AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In 1990 het H.S. Spies navorsing gedoen oor die praktyk en toekoms van die NG kerk in Parow. Sy bevinding was dat die NG kerk in Parow se lidmaattalle teen ŉ baie vinnige tempo daal en dat heelwat van die gemeentes nie finansieël sal oorleef nie. Hy het voorgestel dat daar ŉ paradigma skuif moet kom in die wyse waarop gemeentes funksioneer in die Ring. Hierdie studie som Spies se studie-bevindinge op en bespreek die reaksie van die geestelike leiers in Parow daarop. Dit vra die vraag waarom die Ring van Parow nie daarin kon slaag om die uitdagings van demografiese veranderinge in Parow aan te spreek oor die periode van twintig jaar nie.
Die Ring van Parow het groot erns gemaak met die bevindinge van Spies se studie en het beplanning gedoen om die uitdaging van demografiese verandering in Parow aan te spreek. Hulle het voorstelle ontwikkel wat daarop neerkom dat die gemeentes in die Parow Ring moet saamsmelt in een groot makro-gemeente. Dit het nooit gebeur nie en die situasie het bly versleg. Slegs ses gemeentes uit die twaalf wat in 1990 bestaan het, is nog onafhanklik. Ses gemeentes het vanweë finansiële druk met ander gemeentes saamgesmelt in die periode tussen 1990 en 2002. Die omgewing het demografies baie verander en daar woon meer mense as ooit tevore in Parow, maar dit is nie tradisionele wit, Afrikaans sprekende, NG kerkmense nie.
Die studie bespreek ook die wyer konteks van verandering waarin die gebeure in Parow Ring afspeel, naamlik, globalisasie, post modernisme en post Christendom. Dit toon aan dat die kennis, gedrag en gewoontes wat die leiers in 'n vorige periode aangeleer het, nie genoegsaam is vir die uitdagings van die veranderinge.
Die studie beskryf twee paradigmaskuiwe wat kan help om 'n nuwe ekklesiologiese praktyk in Parow te bevorder. Die eerste paradigmaskuif hang saam met nuwe teologiese insigte wat die afgelope sestig jaar ontwikkel het rondom die begrip missio Dei. Die tweede paradigmaskuif wat in die studie uitgelig word, het te doen met vaardighede van geestelike leiers in die hantering van verandering. Die studie se uitgangspunt is dat die veld en wêreld waarin geestelike leiers moet optree sodanig verander het, dat daar net een manier is om dit te hanteer en dit is die transformasie van die geestelike leiers se eie voorveronderstellings, kennis, idees en praktyke. Die ontluikende leierskapsvaardigheid waardeur ons leer om transformerend aan te pas by die veranderinge deur in pas te kom met missio Dei, is geloofsonderskeiding.
Geestelike leiers moet geloofsonderskeiding as leierskapvaardigheid aanleer en gemeentepraktyk maak, omdat dit die wyse is waarop die geloofsgemeenskap vanuit luister en doen-spasies, na die wêreld gelei word om daar saam met missio Dei te werk. Dit is in luisterende, gehoorsame doen-spasies, en in groeiende bewussyn van die teenwoordigheid van Triniteit, waar transformasie van die geloofsgemeenskap plaasvind. Die fenomenologiese beskrywing deur Otto Scharmer van wat hy noem die ontluikende leierskapsvaardigheid van 'presencing' help om die proses van geloofsonderskeiding beter te begryp.
Die studie eindig met drie nuwe hipoteses. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In 1990 H.S. Spies did research on the praxis and future of the DRC churches in Parow. He found that the membership of the DRC in Parow was declining at a very fast rate and that many congregations would not survive financially. He proposed that a new paradigm was needed for the ministry in Parow. This study makes a summary of his thesis and discusses the reaction of the leaders in Parow on his study. It asks the question why the Circuit of Parow could not in their context address the challenge of changing demographics over a period of twenty years.
The Circuit of Parow took the findings of Spies very serious and planned to address the challenge of changing demographics in Parow. Their proposal founds its culmination in the idea that all the Parow congregations must become one big mega-church. It never became a reality and the situation worsened. In fact, only six of the twelve congregations that exist in 1990 are still independent and alive. The other six congregations dissolved and became part of stronger congregations between 1990 and 2002.
The area of Parow has changed demographically. There are more people living in the area, but it is not traditional white, Afrikaner, DRC, people. The congregations in the circuit could not cross the borders of race, colour, language and culture to include others.
This study also discusses the wider context in which the story of Parow is playing out, namely the three storms of change, globalisation, post modernism and post Christianity. The knowledge, habits and actions that the leaders employed in the past are not helpful in the changing world.
The study describes two paradigm shifts that are taking place in the church that could help to develop a new ecclesiological practice in Parow.
The first paradigm shift relates closely with the theological insights that developed in the past sixty years around the concept of missio Dei.
The second paradigm shift that is brought forward in this study relates with the skills of spiritual leaders in managing change. The study maintain, that in light of the changes in the world and the field in which spiritual leaders operate, the only way to handle the new challenges is by the transformation of the spiritual leader‘s own pre-conceptions, knowledge, ideas and practices. The leadership ability, by which we learn to understand how God is already present in the world according to the insights of missio Dei, is faith discernment. Discernment is the process whereby Christians step into listening and doing spaces as a faith community.
Spiritual leaders will have to learn discernment and how to make it an ecclesiological practice. It is in the listening and doing spaces and in growing consciousness of the presence of Trinity, where transformation of the faith community takes place. The phenomenological description by Otto Scharmer of what he calls the new leadership skill of 'presencing' helps to understand the process of faith discernment better.
The study ends with three new hipotheses. Description:
Thesis (MTh (Practical Theology and Missiology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.
Masters Degrees (Practical Theology and Missiology)