The North London United Contract (or FAQ)

If you were to sign a contract to join North London United what would be in it?

1) Who we are.

We are a 'missional community' with a football focus (not led by Bob Wilson) which is part of North London Vineyard. This is a new way of church or an  'emerging church'.

From what has been written on emerging church (see 'Emerging Churches' by Eddie Gibbs and Ryan K Bolger) the definition of Emerging Church is-

Communities that practice the way of Jesus within postmodern cultures.

'Missional communities arising from within post-modern culture and consisting of followers of Jesus who are seeking to be faithful in their place and time' Gibbs and Bolger p28.

This sounds a little complicated so we prefer to call it 'a new way of church'.

Really it is all about dismantling ideas of church that don't work in today's culture.

Going a little deeper to be honest we are difficult to label- we could be 'post-modern', 'post-evangelical', 'post-modern evangelical' Christians.

But do we have to be labelled?

Probably not - Emerging church is as its name suggests 'coming to the surface that is new, unformed, still happening, emerging'. It is a goal or a process, it has not yet completely arrived. But It needs to be understood in terms of the kingdom. We are seeking to learn more about God's kingdom as it can be lived on earth.

2) Getting to point, if you are part of North London United we are you signing up to?

We have three key values (nicely explaned by our friends Gibbs and Bolger when describing waht most 'Emarging Churches try to do)-

 

·         Identifying with the life of Jesus - following Jesus- particularly the way he engaged culture through his life, welcoming the outcast, hosting the stranger, challenging the accepted ways of playing, coaching or watching football.

·         Transforming secular space - overcoming division through football, breaking down the divide between sacred and secular, body and mind, gender and age stereotypes, leader v follower, embodying the christian way of life within postmodern culture, teaching and learning spiritual things through football.

·         Commitment to community - team, church is not a place, a meeting or a time. Church is a way of life, a rhythm, a community. Kingdom communities are more like extended families, the practice of community formation is more central than the church meeting. Watching, coaching or playing football is our church.

From these three other core values come-

·         Welcoming everybody -we like to make contact with people who wouldn't normally go to church but we do not want to recognise churched and non-churched as two types of people, we are counter-cultural through including everybody, football is something we can all have in common.

·         Serving with generosity - building relationships with people, not as evangelism objects. We don't give the ball to a team mate just so we can get it back.

·         Participating as producers- no spectators, we all have a task, a talent, a voice. All get to participate. No one gets left out of the team or does not take part.

·         Creating as created beings - creativity makes people authentic, real, giving of self-worth, becoming sensitized to the voice of God. Its just as good to create a goal as to score one. We are seeking the beautiful goal.

·         Leading as a body - leading without control, we prefer the use of persuasion. Less of the Ferguson hairdyer, more of the Wenger intelligent approach.

·         Taking part in spiritual activities - spirituality involves a way of life, a lived prayer, giving all of your life in worship. We love to worship God but believe you can do this in a game of football.

To find out more read the Team Talks, or even better come along and take part.

The material above is drawn greatly from 'Emerging Churches' Gibbs and Bolger SPCK 2006.

(Author: Martin Hodgson)

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