The Very Rev Albert Bogle considers how the Church might creatively reach out to outsiders.

THERE is something significant that happens when the outsider is invited to become part of the story of forgiveness and faith. I have come to see that the ministry of Jesus was more often than not based around an encounter with an outsider who is invited to let him become a participant in their life and story. Take for instance the woman at the well in John Chapter 4. She is definitely an outsider even in her own community. Her reputation means she goes to draw water when no one is around. She is a Samaritan woman which means she is an outsider in the eyes of most Jewish Rabbis. Jesus asks her to give him a drink, he engages with her in conversation. He then off ers her an opportunity to participate in his mission and by the end of the encounter she brings her whole village out to meet Jesus. The Samaritan woman becomes an agent of mission even though she doesn’t quite tick all the right boxes.

We could go on and talk about the numerous people who were outsiders but were healed by Jesus and invited to participate in his ministry. The feeding of the five thousand started with a boy who no doubt was an outsider. He was a child on the edge of the crowd, willing to give to Jesus what he had and Jesus used it to bless literally thousands of people. We could continue to talk about Zacchaeus the taxman who was the outsider ending up hosting a dinner party for Jesus. And what about the ten people who suff ered from leprosy who were healed by Jesus? They literally were outsiders, given an inside track back into their communities.

So if we are to be followers of Jesus we need to be people who associate with the outsiders. How first century church we would be, if we as a national church were recognised as the people who welcome outsiders to become insiders?

Recently I’ve been thinking what it would mean to invite the creatives who have so often been treated as outsiders by the church to participate in our work. In one of my recent blog posts on Sanctuary First, I invited our readers to help us make the links with the artists and creatives in their network. It sparked off an interest and already it has started to open a conversation with a group of rappers looking for ways to promote their work. The introduction came through a member of the Sanctuary First community who read the piece and suggested his son might get involved with us. It’s a slow burner but it all starts with relationships.

Discovering how those who seldom ever attend church can collaborate with our creative team here at Sanctuary First is a new idea for us, but it is a revelation brought to us through reading some of the above stories in scripture. Could we as a national church create a platform where a wide range of creatives ranging from techies, film makers, artists, theologians, poets and musicians collaborate to produce material that is spiritual, inspirational, challenging, and entertaining while not afraid to speak out for justice and engage with the challenge Christian discipleship brings.

Commenting to me in a email regarding our vision to be more collaborative. Dr Pete Phillips of the Centre for Digital Theology at Durham University wrote: “I think that it also has the potential to develop online community that has real ecclesial and artistic depth…” Phillips goes on to ask the question, “So, for example, how do we promote cross-working across the new community – matching artists with churches, allowing artists to develop discipleship materials for the wider churches, allowing churches to browse galleries for inspiration on specific readings/themes?”

The answer of course is the way Jesus did it building friendship.

By going to the outsiders and off ering them what they need may prove to be the platform that will allow them to showcase their work to friends and family.

Creating a series of Collaborative Digital Communication Studios across Scotland out of disused churches could off er friendship, hospitality, tutors and mentors to enable a new kind of intentional mission to grow up within the life of the church reaching out to promote art technical know how and a space for the creatives. In the words of Matthew Fox: ‘There will be no revival until the artists are welcomed back home.

If you’d like to explore some of the ideas further we’d love to talk with you. Send an email to admin@sanctuaryfirst.org.uk

The Very Rev Albert Bogle is a Pioneer Minister of Sanctuary First Church Online at www.sanctuaryfirst.org.uk