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Starting Missional Churches: Life with God in the Neighborhood
All mission is local?the people of God joining the work of God in a particular place. In Starting Missional Churches Mark Lau Branson and Nicholas Warnes introduce us to seven missional churches while examining common challenges regarding their genesis. Using stories, interviews with pastors and a look at common preconceived notions of church planting in the West, this guide brings together resources of the missional church conversation with the creativity and energy of those who are experimenting with diverse planting activities and practices across the country. Curated by a pastor and a professor, this work highlights diverse modern examples of congregations focused on reaching their communities with a missional mindset. Learn from these stories how to build a vibrant, engaging church—one that generates redemptive witness in our neighborhoods and in our world.
- GenresChurch
209 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 29, 2014
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43 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 17, 2017
OK, not the best, mostly theoretical, but certainly not the worst. Still insightful and contains some nuggets.
May 21, 2022
Good stories from church planters sharing their experience and struggles to build missional churches.
September 12, 2014
“The Church Is A Sign, Foretaste, Witness And Instrument Of The In-Breaking Of God” (182).
American church planting has reached its zenith. An industry in itself, church planting has become the mission statement of some denominations present in North America (e.g. the Southern Baptist Convention). In anticipation of the many methods practiced by these church planters, Starting Missional Churches: Life with God in the Neighborhood offers an important vocalization of a new missions-minded church planting movement. Instead of treating America as a field of harvesting, the authors of Missional Churches demonstrate a story of American church planting that places “missions” at the front of the church’s worldview. Based on the presupposition that America is a mission field in which God is already at work (9-10), the “collection of stories” (11) constituting Missional Churches addresses the neighborhood as the church’s mission field.
Missional Churches begins and ends with pragmatic explanations of what missional churches in fact are. Chapters 1 and 2 set the stage for how these neighborhood-centered churches differ from traditional SPEC (“Suburban Sprawl,” “Protestant Splitting,” “Expert Strategies,” and “Charismatic Figure”) strategies (14-27). In opposition to SPEC, these authors and pastors seek to “engage this changing American environment as a mission field” (27). Involved in this missional approach are priorities such as viewing one’s “neighbor as subject” instead of an object (e.g. demographic) and intentional “boundary crossing” (e.g. not setting up “your church”). Whereas SPEC strategies support founding a church to reach a certain type of people (e.g. lifestyle, worship style, social status, etc.), the missional approach calls the church to focus on the neighborhood and people that surround them (57, 68, 105, 124).
Written from a spectrum of different denominational situations and theological traditions (e.g. Baptist, Presbyterian, Charismatic and non-denominational), the co-authors of Missional Churches demonstrate the fluid approaches and applications that can develop within this missional mindset. Presented as “stories” (11) of growing churches, each chapter brings something unique to the volume. Some distinctions will make individuals in other traditions uncomfortable, but ultimately they work to show the committed application of missions in America. Without tip-off, the “stories” standout chapters include those by Craig Brown (chapter 4), Nikki Collins MacMillian (chapter 6), and AJ Swoboda (chapter 8).
In conclusion, Missional Churches presses on the future of the church and convicts concerning its planting procedures. Although the authors push the conservative evangelical church’s proverbial envelope, these stories press individuals of every denomination and belief to pursue Christ and His kingdom in America’s neighborhoods. Pastors, planters, and ministry workers will benefit from engaging the authors and ideas presented both in their abstract and incarnational forms.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
American church planting has reached its zenith. An industry in itself, church planting has become the mission statement of some denominations present in North America (e.g. the Southern Baptist Convention). In anticipation of the many methods practiced by these church planters, Starting Missional Churches: Life with God in the Neighborhood offers an important vocalization of a new missions-minded church planting movement. Instead of treating America as a field of harvesting, the authors of Missional Churches demonstrate a story of American church planting that places “missions” at the front of the church’s worldview. Based on the presupposition that America is a mission field in which God is already at work (9-10), the “collection of stories” (11) constituting Missional Churches addresses the neighborhood as the church’s mission field.
Missional Churches begins and ends with pragmatic explanations of what missional churches in fact are. Chapters 1 and 2 set the stage for how these neighborhood-centered churches differ from traditional SPEC (“Suburban Sprawl,” “Protestant Splitting,” “Expert Strategies,” and “Charismatic Figure”) strategies (14-27). In opposition to SPEC, these authors and pastors seek to “engage this changing American environment as a mission field” (27). Involved in this missional approach are priorities such as viewing one’s “neighbor as subject” instead of an object (e.g. demographic) and intentional “boundary crossing” (e.g. not setting up “your church”). Whereas SPEC strategies support founding a church to reach a certain type of people (e.g. lifestyle, worship style, social status, etc.), the missional approach calls the church to focus on the neighborhood and people that surround them (57, 68, 105, 124).
Written from a spectrum of different denominational situations and theological traditions (e.g. Baptist, Presbyterian, Charismatic and non-denominational), the co-authors of Missional Churches demonstrate the fluid approaches and applications that can develop within this missional mindset. Presented as “stories” (11) of growing churches, each chapter brings something unique to the volume. Some distinctions will make individuals in other traditions uncomfortable, but ultimately they work to show the committed application of missions in America. Without tip-off, the “stories” standout chapters include those by Craig Brown (chapter 4), Nikki Collins MacMillian (chapter 6), and AJ Swoboda (chapter 8).
In conclusion, Missional Churches presses on the future of the church and convicts concerning its planting procedures. Although the authors push the conservative evangelical church’s proverbial envelope, these stories press individuals of every denomination and belief to pursue Christ and His kingdom in America’s neighborhoods. Pastors, planters, and ministry workers will benefit from engaging the authors and ideas presented both in their abstract and incarnational forms.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
July 25, 2015
I liked this book, sort of. The first two chapters, written by the editors, provided a helpful introduction to this book but if one is looking a general introduction to the missional church, this is not that. Seven subsequent chapters are written by recent planters of missional churches telling their stories. The quality of those chapters is fairly even and the unique nature of each church comes through. When I read stories of churches such as these I almost always wish I were able to be a fly on the wall in order to see how my own experience of the church might match up with the description offered by the church leaders. The final chapter, written jointly by the editors, reflects back on what has been shared in light of their introductory comments. I found that chapter very helpful. All in all, this book has broadened my understanding of how missional church is understood and is actually being done by some of its practitioners. That has made it a worthwhile read.
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June 1, 2016p.47 Four priorities when planting a church:"God is the primary agent, neighbors are subjects, boundary crossing is essential, and leadership is plural."
p.50 "Because God is inherently social and missional, church is ultimately about relationship and connection, where the community is the apologetic of faith witnessed through love for one another."
p.145 "Even if our church was 'different,' it will still die someday. Every church will. It's humbling to acknowledge that not one of the churches Paul planted still exists."
p.50 "Because God is inherently social and missional, church is ultimately about relationship and connection, where the community is the apologetic of faith witnessed through love for one another."
p.145 "Even if our church was 'different,' it will still die someday. Every church will. It's humbling to acknowledge that not one of the churches Paul planted still exists."
April 1, 2015
Helpful. I like reading about real life examples of churches that are trying to participate in God's movement already at work in their contexts. There were ideas and practices that I could use to inform and shape my own church work. The theological reflection piece from the authors felt less accessible.
But the main idea that churches are called to follow God's vision rather than set a vision and try to get God to bless it was a useful one.
But the main idea that churches are called to follow God's vision rather than set a vision and try to get God to bless it was a useful one.
December 8, 2014
Nick Warnes is on to something big here. Are you interested in impacting your community? Start here.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews