Mission of the Church: Essays on Practical Theology for 21st Century Ministry

What is the mission of the corporate church? What is the mission of local churches regardless of denominations? What is the reason for the existence of the local church? These three questions not only deserve consideration by leadership but also need to be understood by the entire membership to enable productive kingdom work. It is so easy for a congregation to develop programs and activities based on what other groups are doing or on what are the perceived needs of the moment. These do have value; however, they tend to be based on our human concepts rather than the directives of Scripture. Terry Cross, Dean of the School of Religion at Lee University, describes this book as follows: "Another book on the church? This one is different. Thirteen seasoned professors with some 400+ years of combined ministerial experience engage various aspects of the mission of the church. Much like the pulse that beats from a strong heart, the idea of partnering with God's mission as transformed participants in God's work reappears throughout the chapters. While the focus of attention is different for each author, the theme beats the same pulse throughout--the mission of God is the heart of God and must be the heart of the church." With additional contributions from: Bob Bayles Terry Cross Rolando Cuellar Tom Doolittle Jimmy Harper John Lombard Lisa Long Edley Moodley Mark Walker