The London Institute for Contemporary Christianity

Imagine Project

Introduction

How can we form disciples who are learning to be fruitful and to flourish; to live well with God in this rapidly changing culture; to engage compellingly with the people they meet? Not primarily though any new resources or programmes, though they play a part. Rather by starting to recover a way of seeing. Seeing afresh the comprehensive scope of God's interest in us, and his purposes in his world. Seeing afresh the kind of life Christ intends for his followers.

' The entire universe is summoned by the Spirit to a new future, a destiny centred on the one who says, "Behold I make all things new" ' - Jeremy Begbie

And glimpsing something of the imaginative possibilities of our daily lives lived wisely and winsomely in the world, might we also recover a vision for the church? For local churches to embrace their vocation to be whole-life missionary disciplemaking communities for the sake of the world. A vision for the people of God to grow together in prophetic, provocative, grace-filled and mission-hearted discipleship, shaped by the Word of God and connected into the world we're called to serve.

The Imagine Project's vision is to help recover the central vocation of whole-life missionary disciplemaking in our church communities. It's a vision that we share with others. But perhaps we have two core emphases.

Firstly, that the daily contexts where Christians live and work and have their being deeply matter to God. They may well seem 'ordinary'. Yet they offer extraordinary potential for discipleship; for engaging with God in his mission in the world.

Secondly, that these offer a profound challenge to our church culture. How can we 'do life' in our churches so that people can 'do life' well with God in the world?

Our desire is that this project might help catalyse our collective imagination for the task so that together we may increase our capacity and wisdom to serve those who share common cause.

If this is your introduction to Imagine, you might like to read more or download the bigger picture of the project.

On this site you'll find some approaches to awakening this vision; a synopsis of our work with churches and particularly what we're learning about changing church culture through the Pilot Church Project; some examples to stimulate thinking and some resources to help you on your way. There's material here for Christians and for church leaders. And if you're interested in engaging with Imagine further click here and we can point you in the right direction.

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