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A practical guide to help you build a culture in your church or organization that resists abuse and cultivates goodness.After the release of their groundbreaking book, A Church Called Tov, which recorded the stories of abuse and toxic church cultures at some of the most prominent churches in the United States, New Testament scholar and blogger for Christianity Today Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer heard from a flood of people who had experienced similar instances of abuse. After all they've seen and heard, they still believe it's possible for church cultures to be transformed from toxic to tov—from oppressive to good.In Pivot, Scot and Laura help churches to implement practices,establish priorities, and cultivate the Kingdom Gospel-centered qualities that form goodness cultures. Readers will find answers to the four most common questions people have about culture transformation:How can I transform the culture in my church or organization to make it tov?I believe my workplace has unhealthy values. How do I initiate change?How do I unleash a culture of goodness in my ministry?I'm not in a position of church leadership. What are some red flags that indicate a toxic culture, and what can I do if I see them?Pivot also includes the following practical features:The “Tov tool,” a survey to help you discern your organization's culture and to promote spiritual conversationsA “getting to work” section at the end of each chapter with questions and next steps for applicationTransformation is never easy. But for the sake of the next generation, we must do it.

Christian organization, education, and leadership are changing. Headlines note rising religious disaffiliation ('the Nones'), moral failures by religious leaders, and the mounting crisis for religious education. Research on congregations, Christian higher education, and theological education also paints a dismal picture: declining engagement and growing fragility. These trends have changed the landscape that surrounds Christian thought and practice, but the story of local communities presents a more complex portrait: communities are also coalescing around vitality, wisdom, and hope. Adaptive Church explores what it takes for communities of faith to respond to uncertainty and shifting organizational environments. Based on fifty-two interviews and four years of empirical work, Dustin Benac charts a theological paradigm for collaboration and community in a changing world. He pioneers an interdisciplinary method that identifies the ecclesial ecology as the primary site to discern how Christian communities and leaders adapt to mounting challenges. Moreover, he provides the first in-depth analysis of a novel form of organizing religious life—a'hub'—by telling the story of how collaborative partnerships are creating new structures of belonging in the Pacific Northwest. Neither megachurches nor denominations, these hubs are networks that anchor religious life within a particular community and facilitate webs of connection across Christian institutions. Illumined by wisdom drawn from the Christian tradition, they pursue a particular way of life, one sustained by six complementary forms of leadership that express the possibility of collaboration and community in a changing world.Benac contributes to a new and emerging field at the intersection of practical theology, organizational theory, sociology of religion, and leadership studies. For leaders and communities facing uncertainty, Adaptive Church provides a template for change within and beyond the forms that have historically guided Christian organization, education, and leadership.

Todos somos discipulados. La verdadera pregunta es: ¿Qué nos está discipulando? La mayoría de los cristianos hoy en día son discipulados por medios populares, eventos ostentosos y teología tradicional porque las iglesias han descuidado su responsabilidad de hacer discípulos. Pero la iglesia no es una plataforma secundaria en la misión de Dios; es la plataforma principal que Dios usa para que Su pueblo crezca a la imagen de Jesús. Por lo tanto, como líderes en la iglesia, es nuestra responsabilidad principal establecer entornos y relaciones donde las personas puedan ser entrenadas, crecer y ser enviadas como discípulos. Hay tres elementos indispensables del discipulado: -Aprender a participar en la historia bíblica (la Biblia). -Crecer en nuestra confesión de quién es Dios y quiénes somos nosotros (teología). -Participar regularmente en acción intencional privada y corporativa (disciplinas espirituales).Discipulado profundo equipa a las iglesias a reclamar la responsabilidad de discipular a las personas en cualquier punto de su jornada. Everyone is being discipled. The question is: What is discipling us? The majority of Christians today are being discipled by popular media, flashy events, and folk theology because churches have neglected their responsibility to make disciples. But the church is not a secondary platform in the mission of God; it is the primary platform God uses to grow people into the image of Jesus. Therefore, as church leaders, it is our primary responsibility to establish environments and relationships where people can be trained, grow, and be sent as disciples. There are three indispensable elements of discipleship: -Learning to participate in the biblical story (the Bible). -Growing in our confession of who God is and who we are (theology). -Regularly participating in private and corporate intentional action (spiritual disciplines).Deep Discipleship equips churches to reclaim the responsibility of discipling people at any point on their journey.

Siguiendo el patrón encontrado en la Escritura, este libro explica cómo hacer discípulos en el contexto de la iglesia local y nos enseña a cultivar una normalización del discipulado en todas las áreas de la iglesia, tales como el evangelismo, la disciplina, el liderazgo, etc. Con contribuciones de eruditos hispanos como Miguel Núñez, Sugel Michelén y otros, este libro busca que el lector sea motivado a ser parte de una iglesia apasionada por hacer discípulos. Following the pattern found in Scripture, this book explains how to make disciples in the context of the local church and teaches us to cultivate a normalization of discipleship in every area of church, such as evangelism, discipline, leadership, etc. With contributions of hispanic scholars such as Miguel Núñez, Sugel Michelén, among others, this book seeks to motivate the reader to be part of a church that is passionate to make disciples.

Many congregations and their leaders are discouraged about the future of the church. John Bowen's conviction is that the solution is to be found not in new programs or strategies but in a recovery of theological vision--that of Jesus and his gospel, which transforms every aspect of life. This vision restores hope in the only way realistically possible. Words like mission, discipleship, church, evangelism, renewal, and church planting are used like billiard balls--all rolling around a single table, unconnected and bouncing randomly off one another. This book pulls these ideas together into a coherent and organic whole. The gospel is the hermeneutical key for understanding each of these topics and what draws them together.Thus, chapter 1 is an exposition of the gospel (God's determination to make all things new through Jesus Christ). Chapter 2 discusses discipleship (we only understand discipleship in light of the gospel), and chapter 3 covers church (we only understand church if we understand discipleship). Chapter 4 considers culture as the arena in which the gospel is lived and talked about, and chapter 5 builds on that with a discussion of translation, not only as a missional necessity but as a ministry which itself incarnates the nature of the gospel. The remaining chapters (on evangelism, the future of'inherited churches,'church planting, and leadership) demonstrate how the gospel is the integration point for all. The author's hope is that church leaders--evangelical and mainline, young and old, emerging and traditional, present and future--will have a transformative'Aha!'moment as this gospel hypothesis unfolds.

Outreach Resource of the YearThe Gospel Coalition Book AwardWhat does it mean to be an analog church in a digital age?In recent decades the digital world has taken over our society at nearly every level, and the church has increasingly followed suit—often in ways we're not fully aware of. But as even the culture at large begins to reckon with the limits of a digital world, it's time for the church to take stock. Are online churches, video venues, and brighter lights truly the future? What about the digital age's effect on discipleship, community, and the Bible?As a pastor in Silicon Valley, Jay Kim has experienced the digital church in all its splendor. In Analog Church, he grapples with the ramifications of a digital church, from our worship and experience of Christian community to the way we engage Scripture and sacrament. Could it be that in our efforts to stay relevant in our digital age, we've begun to give away the very thing that our age most desperately needs: transcendence? Could it be that the best way to reach new generations is in fact found in a more timeless path? Could it be that at its heart, the church has really been analog all along?

“Scot and Laura do an amazing job of teaching us what a good church looks like.” —Beth MooreWhat is the way forward for the church?Tragically, in recent years, Christians have gotten used to revelations of abuses of many kinds in our most respected churches—from Willow Creek to Harvest, from Southern Baptist pastors to Sovereign Grace churches. Respected author and theologian Scot McKnight and former Willow Creek member Laura Barringer wrote this book to paint a pathway forward for the church.We need a better way. The sad truth is that churches of all shapes and sizes are susceptible to abuses of power, sexual abuse, and spiritual abuse. Abuses occur most frequently when Christians neglect to create a culture that resists abuse and promotes healing, safety, and spiritual growth.How do we keep these devastating events from repeating themselves? We need a map to get us from where we are today to where we ought to be as the body of Christ. That map is in a mysterious and beautiful little Hebrew word in Scripture that we translate “good,” the word tov.In this book, McKnight and Barringer explore the concept of tov—unpacking its richness and how it can help Christians and churches rise up to fulfill their true calling as imitators of Jesus.

What's the point of the church anyway?The emerging generation is opting out of the church in large numbers. They're embarrassed at how the church is portrayed in the media and dismayed at what appears to be their options for participation. Is church really necessary anymore in our day? Is it even possible?Tim Soerens sees this unsettled state of affairs as an extraordinary opportunity: the church, he says, is on the edge of a new possibility at the very moment so much of it feels like it's falling apart. In his extensive travels in all kinds of neighborhoods, Soerens has seen the beginnings of this movement firsthand. In Everywhere You Look, he lays out practical, actionable steps for building collaborative communities in any neighborhood.Here is a vision of the church grounded in a grassroots movement of ordinary people living out what it means to be the church in their everyday lives. Read this book—and join the movement.

How can Christians effectively engage today's world while staying true to Scripture? Calling us to listen well to both the Word and the world, John Stott shows how Christianity can preserve its authentic identity and remain relevant to current realities. With the God's Word for Today series, pastor Tim Chester has updated Stott's classic book The Contemporary Christian and made it accessible to new generations of readers.In The Church, Stott presents a biblical portrait of the church as a covenant community at the center of God's purposes. Keeping in view both the ideal of what God intends and how we fall short, Stott considers how the church can be sensitive to current needs and societal issues, mobilize people for mission, seek holistic renewal, and promote healthy leadership. Each chapter includes stories, practical suggestions, and questions for reflection or discussion.People are hungry for transcendence, significance, and community. This is the great challenge and opportunity facing the church—will we cooperate with the Spirit so that others can find what they seek in Christ and his people?

There is a prevailing culture of ‘niceness'within churches which can lead to conflict avoidance, suppression and denial. Consequently, ministers and church leaders often struggle to handle tensions, difference and competing demands within their congregations. Drawing on practical theology, conflict theory, family systems theory and experience, Bridgebuilding will help church ministers and church members find more fruitful ways of engaging with tensions and conflicts in the life of the Church. It offers numerous practical tools for transforming conflict into opportunities for personal and corporate growth. It complements the'Growing Bridgebuilders'training course developed by Bridge Builders with CPAS.

'What a refreshing book! Imagine a church whose primary emphasis is to make people'feel at home.'I wish every young pastor could read this book. Thanks, Lee, for a wonderful reminder of what the church is to be.'-Erwin W. Lutzer, Pastor Emeritus, The Moody Church, ChicagoIs your church acting like an organization or a home?You love your church, but you wonder if it could be more. There's a greeting team, but is there a true spirit of welcoming? There are committees, leaders, and programs, but is there a Spirit-led vision? There are small groups, but are people truly connected?Pastor and award-winning author Lee Eclov was troubled by these questions. Then, he had a realization: he wasn't called to lead an organization, but a family. His job was to be a'homemaker,'not a CEO. This paradigm shift changed everything. In Feels Like Home, he shares what he's learned from over 40 years of ministry about being the family of God and how to live into that beautiful reality. This short volume is full of stories of small adjustments that make a huge difference in the effectiveness, warmth, and growth of a church community. Discover how the love of a family can transform your church.

With may be the most important word in the Christian faith. In the Trinity, as Samuel Wells points out, we see the eternal persons of the Godhead being with each other. In the Gospels we see Jesus being with the people he encounters, mediating God's grace to them with his own incarnational presence. Those in ministry are likewise called to the task of being with—with God, with the church, and with the created world and those who dwell in it. In Incarnational Ministry Wells elaborates on the concept of being with in eight dimensions: presence, attention, mystery, delight, participation, partnership, enjoyment, and glory. His vivid narratives and wise reflections will challenge readers to deeper discipleship and more vital ministry as they explore what it means to be with the troubled, the hurt, the afflicted, the challenged, the dying—and all who are embraced by the church's incarnational ministry.

What is the church to make of the many new expressions of worship springing up across the nation and the world? A gathering of academic theologians, New Worshiping Community practitioners, and leaders from within Presbyterian councils met at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary to start the conversation. New Worshiping Communities documents those discussions and provides theological and biblical foundations to the 1001 New Worshiping Communities movement in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).The participants in this conversation have sought to put flesh on the bones of what a New Worshiping Community is, by defining it as:NewSeeking to make and form new disciples of Jesus ChristTaking on varied forms of church for our changing cultureWorshipingGathered by the Spirit to meet Jesus Christ in Word and sacramentSent by the Spirit to join Gods mission for the transformation of the worldCommunityPracticing mutual care and accountabilityDeveloping sustainability in leadership and finances

Online churches are internet-based Christian communities, pursuing worship, discussion, friendship, support, proselytization, and other key religious goals through computer-mediated communication. Hundreds of thousands of people are now involved with online congregations, generating new kinds of ritual, leadership, and community and new networks of global influence. Creating Church Online constructs a rich ethnographic account of the diverse cultures of online churches, from virtual worlds to video streams. This book also outlines the history of online churchgoing, from its origins in the 1980s to the present day, and traces the major themes of academic and Christian debate around this topic. Applying some of the leading current theories in the study of religion, media and culture to this data, Tim Hutchings proposes a new model of religious design in contexts of mediatization, and draws attention to digital networks, transformative third spaces and terrains of existential vulnerability. Creating Church Online advances our understanding of the significance and impact of digital media in the religious and social lives of its users, in search of new theoretical frameworks for digital religion.

“[The kingdom of God] is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.”—Luke 13:19Sangamdong Church of the Nazarene in Korea is built upon faith as small as a mustard seed. As the Rev. Dr. Shin relates the stories of God's faithfulness to one small church that has grown into a large, mission-centric community, you will be inspired by the diligent faith of the people of God in Korea. Time after time, Sangamdong Church has faced budget crises or other struggles that threatened the life of the congregation, and yet the church has thrived and continued its efforts to bring the kingdom of God here on earth. Dr. Shin recalls with joy the many times he and his congregation have dutifully clung to A String of Hope when there was nothing else.

An innovative anthology written by successful church planters who have consistently and successfully challenged prevailing assumptions about healthy church development and'best practices.'This informative book gives insight into how they broke the mold of church planting. Includes chapters written by Michael Baughman, Olu Brown, Doug Cunningham, Kenda Creasy Dean, Mark DeVries, Amanda Garber, Trey Hall, Diane Harrison, Elaine Heath, Jerry Herships, Derek Jacobs, Matt Miofsky, David Rangel, and Owen Ross.

Do Something Else is meant to encourage faith communities and their leaders to reconsider'church as usual,'reengage Spirit-led entrepreneurialism, and reimagine new models of ministry bubbling up in their midst. Many churches and leaders are already setting the pace. They are establishing new gatherings in old buildings and using new building to do old things. They are emphasizing diversity, welcome, and friendship. If these stories are hidden from view, they shouldn't be. These pages will uncover how new expressions get started, how they are led, how they struggle, and how they are sustained. Do Something Else will encourage candidates for ministry who see limited options, ministers who wonder about staying in ministry, clergy call-seekers trying to find hope in a desolate career landscape, and churches attempting to manage staffs with limited resources. It will also offer permission to small churches resigned to be'without a pastor,'larger churches looking to do a new thing in an unorthodox way, and middle governing bodies who need promising examples of working models in order to take the risk on new opportunities.

In Steering through Chaos, Pastor Scott Wilson helps church leaders plan for healthy changes by making strategic choices that please God and grow your ministry. Since challenges tend to multiply during times of transition, Wilson shares wise insight on building new facilities, changing staff structure, adding services, becoming a multisite ministry, and more. During the struggles of transition, doubts and fears inevitably arise. At those moments, leaders need assurance that they have a real and authentic vision from God. Wilson encourages you to follow the call and to lead with confidence, courage, and an unwavering commitment to push through the challenges. Wilson offers discussion questions for every chapter, making this an ideal resource for you, your staff, and your leadership team to read together.

This accessible and instructive book is designed to equip lay leaders of Protestant churches to better envision and practice gospel-driven ministry and mission in contemporary society.Seasoned pastor and practical theologian John Stewart presents and explains five biblically mandated, foundational practices for being and nurturing the church: fellowship, discipleship, witness, service, and worship. Stewart argues that these five practices are normative, indispensable, and doable for congregations that seek to remain faithful to their risen Lord, and he offers memorable, achievable models of ways they are already being used in current mainline congregations.

Churches are closing today at an alarming rate. Pastors are disillusioned, church members are discouraged, and the world has lost interest. Can this disturbing tide be stemmed? Bill Henard believes that there is hope for the established church – for your church. Some people may have already pronounced the church “dead,” but these dead bones can live. Whether your church is seven years old or one-hundred and seventy, you may be seeing evidences that your church needs vision, direction, and revitalization. Don't lose hope. Your church can live.

Among followers of Jesus, great is often the enemy of good.The drive to be great—to be a success by the standards of the world—often crowds out the qualities of goodness, virtue, and faithfulness that should define the central focus of Christian leadership. In the culture of today's church, successful leadership is often judged by what works, while persistent faithfulness takes a back seat. If a ministry doesn't produce results, it is dropped. If people don't respond, we move on. This pursuit of “greatness” exerts a crushing pressure on the local church and creates a consuming anxiety in its leaders. In their pursuit of this warped vision of greatness, church leaders end up embracing a leadership narrative that runs counter to the sacrificial call of the gospel story.When church leaders focus on faithfulness to God and the gospel, however, it's always a kingdom-win—regardless of the visible results of their ministry. John the Baptist modeled this kind of leadership. As John's disciples crossed the Jordan River to follow after Jesus, John freely released them to a greater calling than following him. Speaking of Jesus, John said: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Joyfully satisfied to have been faithful to his calling, John knew that the size and scope of his ministry would be determined by the will of the Father, not his own will. Following the example of John the Baptist and with a careful look at the teaching of Scripture, Tim Suttle dares church leaders to risk failure by chasing the vision God has given them—no matter how small it might seem—instead of pursuing the broad path of pragmatism that leads to fame and numerical success.

Christianity Today Award of MeritReaders'Choice Awards Honorable MentionBest Books About the Church from Byron Borger, Hearts and Minds Bookstore'When... faith communities begin connecting together, in and for the neighborhood, they learn to depend on God for strength to love, forgive and show grace like never before.... The gospel becomes so much more tangible and compelling when the local church is actually a part of the community, connected to the struggles of the people, and even the land itself.'Paul Sparks, Tim Soerens and Dwight J. Friesen have seen—in cities, suburbs and small towns all over North America—how powerful the gospel can be when it takes root in the context of a place, at the intersection of geography, demography, economy and culture. This is not a new idea—the concept of a parish is as old as Paul's letters to the various communities of the ancient church. But in an age of dislocation and disengagement, the notion of a church that knows its place and gives itself to where it finds itself is like a breath of fresh air, like a sign of new life.

The Inventive Age (the cultural turning following the Agrarian, Industrial, and Information ages) provides opportunities for reshaping all institutions and communities. Doug Pagitt brings to life ten Inventive Age characteristics as they are experienced through the community of Solomon's Porch - a holistic missional Christian community in Minneapolis. These ten characteristics of Inventive Age culture will serve as a guide for those creating new faith communities and making changes in existing ones.

Congregations want to support their pastors, but don't know how. Pastors love their congregations, but they don't know what to ask of their congregations to garner needed support. Everyone wants to thrive together, but so often we get stuck. This clear and engaging guide helps pastors and congregations bridge communication gaps and set mutual goals and expectations. Reverend Keck grounds his framework of expectations on both scholarly research and on interviews he's conducted with pastors and lay people. He finds many common difficulties in churches arise from failing to discuss priorities and expectations, and from not effectively working through the problems that arise when expectations aren't met. For pastors and congregants to arrive at common expectations, they need to understand each other—their respective needs, hopes, and distinctive callings.This book provides concrete steps to aid congregants and pastors communicate their mutual expectations. Keck presents fifty “expectation statements”—examples of what pastors and congregations can expect of one another; a vital resource to anyone who seeks to initiate a discussion of expectations in their own church. Elucidating goals and expectations allows congregations and pastors to support one another and flourish, and fosters church health and harmony.

What is God's mission? Simply put, says theologian and field educator Cameron Harder, God's mission is to form communities that reflect and embody the life of the Trinity. Discovering the Other is an introduction to two tools that community builders have found helpful: appreciative inquiry and asset mapping. These tools help congregations see that all of life is saturated by the sacred and give them energy to begin living as if it were so. Instead of asking,'What's wrong?'appreciative inquiry asks,'What's right?'Asset mapping asks,'What resources do you have personally that we could bring to our future together?'Out of these questions can arise a sense that every congregation is rich in history, people, and resources. Ideas emerge as people, inspired by the Spirit, listen and talk to each other. The leader's task is to facilitate, coalesce, and connect ideas, to catalyze and stimulate the development of vision. The creative connections lead to programs and projects that will enrich your congregation's mission. But most importantly, in the process they will engage you with others, with their stories, their hopes, their gifts - to build community. This book looks for God, not only through the lens of such tools, but in the tools themselves. It is an effort to understand how processes like appreciative inquiry and asset mapping reflect the character and community-building style of the God whom Christians worship as Divine community.

This work considers the future of parish life in the face of recent scandals, the identity crisis of the priesthood, the lure of fundamentalist evangelicalist parishes and the alienation of many people from organised religion.

While research identifies a disturbing exodus from church life by all age groups and young people in particular, many churches continue to maintain the status quo. Can we do no better? Are we too afraid to confront the realities of living in today's world? Have we failed? This book will help readers create a church worth getting up for. In the book, Chuck Gutenson presents the thoughts of eight successful church leaders, including Deb Hirsch, Al Hirsch, Mike Slaughter, Nadia Bolz-Weber, Chris Seay, Greg Boyd, Olu Brown, and Doug Pagitt. Learn what characteristics they have in common. We all want to be a part of something meaningful—something or someone who will change our lives for the better. The Church has to find new ways to encourage, nurture, guide, inspire, and motivate people to find their true source in Jesus Christ.'Jesus is worth getting up for.'Help people find in your church a means to experience the source of their deepest desires.

There are forces that are changing the church. A. W. Tozer warned decades ago of a new wind blowing across the fields of the evangelical church,'If I see aright, the cross of popular evangelicalism is not the cross of the New Testament. It is, rather, a new bright ornament upon the bosom of a self-assured and carnal Christianity. The old cross slew men; the new cross entertains them. The old cross condemned; the new cross amuses. The old cross destroyed confidence in the flesh; the new cross encourages it'.

To honor the deanship of his predecessor, Martha J. Horne, Ian S. Markham, dean of Virginia Theological Seminary, challenged his faculty colleagues to reflect on living with a divided mind, where learning and living go hand in hand with diversity, division, protracted discussions, and lasting disagreements. Faculty members discuss God's mission for the Church as it worships and finds its life in prayer; and as it opens the Bible and finds not one voice but many as it interprets and preaches the Holy Scriptures of the Christian Church. These are the reflections of a community, which works to remain one and to remain open.

An expert practitioner answers to questions about the burgeoning organic church movement Neil Cole's best-selling book Organic Church described the fastest growing segment of contemporary Christianity-the so-called organic church. Now in this next-step book, he answers questions about how to deal with theological and organizational issues that come up. He talks about issues such has what to do with finances, children, heresy, leader training, and rituals and ordinances. Without the top-down structure of a denomination, even people who are proponents of this small, house-church model worry that they are not doing it right. Offers an important resource for anyone involved with or thinking of starting an organic or house church Addresses practical issues of theology, rituals, doctrinal heresy, how to handle children, finances, and other important questions Written by an acknowledged expert who is now and has been for over twenty years an organic church planter and practitioner A new Leadership Network title and follow-up to Organic Church Church 3.0 offers solid information about organic churches based on Cole's extensive experience in starting, nurturing, and mentoring in the organic church movement.

It's time to stop asking the old questions about how to do church better and instead ask how churches can more effectively participate in and grow God's kingdom. AND helps Christian leaders recognize the best in different church models and see how to incorporate these values into a cohesive church movement.By the numbers, the American church enjoys the resources to profoundly impact the Kingdom. But despite the rapid growth of these evangelical movements, the church in the West is in decline. A growing schism has emerged between the movement with a strong emphasis on attracting people and the more missional communities that focus on releasing people into ministry.Church resource specialists Hugh Halter and Matt Smay have been observing these different church models, and they challenge the idea that churches have to choose between them—between the attractional and missional approaches to ministry.With professional insight and practical advice, Halter and Smay dial in on how to bring together the very best of the attractional AND missional models for church ministry by exploring:The balance between gathering a community together AND scattering them into the world.The harmony between centralization AND decentralization in church structure.The mindset necessary to invest in both the traditional AND the innovative.The drive to maintain both a vision for the future AND a depth of community for the present.As churches begin to develop these ANDs, they will be better positioned to influence the world according to the design of God instead of the whims of the people or the pride associated with production.

Our world is marked by unprecedented degrees of multiculturalism, ethnic diversity, social shifts, international collaboration, and technology-driven changes. The changes are profound, especially when you consider the unchecked decline in the influence, size, and social standing of the church. There is an undercurrent of anxiety in the evangelical world, and a hunger for something new. And we're sensing the urgency of it. We need fresh, creative counterintuitive ways of doing ministry and church and leading it in the 21st century. We need to adapt. Fast. Both in our practices and our thinking. The aim of this book is simple: When we understand the powerful forces at work in the world today, we'll learn how something called The Third Culture can yield perhaps the most critical missing ingredient in the church today—adaptability—and help the church remain on the best side of history. A Third Culture Church and a Third Culture Leader looks at our new global village and the church's role in that village in a revolutionary way. It's a way to reconnect with the historical roots of what Jesus envisioned the church could be—a people known for a brand of love, unity, goodness, and extravagant spirit that defies all conventions. This book is part of the successful Leadership Innovation Series.

At the 150th anniversary of the dedication of his church, John Stott gave voice to his dream for All Souls, London, and all souls everywhere:'I have a dream of... a biblical church... a worshiping church... a caring church... a serving church... an expectant churchReflecting on his more than sixty years of service at All Souls and a worldwide ministry that led Time magazine to acknowledge him as one of the'100 Most Influential People in the World,'Stott alerts a church that is in transition to the marks of a church that is living.The Living Church is the full articulation of Stott's dream for the body of Christ in the world today. To the people of God who inherit the global church he has helped to build for the past sixty years, he bequeaths this calling:There is such a thing as goodness: pursue it. The postmodern mood is unfriendly to all universal absolutes. Yet the apostle says there is such a thing as truth: fight for it. And there is such a thing as life: lay hold of it. May God enable us to make an unabashed commitment... to what is true, what is good, and what is real.

A classic revisited--revised and expanded.For over twenty-five years, Howard Snyder's Community of the King has set the standard for a penetrating look at the relationship between the kingdom of God and the earthly church. Biblically and practically Snyder helps us think through such crucial questions asWhat is the kingdom of God?What role does it play in history?What does it mean for the church to be an agent of the kingdom?Once we grasp the nature of the kingdom, Snyder helps us explore its implications for the church as we experience it in daily life. The church, he argues, is part of God's dramatic plan to reconcile all things to himself. The church that is true to its calling will emphasize the God-given gifts of all its members and develop structures and strategies that reflect God's reign in the world. In addition to a completely new chapter on developments in Christian thinking on the church since its first publication, this new edition of Community of the King contains a fully updated bibliography and is revised throughout.Here is a classic book for all concerned with church life and growth.