By John Cole

If you can persuade your church leaders to organise it. try this group activity based on the three circles of relationships.

The aim is to produce a map, though not quite so literally as in the first chapter!

The map will show:

1. where your church currently directs its energies;

2. where it would like to see more energy directed;

3. where it is blinkered in its understanding of God’s task for his church.

The easiest way of mounting this exercise is by using an overhead projector. The necessary slides can be downloaded by right-clicking on the slide and using the 'save picture as' command.

STEP ONE

The pattern of the three circles is displayed and a simple explanation given that it represents the three relationships within which all church activity takes place.

The group is then invited to name all the activities in which their church is currently engaged and to suggest where each should appear on the diagram. These are written up on the slide - or better on a plain sheet of acetate laid over it.

STEP TWO

The task is then to group the various activities under more general headings. These will indicate the range of tasks in which a local church ought to be engaged if, in its view, it is to be faithful to its God-given purpose. The task headings should also be noted on the OHP slide.

Plenty of discussion is likely at this stage. Three broad issues might arise:

1. Some groups may need help to avoid grouping their list of activities in too generalised a way. To say the Church’s task is ‘mission’ - or ‘evangelism’ - or ‘ministry’ -is not very illuminating! (See the Sticky Labels puzzle linked to this chapter.)

2. Group members may well recognise that some activities which really ought to be part of the life of a local church are not reflected in the list of what is actually happening in their church. These should also be recorded on the OHP slide, perhaps using a different coloured marker to distinguish them from other headings.

3. Wise groups will also want to explore a delicate issue: How far should the things that individual Christians do as part of their discipleship within the ‘secular’ world be counted as ‘church’ activities?

When no one wants to add anything more to the map, stand back and see what lessons can be learned.

1. How far do the things which happen as part of the life of the local church fall short of what church members themselves recognise to be the proper job of that church? Where are the gaps?

2. How balanced a picture has emerged of the task of the local church as viewed by group members? Are one or more of the circles relatively undeveloped, or are the statements in one of the circles rather more vague and remote than in the others?

Group members probably need quite some time to consider and discuss the issues that may arise before they are ready for the final step.

It is at this stage - AFTER people have done their self-analysis and only if they are still in a reasonably good humour! - that the story can be told of the four ‘one-eyed churches’ (OHPs 4-7). If the whole thing is presented in a sufficiently light-hearted way, people will be quick to see when their own church has a tendency in one direction or another - and their wry smile will confirm that the message has gone home!

Finally OHP 2 & OHP3 can be used to sum up the theological understanding of the kind of church God is calling us to be.

After that the best possible conclusion for the session must surely be a time of reflective prayer.