Download or read book The Missional Quest written by Lance Ford and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2013-08-26 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lance Ford and Brad Brisco walk leaders through the major shifts involved in converting consumer-model churches into congregations on a quest for the kingdom of God. Addressing everything from sowing the seeds of incarnational thinking to stepping out in the local community, The Missional Questwill prepare your church for the long run.

Download or read book Missional Essentials written by House Studio and published by House Studio. This book was released on 2014-08-28 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Missional Essentials is written to help followers of Christ rediscover the heart of God for their neighborhoods and communities.

Download or read book The Missional Quest written by Lance Ford and published by . This book was released on 2013-11-22 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Christ calls people, he invites them on a journey - a journey taken together in community. We have reached a point in history, however, when we think of the church as a fixed place where isolated individuals show up, consume a Christian message, drink some coffee, and get on with their lives. The times demand, and the gospel proclaims, that we recover our identity as a church that is a people on a quest for the kingdom of heaven, formed intimately by a loving God and called onto a long journey for the sake of our neighbors and our world. In The Missional Quest you'll learn how to take your church on a long run, and how to sustain yourselves and one another along the way, through the power of God for the sake of the world.

Download or read book Pastor T s Discontent written by Richard Lennes and published by As We Go Ministries, Incorporated. This book was released on 1913-01-13 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pastor T's Discontent is a compelling story written from a lay person's perspective stretching the normal paradigm with a taste of "What could be." The use of fictional characters unveils a reality prevalent in today's culture that many young people may be open to love Jesus, but shy away from the organized church. In his quest to become a better missional leader, Pastor T faces many challenges to transform his church from a "Serve me" attitude to an action-filled "Serve God by serving others" mentality. Pastor's heart is opened to people like JJ, a musically talented street kid, who said, "Pastor Dude, you're cool, but your church music is like-for wimps." His quest to alter the culture of his congregation as equipped disciples to be sent outside the church to make more disciples creates discouraging as well as exhilarating challenges for Pastor T. Through meditation and prayer, Pastor T was led to a community of young people called the Village, where he finds missional opportunity and a way to involve disciples from his congregation in an "As We Go" ministry. Each chapter has a Biblical theme ending in thought-provoking questions for the reader to grow in Christ. It can also be adapted to a small-group curriculum with transformational qualities over an eight-week period or longer. Most of all, it is every believer being the church in the community; reaching out beyond walls and barriers creating Christian relationships as we go in life.

Download or read book The Missional Quest written by Lance Ford and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2013-08-26 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Christ calls people, he invites them on a journey—a journey taken together in community. We have reached a point in history, however, when we think of the church as a fixed place where isolated individuals show up, consume a Christian message, drink some coffee, and get on with their lives. The times demand, and the gospel proclaims, that we recover our identity as a church that is a people on a quest for the kingdom of heaven, formed intimately by a loving God and called onto a long journey for the sake of our neighbors and our world. In The Missional Quest you?ll learn how to take your church on a long run, and how to sustain yourselves and one another along the way, through the power of God for the sake of the world.

Download or read book The New Parish written by Paul Sparks and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2014-04-04 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Headlines rage with big stories about big churches. But tucked away in neighborhoods throughout North America is a profound work of hope quietly unfolding as the gospel takes root in the context of a place. The future of the church is local, connected to the struggles of the people and even to the land itself.

Download or read book Missional Discipleship written by Mark A. Maddix and published by Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City. This book was released on 2013 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Where does discipleship end and evangelism begin? How does one fit with the other? Missional Discipleship offers a holistic vision that effectively incorporates discipleship with evangelism.

Download or read book Mission Drift written by Peter Greer and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2014-02-10 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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

Download or read book A Field Guide for the Missional Congregation written by Rick Rouse and published by Augsburg Fortress Pub. This book was released on 2008 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The roster of books on leadership is full of high theoryand grand expositions of biblical principles. But there isprecious little practical advice for regular peoplecommitted to releasing positive change within their localchurches. Here one of the church's foremosttheoreticians and one of its most accomplishedtransformational leaders combine strengths to clarifyboth how sound congregational transformation can beaccomplished by regular folks and the very Christcenteredfoundations upon which transformation mustrest. With unflinching honesty and a deep, knowingsense for the joy that comes from Spirit-led change, theauthors guide the reader on a quest for a future churchalive with the abundant life God intended. A Field Guide to the Missional Congregation revealsseven "transformational keys," using real-life casestudies to illustrate each key. A reflective milestoneframework, including discovery questions for eachchapter, ground the book in a practical process.

Download or read book From the Inside Out written by Ryan Kuja and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2018-05-22 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "For the sake of the world, we question. For the sake of the gospel, we examine. For the sake of the dignity of the image-bearers we serve--as well as ourselves--we inquire." The evolution that has taken place in the world of mission over the last twenty-five years has left many Christians asking brutally honest questions about what we do and why we do it. Are we doing more damage than good? What does it look like to truly love and serve the marginalized in an authentic and effective way? What, actually, is the gospel and is it truly good news? In this groundbreaking book, Ryan Kuja vividly examines the world of Christian mission as few have seen it. With a beautiful balance of storytelling and theological reflection birthed from his own painful and powerful experiences on and off the field--from rural villages in South Sudan to major cities across Asia, Africa, and Latin America--Ryan guides us into global mission's past and present, revealing where the light and hope lie, helping recover a missional future that will usher us into a new era. This is mission reimagined for a world recreated . . . from the inside out.

Download or read book The Externally Focused Quest written by Eric Swanson and published by Fortress Press. This book was released on 2020-11-03 with total page 173 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Externally Focused Quest: Becoming the Best Church for the Community is designed for church leaders who want to transform their churches to become less internally focused and more oriented to the world around them. The book includes clear guidelines on the changes congregations must adopt to become truly outwardly focused. This book is not about getting all churches to have an annual day of community service as a tactic, but changing the core of who they are and how they see themselves as a part of their community. The Externally Focused Quest outlines ten changes needed for church leaders to transform their churches and presents a highly practical approach that shows leaders how to become more externally focused without having to give up programs that serve members. This book reveals what it takes to make the major shift from internal to external focus and how that affects church leadership.

Download or read book Covocational Church Planting written by Brad Brisco and published by . This book was released on 2021-06-08 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rethinking how church planters may choose to work full-time in the marketplace to expand their opportunities to engage the community with the gospel of Jesus as they plant a church. Covocational church planting sees the work of the ministry in the church and in the marketplace equally important in the growth of the Kingdom. Covocational Church Planting draws from the best thinkers and practitioners of missional theology to give the planter the tools needed to start with Jesus, see the Kingdom, exegete the local culture, engage places outside the church, know the residents, practice hospitality, practice missional discipleship, and understand the results.

Download or read book Christian Mission Among the Peoples of Asia written by Jonathan Y. Tan and published by Orbis Books. This book was released on 2014-08-21 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Sacrificing the Church written by Eugene R. Schlesinger and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2019-10-01 with total page 211 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a context of scandal and decline, the Christian church cannot afford to do business as usual. It must regain its bearings and clarify its nature and purpose. Sacrificing the Church provides this clarity by returning to the church’s foundation: Jesus Christ and him crucified. It presents an ecclesiological vision in which every aspect of the church’s life flows from and expresses the one sacrifice of Christ. This sacrifice is the basis of every ecclesial experience, the form and content of the church’s life, a life which shares in the eternal Trinitarian life of God. By and as Christ’s sacrifice we are introduced into the divine life. This participation plays out in three key areas, which set the church’s agenda in the contemporary world: its worship of God (Mass), mission to the world (mission), and efforts toward the unity of all people, beginning with divided Christians (ecumenism).

Download or read book Called into the Mission of God written by Roji T. George and published by Fortress Press. This book was released on 2020-11-03 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Called into the Mission of God, Roji George argues that Paul's primary interest was neither doctrinal teaching nor the articulation of an anti-imperial discourse. Instead, he contends that amidst the many problems that faced the local Thessalonian community--problems arising out of eschatological fears, ethical difficulties in the community, and persecution from outside groups--Paul brought primarily a missional concern to impart ethical exhortation and eschatological teaching in a political language. The book will be helpful to those theologians, scholars, teachers, and students grappling with the message of Paul in his own time and in ours. Called into the Mission of God represents an increasing commitment on the part of Fortress Press to support the wide dissemination of the best theological and biblical writing by the best scholars from the Global South.

Download or read book Faithful Presence written by David E. Fitch and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2016-12-01 with total page 235 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Missio Alliance Essential Reading List of 2016 In our quest to renew the church, Christians have walked through seeker-friendly, emergent, missional, and other movements to develop new expressions of the body of Christ. Now in the post-Christian world in North America we're asking the question again: is there a way to be the church that engages the world, not by judgment nor accommodation but by becoming the good news in our culture? In Faithful Presence, noted pastor and scholar David Fitch offers a new vision for the witness of the church in the world. He argues that we have lost the intent and practice of the sacramental ways of the historic church, and he recovers seven disciplines that have been with us since the birth of the church. Through numerous examples and stories, he demonstrates how these revolutionary disciplines can help the church take shape in and among our neighborhoods, transform our way of life in the world, and advance the kingdom. This book will help you re-envision church, what you do in the name of church, and the way you lead a church. It recovers a future for the church that takes us beyond Christendom. Embrace the call to reimagine the church as the living embodiment of Christ, dwelling in and reflecting God's faithful presence to a world that desperately needs more of it.

Download or read book Transcending Mission written by Michael W. Stroope and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2017-02-28 with total page 479 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: IVP Readers' Choice Award Mission, missions, missional, and all its linguistic variations are part of the expanding vocabulary and rhetoric of the contemporary Christian missionary enterprise. Its language and assumptions are deeply ingrained in the thought and speech of the church today. Christianity is a missionary religion and faithful churches are mission-minded. What's more, in telling the story of apostles and bishops and monks as missionaries, we think we have grasped the true thread of Christian history. But what about those odd shapes, those unsettling gaps and creases in the historical record? Is the language of mission so clearly evident across the broad reaches of time? Is the trajectory of mission really so explicit from the early church to the present? Or has the modern missionary enterprise distorted our view of the past? As with every reigning paradigm, there comes a point when enough questions surface to beg for a close and critical look, even when it may seem transgressive to do so. In this study of the language of mission—its origin, development, and application—Michael Stroope investigates how the modern church has come to understand, speak of, and engage in the global expansion of Christianity. There is both surprise and hope in this tale. And perhaps the beginnings of a new conversation.