Releationship within the Vineyard Australia

Had a friend in the United States who asked me a couple of questions about relationships within the Vineyard Australia. I thought that It maybe worthwhile to put up the questions and answers of my experiences of nearly five years ago.

 

1. What is the overall structure like in Vineyard AUS? Is it based more in legal structural arrangements or more relational?

The relationship is primarily relational. Each church has there own seperate legal incorperation status. Which may or may not specify its relationship to the Vineyard church in Australia. There is an overall seperate organisation in Australia which function to facilitate interatction between churches through, consultants, conferences etc. It is also assists in conflict as well as interacts internationally with Vineyard internationaly This is usualy organised by the national director.

Each church who wants to benifit from the australian organisation has an unspoken expectation to attend conferences. Churches also have to contribute financially to the overarching body, through a levy or tithe.

2. What is the primary metaphor that is lived out in Vineyard AUS? (For instance, some churches and church networks use the "Family of God" metaphor as a basis, some use "church-planting movement", some "prayer movement"...so is there a primary (or perhaps even some secondary ones) metaphor for Vineyard AUS?

It would be 'Family' as the dominant DNA, although elements of 'church-planting' are there but would seem to me to be secondary. I can remember when I started within the Vineyard as a pastor there was discussion about the metaphor 'family' and conflict. It was stated that just like a family we stick together, through dna: but we maybe differnt.

3. How do churches and Vineyard AUSleaders interact?

Specifically this is through confernces. Its though these conference that may facilitate ongoing relationships with other Vineyard Churches. I found these difficult as I felt like I had to go, even though I didn't want to. My interaction was primarily with a few like minded people there. They conferences were pretty much dominated from a Vineyard 'old school' who had been influenced by the renewal movement which happened in the 80's early 90's. I primarily interacted with other Vineyard churches which had a 'emerging, missional' bent, a minority. If I got any support from the Vineyard, it was these like minded Vineyard whom I sought out, or vice versa.

Posted with Blogsy

Compass, whatever happened to the charismatics?

 

This was an interesting show, I found it so because I was at one stage part of the Charismatic Movement. The late '80 early 90's being part of an Anglican Church in Bendigo.

I'm not sure that the show actually answered the question. Maybe for the the small Uniting Church congregation in Cambera. But not Australia. It was still interesting though!

I think there should have been some definition of the word Charismatic. My definition would be the usage of the gifts of the Spirit in main stream churches. Eg tongues or prophesy used openly in the congregations of Anglican, Uniting Church, Catholic etc. You would then find that most have moved on to the Pentecostal movement which accounts for most of the Pentecostal growth in the 90's. I suppose this was answered in the micro level with the story of O'Connor, but not Australian wide.

Reflecting was this migration the best thing? I don't think so, the main stream has become stale without that expression in the Church. It's a shame.

 

Baptists coming out

Simon Holt who is a minister at Collins Street Baptist has come out in support of gay equality in marriage. He has also spoken up in defence of some of his colleagues who are in the minority on this view. Its brave supporting marriage equality and coming out.

My opinion is that it is just a matter of time before more ministers start been honest. I think that there are a number of baptist ministers who have the same opinion as Simon yet coming out would make there position untenable within there current congregation.

Marriage equality for gays will happen, the younger generation has a much higher tollerance on the issue. As this generation gets stonger within the Church, the issue will crumble. It will happen but when...we are starting to see the time.

Goodbye Mactalk

There are some RSS feeds which I really enjoy getting, one of them is Mactalk. Mactalk is an Australian website for news on apple as well as a forum where members help others and discuss apple products. I used to really enjoy getting my 'morning news' with a picture of 'Steve Jobs'. Then...

• The feeds became truncated; meaning that you had to go to the actual website. Painful but a few websites do this so that you visit there site and cast your eyes on some of there adds. The price you often pay for good news.
  
• a few months later, everytime you went to the MacTalk site on your ipad I was asked do you want to download some forum application. Again painful
  
• After Christmas I was getting 'Sponsered feeds' These had actually no conection at all with anything, Apple. Not what I want on my RSS feed
  
• I had noticed when reflecting that there were really no real Australian Apple stories like old times, most were just blah rehashed from other American sites.

A lot of these issues and reasons are discussed in this post from MacTalk; much of which I didn't know. But for me its to late. I can get my news from American sites and my forum lurking will happen at whirlpool.

Its interesting to read that according to alexa, Malktalk pageviews have dropped 33% and bounce has increased 1% to 80% of visitors only go to one page. It looks like I'm not the only one moving on.