Compromise or Collaborate?

Recently I was involved in a discussion on the benefits of collaboration over compromising with James Henley.  This has also been enforced within the predicted management fads for 2010, where capitalism will no longer be founded in competition but collaboration.  I have had the opportunity to work within a community of 18-30 year olds attempting to set-up a new church service for a growing Anglican church.  We have faced many challenges with a great diversity of views, doctrine, and beliefs being expressed. 

This community has often focused on the needs of the individuals within it and the mission to others their age. My question here is, in attempting to provide a focus for a community of 18-30 are we able to collaborate, bringing together all of our gifts, creativity, and passions without having to compromise and let a preferred style become dominant.

I see the congregation as consisting of 3 main groups (I may be wrong)

1. Social: those people involved who are there for relationships, want relax with increased time to relate to one another over a coffee.  This group are key at keeping Church relevant to the wider culture of 18-30 year olds as spend a lot of time 'hanging out' in pubs etc.

2. Alternative: those that feel they want to try something new, shaking the foundations of what church is perceived to be. They get energised by daring and creative times, need to be given the space to experiment, may not work, but will be different.  This group also get frustrated easily if the routine of a service becomes a regular

3. Solid: those who know what they want in a Church service and are able to meet God using the tried and tested formulae.  This is may consist of worship-preach-prayer ministry = growing Christian.  It is solid so easier to plan/form and safe.  This group are devoted and very passionate.

God loves us all, so lets collaborate! Any suggestions?

Comments

[James Henley]

Just posted my thoughts from the old collaboration conversation: http://jameshenley.co.uk/2010/01/why-collaboration-is-better-than-compromise/

Really like the categories for the church congregation. The social element probably aren't that vocal so my hunch is that the big conflict and power struggle between the "solid" established group who exist to conserve the status quo and the alternative group who exist to challenge it. Can these two groups collaborate since they are in such strong opposition?

Or to play around with some of Friere's thinking: Is there a way the alternatives can liberate themselves to collaborate with the solids - liberating the other groups in the process?

[Dave Wilkie]

James you present a real challenge here but a journey I am/hope to be on, finding myself within the alternative group.

So how do i liberate myself? Roxburgh and Romanuk made me assess the above post from a different perspective: "Just as the Lord is a Mission-shaped God, so the community of God's people exists, not for themselves but for the sake of the work" ( The Missional Leader pxv)

So if a congregation doesn't exist for its own needs to praise and learn about God in their preferred style (counter-consumerism?) we must seek an imagination and humility that serves others as a demonstration of Gods plans for Weston-super-mare.

I guess this search is the process for my own liberation, but then doesn't this inevitably cause many to leave the community of God's people they initially sought to collaborate with?