Being Missional in Times of Crisis

Being Missional in Times of Crisis
Author: Augusto Rodriguez
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 123
Release: 2023-06-13
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 166676325X

This book was written with three purposes in mind. First is the ministry, that is, pastors and church leaders facing crises for the church in mission. This book will help them guide and mentor people through being missional in times of crisis. It will help pastors, leaders, and students in developing mission strategies for ministry in times of crisis. Second, this book was written to provide a better understanding of the early church as a model for overcoming crises. It matures the concept of the church and its mission in the present, contributing to new mission strategies for the contemporary church in mission, facing crises. The third purpose is personal. This book was written because of Augusto Rodríguez’s experience as a pastor during the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, something unlike anything he had faced in thirty years in the ministry. He also wrote this book to coach/mentor other pastors and leaders going through an experience like his and to present the insights learned from the study of the early church in Acts of the Apostles, examining the ways they overcame different crises that could apply to the contemporary church in mission.

Gospel Growth

Gospel Growth
Author: Serge
Publisher: New Growth Press
Total Pages: 125
Release: 2012-10-31
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1948130289

Gospel Growth focuses on the role of faith in the transformation of Christians by the power of the gospel. This ten-session small group study examines such topics as living by faith, spiritual disciplines, the role of faith and repentance in transformation, the power of the Spirit, and how identifying with Christ grows us to be like him. With ...

Missional Church

Missional Church
Author: Lois Barrett
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Total Pages: 292
Release: 1998-02-09
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9780802843500

What would a theology of the Church look like that took seriously the fact that North America is now itself a mission field? This question lies at the foundation of this volume written by an ecumenical team of six noted missiologists—Lois Barrett, Inagrace T. Dietterich, Darrell L. Guder, George R. Hunsberger, Alan J. Roxburgh, and Craig Van Gelder. The result of a three-year research project undertaken by The Gospel and Our Culture Network, this book issues a firm challenge for the church to recover its missional call right here in North America, while also offering the tools to help it do so. The authors examine North America s secular culture and the church s loss of dominance in today s society. They then present a biblically based theology that takes seriously the church s missional vocation and draw out the consequences of this theology for the structure and institutions of the church.

Mission Drift

Mission Drift
Author: Peter Greer
Publisher: Baker Books
Total Pages: 250
Release: 2014-02-10
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1441263438

A Christianity Today 2015 Book Award Winner Is your organization in danger of Mission Drift? Without careful attention, faith-based organizations drift from their founding mission. It's that simple. It will happen. Slowly, silently, and with little fanfare, organizations routinely drift from their purpose, and many never return to their original intent. Harvard and the YMCA are among those that no longer embrace the Christian principles on which they were founded. But they didn't drift off course overnight. Drift often happens in small and subtle ways. Left unchecked, it eventually becomes significant. Yet Mission Drift is not inevitable. Organizations such as Compassion International and InterVarsity have exhibited intentional, long-term commitment to Christ. Why do so many organizations--including churches--wander from their mission, while others remain Mission True? Can drift be prevented? In Mission Drift, HOPE International executives Peter Greer and Chris Horst tackle these questions. They show how to determine whether your organization is in danger of drift, and they share the results of their research into Mission True and Mission Untrue organizations. Even if your organization is Mission True now, it's wise to look for ways to inoculate yourself against drift. You'll discover what you can do to prevent drift or get back on track and how to protect what matters most. "No organization is exempt from the danger of drifting away from its original mission. In Mission Drift, Peter and Chris provide solid guidance for remaining laser-focused on core values--from the board level to daily organizational culture. This book is a timely message for any organization working hard to remain Mission True." --Wess Stafford, president-emeritus, Compassion International "Peter Greer and Chris Horst have identified one of the deepest challenges any leader faces: how to ensure that an organization stays true to its mission, especially when that mission becomes countercultural." --Andy Crouch, executive editor, Christianity Today "Essential reading for twenty-first-century believers if we are to gain new vision, unity, and strength. Mission Drift is spine straightening, mind clearing, and courage inspiring. This book is true-north wisdom for leaders--and a gift of hope for the world God loves." --Kelly Monroe Kullberg, founder, The Veritas Forum and author, Finding God Beyond Harvard "Many of us in leadership have learned--often painfully--that our mission needs to be built into every aspect of our organization, from leadership to receptionist, from hiring to implementation. We can't afford not to follow the lessons in this valuable book." --Richard Stearns, president, World Vision U.S. and author, The Hole in Our Gospel "Keeping an eternal perspective is essential in our work. Mission Drift gives a clear message inspiring and challenging us to intentionally keep Christ at the center of all efforts." --David Green, founder and CEO, Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. "Written with clarity, boldness, and urgency, the authors provide insight into and examples of the causes and solutions to drift using the stories of real organizations...A must-read! Recommend this book to every business and church leader."--CBA Retailers+Resources "This book is a must-read for leaders, easy to read, practical, engaging and inspirational. The principals outlined not only apply to major corporations, but also to any organization, church and even to one's own personal life. Mission Drift . . . will be well worth the effort and time, and you will find yourself wanting to begin implementing what you've learned to safeguard your organization from drifting away from its mission."--Foursquare.org

Missional Acts

Missional Acts
Author: Daniel McGinnis
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 378
Release: 2022-01-14
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1725278448

What is Luke's main purpose in writing the book of Acts? In this close study of the entire Acts narrative, McGinnis analyzes Luke's story of the first Christians in light of ancient rhetorical conventions, concluding that Luke presents his stories to strengthen the missional commitment and practice of his readers. Missional Acts approaches a vast amount of varied mission content systematically, dividing it into rhetorical instruction about missional stimuli, structures, strategies, and suffering, while using a body analogy to provide coherence. Even the enigmatic ending of Acts intentionally advances Luke's rhetorical purposes. Luke's teaching finds its culmination in the ministry of his archetypal missionary, the apostle Paul, whose missionary journeys are a Lukan masterclass in mission strategy with much to teach about ministry that transforms whole regions. McGinnis rejects the traditional dichotomy that Paul is either a missionary or a prisoner and shows that throughout his work Luke depicts suffering as an integral part of the mission, seeking to prepare his readers to face opposition of various kinds. Missional Acts will help readers approach Acts in innovative ways by reading it through a primary missional lens.

Discovering the Mission of God

Discovering the Mission of God
Author: Mike Barnett
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Total Pages: 641
Release: 2012-07-03
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0830859853

Written by a team of 21st-century scholar-practitioners, Discovering the Mission of God explores the mission of God as presented in the Bible, expressed throughout church history and in cutting-edge best practices being used around the world today.

Missional Theology

Missional Theology
Author: John R. Franke
Publisher: Baker Academic
Total Pages: 212
Release: 2020-11-17
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1493427040

The notion of missional church and theology has become ubiquitous in the current ecclesial and theological landscape. But what is it all about? In this clear and accessible introduction to missional theology, noted theologian John Franke connects missional Christianity with the life and practice of the local church. He helps readers reenvision theology, showing that it flows from an understanding of the missional character and purposes of God. Franke also explores the implications of missional theology, such as plurality and multiplicity.

Majority World Perspectives on Christian Mission

Majority World Perspectives on Christian Mission
Author: Nico A. Botha
Publisher: UJ Press
Total Pages: 258
Release: 2022-05-12
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1776402340

It affords us real pleasure to present this editorial on behalf of the Majority World Christian Leaders Conversation (MWCLC). The MWCLC started slowly, but surely since 2016, following a groundbreaking conversation among eleven mission practitioners from the Majority World who met in the United Kingdom somewhere between London and Oxford. At the meeting, several themes emerged under the banner of missionary questions and impulses of the Majority World, from the perspective of the reign of God. These themes and more find reflection in the book. However, before proceeding to the content of the anthology, a note on the concept “Majority World” seems necessary. The time where terms like “Third World” gained strong currency, is long since gone. The term “Majority World” is a new kid on the block and requires some clarification. The use of the term is a strategy of avoiding concepts like “Developing” or “Third World” or even “Global South” which are pejorative in a real sense. To speak of the Majority World is geographically accurate in that Africa, Asia and Latin America are included.

The Missions and Missional Purpose of Ephesians

The Missions and Missional Purpose of Ephesians
Author: Timothy A. van Aarde
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 411
Release: 2023-01-12
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1666714453

The purpose of the letter to the Ephesians is unknown. The book suggests that the purpose of Ephesians is about missions and being missional. The author of Ephesians committed the task of missions to the church. The author located the mission of the church in the redemptive plan of God. The redemptive “plan” (oikonomia) of God consists of historical epochs of missions: the mission of Israel, the mission of Christ, the mission of the disciples, the mission of the apostles, and the mission of the church. The term “missional” has been used ambiguously. The existence of a distinction between the mission of the church and missional church is demonstrated, and both expressions of mission are grounded in the biblical text of Ephesians. The mission of the church is grounded in an exposition of Eph 1–3, and the missional church is grounded in an exposition of Eph 4–6. The author of the letter intended for the mission to the nations to be continued by the church (this is the mission of the church). He intended for the members of the church to continue to reach out to their local community (this is expressed by the missional church). The mission of the church has been grounded in the Great Commission. The missional church is grounded in the values, morals, and lifestyle principles set out in Eph 4–6.

Pilgrims and Priests

Pilgrims and Priests
Author: Stefan Paas
Publisher: SCM Press
Total Pages: 392
Release: 2019-11-30
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0334058791

What does “missional” mean for small Christian communities in a deeply secular society? Leading missiologist Stefan Paas asks what missional spirituality could possibly mean for today’s local church. This fully revised new international edition will make this an important introduction to contemporary thinking on mission and the church.