Sharing the Rules of Life: Forming Intentional Communities That Create Mature Disciples of Christ

• Main Author: Barnett, James Andrew McWilliam
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses 01-01-2024
• Subjects: Biblical studies; Religion; Spirituality; Theology
• ISBN: 9798382725796

The Church of England has had a decline in numbers since the end of World War Two, a decline that is not expected to stop anytime soon. Alongside this, common to many of the historic Christian denominations, there is a recognition of a deeper crisis, a failure to disciple generations of Christians, leaving the church both numerically and spiritually vulnerable. This study is motivated by the belief that the primary task of every church community is to learn how to make disciples of Christ.One response to this crisis has been an investment in church planting, and churches have been oriented towards the giving away of resources, Resource Churches. This project builds on that response by exploring how the practice of a communal Rule of Life might encourage the churches’ investment in numerical growth to be partnered with an investment in disciple making. This project explores historic and modern communities who shape their lives around a Rule of Life and how they might inform church planters and Resource Church leaders within the Church of England.This study presents five findings.1. A Rule of Life is about vision. It empowers a church to express its commitment to the Christ established priority of disciple making. 2. A Rule of Life is relational. It roots the community of God’s people around the presence of Christ.3. A Rule of Life is communal. It is a commitment to a shared discipleship journey, enabling the ressourcement of the power of Christian community.4. A Rule of Life is balanced. It aligns discipleship with both sound doctrine and theology with right practice, through its practical and habit-forming agenda.5. A Rule of Life is bespoke. To achieve genuine effectiveness, it must be creatively tailored to the context, emerging from communal discernment.