Coding Analysis of References to Mission and Evangelism in Registration Forms

An in-depth analysis of terms and phrases provided by participants in registration forms in relation to criterion H, provides a more nuanced picture of participants’ understanding than word frequency. In developing a node structure of evidence, registration forms were coded for themes, and drawn together under sub-nodes. The sub-node structure, as shown in figure 5.5, provides evidence of how participants wrote about their understandings, abilities and experiences of mission and evangelism. Sub-nodes are listed in order of prevalence, with those codes listed from the top being coded to a higher proportion of participants. Children

and young people code most often, followed by witness, mission in the parish and contextualising. These are followed by enabling others in witness, inclusive understandings of the gospel, nurturing new believers, and fresh expressions of church. A commitment to

mission, references to social justice, and an expressed vocation to mission or evangelism,

code less often. The importance of word and action, experience of mission, loving service,

prayer (in reference specifically to mission) and care of creation code amongst the least

number of participants. Each of these sub-nodes are now described in more detail.

Children and young people are coded by most participants, with thirty five out of forty seven

participants coding here. This includes all references to ministry with children, young people and in schools. As discussed in 4.7.2, references to ministry with children are included in the mission and evangelism node because the only reference made to ministry with different ages is within Criterion H. This states that candidates should have a growing experience of working across the age range of people coming to faith and who are new to faith in Christ. Whilst participants in the study did include evidence of ministry with children, there was little evidence of participants referencing people coming to faith at any age.

The sub-node witness is used for any references to witness and evangelism. Given the general lack of enthusiasm for using these terms there were questions about what to call this node. The term witness was opted for because it was a broader and perhaps gentler term than evangelism, which though different from criteria terminology was more in keeping with evidence from registration forms. This sub-node includes evidence of a commitment to witness, evangelism experience, and involvement in leading people to faith. Incarnational witness, such as references to being a witnessing presence in the community, or witnessing through lifestyle are also included within this sub-node, as is previous training in evangelism, and breaking down perceived barriers to the gospel. The sub-node also includes references to a preference for gentle witness, where participants expressed a preference to witnessing through friendship and pastoral care. Given the reluctance, by more than half the participants, to use evangelism, witness and outreach terms, it is surprising that this sub- node appears so high on the list, with twenty eight participants. The nineteen participants using evangelism, witness and outreach terms code at this sub-node,

Figure 5.5: The Mission and Evangelism Sub-node Structure Numbers of participants coding at each node appears in brackets. Mission and evangelism (47)

Youthwork (26) Children and young people (35) Children’s work (19)

Schools (4) Commitment (19)

Evangelism experience (9) Incarnational witness (8)

Witness (28) Gentle witness (7)

Leading people to Christ (4) Evangelism training (2)

Breaking down barriers (2)

Mission to local community (9)

Leadership in community beyond church (6)

Mission in the parish (25) Inspire and lead the church to reach out to the community (5) Church serving the wider parish by setting up groups (3) Representing the church in the community (3)

Opening up church to people through community activities (2) Meeting people where they are (8)

Contextualising church practices (7) Contextualising (23) Understands the cultural challenge (6)

Cross cultural experience (6) Communication adaptability (4) Contextualising the gospel (3) Cross cultural training (2) Enabling church in mission (17) Enabling others in witness (23) Enabling personal evangelism (4)

Encouraging others to be witnesses (3) Shared task in bringing kingdom on earth (3) Responsibility for overseas mission (1) Good news for all (14)

Inclusive understanding of gospel (19) Mission must be wide and inclusive (3)

Breaking down barriers between church and community (2) Approachable to those who wouldn't enter church (2) Nurturing new believers (18) Nurture courses (13)

Baptism and confirmation (4)

Valuing fresh expressions of church (12) Evidence of pioneering fxc (6)

Fresh expressions of church (17) Nurturing fresh expressions (4) Experience of church planting (2)

Commitment to mission (15)

Social justice (14) Commitment to social justice (14)

plus an additional nine participants who code here whilst avoiding using those terms. The presence of question 23 in leading people to talk about the gospel they want to share may have contributed to this, as discussed in 4.7.2. Creating two witness sub-nodes, one for overt evangelism and one for gentle witness, was considered. However, in looking at the coding there was a clear cross-over between participants. Whilst separating overt evangelism and gentle witness may have helped represent those on the extremes, participants were more likely to code with a mix or movement between what might be seen as overt and gentle types of witness.

The sub-node mission in the parish includes references to the relationship between the church and the wider parish community, such as connecting with the community, mission to the community, and opening up the church for community use. Twenty five participants coded under this sub-node.

Contextualising, referred to by twenty three participants, denotes reference to adapting

communication and contextualising the gospel, contextualising church practices, and meeting people where they are. It also includes references to understanding the culture, cross

Called to those outside of the church (4) Explored overseas mission vocation (4) Called to evangelism (3)

Expressed vocation to mission or evangelism (14) Called to be a living sacrament or bridge (3) Called to social justice and marginalised (3) Called to pioneer ministry (1)

Called to chaplaincy (1) Importance of word and action (12) Mission as word and action (7)

Church as example and witness (5)

Experience of mission (11)

Mission as caring for others (7)

Enabling the church to reach out to those in need (2) Loving service (9) Acts of loving service (2)

Chaplaincy model of mission and ministry (1) Mission to wholeness rather than conversion (1) Prayer and discernment (connected to mission) (7)

cultural experience and training. This sub-node bears some similarities to the fresh expression of church sub-node in which contextualisation is used in the development of new forms of church. A decision was made to keep the two as separate sub-nodes, for whilst participants referring to fresh expressions drew these two concepts together, other participants referring to contextualisation did not see this as part of developing fresh expressions of church.

The twenty three participants who referred to enabling either the church as a whole or individuals were coded for enabling others in witness.

An inclusive understanding of the gospel refers both to inclusive statements made about the

participants’ faith being good news for all, and references to practices which enabled this, such as making the church approachable, or breaking down barriers between the church and community. Nineteen participants coded at this sub-node.

Eighteen participants coded for nurturing new believers, which includes references to nurture courses, such as Alpha,432 and preparation for baptism and confirmation.

The sub-node fresh expressions of church refers to evidence from seventeen participants, of either personal involvement in fresh expression of church or positive references to fresh expressions of church. This sub-node covers a range of expressions from those developing as part of a parish church, those starting new forms of church and those involved in church planting.

As noted in 4.7.2, the commitment to mission sub node includes positive references to mission, including those which do not necessarily provide any further information to code them elsewhere. Fifteen participants coded at this sub-node.

Social justice, coded by fourteen participants, refers both to a commitment to engage in

ministry at the margins of society and the desire to transform unjust structures, alongside enabling the church to engage with issues of social justice.

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Fourteen participants were coded at the vocation to mission and evangelism sub-node. They communicated that they felt mission and/or evangelism was integral to their vocation to ordained ministry.

The particular phrase mission as word and action used by participants: this sub-node refers both to assertions that mission and/or evangelism need to be word and action, and that the Church should be example and witness. Twelve participants made reference to either word and action or example and witness.

Eleven participants were coded at the experience of mission sub node, having given evidence in registration forms to show they had engaged in missional practices and activities prior to selection.

Loving service notes references to mission as pastoral care, service, and reaching out to those in need. This is differentiated from gentle witness above as the emphasis or motivation here is on loving and caring for people, which happens to be mission, whereas the emphasis in gentle witness was witness that happened to be gentle or subtle. This is also distinct from pastoral care in the parish which is found in the ministry node. The differentiation here was made on the basis of whether the emphasis was on ministry or mission. Differentiating between these took some care, allowing participants emphasis and motivation to shape the coding. Nine participants coded for loving service within the mission and evangelism node.

Prayer and discernment refers here specifically to prayer in and for mission, rather than

prayer more generally. Whilst prayer was referred to by all participants multiple times it was referred to in relation to mission and evangelism by only seven participants.

Finally, care for creation refers to the two incidences in which participants referred to the care of creation as part of the mission of the Church.