Together In Mission

Strategic partnerships are on the rise around the world as denominations, organizations, local churches and individuals seek ways to work together to accomplish the Great Commission. In this book Dr Kenneth Shreve presents research from a creative access region, identifying five theological issues that impact partnership in Christian missions as well as exploring how partners interact with those theological issues. Partnerships in mission are grounded in relationships, relationships that flow from the Trinity and are manifested in the purpose of God, the body of Christ, the gifts of the Spirit, and the church. Through this book the body of Christ will be encouraged to strengthen cooperation and collaboration in the accomplishment of the Great Commission, and achieve far more in partnership than could be done in isolation.

What are the best practices of mission work? Better Together is a layperson's guide to many of the most common questions faced by churches working in mission. George puts her wealth of mission experience to work translating solid biblical missiological content into everyday language. Each chapter begins with a case study and addresses key questions and challenges encountered. The book also contains a study guide. This is a wonderful resource for mainline Protestant churches active in mission projects and will prove especially helpful for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and its various mission agencies. It is also perfect for individual or group study, for training sessions for mission-committed congregants, and for the boards of mission initiators.

This comprehensive introduction helps students, pastors, and mission committees understand contemporary Christian mission historically, biblically, and theologically. Scott Sunquist, a respected scholar and teacher of world Christianity, recovers missiological thinking from the early church for the twenty-first century. He traces the mission of the church throughout history in order to address the global church and offers a constructive theology and practice for missionary work today. Sunquist views spirituality as the foundation for all mission involvement, for mission practice springs from spiritual formation. He highlights the Holy Spirit in the work of mission and emphasizes its trinitarian nature. Sunquist explores mission from a primarily theological--rather than sociological--perspective, showing that the whole of Christian theology depends on and feeds into mission. Throughout the book, he presents Christian mission as our participation in the suffering and glory of Jesus Christ for the redemption of the nations.

Samuel Cueva has refined his concept of ‘partnership in mission’ by advocating the use of reciprocal contextual collaboration in this important contribution to scholarly reflection on contemporary missiology. Referencing historical, theological and functional aspects of how mission has been carried out, as well as analyzing its impact on the evangelical movement, the author identifies that mission always develops with positive and negative tensions. Emphasizing an understanding of current missions which include traditional, networking and emergent models, and how they can be combined, interconnected and interchanged, the author proposes a fresh model that ensures the suitability for every mission context.

Behind the work of most global missionaries are local churches. Our faith communities, from giant urban churches to small rural parishes, are necessary to the task of spreading the name of Jesus and the good news about His Kingdom beyond our borders. High-impact churches consider the work of global missions as a primary part of their daily life of faith together. ]On Mission Together is a clear and concise guidebook for any church wanting to make global missions extend beyond an annual offering or a Minute for Missions. Richard Noble-pastor, educator, and missions mobilizer-offers a clear and practical pathway toward making missions part of the fundamental DNA of your worshiping community. Half of the author royalties from the sale of this book goes to support the work of global missions.

In One for All: The Implications Malcolm Duncan brings a prophetic call to the Church to be truly one body, and to work towards unity. In this volume, Malcolm faces up to the challenges and explores principles for being a united Church. Instead of fracturing over secondary issues, Malcolm is passionate that the global Church should celebrate our God-given unity, centred on mission and the primary truths of faith. His call: Let's learn how to be One for All. Building on the theology explored in his previous volume, One for All: The Foundations, here Malcolm offers the Church a solid grounding in how to apply this.

This study is the first comprehensive history of the impact of the modern missionary movement on the understanding of and work toward Christian unity. It tells stories from all branches of the church: Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant in its many types (conciliar, evangelical, Pentecostal, and independent). Part 1, "Historical," highlights the contribution of modern missions to Christian unity, from William Carey and his antecedents and peers to present-day missions. Part 2, "Ten Models of Unity," takes an inductive approach to history, asking not "how should Christians cooperate?" but "how has the missionary movement helped Christians to work together at the local, national, regional, and global level?" Part 3, "Wider Ecumenism," broadens the evidence to include how the missions movement has helped not only institutional churches but also broader society to have concern for the unity of the entire human family. Included here is the story of how the Protestant missionary movement influenced the forming of the United Nations as well as the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The study also covers the movement's impact on Christian attitudes toward, and relations with, persons of other faiths. Mission and Unity is the standard reference work in the field for persons studying modern history, modern church history, missions, and ecumenics.