Spirituality In Mission

Authors from eighteen countries give us their perspectives on biblical principles and cultural expressions of spirituality particularly as the church engages in God’s mission. The anthology of texts enriches our understanding of the depth and the meaning of being spiritual and the diversity of forms to live out the Christian faith. The issue today is how spirituality should direct and guide a daily life as followers of Jesus in the engagement in the mission of God. No doubt that it has to do with our inner life and our relationship to God, but it is in showing our love and concern to others that we prove our love to God, according to the Apostle John (1 John 4). Mission without spirituality will only be a human effort to convince people of religious theories. Spirituality without a missionary involvement of the church will not express God’s desire that the transforming gospel reaches every person. This book will help you rethink your understanding of what is spiritual, revisit your own spiritual journey, and appreciate the different forms of spirituality as they are described and performed around the globe.

The mission of God to “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19, HCSB) is a major target of spiritual warfare today. In this new book by International Mission Board president Jerry Rankin and noted missiologist Ed Stetzer, the authors call out Satan’s ongoing strategy to convince Christians that the Great Commission is optional. Through deceit, he is eroding the authoritative mandate of Scripture, leading believers to tell themselves that international discipleship is a task better left to denomination and mission agencies—not the sort of kingdom work that every believer can do. But for every evil success, Rankin and Stetzer point to where Satan is failing, thus encouraging readers to renew their passion to declare God’s glory among the nations. Indeed, by taking up the call to action here, we can be sure that the kingdoms of the world will become the kingdom of the Lord.

Combining real-life case studies with vital lessons from her own personal journey, Susan Hope explores what happens to us on the inside when we cross boundaries and become missional Christians. This discerning book reflects on the inner resources and attitude of mind required to engage in mission in a postmodern, multicultural society.

Do we have a positive theology of the city so that an urban spirituality can emerge from this place? We have for too long focused on quick fixes, pop up churches, and strategic solutions which have left us malnourished and emaciated, yet bloated from our over-consumption of these unsatisfying approaches. Spiritual formation is something that we need to pay closer attention to today. How do we live this kind of holy life in the city?

In this book, three missiologists (Priest, Campbell, and Mullen) wrestle with the issue of spiritual power. The first two chapters deal with spiritual warfare while the third chapter affirms the role of prayer and the Holy Spirit in missions.

This book argues for the primacy of spirituality in the practice of mission. Since God is the primary agent of mission and God works through the power of the Holy Spirit, it is through openness to the Spirit that mission finds its true character and has its authentic impact.

If all of the earth is God's domain, why are Christians so terribly provincial? We rarely leave our church buildings, and our spirituality rarely takes us beyond ourselves. Veteran church leaders Roger Helland and Leonard Hjalmarson observe that Jesus begins his mission in the temple, where he wows the religious elite and chides his parents by saying, "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" But Jesus doesn't stay in the temple; indeed, in Christ the temple of the Lord is on the move--even to the ends of the earth. In this book the authors helpfully reconnect spirituality and mission, showing you how the spiritual life, when lived properly, follows a similar progression: we "come home" to Christ, loving him from our heart and soul and mind and strength. And then we set forth to love our neighbors as ourself. Discover how through this process you can reclaim the whole of God's kingdom for his glory and the fulfillment of your heart's longing.

This book argues for the primacy of spirituality in the practice of mission. Since God is the primary agent of mission and God works through the power of the Holy Spirit, it is through openness to the Spirit that mission finds its true character and has its authentic impact. This is demonstrated today particularly by movements of Christian faith in the global south which carry the good news to the heart of communities in every part of the world. Originating in the Edinburgh 2010 mission study project, the essays assembled in this volume show that today there is a renewal of the missionary impetus of the churches which is marked by its spiritual character. Here fresh motivation for mission is being found, moving people of faith to share the good news of Jesus Christ both within their own communities and by crossing frontiers to take the message to new contexts. Drawing on the rich, wide and varied experiences of scholars from the global South, this volume attempts to address spirituality and discipleship as an important emphasis in contemporary mission. I recommend this book to anyone seeking to know and understand what is happening on the mission front in this generation. -Opoku Onyinah, Chancellor of Pentecost University College, Chairman of the Church of Pentecost and President of Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council. ...a contribution to grasp the significance of spirituality for the quality and direction of Christian mission in the 21st Century. Maria Aranzazu Aguado, Former Roman Catholic Consultant in the World Council of Churches This book opens up a new frontier in missiology. Rich both in intellectual rigour and empathetic understanding, it will prove to be a formative text for missional spirituality in world Christianity. Prof Lalsangkima Pachuau, Asbury Theological Seminary Wonsuk Ma is Executive Director and David Yonggi Cho Research Tutor of Global Christianity of Oxford Centre for Mission Studies, Oxford, United Kingdom. Kenneth R. Ross is Church of Scotland minister at Netherlorn and Honorary Fellow of Edinburgh University School of Divinity. From 2001 to 2010 he chaired the Scottish 'Towards 2010' Council.