Inspiration for Trinity from leadership week

2 February 2009

In order for God to undertake his mission on this planet, Dr Eddie Gibbs, Professor of Church Growth at Fuller Theological Seminary in California (above), told Trinity students last month, Jesus 'morphed' from being God's son to being a servant; the Greek word used in the letter to the Philippians, one of the New Testament passages that talk about this, is morphe. If that is what it took for God, what does it mean for the church to 'morph'? For the past 1600 years the churches of the west have been shaped by Christendom, where the church is the centre of society, defining and defending the ethical norms of society. Now we are in a post-Christendom and increasingly neopagan world. How does the church morph to become a missional force?

These were some of the important themes discussed last month in Trinity's week of teaching, seminars and worship on the theme of 'Leadership: challenges in turbulent times'. Dr Gibbs explores them further in his forthoming book ChurchMorph: how megatrends are reshaping the Christian community (Baker Academic, August 2009).

What did he want us to remember about the week? 'The church is never a place; it's always a people. Nor is the church a weekly gathering, but a 7-day-a week church. At the end of the service you don't dismiss a congregation; you always disperse it. As leaders today we have to go out and not simply live in the church bubble.'

There was overwhelming enthusiasm for the week, during which the other speakers were the Right Revd Mike Hill, Bishop of Bristol, Andy Flanagan, Director of the Christian Socialist Movement and a worship leader, and Mal Calladine, Network Guardian, Order of Mission.

'Last week has been a wonderful expedience,' said Eddie Gibbs as he left. 'I was so impressed by the vitality, the engagement of the students ... they energised me.'

He is due to return to Trinity in June, when he will speak to a wider audience of alumni and others.