Photo: Steffy B.
This update on the Mission Theology Advisory Group (MTAG), a partnership between the Church of England’s Mission and Public Affairs Division and Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI), looks at the group’s work during 2019 across the areas of spirituality, theology, reconciliation, evangelism and mission.
Spirituality
An ongoing project, the Excarnation Project, looks at the way we, and future generations, are growing up with technology.
In 2019, MTAG looked especially at the ethics of developments in AI and theological speculations in science fiction, at spiritual stories and quests in video games, and at the spirituality of things like watching Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response videos (which can create euphoric and relaxing sensations).
MTAG also produced a series of inserts for greetings cards for ‘secular’ occasions, called Blessing Every Day, as a simple, missional way of gently offering prayer and blessing to any ordinary occasion.
Theology
In addition to creating the 2019 CTBI Lent course, MTAG was approached by The Children’s Society to deliver 16 comprehensive resources on the issue of child refugees. MTAG also held a round table on the theology of gift-giving.
Reconciliation
MTAG has been gathering local stories for work on Brexit and mission and finding hopeful examples of the churches helping to deal with tensions and divisions.
Evangelism
A resource on ‘confidence’ in relation to evangelism has been put together, which will be further developed by adding extra voices from people who are not like ‘us’. MTAG will then produce local level resources on ‘confidence’ for churches to engage with.
Mission
A film resource, that has particular implications for mission, is now available on the theme of what it means to be ‘lost’ in today’s society – from being physically lost, to mentally and socially lost. And what it means to be found.
MTAG has also done research on where people have encounters with God outside the Church, for example standing before a painting of the Crucifixion at an art gallery or Stormzy at Glastonbury.
Download CTBI’s update on MTAG
CTBI Update – MTAG (PDF)
