This close look at what the Lord is doing to spread the gospel highlights the key scriptural principles that help Christians reach out in love to share the gospel in their own community.
In this scripturally rich exploration, senior missiologist Craig Ott unpacks the mission statement of the church: to glorify God by multiplying transformational churches among all people. This concise yet robust biblical-theological treatment focuses on God's glory, a strong ecclesiology, the importance of Scripture, and practical implications for congregational and mission practice. Ideal for launching discussion and reflection, the book helps readers refocus their vision and reignite their commitment to fulfilling God's purposes for their church or mission.
Veteran missiologist Samuel Escobar explores the new realities of our globalized world, assesses the context of a changing mission field, sets forth a thoroughly biblical theology of missions, and considers implications for how Christians are to go about the task of global mission.
Missiologist James E. Plueddemann presents a roadmap for crosscultural leadership development in the global church. With keen understanding of current research on cultural dynamics, he integrates theology with leadership theory to apply biblical insights to practical issues in world mission.
It is plain even from Paul's own writings that other presentations of the Christian message than his own were current during his apostolic career. With some of these other presentations he is quite happy; against others he found it necessary to put his readers on their guard.In these four studies originally presented as the inaugural series of Didsbury Lectures at the British Isles Nazarene College Manchester F.F. Bruce discusses what we know about the history of non-Pauline Christianity in the first century. Judiciously drawing upon material from the whole of the New Testament he relates it to other early Christian literature in order to provide a highly readable outline of an important area.But as he warns this book does not study the literature for its own sake. Instead it focuses on the leaders of early non-Pauline Christianity with their associates from whom the literature provides indispensable evidence.The topics covered are Chapter 1 Peter and the Eleven Chapter 2 Stephen and Other
This revised version includes a new essay on the contemporary history of integral mission, a history that began with the Latin American Theological Fellowship, progressed within the Lausanne Movement, is bearing fruit globally through the Micah Network, and challenges evangelicals to address the major issues of our day. By almost any measure, a bold and confident use of the Bible is a hallmark of Christianity. Underlying such use are a number of assumptions about the origin, nature and form of the biblical literature, concerning its authority, diversity and message. However, a lack of confidence in the clarity or perspicuity of Scripture is apparent in Western Christianity. Despite recent, sophisticated analyses, the doctrine is ignored or derided by many. While there is a contemporary feel to these responses, the debate itself is not new. In this excellent study, Mark Thompson surveys past and present objections to the clarity of Scripture; expounds the living God as the Guarantor of his accessible, written Word; engages with the hermeneutical challenges; and restates the doctrine for today.
The ecumenical prayer cycle is the annual prayer journey of Christians in solidarity with the people and churches of the whole world, focusing on different countries or regions each week. Available in print and online, the prayer cycle has become a spiritual guidepost of the ecumenical movement, as it enables Christians everywhere to identify and pray with their sisters and brothers around the globe. This edition largely retains the geographic sequence of earlier editions. It also retains the sequence of elements in each week: an introductory word about each region, intercessions of thanksgiving and petition specific to the context, and a compilation of prayers from the region. Enhanced by photos and song suggestions, it also adds some thematic sections or weeks as well, centring Christian prayer on some of the most pressing issues that confront global Christianity, from peace to environment to migration to gender relations. This edition also ties the annual circumnavigation in prayer to the Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace, the ecumenical initiative that asks Christians everywhere to join in transformative work for all humanity. The ecumenical prayer cycle becomes itself a virtual pilgrimage, a spiritual encounter with the gifts and challenges of Christian churches around the world. Ester Pudjo Widiasih, from the Javanese Christian Churches in Indonesia, is programme executive for spiritual life, and also serves the Faith and Order Commission, in the World Council of Churches. Karen L. Bloomquist is has directed theological work of the ELCA (Chicago) and Lutheran World Federation (Geneva). Most recently, she served as Dean at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, and her latest book is Seeing-Remembering-Connecting: Subversive Practices of the Church (2016). Subject: Religious Studies, Christianity]
With careful biblical exposition and keen cross-cultural awareness, Duane Elmer offers principles and guidance for avoiding misunderstandings and building relationships in ways that honor people in other cultures.