I can’t remember the last time I had to write an essay.  Maybe it was as much as 20 years ago.  So today I’ve made a tentative start on the few sentences which have been plaguing my dreams and hanging over my waking hours:

With reference to Stephan Bevans models of contextual theology, analyse and evaluate one or more of the main initiatives in mission developed by the Church of England over the past decade.

Anyone got any good ideas ?

I’m going to be working through the Fresh Expressions initiative, and in that, this essay has a reality to where I am at, but being so broad in it’s nature - it’s also quite hard to bring it down to earth.

It does strike me as interesting that we like to create movements or initiatives, that sometimes have little or no connection or similarity other than a name - Fresh Expressions, New Monasticism, Emergent …  Having been part of a movement, with varied expressions, but with very clear DNA and agreed values, this is quite new and challenging for me.

And how do I join?  Do I sign up to be a ‘new monastic’ or is it just assumed ?

Ho hum