Monday, August 22, 2011
faith box: a challenge to church?
I heard about Faith box – Kiwi resource yesterday. A box with 20 minute once a week for busy families – reading, activity, questions. It comes with enough material for activities for 3 months. Followup material is also available.
In some ways this is similar to the Easter Weekend resources I offered a few years ago, some resources for a family to make their own spiritual event (here).
Could you plant churches using this? ie give out Faith box, and then gather monthly with other families to share what you learnt ie perform the activities to each other. (Sort of like the notion of festival spirituality that I talk about it my The Out of Bounds Church? book)
Could you add in local “colour” eg have followup material that links with national holidays and local festivals?
)
YES! 🙂
Comment by lynne — August 22, 2011 @ 9:46 am
I really like the addition of some sort of “coming together”. Because it builds community, in what could be a fairly individual(istic?)-family approach. Also it allows for insights to be pooled, which is always a blessing and sometimes essential.
And it makes space for some communal missional engagement.
Comment by lynne — August 22, 2011 @ 10:46 am
Hi Steve,
The couple who originally put the Faith box together gave a presentation a couple of months ago at Hornby Pres Community Church here in NZ. It sounded great. I’m about to buy one for a family with three boys who are new Christians and in need of some extra tools to teach their children at home. We have linked up with a number of families here in Christchurch who all attend different churches so once we have tried it with our first family I had hoped to pass it on and see where it led.
I am finding that the possibilities for community can only really arise once an idea hits the ground and is put into motion in some way. I just throw the spaghetti at the wall & see what sticks. Whatever sticks is the starting point & is usually something God is already doing and not always what I had expected. It seems that God is always busy building faith communities so I just try to encourage what is already happening and welcome and connect up like minded people. It’s an organic/spontaneous approach rather than a pre-planned/structured one.
If there is anyone you know in Christchurch who would like to get together occasionally to chat about their faith community adventures I’d love to connect with them. There is some really interesting stuff going on down here! nicole.garner@xtra.co.nz
Cheers,
Nicole
Comment by Nicole Garner — August 22, 2011 @ 4:50 pm
Steve, I really warm to the ‘festival spirituality’ concept. I was blown away being at Greenbelt last year, amazed at the huge numbers of people searching for an experience of God and community on a weekend away. Youth workers have known for years the value of the Easter Camp and other experiences of creating genuine community over a short time frame, separating you from the everyday that you might experience the transcendent. I think it would work for present day families – allowing for “wondering, rumination and imagination’ (Christine McSpadden). Great! Anne
Comment by Anne Butler — August 22, 2011 @ 7:02 pm
I love the “out of the box” thinking. Much needed if the church is to survive. Thanks Steve! 🙂
Comment by Maureen — August 22, 2011 @ 11:39 pm
I love the idea! As a writer of this material, it is awesome to think of it being used in such a way. I absolutely think there needs to be a gathering point -the both/and of family and community. It does follow the church seasons when used in order, which would help… Blessings, Nikki
Comment by Nikki — June 7, 2013 @ 12:09 pm
Appreciate the feedback and thanks for dropping by. They are such a good idea
Comment by Steve — June 7, 2013 @ 10:38 pm