Unreached

I'm currently reading Unreached: Growing churches in working–class and deprived areas by Tim Chester. I largely skipped over his blog posts on the "urban harvest" a few years when he was preparing to launch this book. Now that I have moved from a more gentrified part of town to a more deprived part, I decided to ordered the book and read it! This post covers the introduction and chapter one. I may post follow ups for later chapters.

The introduction sets the Christian context into which this book is written, with the middle classes making up a substantial proportion of the church.

The first things many middle class Christians see on council estates are the social problems. [...] But [...] what does God see? [...] Their fundamental problem is not social policy, but sin. And the solution is not gentrification but Jesus. (Page 17)

This first quote applies to council estates, but also wider society. One issue I want to learn more about this year is the balancing act between clear gospel proclamation and serving the nation. (Good news to the poor: The Gospel Through Social Involvement, also by Tim Chester, is on my reading list).

In fact, the introduction declares more strongly than this first quote the problem of focusing on social action.

Moreover, on its own, social action is like a signpost pointing nowhere. Or worse still, it points to our own good works, and so reinforces people's innate legalism. (Page 17)

The first chapter focuses on the situation on-the-ground, highlighting cultural differences, and how these cultural differences can cause artificial barriers to people coming to know Jesus, and coming into the church.

The gospel is still to be expressed in culturally diverse ways. The danger is that those of us who are from a dominant culture can - often unwittingly - impress their cultural norms on others. This means that we will often need to go out of our way to ensure that less dominant cultures are included, respected and expressed. (Page 31) 

It is not enough just to be aware of these differences, we need to actively change what we do to ensure that we do not inadvertently and unnecessarily require people to change their culture to be welcomed into the church, or feel welcomed by Christ. When people become Christians, and their friends comment "you've changed", that should be a purely positive thing, rather than also including needless cultural changes which only separate the new-Christian from their pre-existing friends.

The first chapter finishes with a challenge showing God's clear message to not put up barriers to those from different cultures, and the exciting growth that can happen as a result.

Before Cornelius could be converted, Peter had to be converted. Of course, he knew the gospel would go to the nations (Luke 24:45-47). But he assumed that the Gentiles would first have to become like the Jews. Jews becoming like Gentiles was unthinkable. 

Whose conversion involves the greatest struggle? Peter, the Christian, who argues with God three times, saying "Surely not, Lord!" Or by contrast, a whole room full of Gentiles receiving the Holy Spirit as soon as they hear the message and offering themselves for baptism. Peter, representing the majority Christian culture, is most resistant to change. And this change, when it happens, results in criticism from his peers (Acts 11:1-3). 

For most of us in the UK, it is not the ethnic prejudices of a Peter that constrain our mission, but the prejudices of social class and race. Many of us who are middle class may need to be converted to culture-transcending mission before we can reach the unreached. Those of us who are working class may need to be converted to a culture-transcending church before we can work together in mission. Peter's prejudices were laid out on the sheet that was lowered from heaven. What would be laid out on your sheet? (Pages 40-41)

God, please change me.

So far I'm really enjoying the book, and plan to lend it to my brother and sister-in-law working in Everton, Liverpool. Posts on later chapters may be forthcoming.