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Editorial:
"There's Nothing New About Change"
Anna Rankin
Comment:
Embracing the Stranger
Denise Wright
From
the Director: Change and Decay – so what's new?
David W Porter
Alwyn
Thomson
Ethel White
A
Changing Church
Chris Easton
Women,
the Church and Change
Lesley Carroll
Interview
with Noel Fallows: Multi-cultural Church Life
Anna Rankin
Urban
Grit
Ken Groves
Higher
Throne
Keith
Getty & Kristyn Lennox
2003
Conference: Reconciliation – Illusion or Elusive?
What's
Jesus got to do with Forgiveness?
Stuart Noble
Review:
Lost in Translation
Gareth Higgins
Review:
The Church Beyond the Congregation by James Thwaites
Claire Martin
Review:
A Time for Mission by Samuel Escobar
Ben
Walker
Review:
Against the Stream by David W Smith
Cheryl
Reid
Review:
Evangelicalism and National Identity in Ulster, 1921-1998 by Patrick
Mitchel
David Hewitt
Review:
I was a teenage Catholic by Malachi O'Doherty
Fran
Porter
EDITORIAL: "THERE'S NOTHING NEW ABOUT CHANGE"
THIS ISSUE of lion&lamb is about change and in particular change and the church. Change is, of course, nothing new and it inevitably shapes all our lives. But, depending on where we stand, change can be viewed as either a threat or an opportunity.
The various articles aim to reflect the struggles of local churches and para-church organisations seeking to prayerfully address the challenge of change. If we are serious about the gospel it is vital that we explore new ways of doing and being church together as a vibrant and relevant witness to Jesus Christ and an integral part of both the local community and wider society.
Chris Easton and Lesley Carroll explore how, in recent years, lifestyle patterns have radically changed and more and more people are giving up on church and church involvement, though not necessarily on God. Despite the fall in membership and church attendance, there is still evidence of spiritual hunger and a desire for authentic christian community which is no longer centred on or fulfilled by the institutions in their traditional form. So what is the church doing to meet these needs? Sadly, for many in society 'the church' seems irrelevant and intent on passing them by on the other side of the road. Ken Groves describes how Tearfund's 'Church Community and Change' programme is seeking to respond.
Looking at change in the wider social context, though there is still frequent reference to the 'two communities' in Northern Ireland, the reality is our society is increasingly multi-ethnic. Rev Noel Fallows from the Portlaoise Methodist circuit gives an insight into the changing scene in the Republic of Ireland and the churches which have welcomed asylum seekers and refugees into the heart of their congregational life and are now enjoying a multi-cultural expression of faith.
There's plenty of food for thought, too, in our expanded Reviews section with titles such as The Church Beyond the Congregation, and A Time for Mission to whet your appetite.
Finally, regular readers of lion&lamb will notice that the name at the bottom of this editorial has also changed due to the departure from ECONI of Alwyn Thomson. Read Ethel White's tribute to Alwyn on page 5. We wish both Alwyn and Vicki God.s richest blessings on the next leg of their journey together.
ECONI WELCOMES the submission of unsolicited articles, but does not guarantee publication, and manuscripts cannot be returned. Opinions expressed in the magazine are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of ECONI. Permission to reprint any original article in Lion & Lamb should be sought from the Editor.
Editor
Anna Rankin
Design Spring Graphics
Main cover image José Warletta (www.sxc.hu)
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