A secular person quite likely believes in the existence of God or a
“higher power” and likely has other “religious” or “spiritual” beliefs as well. But those
beliefs have little impact on day to day life – life is largely lived without reference to God or
any spiritual convictions. By almost any measure, most Canadians today are “secular.”
For example, if we take church attendance as a rough gauge, we find that in 1955, 68% of
Canadians attended a place of worship weekly. In other words, the instinct for the majority
of Canadians was to get up on Sunday morning and go to church. Today, church
attendance in Canada is about 11%. In other words, more people consider brunch the
choice of activity for Sunday than church. That is the secular reality of our society.
Moreover, relatively few Canadians are familiar with even a very basic outline of the story
of the life of Jesus or Christian beliefs. It is this group which forms the overwhelming
majority of Canadians, whom God loves, who we are called to reach.
-3BORDERLANDS means those places and situations where Christian faith and unfaith
(secularity) intersect.
MISSIONAL means engaging secular people in the borderlands – in other words, in
secular settings outside the walls of First Baptist Church.
The average person in Regina on Sunday morning is not waking up and thinking about
which church he or she should attend. The average Reginian has seemingly much more
intriguing and urgent things to do with his or her time. He or she is certainly not thinking
that if only FBC changed this or that, then he or she would show up on Sunday morning
and get involved in the life of the church! No amount of attractive, bigger, better or
different programming is going to win them back. Changing our style of worship or music
will have minimal effect on those who are secular. Our secular neighbours aren’t waiting
for us to change our worship style or sing choruses instead of hymns, as if somehow if we
were to change that they would come. That isn’t the issue. These are issues which
Christians may dispute about. But the reality is the average secular person is not thinking
about church at all. Moreover the average secular person is, as Gary Nelson puts it in his
book, Borderland Churches, about as likely to drop into a church for a casual visit as we are
to drop into a gay bar just to see what’s going on there. The level of discomfort, of not
knowing what to do or say or how to act, is about on the same level. We must move away
from the old model of being a “come to us” church and become instead a “we go to where
they are” church.
If we are going to be truly missional, that is where we need to be – outside the walls of FBC
in secular settings – the borderlands. We need encouragement about how to speak about
our faith in secular settings.
We realize we can not invite others to journey with us in following Jesus if we don’t know
them or engage with them only on a superficial level.
MAINTAINING THE CORE MINISTRIES AND EMPHASES
To be a church in the borderlands, means, first of all, we have to be a church! There must
be a strong, healthy base from which we go out into the borderlands. We can not become
so focused on living in the borderlands, that we forget that we as Christians need to
continue to grow spiritually, learn, have opportunity for respite, and receive pastoral care.
“Church” is where we gather regularly to worship together, reaffirming
-4who God is, and who we are in relationship to him. It is where we come to recharge our
batteries so we may live faithfully in the borderlands.
What we are recommending should be thought of as intentional affirmation of life in the
wider community. The recommendations are intended to help us become more
comfortable in living in the borderlands. In a sense they are “shifting our gaze” so we are
consistently aware of the secular society in which we live.
Much of who we are as a church is not only part of that “base,” but we believe is part of
what we have to say and offer to secular people.
We are evangelicals, yes, who believe in the importance of inviting others to join us in
confessing Jesus as Lord. But we also know that the chief theme of the preaching of Jesus
was the “kingdom of God” (that is to say, God’s will accomplished) and that God’s will for
his creation is large and all encompassing. For that reason we at FBC have come, among
other things, especially to value:
-independent and careful thinking - not rote, easy or simplistic answers
-a strong pulpit ministry
-diversity in our membership (we come from many different walks of life, ethnic groups
and languages)
-women and men as being equally called by God to his service
-a reflective, structured style of worship
-music and the arts as means of glorifying God
-the social, practical outworking of the gospel – feeding the poor, clothing the naked,
caring for the “widow, the orphan and the stranger among us”
-being a place of healing for those who have been hurt or wounded by life, or, even in some
cases, by their experience of church
-the importance of nurturing children and teens in the faith, and the importance of faith in
the home, not just at church
-ongoing depth of Adult Christian Education
-5-“seek[ing] the welfare of the city where I have sent you” (Jeremiah 29.7). As God’s people
who are, in a sense, “in exile,” living as a minority in our society, we are called to be
concerned for the well being, peace and welfare of that society
RECOMMENDATIONS
What follows are the list of recommendations which we are making to the congregation of
First Baptist Church. These are steps or ideas for us becoming more intentionally engaged
with our secular neighbours. These recommendations affirm our commitment to seeing all
of life as being ministry, as being in God’s service. As John Calvin put it “every moment
has to do with God.” Each recommendation is preceded by an explanation of our thinking.
1. Lay Leadership Effectiveness
Explanation:
In a secular culture, we must learn to measure our effectiveness not so much by
numbers in the pews on Sunday morning, but by how effectively we are engaged in our
secular culture, in the borderlands.
Recommendation:
We recommend Commissions and Diaconate annually review their work. This review
will include consideration of how that work has interacted with the world outside FBC –
locally and beyond. This review will form part of annual written reports.
-62. Pastors and Deacons Leading by Example
Explanation:
Every pastor and every deacon should be expected to have at least one involvement in
the community – outside the church – as their way of borderland living. This might be
anything from little league coaching to joining a book club, or a condo association
board. Many of us in fact already are involved in these ways. It may be as simple as
seeing the interaction with your barber as engaging with the secular society.
Recommendation:
We recommend that (for pastors): Beginning in January 2011 this expectation be written
into annual agreements; be reviewed annually by the personnel commission; and be
seen as part of each pastor’s ministry responsibility. This will not be regarded as “time
taken away from the church,” or “recreation.” Rather this involvement outside the
church will be regarded as being just as important as any other pastoral duty.
We recommend that we affirm our desire, hope and expectation that all those called to
be deacons will also have at least one intentional involvement, outside of FBC, whereby
they engage with our secular society.
3. Affirming and Encouraging Engagement with a Secular Culture, Life in the
Borderlands
Explanation:
We need to affirm that the stay at home Mom, student, teacher, civil servant, laborer
physician, or carpenter all have a call to live in the borderlands, and that what we do
-7outside the church is as important as what we do inside. These vocations are neither
less nor more important than that of being a pastor.
Recommendation:
We recommend that there be ongoing teaching from the pulpit about the biblical
teaching of vocation or calling, the reality that every Christian has a calling or vocation
from God, and that no vocation or calling is somehow more or less important than any
other.
4. Christian Education: Teaching Us How to Engage
Explanation:
We need to provide opportunities for our members to discuss how their work and faith
intersect in a secular society. The majority of those who come to faith, do so as the
result of a personal connection/relationship with a Christian. How can we learn to
speak about our faith?
Recommendation A:
As part of adult Christian education, several short term discussion groups (which might
eventually morph into longer term small support groups) will be established composed of people
of similar occupations/vocations or circumstances (e.g. health care professionals, stay at home
Moms, retirees.) Each group will be asked to discuss the following areas:
Describe your occupation – joys, frustrations
What are the greatest challenges you face?
How does your faith intersect with your work?
What would the good news be for people you work with?
How could the church help you to be a follower of Christ in your workplace
Recommendation B:
We recommend that there be regular preaching about living in the borderlands and
encouragement to do so, from the pulpit.
-8-
5. Christian Education: Going Outside the Walls of FBC
Explanation:
We need to make Christian ideas and thinking available in places secular people
frequent, places which are not perceived as threatening or uncomfortable, and at times
which are possible or convenient for them.
Recommendation:
We recommend that at least one adult course per year be offered in an off site setting
(such as the public library or a community setting) and at a time other than Sunday
morning.
6. Surveying the Neighbourhood
Explanation:
If we’re going to engage with our community seriously, we need to know what the
needs of that community really are. At minimum we would want to know the answers
to two questions: What’s the single greatest need in our neighborhood? How do you
perceive FBC? This survey should be designed to include the many business workers
and people who work in the immediate downtown area.
Recommendation:
We recommend that Deacons appoint a short term working group, together with a
reasonable budget, to survey FBC’s immediate neighborhood and report back to the
Diaconate.
-9-
7. Victoria Park as a Borderland Place
Explanation:
We are, literally, steps away from Victoria Park. Multiple activities happen there every
year. The park could become a borderland place, where faith and secularity intersect.
Recommendation:
We recommend that FBC establish a working group early in 2010 charged with insuring
we have an ongoing presence in the park. As a first step, this group will undertake to
insure that FBC is represented at next year’s Folk Festival by:
-securing a booth/tent for FBC possibly to be labeled “Life and Lemonade” or
“Theologian in the Park”
-liaising with pastoral staff to insure that a pastor is at the tent throughout the festival
-advertising our presence
-liaising with pastoral staff to insure that the Sunday morning service of the Folk
Festival Weekend has a theme related to the Folk Festival
-creating appropriate flyers to highlight the booth, and the Sunday worship service, and
insuring that there are pairs of volunteers to distribute the same
-insuring there is a supply of lemonade and at least one, preferably two volunteers
to give it away
-considering and creating a welcoming, unthreatening atmosphere that will encourage
festival goers to stay and converse. Just having one of the pastors sitting in a tent and
expecting people to stop by and talk is still requiring a secular person to enter an
uncomfortable, awkward space. There needs to be “other stuff” going at all times on
which will allow conversation to happen, along the way. Here are a few ideas about
what that “other stuff” might include: scheduled puppet performances, a supply of
books (very carefully chosen) introducing the Christian faith which are for sale together,
perhaps with CD’s from past MYM concerts (many of the booths are engaged in selling
various things, so this is “comfortable”), having some sort of midway like game (toss a
bean bag, knock down some pins, win a free CD?!?!).
-10-
8. Pastoral Staff – Role Change for Associate Pastor
Explanation:
We need to shift some pastoral resources specifically to engaging with the secular
culture. We recognize that we have merged much of our youth work with YFC (Youth
For Christ) as a result of our partnership with them.
Recommendation:
We recommend that the job description of the Associate minister (Youth and Christian
Education) be changed, to Associate Minister (Youth/CE and
Community Outreach) with 50% of the role devoted to Youth/Adult CE and
50% to ministry outside the walls of First Baptist Church.
9. Pastoral Staffing – Levels and Funding
Explanation:
Over the past several years members of First Baptist Church have risen to the challenge of
funding a number of important projects. In 2005-2008, in co-operation with other churches
and organizations we raised $250,000 for the MIG project thus sending ½ million dollars
into mission work with the poor. In 2009, we were able to raise the funds needed to pay for
the replacement of the church roof. In 2010, we have accepted the challenge of the “G100”
in order to make a major dent in our bond indebtedness.
We can do it!
We believe that if we are serious about being a borderlands church, we need strong pastoral
leadership, a pastoral team of sufficient size to do more than just “maintain.”
-11Recommendation:
We recommend that our ongoing financial emphasis, beginning in 2011 be focusing on
FBC’s own operating budget, increasing giving to a level that allows us to have pastoral
leadership of the quality, and numbers we need to become a borderlands church.
We recommend that the congregation be informed explicitly that our current level of
staffing can not be sustained in 2011 without an increase in regular offerings. (We are able
to maintain the current level in 2010 ONLY because one pastor, Jenn Dietrich is on
maternity leave, and our senior minister, will be on sabbatical for part of the autumn.)
The congregation needs to understand that we must either increase income or cut expenses
– and the only Commission budget which hasn’t already been seriously trimmed is
Personnel. Given the opportunity we have to become a borderlands church, the much to be
preferred option is not to have to cut Personnel.
We recommend further that the congregation approve the following:
If, in the opinion of the Treasurer, the necessary increase is not seen either in cash or in
pledges for 2011 (an opportunity will be provided for such pledging) by July 30, 2010,
and if there are no other significant changes affecting finances, that the diaconate is
given authority to make reductions/changes in pastoral staffing as they see necessary,
such reductions/changes to be made in light of the intention expressed in this
document to “live in the borderlands.” (In other words, changes/reductions would be
made in such a way as to have the least impact on our “living in the borderlands.”)
Any decisions regarding such reductions in pastoral staff would be made by deacons
not later than September 1, 2010 (with affected pastoral staff to be notified immediately
thereafter). Such reductions would take place on December 31, 2010.
Our fervent hope, prayer and desire is that this will not be necessary, and that the
people of God will, as they have so often before, meet this challenge.
-1210.Visitation Training
Explanation:
There has been a desire, strongly expressed, that some home and hospital visitation could
and should be undertaken by laypeople. This is an expression of our being,
together, the body of Christ. We also feel that some visitation work being taken on by
laypersons would free our pastors to focus on more difficult visits and other tasks.
Recommendation:
That we develop a mentoring/training programme for visitation for qualified laypersons.
11.
Summer Bar-B-Q’s and Patio Parties
Explanation:
Each summer we hold several Bar-B-Q’s and Patio Parties. This could become an excellent
way for us to connect with the borderlands.
Recommendation:
We recommend that we think of the Bar-B-Q’s and Patio Parties as valuable opportunities
to invite secular friends and neighbours to join us in a setting they would not find
threatening, unfamiliar or uncomfortable. We also recommend that as we begin to think
and act in this way we also consider the possibility of a summer “Block Party” event.
-13-
12.
Prayer for the Welfare of the City
Explanation:
We believe that if we are serious about being a borderlands church, about engaging with
our secular neighbours, and “seeking the welfare of the city,” we need to pray regularly for
and about these things.
Recommendation:
We recommend that the pastors and deacons create a suitable venue so that we may engage
in sustained prayer together seeking the welfare of the city.