Stepping into the future

The way forward for ARM in England – an edited version of an article from Martin Cavender,  the new director of ReSource

After a long period of waiting and listening, I am delighted to let you know that ARM will relaunch in autumn 2004 wider the new name ReSource.   I write this to tell you about progress so far, and to invite your prayers and support.   We believe this is an exciting and God-given vision - not just a matter of “same again”, but a deep refreshment a new calling.    We haven’t seen or heard all the details yet; but we do have a strong sense of the Lord’s leading, step by step.

The Vision

Resource will be a ministry with an Anglican distinctive, working with all traditions, Churches and Denominations.   Our vision is for individuals and churches renewed for mission in the power of the Holy Spirit.   We are convinced that God wishes to offer his love, nourishment and care to his Church, to cleanse and renew her in hope and bring healing and restoration both to her and through her.    Our calling is to help build his Church for his world.

w        We will work and pray for all people to come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ as Lord, in the power of the Holy Spirit.   That means radical change; and the same is true for the Church.

w        We long to see the local church transformed, part of a patchwork of diverse and local expressions of what it means to be the body of Christ in a changing world.

w        We support the creation around the country of small missional communities. These go with fresh expressions of being church, and the spiritual renewal and refreshment of the known and the traditional: in a ‘mixed economy’ which celebrates and reflects the diversity of our culture.   We believe God works in a myriad of different ways.

w        We want to build on the foundations of charismatic renewal in people and churches - to develop the relationship with mission so as to work for the transformation of our communities.   We will act, alongside others, as a catalyst in this.

The new name

w      ReSource: helping us to reconnect with God, the source of our being

w      ReSource: seeking streams of living water, the holy Spirit who brings us life

w    ReSource: offering resources to help individuals and churches fulfil their   calling as part of the body of Jesus Christ in the community.

 

The Strategy  

Prophetic — overturning tables

Communicating the Gospel afresh means taking seriously our engagement with the changing patterns and values of the world. This means a constant process of’ discernment, of analysis of trends and assumptions in the Church and the world, and seeking to match that from Scripture and the leading of the Spirit.  It is about creative exploration, a holy dissatisfaction with the ways we currently do things.   It means being prepared for challenge and moral confrontation as well as sensitivity and pastoral care. We shall offer ReSource papers and articles on key issues, training days and conferences; and dialogue and debate as we think theologically and prophetically about the task of presenting the Gospel to a world in transition.

Pastoral — mending nets

The local church has within herself everything needed for the fulfilment of her life and ministry. We believe that God wishes to rebuke and admonish his Church; but also to speak tenderly to her, to renew her confidence and sow in her seeds of hope for the future. We know that fatigue and discouragement can be a common experience for Christians who seek to serve others in a complex society. Our pastoral ministry will therefore be one of encouragement, support and healing, especially for leaders. The word ‘encouragement’ in the scriptures is ‘parakaleo’ from which the Holy Spirit takes his name.

Missionary — fanning flames

We want to encourage and resource culturally relevant forms of evangelism, to help bring the renewal of the Holy Spirit into our communities. We need to look again at our ways of doing mission. Drawing upon wide experience in the team and working in partnership with others who know about the transformation of communities here and abroad, we will offer encouragement and help to individuals, churches and dioceses who want to communicate the Gospel afresh to a new generation. The flames of our faith are fanned by the Holy Spirit, who blows like the wind, equips and empowers in unpredictable ways using unlikely people.

We are excited about all this, and hope you may be, too. Lots ol questions remain to be answered, but the core sense is one of God’s clear call and leading. An essential text for us has been Isaiah 43:19