ecclesialfutures: A Pathfinder

This is a computer-generated pathfinder created against the Distant Reader study called ecclesialfutures.

Each Distant Reader study carrel is composed of many individual items. Each item is bibliographically described with author, title, date, summary, and keyword values. Below is a list of the items' most signficant keywords as well as lists of the items themselves. Purpusing the content of this pathfinder provides the student, researcher, or scholar with one way to get their heads around the scope of the carrel. The keywords include:

Mission; God; Churches; People; Futures; Community; Christian; Missional; World; Theology; Life; Book; Work; Communities; Spirit; Innovation; Economy; Theological; Gospel; Stories; Chapter; England; Development; Parish; Diaspora; Growth; John; Percy; Van; Ecology; Neighborhood; Jacob; Hubs; Cst; Baby

Depending on how this pathfinder was created, many of the bibliographic sections will include elaborations on the meaning(s) of the given keywords. These elaborations were generated by feeding the items' summaries to a large langauge model and asking the model to address the question, "What is X?", where "X" is the keyword. The result will be a few sentences of elaboration. Be forewarned. The elaborations are often plausible, but they should not be take as truth. Instead, they should be taken as points for consideration.

• Ecclesial Futures MA Prize Details by Aldous, Ben (2021) - All these dissertations and a wide range of other PhD- and MA-level work may be accessed via the new Churches Together in England Mission Research Library at the following: https://cte.org. uk/mission/research/#/. This operant theology is brought in conversation with the formal Ben Aldous—Ecclesial Futures MA Prize Details 9 theological voice of John Vincent and his vocational cycle (2013, 59) and the transformation that took place through the eyes of his discipleship cycle (2013, 61). Keywords: mission; theology
• Missional Hospitality towards Healing: : A Narrative Approach in Missiology by Park, Bokyoung (2021) - With this experience of acceptance and healing, I was then able to extend missional hospitality that facilitated healing for others. In this section I will reflect on implications for church, theology, and missional hospitality. Keywords: church; god; healing; hospitality; mission; missional; space; stories; world
• Wilding the Church: Reflections on the Process of Wilding as a Metaphor for the Church as a Co-agent in Mission with the Holy Spirit in a Secular Age by Bradbury, Paul (2021) - An “ecclesial imaginary” is therefore the way in which the relationship between God as mis- sionary agent and the Church is imagined. The theology of missio Dei works to situate the mission of the Church within the nature of God and to collapse any notion of a rift between the immanent and economic Trinity. Keywords: age; church; god; l e; mission; new; s u; spirit; u e; wilding; world
• Ruddick, Anna, Reimagining Mission from Urban Places—Missional Pastoral Care.: London: SCM Press, 2020. ISBN: 9780334058656 by Eiffler, Felix (2021) - Felix Eiffler—Reimagining Mission from Urban Places 127 Anna Ruddick criticizes the excessive use of the term “trans- formation” without clarifying what it really means and what the potential pitfalls are. Anna Ruddick summarizes, “Mission doesn’t work the way we think it does. Keywords: chapter; mission; urban
• Editorial by Rooms, Nigel (2021) - She presents, in the article, data from her recent PhD thesis which studied the growth of new churches in Glasgow, Scotland, between 2000 and 2016. As mainstream churches continue their inexorable decline, new churches spring up. Keywords: article; churches; mission; work
• Community on Mission in a World Wounded by Poverty: A Call to Solidarity, Vulnerability and Liberation by Churu, Beatrice W. E.; Getui, Mary N. (2021) - Vo l u m e 2 , I s s u e 1 20 various poor, and a liberation that empowers the mission zeal of African Christian communities responding to many poverties. African Christian community can grow in understanding of Jesus’ mission through reflection on the Utu/Ubuntu spirituality (Ubuntu has the same meaning as Utu in southern African Bantu languages). Keywords: african; christian; community; jesus; life; lords; mission; new; poverty; world; wretched
• Transforming Discipleship: Missional church, discipleship and the discourse of transformation amongst the urban poor by Njuguna, Daniel (2021) - The mis- siological idea underpinned by missio Dei insists that the goal of church mission and discipleship must be understood “as less a matter of personal salvation or institutional church growth, so much as a participation with the triune God in the task of redeem- ing the whole of creation as a work of reconciliation” (Graham, 2018: 215). Such commitment orientates church practices towards the world, which both the church and the community inhabit together. Keywords: baptism; christian; church; context; discipleship; god; ministry; mission; salvation; transformation; transforming; urban
• Dwelling in the World with People of Peace: Missional Discipleship within the Missio Dei by Ladd, Nick (2021) - Here are some of the ways they described their people of peace: • Mutuality—purpose, connection, partnership and working together • Shared values—care, love and respect • Receptivity—people who see you and want to know you • Desire for ongoing and growing relationship • Make connections for you and the church in the community When asked to reflect on the experiences that shaped this, most evident was the participation together in the missional ex- periment: “In our ‘bridge community’10 I met new people who were people of peace—I just didn’t know them before—people who have energy and ideas and enthusiasm.” Here is one example of the discovery of a person of peace and what they did together: I met someone with shared love of woodland and art: we created an art-based Act of Remembrance event; they are giving time freely, connecting church people and outsid- ers; they have become an occasional attender at church who offers honest feedback! Keywords: church; community; god; mission; missional; peace; people; u e
• The Colouring of Grey Literature: A review of “JVT quotes” and “Answers on a Postcard”: “JVT quotes,” a resource by Jonny Baker (https://jonnybaker.blogs.com/); “Answers on a postcard” a resource by Rev. Jon Marlow (https://www. marlow.me.uk/) by Taylor, Steve (2021) - On the other side is a quote taken from mission leader John V. Taylor (hence JVT quotes), positioned cre- atively in relation to a photograph taken by Jonny Baker. A Selection of quotes from Imagin- ing Mission with John V Taylor, Jonny Baker and Cathy Ross.”   John V. Taylor (1914–2001) was an English Christian leader. Keywords: literature; mission; quotes; taylor
• Editorial by Taylor, Steve (2020) - The place of local churches formed outside of Christendom and modernity E c c l e s i How local churches can learn to experiment and fail • Keywords: article; church; mission
• Our Agricultural Krísis: Sketches of a Missional Response by Anslow, Matthew (2020) - This will mean more than buying organic food, or using an ethical shopping guide, or even attempting more am- bitious goals such as the one-hundred-mile diet.6 None of these things is wicked, but none necessarily challenges the economic conditions under which farmers toil and consumers consume.7 Such economic conditions blind us from the reality of the food we eat by making it impossible to know the processes by which such food arrives at our table. Vo l u m e 1 I s s u e 2 12 Introduction Wendell Berry, in his essay, “Nature as Measure,” makes the following observation about the state of food production in the United States: For many years . . . Keywords: agriculture; creation; food; god; krísis; l e; land; mission; s u; u e
• The Missio Dei Embodied in Local Community Ministry in Scotland by Taylor, Steve; Johnston, Rev Dr Mark (2020) - Missiology is returned to the local church as the missio Dei is embodied in the practices of local community mission. I s s u e 2 84 outworked in mission, as the participation of the whole people of God in local community mission. Keywords: church; community; dei; discerning; god; jesus; listening; local; mission
• Editorial by Rooms, Nigel (2020) - We define local Christian communities broadly to include traditional “parish” churches and independent local churches, reli- gious communities and congregations, new church plants, so-called “fresh expressions” of church, and “new monastic” communities. They meet to share existing research projects and form a learning community around how local churches can be trans- formed by working with the theological concept of the missio Dei. Keywords: church; communities; mission; research
• The Missio Dei as Flourishing Life by Niemandt, Nelus (2020) - In Nelus Niemandt—The Missio Dei as Flourishing Life 13 what way does the missio Dei, as flourishing life, impact the public witness of the church? The idea of life in fullness, or flourishing life has become one of the most important concepts in ecumenical and theological discourse in the last three decades. Keywords: church; creation; dei; flourishing; god; life; missio dei; mission; world
• Towards the Acceptance of Diversity: A Brief History of the Mixed Economy of Church and Continental European Adaptations by Müller, Sabrina (2020) - The mother church of the Anglican World Communion claims since 2004 to be a mixed economy church; one that supports and recognises innovative ecclesial spaces (fresh expressions of Church) as church, as well as parish churches. The fresh expressions of Church are attributed with the func- tion of having extended ecclesiology in the sense that church can be diverse, multiform and structurally variable as Bishop Steven Croft points out: FxC helps us to lose our arrogance about “there is only one way of being church.” Keywords: church; churches; diversity; economy; england; expressions; mission; müller; u e; unity
• Missiological Perspectives from Germany: Innovation and Mission in Rural Areas by Herbst, Michael (2020) - This will have a major impact on the re- ligious landscape inasmuch as the church tax system in Germany grants financial stability to Lutheran Churches. “Kirche im Umbruch” is a study on the development of church membership and church taxes in the Lutheran Churches of Germany. Keywords: areas; church; churches; der; economy; germany; herbst; innovation; kirche; mission; study
• Editorial by Rooms, Nigel (2022) - and now of the present moment, which is of course where prayer and spiritual practices take us – and where God is avail- able to us, thus underlining the point Mike Harrison was making. Vo l u m e 3 , I s s u e 1 2 against such personal and communal maturation; the importance in all this of embodied spiritual practices (and therefore neurotheological insights into the how the right hemisphere of the brain can help us) which all adds up to a very different understanding of ‘salvation’ from that which we inherited from our immediate forbears. Keywords: church; mission; pioneer
• Discipleship, mentorship and training which empowers African women for ministry in the diaspora by M’fundisi-Holloway, Naar (2022) - Their influence resides within the parameters of their ministries and other diaspora ministries. 41 Discipleship, mentorship and training which empowers African women for ministry in the diaspora Naar M’fundisi-Holloway Dr Naar M’fundisi-Holloway is an Action Researcher at the Territorial Headquarters of The Salvation Army in London. Keywords: african; church; diaspora; discipleship; mentorship; ministries; ministry; mission; training; women
• Problems with "pioneering" mission: Reflections on the term "pioneer" from Germany, South Africa and the UK by Aldous, Ben; Larner, Luke; Schleifenbaum, Adrian; Sidhu, Rajiv (2022) - As I said this is my idea of pioneer mission, gone wrong. Mission Shaped Church embraces the call to “remember the poor” as “incumbent upon all churches exploring church planting or fresh expressions” (2004:7). Keywords: church; context; expressions; l e; mission; people; pioneer; pioneering; s u; term; theology; u e; white
• Kwiyani, Harvey, Multicultural Kingdom: Ethnic Diversity, Mission and the Church: London: SCM Press, 2020. ISBN: 978-03-3405-752-9 by Müller, Sabrina (2022) - The focus is then on the two-in-one question of what African mission theology can contribute E c c l e s i In doing so, he refers to his home country Malawi, where he experienced church as fundamentally multicultural and polyphonic. Keywords: church; mission
• Beholding: Recovering “right brain” apophatic spirituality for the local church in mission by Rooms, Nigel (2022) - An Ordinary Mission of God Theology: Challenging Missional Church Idealism, Providing Solutions, Eugene OR: Wipf & Stock. Ross’ schematic shows the proper relationship between left (“Self-conscious Mind”) and right brain (“Deep Mind”) attentiveness for opti- mal functioning. Keywords: brain; church; god; mission; missional; right; rooms; ross; silence; world
• The LIMM Model: Paradigm for Missiological Research by Labuschagne, Pieter (2023) - Keywords: Missiological research model, Missio Dei, Christocentricity, Contextuality. 2 Methodology: integrative literature review Integrative Literature Review was used as research model in this article. Keywords: context; dei; experience; god; lim; ministry; mission; model; phase; research; situation; theology
• Report of the Christian Communities and Mission Study Group by Taylor, Lynne; Rooms, Nigel (2022) - 7 Report of the Christian Communities and Mission Study Group IAMS Assembly, Morling College, Sydney, Australia 7-11 July 2022 Lynne Taylor lynne.taylor@otago.ac.nz Jack Somerville Lecturer in Pastoral Theology, Theology Programme, University of Otago, Aotearoa New Zealand Nigel Rooms nigel.rooms@churchmissionsociety.org Church Mission Society, Oxford UK and The Queen’s Foundation, Birmingham, UK The Christian Communities and Mission Study Group (CC&M) was conceived at the 2016 International Association of Mission Studies (IAMS) Assembly in Seoul and later accepted as a study group by the IAMS Executive Committee. The Christian Communities and Mission Study Group understands local Christian communities as (a) the hermeneutic of the gospel and (b) meeting God’s future as it comes towards us in the shape of the reign of God within the particular time and place that we find ourselves. Keywords: group; mission; study
• Editorial volume 3 issue 2 by Taylor, Steve (2022) - Original research This issue of Ecclesial Futures offers five original research articles. Through Diamond Open Access, original research is available free to authors and reader. Keywords: communities; futures; mission; research; ways
• Nigerian Pentecostal Mission in Europe: Ecumenical and Secular Relations in Britain by Adenekan-Koevoets, Bisi (2023) - RCCG’s strate- gies for ecumenical engagement include inter-church worship, knowledge exchange and partnership with other churches to enhance Christian social action and services to the needy within the communities. Pastor T explained how his church had collected (from church members) and donated great amounts of groceries to their local food bank and received commendation for their support (Pastor T, inter- view 4/2/2020). Keywords: churches; doi; ecumenism; ef13424; futures; jesus; leaders; london; members; mission; nigerian; pentecostal; rccg
• A Congregational Study on Mission Readiness: Toward a practical ecclesiology of practical action by Harden, Mark (2023) - I collaborated with a local church using a self-assessment tool I developed for church mobilization readiness assessments. Recruit motivated volunteers who will support church mission ministries. Keywords: activities; church; community; congregation; members; mission; mobilization; readiness; study; theory
• The Metaverse as a Digital Missionary Site by Nam, Sung Hyuk (2023) - The nature, purpose, potential and limitations of virtual churches should be investigated, and discussions on the role of avatars, virtual spirituality, virtual ministry and the development of virtual church communities are necessary. The metaverse plat- form called Second Life was launched in 2003, and in the following year, the British Methodist Church started the Church of Fools to experiment with virtual churches in the metaverse. Keywords: activities; church; churches; digital; generation; korean; metaverse; mission; new; online; real; world
• Mongolian Migrants in a Korean Missional Church: : The Case of Nasom Community by Lee, Seon-Yi (2023) - From the 1980s, missions conducted by single church units had great impact and Korean church missions acquired the tendency to focus on the local church’s own self-expansion. Nasom church, a local church, is a part of Nasom Community. Keywords: centre; church; community; korean; migrants; mission; missional; mongolian; nasom; nasom community; seoul; workers
• Missional Discipleship in Post-Pandemic Korea: : The Case of Suwonsung Church by Lee, Bright Myeong-Seok (2023) - 56 Ecclesial Futures – DOI: 10.54195/ef13755 Proposal: Discipleship training from the perspective of the Kingdom of God The usual kind of discipleship training in the Korean church had a rather narrow soteriology and church-centered bias against the world. Keywords: Pandemic; Korean church; Reliability; Disciple(s); Discipleship training Introduction Besides the mega trends of digitization and climate change, South Korea is rapidly aging and the birthrate is falling at an alarming rate. Keywords: christ; church; discipleship; discipleship training; doi; futures; mission; new; social; society; suwonsung; suwonsung church; training; world
• Learning to love: Pastoral care as mission at church-based, intercultural initiatives by Holdsworth, Sue (2023) - This review argues for pastoral care practices to underwrite Christian practices of empathy and compassion, hospitality and spirituality. I am reminded of Pembroke’s application of the “relational space” within the Trinity to pastoral care practice. Keywords: care; church; empathy; futures; god; hospitality; initiatives; love; mission; participants; practices; volunteers
• Freeing Congregational Mission: A Practical Vision for Companionship, Cultural Humility, and Co-Development by Young Lee, Say (2023) - In the second section, they provide church mission leaders with a practical method- ology for practising companionship-based missions and enacting tangible transfor- mations that align with God’s mission. In this context, the authors call upon church mission leaders to alter their attitudes and methodologies in order to align their mission practice with the concept of companionship-based missions, providing practical strategies for implementing these changes. Keywords: authors; church; companionship; mission
• CONTENTS and Editorial by Taylor, Steve (2023) - Ecclesial Futures welcomes original research not only of local churches but also of denominational structures and in a second article from Aotearoa New Zealand, the focus shifts from a local congregation to a diocese. A literature review resulted in the development of six constructs: relational bonds, role of church leaders, dedi- cated support staff, belief in the plan, commitment to action and available essential capabilities. Keywords: article; church; futures; issue; mission; research; volume
• Editorial 5.1 by Rooms, Nigel (2024) - – Read the article in this issue by Ian Terry on mission with the homeless along- side the article in volume 3, issue 2 by Sally Mann on the place of storytelling in ministry amongst the homeless.1 – Read the article in this issue by Mookgo Solomon Kgatle on mission and African migration in conversation with the article in volume 3, issue 1 by Naar M’fun- disi-Holloway on women from Southern Africa who adopt an entrepreneurial approach in local diaspora networks in the United Kingdom.2 – Read the article in this issue on new monastic spiritualities alongside the article in volume 2, issue 2, by James Fox-Robinson on the Franciscan Vow of Poverty as an Ancient and Modern Resource for Innovative Missional Practice.3 5 Ecclesial Futures – DOI: 10.54195/ef20163 5 For authors looking to submit articles in the future, we as editors encourage a reading through previous issues of Ecclesial Futures to explore the richness of schol- arship that is developing around the journal’s focus on the mission of God in the world embodied in local Christian communities and the systems that support them. A growing body of Ecclesial Futures research With ten issues and over fifty articles, as a journal we are now seeing themes not only within an issue but between issues as well. Keywords: article; futures; god; issue; mission; research
• Missiological approach to Migration and Mission in Pentecostalism: a Pneumatological Missional Imagination by Kgatle, Mookgo Solomon (2024) - Some Zimbabwean migrants prefer attending other migrant churches which are open to other cultures rather than their migrant, monocultural church. This framework is relevant not only for the AFMIMUK but also for other migrant churches across the globe. Keywords: afmimuk; church; god; imagination; migration; mission; missional; pneumatological; spirit
• An Assessment of Contemporary British New Monasticism Framed by the Missional Spirituality of the Celtic Peregrini by Ruxton, Peter (2024) - I C L E DOI: 10.54195/ef19793 An Assessment of Contemporary British New Monasticism Framed by the Missional Spirituality of the Celtic Peregrini Peter Ruxton Abstract From the sixth century, Celtic peregrini (wandering scholars) emerged from Britain and Ireland to establish monastic centres for mission and evangelism. Most prominent were St Columba, of Irish aristocracy, who founded a Celtic monastic centre on Iona in 563, and St Columbanus who undertook his peregrinatio journey across Europe from c.590, establishing Celtic monastic schools at Luxeuil in France, and later Bobbio in northern Italy. Keywords: church; community; doi; ef19793; futures; god; iona; life; mission; new; peregrini; prayer; saints; spirituality
• Implementation of the Mixed Ecology in Church of England Diocesan Strategies by Dunlop, Andrew (2025) - Note that this is an image of what an engaged parish church could look like, not a resource church; but there are clear overtones of the mixed ecology in the variety of church communities in different places within the parish that are suggested. There were different styles of church community across the hub including two existing parish churches (one in the Anglo-Catholic tradition – www.allsaintschurchfalmouth.co.uk), a new church plant (www.newstreetchurch.org), a pre-existing church-café commu- nity, and further student outreach. Keywords: church; churches; diocesan; diocese; ecology; england; expressions; mission; parish; strategy; vision
• Editorial by Taylor, Steve (2024) - – Read the article in this issue by Ian Terry on mission with the homeless along- side the article in volume 3, issue 2 by Sally Mann on the place of storytelling in ministry amongst the homeless.1 – Read the article in this issue by Mookgo Solomon Kgatle on mission and African migration in conversation with the article in volume 3, issue 1 by Naar M’fun- disi-Holloway on women from Southern Africa who adopt an entrepreneurial approach in local diaspora networks in the United Kingdom.2 – Read the article in this issue on new monastic spiritualities alongside the article in volume 2, issue 2, by James Fox-Robinson on the Franciscan Vow of Poverty as an Ancient and Modern Resource for Innovative Missional Practice.3 5 Ecclesial Futures – DOI: 10.54195/ef20163 5 For authors looking to submit articles in the future, we as editors encourage a reading through previous issues of Ecclesial Futures to explore the richness of schol- arship that is developing around the journal’s focus on the mission of God in the world embodied in local Christian communities and the systems that support them. A growing body of Ecclesial Futures research With ten issues and over fifty articles, as a journal we are now seeing themes not only within an issue but between issues as well. Keywords: article; futures; god; issue; mission; research
• Bargár, Pavol. 2023. Embodied Existence: Our Common Life in God by Rooms, Nigel (2024) - Overall, I would thoroughly recommend this affordable book, it will make you think again about the human person and Christian mission, give many avenues for deeper 92 Ecclesial Futures – DOI: 10.54195/ef20157 92 reflection and offer wider reading on the subject. Many other theological anthropologies have been written, such as David Kelsey’s (2009) massive two-volume magnum opus. Keywords: bargár; christian; mission
• Cray, Graham. 2024. On Mission with Jesus: Changing the Default Setting of the Church by Herbst, Michael (2024) - The report’s central suggestion as to how this should be achieved seems almost counter-intuitive: Even in the decline of church life, we do not need fewer churches, but more churches, above all new churches, admittedly not copies of the existing local churches, but missionally vital churches that are deeply contextualized in the diverse social environments. Not one specific type, but many different types of church: for young people, in cafés, in socially deprived areas, at schools, in companies, for target groups that have been difficult to reach, not least for families who want to explore the Christian faith together. Keywords: church; cray; jesus; mission
• Conference Report: Christian Empowerment, Secularity and Church Development by Herbst, Michael; Todjeras, Patrick (2025) - Where do we discover traces of the work of the Holy Spirit and how does church life develop in our contexts? But the East German context, with the experience of 40 years of state discrimination and margin- alization of church life, illustrated Taylor’s insights in a highly impressive way. Keywords: academic; church; churches; god; mission; work
• Innovative Mission Funding: Approaches Used by Assemblies of God Ghana in the Vision 3000 Initiative by Donkor Ampofo, Mishael ; White, Peter (2025) - Keywords: Mission funding, Vision 3000, Assemblies of God Ghana, Church planting, Resource mobilization 1 Introduction The dramatic shift in global Christianity’s centre of gravity towards Africa has funda- mentally transformed mission work dynamics, particularly in funding approaches. The complexity of mission funding involves various aspects, including generosity, poverty alleviation and financial sustainability (Myers, 2011: 130; Franklin and Niemandt 2015). Keywords: approaches; church; churches; doi; ef22577; funding; futures; ghana; mission; resource; vision
• The Indigenous provenance of missio spiritus and the expansion of African Pentecostalism by Kgatle, Mookgo Solomon (2025) - In the contemporary Pentecostal movement, particularly looking at the Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles, United States of America, the revival was character- ized by pneumatic experiences such as Spirit baptism, speaking in tongues and other miraculous manifestations (Hollenweger & MacRobert 1988; Menzies & Menzies 2000; Althouse 2003). Bediako (1995) spoke of Pentecos- tals in Africa who do not even know about the Azusa Street revival but embrace the fundamental teachings of Pentecostalism such as Spirit baptism. Keywords: african; holy spirit; life; missio spiritus; mission; pentecostalism; provenance; role; spirit; world
• “Bringing the Gospel to the City together”: Interconfessional Cooperation in Missionary Church Development in Vienna by Kräuter, Thomas; Barentsen, Jack (2025) - This raises the question how interconfessional unity might be expressed in the praxis of missionary church development. Therefore, an empirical investigation among seventeen Christian leaders from different confessions involved in missionary church development in Vienna was conducted. Keywords: catholic; church; churches; cooperation; development; doi; futures; god; gospel; interview; mission; missionary; pastor; planting; research; vienna
• Legrand, Lucien. 2023. Paul and Mission. by Doss, John D. (2025) - Paul and Mission Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books ISBN: 978-16-2698-516-2 Reviewed by John D. Doss Lucien Legrand’s study of Paul and Mission was initially published in French in 2021 as Paul et la Mission: Apôtre des temps nouveaux. In chapters 3–4, Legrand explores two of Paul’s most frequent self- identifications: apostle and servant of Jesus Christ. Keywords: acts; apostle; legrand; mission; paul
• Unity and Diversity among Ghana’s new Prophetic Churches: A Comparative Study of Vida Bethel Prayer Ministry and Believers Worship Centre by Manu, Eric (2025) - I c l E DOI: 10.54195/ef23612 Unity and Diversity among Ghana’s new Prophetic Churches: A Comparative Study of Vida Bethel Prayer Ministry and Believers Worship Centre Eric Manu abstract Neo-prophetism has gained significant visibility in contemporary Ghanaian Christi- anity. The paper highlights how the shared yet diverse charac- teristics of prophetic churches not only strengthen religion but also provide members with varied feelings and experiences regarding their neo-prophetic faith. Keywords: believers; bwc; church; churches; ghana; god; items; members; ministries; mission; neo; pentecostal; prayer; service; vbpm
• Editorial by Taylo, Steve (2025) - She offers an invaluable insight, first, because of her empirical work on new expressions of independent community churches as an under-researched population. A central insight is the realization by church leaders that technology is not a peripheral tool pre-pandemic but an essential component. Keywords: article; church; mission; research

• A Reflection on Nominal Christians in Contemporary England: A Non-Diasporic Korean Missionary Perspective by Kim, Sinwoong (2021) - An encounter with religious nominals, however, is a relatively new experience to Korean missionaries. Can religious nominals be related to the redemp- tive work of God in ways that Korean missionaries do not fully comprehend? Keywords: christians; church; god; korean; missionaries; nominals; religion; view
• Dreams and Visions: Critical Realism, Practical Theology, and the Spiritual Experiences of Pioneers Discerning the Missio Dei by Bradbury, Paul (2020) - I am currently embarking on research which aims to explore the reality of spiritual experience in the lives of those called to new missional and ecclesial endeavors in today’s church. In this reduction the particular nature of spiritual experience can be ignored, perhaps conveniently in view of a preference for theolo- gies that provide little space for experiences of such an unverifiable nature.1 1. Keywords: church; experience; god; new; realism; spirit; story; theology
• Stories that Shape an Understanding of God’s Mission in the World: Visionary Leadership in the ELCA by Stache, Kristine (2020) - Kristine Stache—Stories that Shape an Understanding 53 This project and its methodology serve as an experiment in practical theology, starting in “human experience and its desire to reflect theologically on such experience,” with the ultimate goal “to increase our knowledge of God and to enable us to live more loving and faith-filled lives” (Swinton and Mowat 2016, xi–xiii), in particular faith-filled lives as visionary ministry leaders for the sake of the world. God is at work in and through these leaders, their co-leaders, and the raising up of new leaders. Keywords: church; community; god; leaders; ministry; people
• Free for Mission: Missional Church and Ethnographic Fieldwork by Hagley, Scott J. (2020) - It is here, within Jenson’s understanding of the Spirit as the power of God’s own future, as the liberator of God and creature for relationship, where fieldwork can be envisioned in terms of God’s mission, and where missional theology invites ethnographic research. What is needed, I will suggest below, is a different vantage point from which to consider the theological density of missional church practices. Keywords: church; congregation; ethnographic; god; jenson; missional; spirit; theological; theology
• Roxburgh, Alan J., and Robinson Martin. 2018. Practices for the Refounding of God’s People: The Missional Challenge of the West: New York: Church Publishing. ISBN: 978-0-8192-3384-4 by James, Christopher B. (2020) - They propose the vocation of the Church in the midst of the unraveling of the West is to join with God in the refounding of an unmoored society. Roxburgh and Robinson identify the heart of the problem as Modernity’s wager—the bet that life and society could flourish without God. Keywords: church; god; people; west
• Setting God’s pioneers free? The need to release lay pioneers from the Church of England’s narrative of resourcing and equipping by Butler, James (2022) - She notes that while these emerg- ing church groups such as fresh expressions are a contra-motion and critique of organizational church, the organization also offers stability and continuity to the emerging community (Müller, 2019a: 142). Mission Shaped Church seemed to take a different approach, recognizing a movement of lay leadership within fresh expressions. Keywords: church; expressions; god; lay; people; pioneering; pioneers; story
• Joyful disciples: A study of a missing link in considering spiritual disciplines and corporate missional habits by Harrison, Mike (2022) - However, observation suggests that while most Christians agree that God is a God of love who loves them, this belief is not reflected in the manifesting of relational joy or character transformation. Hopefully it will be clear from this that we are not proposing a Pelagian soteriology or elevating human agency as the means of realizing joy, which would be to lose sight of God as subject and with it the very relationship in which our joy is rooted. Keywords: brain; character; christian; god; joy; life; mind; relationship
• We want the good life now: Insights from lived religion for a whole person and communal approach to salvation in the twenty-first century by Aždajić, Dejan (2022) - Modern people may perhaps be unable to determine absolute truth but that is acceptable assuming that the freedom to independently choose remains. Seel suggests that the essential attitude for modern people is that they believe that, “Pure truth is an abstraction, not a lived experience” (Seel, 2018: 49). Keywords: christian; god; good; life; people; religion; salvation; theology; u e
• Roxburgh, Alan J., Joining God in the Great Unraveling: Where We Are & What I’ve Learned: Eugene, Oregon: Cascade Books, 2021. ISBN: 978-17-2528-850-8 by Olsen, Steen (2022) - Many church members understand that “business as usual” is no longer possible. Roxburgh had already challenged many of the assumptions behind the strategic planning approach to church leadership in his 2010 book, Missional Map-Making: Skills for Leading in Times of Transition. Keywords: church; god; roxburgh
• Surfing with the Spirit or sinking into the sea? : Elements enabling Christian character formation in a post-Christendom culture by Harrison, Mike (2022) - Further, while Aristotelian approaches are particularly popu- lar in the contemporary (especially secular) literature, this essay considers the significance of dimensions of Christian character formation which are often E c c l e s i Keywords: Christian character formation; Christian spirituality; Church; Eucharist; Missio Dei; Neuroscience Introduction The New Testament is full of descriptions and injunctions relating to Christian character formation (such as Mt. 5-7, Gal. 5, Eph. 4, Phil. Keywords: brain; character; christian; community; formation; god; jesus; love; people; skills
• How to make the best Ganjang Gejang: The Missional Church Movement in Korea: Evaluation and Proposal by Chung, Seung-hyun (2023) - Kong3al Commu- nity and Ilbeot Church, located in Gang-hwa Island, South Korea, practise such fellow- ship between human and human, human and nature, and creation and God. The other insists that since God revealed in scripture always calls and sends people, church members should likewise go to their local communities to participate in his mission. Keywords: church; creation; dei; fellowship; god; missio; missional; moltmann; triune
• Balancing visible and invisible belonging for Korean Migrant Missional Churches in Aotearoa New Zealand by Kim, Hyeong-kyoon (2023) - 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 2004 2006 2013 2014 2018 2021 Christian Population (%) New Zealand Korean churches in NZ Korea Figure 1 Christian percentages in three different contexts Korean and New Zealand censuses are tabulated in different years, so it is not possible to perfectly compare the percentages of Christians in Korea and New Zealand. Following the analysis, the paper suggests practical ways to enable Korean missional churches in New Zealand. Keywords: belonging; christians; churches; culture; god; missional; missions; new; new zealand; sense; zealand
• The God Who Walks Slowly: Reflections on Mission with Kosuke Koyama: Book Review by Woodman, Simon (2023) - Against those strands of Christianity that over-emphasize an otherworldly experience or destination as the goal of mission, Koyama points to the fragile humanity of Jesus, noting that God chooses to work slowly and inefficiently, to the point where God in Christ comes to a full stop on the cross: the “nailed down” God. Listening to those who have worked in disability theology, Aldous points to the disabling vulnerability of God nailed to the cross, and brings this into dialogue with the technological utopianism of transhu- manism: for all of the benefits of technology, God is still an embodied God, revealed in the vulnerable and broken body of Christ Jesus. Keywords: aldous; god; koyama
• Reflections on Faithful Innovation in the City of Saint Francis: ICEF Conference Report by Hagley, Scott (2024) - Keywords: International Consultation on Ecclesial Futures, Faithful innovation, Creativity, San Francisco Bay Area Above a stairway overlooking Frida Kahlo Avenue in San Francisco, a statue of Saint Francis stands, arms outstretched to welcome the city, body shaped like a cross, beatific eyes peeking out under a monk’s hood. The International Consultation on Ecclesial Futures (ICEF) gathered scholars, pastors and judicatory leaders from the United States, Europe, South Africa and Australia in the Bay Area during a week in July 2023 to consider the theoretical, theological and practical dimensions of faithful innovation for post-Christian and post- Christendom contexts. Keywords: beauty; christian; church; communities; creativity; faithful; god; innovation; new; work
• Sharing in the Indiscriminate Generosity of God by Natalie Magnusson (2024) - Keywords: Racial justice, Economy of God, Missional engagement, Luke 14, Practice of listening, Eucharist Introduction During the summer of 2022, I implemented a Doctor of Ministry research project at St Paul’s Episcopal Church in Jackson, Michigan seeking to discern God’s call of racial justice in our local community (Magnusson 2023).1 Being a socially progressive congregation, I anticipated little resistance from members and, instead, a readiness for joining in God’s work of justice in our local community. In consideration of these obstacles, this article recommends the indiscriminate generosity of God for funding the imagination of the missional commu- nity for faithful innovation related to racial justice. Keywords: church; community; doi; economy; futures; god; host; justice; listening; participants; paul; project; white
• The Two Crises of the Church by Van der Meulen, Marten; van den Berge-Bakker, Jonna (2024) - The Church’s job then is to get people into the Christian domain or keep them there, thus reducing the secular domain.9 It turns out that many churches and believers think that there is a solution 7 Not publicly available. Keywords: Church decline, Kingdom of God, Discernment, Calling, Eschatology Introduction1 There is a widespread sense that the Church is not doing well. Keywords: calling; church; churches; crisis; decline; god; kingdom; new; people; repair; secular; van
• A Missional Church Strategy in an Era of Humanlike Chatbots by Hirome, David (2024) - 54 Ecclesial Futures – DOI: 10.54195/ef18743 The current state of AI chatbot technology reflects advances in the areas of natural language processing (NLP) and deep learning (DL) contributing to their widespread adoption across various industries. AI chatbots are designed to simulate human conversation and respond to user queries in real time. Keywords: 2020; agents; chatbots; christian; church; embodied; god; hlcs; human; humanlike; intelligence; missional; technology; world
• Proclaiming and Embodying Peace in Pacifist Japan: a Reformed Church Perspective by Van der Watt, Stéphan (2024) - We call for the defense of all human life – created in the image of God – to be the path to peace, without being deceived by national politicians and the mass media, who create enemies and try to replace peace issues with military security issues. Reconsidering the Meaning of Peace Today How can peace be properly understood? Keywords: article; christian; church; declaration; doi; futures; god; japan; japanese; justice; pacifism; peace; rcj; reformed; war; world
• Characteristics of a 'common good building' Church of England Church: A case study in a UK southern coastal town by Terry, Ian (2024) - This investigation will assist church leaders in focusing resources and training on an outworking of the Missio Dei that aspires to common good building. This became a guiding principle (the research ethics principle, “not about me, without me”) as I researched inclusive partnerships for “common good building” in the coastal town in which I was parish priest. Keywords: building; church; churches; doi; ef19017; futures; god; good; love; people; research; work
• Healing the Wounded to Lead in the Postcolonial Church by Labuschagne, Pieter (2024) - It is valuable, therefore, to ask what the church should learn from the example of Gideon, and how the church could make a meaningful contribution in helping people to find their true identity in Christ. This article makes use of Exegesis by Story as methodology to describe the journey of the Old Testament judge Gideon, as an example of healing and restoration of the hearts and minds of the oppressed. Keywords: church; doi; ef19268; futures; gideon; god; judg; lord; people; story; text
• Relational Authenticity in Community: A Key for Support on the Spiritual Journey? by Oliva, Sarah (2025) - For church communities, this will look like a commitment to cultivating rela- tional authenticity through open conversation and dialogue and being respectful of others’ views, whilst holding common tenets of faith. Callahan’s (2000) work on small community churches observed a growing trend toward small, strong congregations, arguing that people were looking for communities that embraced relationships over busy church programmes. Keywords: authenticity; church; community; doi; ef19862; faith; futures; god; journey; relationships
• Root, Andrew, and Blair D. Bertrand. 2023. When Church Stops Working: A Future for Your Congregation beyond More Money, Programs, and Innovation by Eiffler, Felix (2024) - Part of being Church means waiting and this is the even deeper and older crisis of the Church: waiting for God: “A waiting church is waiting for God, waiting for the Spirit to move, and waiting to connect with God. Root and Bertrand point to the book of Acts, where Jesus calls the Church to wait for God to act (Chapter 4). Keywords: church; god
• Cavanaugh, William T. 2024. The Uses of Idolatry. by Hagley, Scott J. (2025) - Cavanaugh concludes: “An exchange has taken place, whereby God has been depersonalized, reduced to merely immanent and impersonal forces of human creation, while the most mundane and rational processes and institutions have been divinized … enchantment and disenchantment are inextricably entangled” (47). Drawing from Emile Durkheim’s functionalist theory of religion, Cavanaugh shows how Taylor’s account ignores modern religious activity that falls outside the bounds of religious belief. Keywords: cavanaugh; disenchantment; god; idolatry
• BOOK REVIEW Root, Andrew 2025. Evangelism in an Age of Despair by Eiffler, Felix (2025) - Evangelism in an Age of Despair: Hope beyond the Failed Promise of Happiness Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic ISBN: 9781540968715 Reviewed by Felix Eiffler In his new book on evangelism, Lutheran theologian Andrew Root presents an orig- inal and inspiring concept. Under the headline “Read before Using (Don’t Skip!)” he lays out his basic idea of his book: “Evangelism and discipleship are fused. Keywords: approach; evangelism; god; root

• Out with the Old, in with the New? An Introduction to the Phenomenon of New Churches in Glasgow, Scotland by Akomiah-Conteh, Sheila (2021) - The Sheila Akomiah-Conteh—Out with the Old, in with the New? 51 presence and effect of new churches in Glasgow indicate seismic changes and presents new challenges in the spiritual landscape of this post-Christian city, not least around the homogeneity of the majority of them. Using em- pirical research methods, this article investigates the phenomenon of new churches in the city of Glasgow in Scotland, to add to the growing body of knowledge on this emerging trend in contempo- rary British Christianity. Keywords: churches; city; glasgow; groups; l e; new; percent; s u; scotland; scottish; study; u e
• A Contextual Analysis of Onnuri Church’s “Love Sonata”: “Cultural Evangelism Gatherings” in Japan by Jennings, J. Nelson (2020) - Nor would the percentage of the cumulative number of Japanese Love Sonata attendees out of Ja- pan’s total population (0.0611 percent) fare much better, including when compared to the well over 20 percent TV ratings of “Fuyu no Sonata” in Japan by the end of only its first airing in 2003 (Yasuko 2004). After extensive prayer gatherings, Love Sonata events were held in Oki- nawa, Fukuoka, Osaka, then Tokyo (Ha 2017, 327–28, 334–37). Keywords: church; churches; japan; japanese; korean; l e; love; love sonata; onnuri; onnuri church; s u; sonata; u e
• Churches’ Missional Engagement during the Pandemic and afterwards in Korea by Park, Bokyoung (2023) - In addition, church programmes such as Bible study groups and spiritual training programmes for church members also heightened the “in-gathering” paradigm. 36 Ecclesial Futures – DOI: 10.54195/ ef13656 Moreover, since church members were not allowed to gather, the church started a new ministry of distribution of church newsletters. Keywords: christians; church; churches; engagement; gospel; groups; korean; members; online; pandemic; people; services; society
• Small Missional Church as an alternative in the period of Church Decline in Korea by Tan, An-wei (2023) - An-Wei Tan Abstract This article examines the causes and circumstances of the decline of Korean churches since the 2000s. Keywords: Korean church; Decline; Missional ecclesiology; Small missional church; Shared worship space Introduction It is well-known that the Korean church experienced revival and growth in a short period of time in the mid to late twentieth century. Keywords: christian; church; churches; growth; korean; ministry; missional; pastors; people; space; worship
• Editorial Volume 4 Issue 1 by Park, Bokyoung; Lee, Seonyi (2023) - In developing Korean missional ecclesiology, Kook-Il Han has described this unique centripetal and attractional approach in Korean churches as the paradigm of “Noah’s ark” where the church provides safety from the wider world and which soon became the undergirding paradigm of Korean Protestant churches. Missional ecclesiology arose in the West from the acute realization that the gospel needs to interact missionally with a highly secularized post-Christian culture, Korean missional ecclesiology emerged from a totally different situation, especially in its relationship with surrounding cultures. Keywords: churches; ecclesiology; issue; korean; missional
• A Public Missiology by Butler, James (2023) - I am drawn to its vision for public witness, its account of the thickness of public life and its engagement with structural sin. This involves engaging with complexity, some- thing Okkesson terms ‘thickness’ – the interwoven nature of public life. Keywords: book; churches; witness
• Making Sense about the Future of Churches' Engagement with Technology: A Post-pandemic Reflection on Digital Ministry by Campbell, Heidi A; Boone, Megan (2025) - The article investigates church leaders’ experiences as documented by the Tech in Churches During COVID-19 project, a three- year study of how Indiana churches utilized and integrated technology to sustain community and worship amidst the pandemic. The article answers these questions by applying sensemaking theory to identify the rationale and responses behind church leaders’ decisions about which tools and platforms to use, as well as to frame new patterns of practice. Keywords: church; churches; congregations; covid-19; digital; leaders; ministry; new; pandemic; sensemaking; study; technology; worship
• Fostering Diversity in Congregations: A practical framework for local churches to reflect and improve accessibility by Kauhaus, Hanna (2025) - How can a local church start a process of diversifying and ensuring that different people can fully participate? This has the negative potential to reproduce stereotypes, but it can also be a necessary tool to think about accessibility and barriers for different people – even though each person is more than just part of different social groups (e.g. a woman, a mother, someone with migration background). Keywords: accessibility; barriers; church; churches; congregation; der; diversity; doi; ef22183; futures; group; kirche; people; und
• Regional and/or local: Can church be present in close proximity and in regional cooperation at the same time? by Herbst, Michael (2025) - But this is now also being felt in the local communities and is the core of the problem local church people are dealing with today. Today we are interested in local church communities and the regional network of churches. Keywords: church; churches; community; doi; ef22223; futures; idea; life; local; people; regional; service; worship
• How do new forms of being church emerge in mainline churches and what does it tell about patterns, dynamics and competition? by Schlegel, Thomas (2025) - Thomas Schlegel Abstract This article deals with the conditions for the emergence of new forms of church, espe- cially in the perspective of top-down dynamics: how do Bottom and Top relate to each other in the development of new churches? To do research in this realm can help church leaders in inititating new churches: Is it possible to control it in a more direct way – not only by establishing the right conditions? Keywords: church; churches; der; doi; ef22491; forms; futures; initiatives; innovation
• BOOK REVIEW Edwards, Korie L., and Rebecca Y. Kim. 2024. Estranged Pioneers: Race, Faith, and Leadership in a Diverse World by Butler, James (2025) - What I found particularly powerful were the stories of pastors of colour who had a sense of calling towards leading multiracial churches. Given that one of the critiques of this language is that it is inappropriate because of its colonial connota- tions and connections, it was interesting to find it used as the language to describe those who sense a call to lead racially diverse churches, or multiracial churches, in the terms favoured in the book. Keywords: book; churches

• Communal maturation and missional discipleship: A congregational study by Ladd, Nick (2022) - Communal practices Shared communal missional practices gave them the structure and support they needed to make their personal and communal journeys of change; the vicar used the word “scaffolding” to describe this supportive role. Nick Ladd—Communal maturation and missional discipleship 69 In PMC, communal missional practices disrupt individualization through the invitation and challenge to attend to the “reasonably friendly-looking stranger” whether in the church as we read Scripture together or in the wider community as we risk initiating a conversation with a person of peace. Keywords: church; community; groups; journey; maturation; new; people; personal
• Cultural perceptions: A barrier to the role of cross-cultural friendships in mission? by Neate, John (2022) - For example, several respondents described the personal benefit they had experienced from friendships with White British people, particularly in terms of providing opportunities to learn more about White British culture, and calls were made for CoP-UK’s leadership to be intentional in providing training sessions for its members on this topic (Focus Group, 2021). This paper explores the perceptions of White British culture held by CoP-UK leaders and members and how these may be shaping current attitudes both to UK cultural engagement and to investment in cross-cultural friendships. Keywords: british; cent; church; cop; cross; culture; evangelism; friendships; people; research; white
• “They made space for me”: Enhancing receptive generosity in an Anglican Diocese in Aotearoa New Zealand by Rivera, Catherine (2023) - However, they also pointed out that Anglicanism was now marginal in New Zealand society overall. Despite this stance, in general there is 36 Ecclesial Futures – DOI: 10.54195/ef16368 a growing awareness of becoming marginal in New Zealand society which, I would argue, has opened spaces for change and transformation in some dioceses that would not have been entertained when Anglicanism was at its height of influence. Keywords: anglican; church; coles; community; diocese; groups; new; participants; people; research; spaces; table; zealand
• Bending the Light: A Methodological Structure for Collaborative Theological Inquiry by Benac, Dustin; Kalbaugh, Juli; Coe, Hannah; Miller, Tatum; Moniz, Erin (2023) - Three books guided our conversation during this Contextual Research Hub: Bonhoeffer’s Life Together (1995), Cohen’s Belonging (2022), and Birmingham and Simard’s Creating Cultures of Belonging (2022) provided prompts for our conversation. The objectives of celebration, collaboration and contextual engagement rang as more than a moniker slapped on conventional methods as it wove setting, stories, people, and posture into a tapestry of research on the topic of Belonging. Keywords: belonging; church; communities; gathering; hub; imagination; inquiry; light; people; research; structure; theological; work
• Orthodox Perspectives on the Church as an Evangelizing, Eucharistic Community: A Case Study of the Orthodox Parish of St John of Kronstadt, Bath, UK by Kolosova, Alison (2024) - Such common ground suggests that dialogue between eastern and western missiological traditions should be strengthened and more attention paid by both scholars and practitioners to the missional experience of Orthodox Christian communities, both Eastern and Oriental, who have found a home in the Western world. The third immense challenge has been the consequence of aiming to be an English-language Orthodox Christian community open to people of all and every nationality, rather than a parish formed to provide pastoral care largely for those from one particular country and national tradition which has often been the case with Orthodox diaspora communities. Keywords: christian; church; community; fr john; john; kronstadt; liturgy; orthodox; parish; people; russian; schmemann
• Examining Filipino Popular Piety in the light of Vatican II’s Directory of Popular Piety and the Liturgy: Principles and Guidelines by Maicom, Kevin (2024) - 6.1 Gestures The gestural characteristic of popular piety in the Philippines is distinguished by the presence of extravagant and exaggerated bodily motions, which extend beyond the mere acts of kissing or caressing religious images and objects, serving as symbolic actions as reflected in DPPL, 15: Popular piety is characterized by a great variety and richness of bodily, gestural, and symbolic expressions: kissing or touching images, places, relics, and sacred objects; pilgrimages, processions; going bare-footed or on one’s knees; kneeling and prostrating; wearing medals and badges ... 1 Ecclesial Futures – DOI: 10.54195/ef19163 DOI: 10.54195/ef19163 A R T I C L E Ecclesial Futures 2024 Examining Filipino Popular Piety in the light of Vatican II’s Directory of Popular Piety and the Liturgy: Principles and Guidelines Kevin Maicom Abstract Celebrating popular piety in different regions reflects the vibrant, diverse, and festive culture of the Philippines. Keywords: celebration; christian; church; culture; dppl; faith; filipino; liturgical; liturgy; people; philippines; piety; practices
• Christian Empowerment and Secularity by Domsgen, Michael (2025) - Research at the CES focuses on religious communication, missional church develop- ment, and church theory in secular contexts, aiming to enhance the relevance of the Gospel through empowerment-driven approaches. The potential of this approach is not yet fully explored, notably when focusing on church theory and church development. Keywords: church; empowerment; gospel; people; questions; research; self
• Evaluation of Ecclesial Innovations as Empowerment by Eiffler, Felix (2025) - These efforts towards church innovation are taking place against the backdrop of increasing 1 The evaluation and scientific monitoring of efforts to develop missional, contex- tual and innovative forms and new expressions of church should help to learn and better understand how a shrinking former so-called people’s church (Volkskirche) can 3 Both churches belong to the Evangelical Church in Germany (Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland – EKD). Keywords: church; der; elhaus; eprs; evaluation; futures; innovation; kirche; learning; people; process; research; results

• Regenerative : Regenerative Development as a pathway for church renewal by Dewerse, Rosemary; Haines, Roxanne; McGregor, Stu (2023) - The “Regen Boards” we populated together provided the data against which all subsequent parts of our Regenerative Process were cross-referenced by our facilitator Rhyll and a small team of key Cityside Regenerative Practitioners and leaders supporting her. Essentially at the time a fresh expression of church community in the inner city made up of young to middle-aged adults, Cityside, initially led by Mark Pierson, became known for being a safe space for those struggling with traditional theological assumptions and perfor- mance-based paradigms of church, and for its innovation in artistic expression and participatory “ancient-future worship” (Pierson, n.d.). Keywords: auckland; baptist; building; church; cityside; community; development; doi; ef17944; essence; futures; new; place; potential; process; version

• Leading from the liturgy: Ordained ministers as facilitators of a communal process of interpretation by den Hertog, Rein (2022) - Whereas other Reformed churches (such as Strasbourg and Geneva) were largely depen- dent on the whims of the city councils, the Strangers’ church enjoyed a large degree of independence. Komasa’s film is helpful in visualizing challenges that lie behind the formal language of church reports. Keywords: cgkn; church; community; daniel; interpretation; l e; ministry; process; s u; u e
• Digital Worship as Fostering or Inhibiting Social Inclusion and Social Cohesion by Blackmer, Geneva (2024) - The second gap brought about by observation of these ambivalences is the lack of case studies specifically related to digital religious communities necessary to address more specialized facets of research, e.g., Do any observable digital participations exist specifically in religious settings/communities that foster inclusion and cohesion in those religious communities? Demonstration of how digital worship can positively foster religious commu- nity in online spaces should not be viewed as a threat, but a supplementary asset and enhancement of existing church worship structures which occur in physical spaces. Keywords: access; church; communication; community; digital; disability; inclusion; participation; theology; worship

• Tradition and Apocalypse: An Essay on the Future of Christian Belief : Book Review by Sonea, Cristian (2023) - Hart describes it as an ideal dimension of Christian tradition, essen- tial to its “coherence but inexhaustible by any of the configurations the tradition has assumed over the centuries” (243). The author initially addressed the topic of this essay in a lecture entitled “Tradition and Authority: A Vaguely Gnostic Meditation” at a conference on religious traditions and modernity held at Valparaiso University in April 2018. Keywords: author; christian; hart; tradition
• Herbst, Michael, Andreas C. Jansson, David Reißmann and Patrick Todjeras. 2024. Evangelisation: Theologische Grundlagen, Zugänge, und Perspektiven; and Stoppels, Sake, Jan Marten Praamsma and Jan Martijn Abrahamse. 2023. Zoeken naar de dingen die boven zijn: heil in een seculiere tijd. by van Driel, Edwin Chr. (2025) - Post-Christian realities seem to deal such vision a deadly wound. But as in post-Christian Europe the immanent frame thickens (Charles Taylor), and not just the Christian faith, but any form of religiosity becomes to be seen as implausible or irrelevant, such dreams of revival seem increasingly improbable. Keywords: book; christian; church; evangelism; post; theological; todjeras
• Editorial by Eiffler, Felix (2025) - Besides prac- tical insights and arguments, Michael Herbst offers also a theological rationale for developing church in a regio-local manner. This interdisciplinary research centre combines different theological traditions and methodological approaches to research Chris- tian faith and practice as well as religious communication and church development in a strongly secularized context like East Germany. Keywords: christian; church; east; empowerment; germany
• BOOK REVIEW Mobsby, Ian. 2025. The Seeking Heart: A Contemplative Approach to Mission and Pioneering by Rooms, Nigel (2025) - Following that beginning, Mobsby conducts a thorough qualitative research project amongst the SBNR (Chapter 3), and the analysis of the data is helpful in delineating various categories that emerge from within the group. On further reflection, it is also perhaps not complex enough – it is too neat, a tying up of every loose end in the author’s mind which leads to something solid rather than fluid, and messy like most of life and spiritual journeys. Keywords: chapter; christian; mobsby

• Parklife – Listening to Stories as a Deep Missional Practice by Mann, Sally (2022) - Ricoeur draws from Aristotle’s understanding of stories and understands story as mimesis. Alongside the victim and hero stories were other stories of loss and bereave- ment. Keywords: identity; mann; missional; parklife; project; ricoeur; sense; stories; story; time

• The Franciscan Vow of Poverty as an Ancient and Modern Resource for Innovative Missional Practice by Fox-Robinson, James (2021) - Contentment Do you define yourself by possessions, wealth, or status, Jim? Jim Errrm, I’m not sure I’ve ever thought about it. Jim Having a smaller footprint.82 Generosity Remembering that, of course, this is all linked. Keywords: clare; franciscan; jim; l e; life; need; poverty; s u; u e; world
• Olofinjana, Israel Oluwole, ed., World Christianity in Western Europe: Diasporic Identity, Narratives & Missiology: Oxford: Regnum Books International, 2020. ISBN 978-1-913363-31-4 by Bargár, Pavol (2021) - Methodologically refreshing and theologically inspiring, it is desirable that the project on diasporic identity, narratives, and missiology expands ecumenically (to include other Christian traditions besides Pentecostals and free churches) and geographically (beyond Western Europe) to offer an even richer portrayal of contemporary world Christianity. The book opens with an introductory study by Olofinjana that provides the reader with helpful orientation when it sheds light on relevant issues, such as the study of world Christianity, diaspora, migration (both in the Bible and contemporary world), Pentecostalism, and Pentecostal studies. Keywords: christianity; world

• A Roundtable Review: Müller, Sabrina. Lived Theology: Impulses for a Pastoral Theology of Empowerment; Hagley, Scott J., Karen Rohrer, and Michael Gehrling, eds. Sustaining Grace: Innovative Ecosystems for New Faith Communities by Todjeras, Patrick (2021) - As a collection, these essays suggest that to facilitate ecologies for innovation in our current era, established congregations and new faith communities must model the sustaining grace of God to one another in creative ways. She provokes with the idea of a signing bonus for leaders called to convene new faith communities. Keywords: church; communities; müller; theology
• The Invitation by Reissmann, David (2023) - In any case, the combination of biblical anchoring and profound dogmatic discus- sion with practical theological reflection and embedding in concrete case studies is a ray of hope from the field of practical theology. This gap extends to current publications in areas such as practical theology and system- atic theology. Keywords: book; church; osmer; theology
• Hartman, Tim. 2020. Theology After Colonization: Bediako, Barth, and the Future of Theological Reflection by Labuschagne, Pieter (2024) - Though Bediako claims that Western theology is more syncretistic than African theology, the opposite seems to be true when he claims that revelation occurs in and through culture. By employing ancestral and royal titles to refer to Jesus, Gyan underscored the presence of Christ in Africa prior to the arrival of Western missionaries, challenging the notion that European vocabulary was neces- sary to encapsulate African theology. Keywords: barth; bediako; reflection; theology

• BOOK REVIEW Mong, Ambrose. 2025. Treasure in Earthen Vessels by Joseph Theng, Andre (2025) - It is certainly a timely intervention, and Mong’s introduction provides insight into his motivations, namely, the negative press surrounding Catholic priests in recent years due to sexual or financial misconduct. Each of these stories will prove to be particularly interesting for readers learning about them for the first time, but certainly also the juxtaposition of these characters in a single volume will provide food for thought on how they might relate to each other, and what they tell us about priests more generally. Keywords: chapters; life; literature; mong; priest

• Campbell, Douglas A. 2020. Pauline Dogmatics: The Triumph of God’s Love: Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. ISBN: 978-0802875648 by Reppenhagen, Martin (2020) - Although Campbell never refers to Paul Hiebert’s “bounded and centered sets” I was very much reminded of this fundamental distinction for understanding missional churches. where Paul must reinterpret Paul” (7) it is actu- ally Campbell himself and his (post)modern view pressing against Paul, e.g., in the field of ethics and very strongly with regard to sex and gender issues? Keywords: book; campbell; paul
• Lucas, Susan (ed.), God’s Church in The World: The Gift of Catholic Mission: Norwich: Canterbury Press, 2020. ISBN: 978-17-8622-240-4 by Larner, Luke (2022) - (as the back cover claims). Organized into a clear structure, the book offers chapters on a variety of important aspects of mission from a Catholic Anglican perspective, including prayer (Ch.1), the Trinity (Ch.2), the Sacraments (Ch.6), Social Justice (Ch.7) and more. I would suggest, therefore, that this leaves room for further published work on Catholic mission in the Anglican tradition which engages a broader and more critical perspective. Keywords: book; catholic
• Bevans, Stephen B. 2024. Community of Missionary Disciples: The Continuing Creation of the Church by Butler, James (2024) - At the same time, I would like to see Stephen Bevans write a shorter book, perhaps 80 pages or so, which take this book as a foundation and allow him the freedom to articulate his own account of mission ecclesiology more clearly. Pope Francis is a key conver- sation partner for Bevans throughout the book, and he highlights the ways in which Francis’ work has drawn out these key themes from the Catholic tradition, particu- larly the writings of the Second Vatican Council. Keywords: book; church
• Bradbury, Paul. 2024. In the Fullness of Time: A Story from the Past and Future of the Church by Rooms, Nigel (2024) - Thus, without referring directly to movements in the English church which seemingly desire to recreate what was (and there are more than one of these), Bradbury shows us what is possible both from within traditional parish churches and in pioneering experimentation that can and do live alongside each other. Bradbury opens by connecting his purpose in writing to being inspired by James Rebanks’ English Pastoral (xi), which is a lament for what has been lost through indus- trial farming, amongst other things, in English rural life while making proposals for its future restoration without retreating into a utopia. Keywords: book; bradbury

• Business Analogies at Church: A Hermeneutical Study into the Use of Analogy for Missional Church Leadership by Robinson, Ian (2021) - Vo l u m e 2 , I s s u e 2 54 2006—naïve readers of business analogies are easily misled from their own core purpose. Despite this misuse of business analogies, there is a major opportunity. Keywords: analogies; analogy; business; church; leadership; learning; new; parables; s u; u e; work
• Courageous, Purposeful, and Reflexive: Writing as a Missional and Emergent Task by Taylor, Lynne; Heath, Elaine; Rooms, Nigel; Taylor, Steve (2021) - Writing is craft, and, for us, writing is missional. Bringing Our Selves Nigel on Writing as Emergent Helen Sword confirms my intuition that there is no one way of writing: indeed, there are as many ways as there are writers. Keywords: craft; sword; taylor; time; work; writing

• When the World Is Changing: A Roundtable Review by Benac, Dustin D. (2020) - This review introduces each work, notes its distinctive contribu- tion to the study of ecclesial change, and concludes by discuss- ing future horizons for ecclesiological inquiry when the world is changing. Nevertheless, time, trust-filled relationships, and the word and work of God can enliven the kind of transformation- al, missional change that is embedded in the Christian tradition. Keywords: change; communities; ecclesial; expressions
• Antonio-del Castillo, Fides, and Raymund B. Habaradas. 2024. Basic Ecclesial Communities in the Philippines: Histories and Stories of a Pilgrim Church by Asuncion, Lemuel (2024) - This landmark work compiles stories of the beginnings and ongoing journeys of 32 dioceses across the archipelago as told by local BEC leaders and representatives in English and different Philippine languages (Cebuano, Ilocano and Tagalog). This is the first locally published compendium of historical narratives of Basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs) at a national scale and is a fruit of the 2021 Local History Writing Workshop for Lay Volunteers in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao to Prepare Diocesan Accounts for BECs. Keywords: bec; becs; church; communities; narratives

• Political Formation by Schröder, Bernhard (2023) - According to them, being formed in church often means a “counter-formation” (25). In conclusion, Political Formation: Being Formed by the Spirit in Church and World is an important contribution to the discussion about Christian formation in a post- Christendom era. Keywords: church; formation; spirit

• Moynagh, Michael. 2017. Church in Life: Innovation, Mission, and Ecclesiology: London: SCM Press. ISBN: 978–0-334–05451-1 by Todjeras, Patrick (2020) - In his previous book Church for Every Context, Moynagh discussed the theology of new contextual churches, like fresh expressions of Church, and how missional thinking developed new forms of church up to and since the publication of the in- fluential Church of England report “Mission-shaped Church. In Church in Life he develops a model of innovation for new forms of churches, which he calls new ecclesial communities. Keywords: church; innovation; moynagh

• Adapting to a Gift Economy: A Review Essay: Williams, John, 2020. Ecclesianarchy: Adaptive Ministry for a Post-Church Society; Barrett, Al, and Ruth Harley, 2020. Being Interrupted: Reimagining Mission from the Outside, In by Hagley, Scott J. (2021) - Writing about the Church of England—though this analysis certainly holds for Mainline Churches in the US—both books show how inherited forms of church life prioritize hierarchical order at the expense of missional imagination, marginalizing possible sources of renewal in the process. The Church of England, Williams warns, ignores the anarchic nature of church life at its own peril. Keywords: church; economy; post; williams

• Müller, Sabrina. 2023. Religious Experience and Its Transformational Power: Qualitative and Hermeneutic Approaches to a Practical Theological Foundational Concept by Joynt, Shaun (2024) - Her detailed exposition concerning religious experience as a practical theological challenge, sensitizing concepts, methodological choices and implementation, and her discussion and findings, all contribute to the value of the monograph as both a contribution to the current debate on religious experiences from a practical theolog- ical perspective as well as an example of a well-executed research study. Chapter 7 considers “religious experience and the change of the personal frame of reference [through a] cross-case and cross-group evaluation” (127) which includes changing the frame of reference processually through religious experiences – these religious experiences occur in everyday settings, and transformation “leads to a reinterpretation of one’s identity and position in the world and thus to a changed view of oneself, others, and the world” (169). Keywords: experience; müller; research; theological

• Questions of Context by den Hertog, Rein (2023) - However, not because of a lack of attention to the contextual nature of the gospel within German missiology of the past century. The discussion between Warneck en Troeltsch shows that from the outset there was a focus on the complex relationship between mission and the cultural embodiment of the gospel within German missiology. Keywords: german; gospel; missiology

• Shaw, Richard. 2024. The Unsettled: Small Stories of Colonisation by Taylor, Steve (2024) - Writing about Aotearoa New Zealand from English shores, Richard Davis argues that settler colonial theology is a more just framing than decolonial or post-colonial theology. Shaw works with small stories as a research methodology. Keywords: new; settler; shaw; stories

• James, Christopher B. 2018. Church Planting in Post-Christian Soil: Theology and Practice: New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN: 978-0-19-067364-2 by Stache, Kristine (2020) - However, the contributions this book makes to the field is not limited to the summary of James’s findings, or even its implications Kristine Stache—Church Planting in Post-Christian Soil 127 for starting and forming new churches. An overview of the ways modeling typology has helped the church study and understand congregations sets the stage for chapter 4 of Church Planting, where James lays out four new models of practical ecclesiology that emerged from his re- search: Church as Great Commission Team, Church as Household of the Spirit, Church as New Community, and Church as Neigh- borhood Incarnation. Keywords: chapter; church; james

• Percy, Martyn. 2025. The Crisis of Colonial Anglicanism: Empire, Slavery and Revolt in the Church of England. by Aldous, Benjamin (2025) - This is understandable given Percy’s own treatment by the Church of England (which he has now left to move to Scotland and be part of an Episcopalian church) and his long-drawn-out and bitter dispute with Christ Church Oxford over various allegations. He then charts the way in which Church of England interests were deeply embedded in the monopoly held by the East India Company. Keywords: church; empire; england; percy

• Interfaith Networks and Development: Case Studies from Africa: Book Review by Tagwirei, Kimion (2023) - Bearing in mind that there are some voices that doubt the contribution of religion to sustainable development, each chapter presents different types and roles of interfaith networks towards meeting the UN’s SDGs from diverse African settings. He scrutinizes the United Religions Initiative in West Africa, and proffers pivotal factors that determine one’s understanding of the structure, role and contributions of interfaith networks and their potential for sustainable development. Keywords: africa; development; fbos; interfaith; networks

• Foulger, Will. 2023. Present in Every Place?: The Church of England’s New Churches, and the Future of the Parish by Butler, James (2024) - I have heard Foulger described as an apologist and interpreter for church planting and Fresh Expressions, and he is clearly someone who wants to locate himself in the middle of a polarized debate, encouraging reconciliation and a renewed vocation to be present in place. I agree with Foulger that the overly simplistic framing offered by some around the parish being about place, and Fresh Expressions and church planting being about networks and particular subcultures is a misleading binary, which has little reality in practice. Keywords: church; parish; place

• Tira, Sadiri Joy and Juliet Lee Uytanlet (eds.), 2020. A Hybrid World Diaspora: Hybridity and Missio Dei: Pasadena: William Carey Publishing ISBN: 978–1645082880 by Recepcion, Andrew (2021) - Going beyond the perspective of mission that is tied to geographical territories, evangelism and church-planting, the book puts together the contributions of mission leaders and scholars through a global consultation, organized by Lausanne Movement and the Global Diaspora Network, on the implications of hybridity and diaspora in mission. A Hybrid World Diaspora: Hybridity and Missio Dei Pasadena: William Carey Publishing ISBN: 978–1645082880 Reviewed by Andrew Recepcion Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome a.recepcion@unigre.it The chapters of the book are woven into a whole discourse on the value of diaspora and hybridity in understanding God’s mission today. Keywords: diaspora; hybridity

• Spencer, Stephen. 2019. Growing and Flourishing. The Ecology of Church Growth London: SCM Press. by Todjeras, Patrick (2022) - His initial understanding of church growth is based on the Anglican definition of growth as spiritual and numerical growth including its capacity to serve the whole community (Church of England, GS 995). Alongside numerical growth there has been growth of congregational relationships, growth of interactive evangelism, an increasing dynamism of sacramental life, a strengthening of community service, and a nurturing of per- sonal discipleship (42). Keywords: church; growth; spencer

• Gorman, Michael J. 2018. Abide and Go: Missional Theosis in the Gospel of John Eugene: Cascade Books by Doss, John (2022) - At times, Gorman’s missional hermeneutic obscures John’s message, e.g., his claim that missional theosis in John is just as “cruciform” as in Paul (128). isbn: 978-15-3261-545-0 Reviewed by John Doss Rev. John D. Doss, Asbury Theological Seminary, 204 N Lexington Ave, Wilmore, KY 40390 John.doss@asburyseminary.edu The print version of the 2016 Didsbury Lectures, Abide and Go presents an invigorating, new reading of the Gospel of John as God’s invitation for his peo- ple to participate with the mission of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Keywords: abide; gorman; john

• Percy, Martyn. 2021. The Humble Church: Renewing the Body of Christ London: Canterbury Press. by Stache, Kristine (2022) - Percy utilizes a missiological lens to shape his ministerial and academic work and centers his ecclesiology on who God is and what God has and continues to do in Christ. This starting point of who God is provides for Percy a way for the church to “see the world differently, and therefore ourselves and our neighbours in a fresh light” (xxviii). mailto:kstache%40wartburgseminary.edu?subject= E c c l e s i Keywords: church; percy

• Spijker, J. van ’t. 2021. To Participate: Looking for an Ecclesial Structure to be a Witnessing Church Today by den Hertog, Rein (2024) - After all, new missionary communities do not always take existing ecclesial cultures into account and often deviate from well-trodden paths. To Participate: Looking for an ecclesial structure to be a witnessing church today Utrecht: Eburon Academic Publishers ISBN: 978-94-6301-361-1 Reviewed by Rein den Hertog Missionary fruitfulness in the form of new ecclesial communities in a Western context is liable to generate uncomfortable scenarios for traditional church denom- inations. Keywords: spijker; van

• BOOK REVIEW Olsworth-Peter, ed. 2024. Mixed Ecology by Barentsen, Jack (2025) - Mixed Ecology: Inhabiting an Integrated Church London: SPCK ISBN: 978-0-281-08938-3 Reviewed by Jack Barentsen For many churches and city networks, denominational structures no longer offer the life-sustaining support necessary for congregational vitality. The book presents itself as an explorative and practical handbook of mixed ecologies of church. Keywords: church; ecology; ecosystem

• Soerens, Tim, 2020. Everywhere You Look: Discovering the Church Right Where You Are: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press ISBN: 978–0830841561 by Heath, Elaine A. (2021) - For Soerens, the skill that churches really need to adopt is “the magic of paying attention” (49). While affirming the gifts of denominational traditions, church buildings and congregations, Soerens pushes beyond these boundaries that divide Christians, to argue for robust, missional networking of Christians in local neighborhoods. Keywords: church; neighborhood; soerens

• Olsen, Steen, Jacob’s Ladder: Missional Church in the 1970s: St. Marys, Australia: SA & RL Olsen, 2020. ISBN-13: 978-06-4899-680-4 by Keifert, Patrick R. (2022) - As someone who has spent years studying and consulting with congregations, I have learned sex, power and money drive much of the life of Christian community. However, fairytales can allow for multiple lay- ers of meaning, meaningfulness and truth claims, especially through nostalgic realism. Keywords: jacob; ladder

• Adaptive Church: Collaboration and Community in a Changing World.: Book Review by Butler , James (2023) - ISBN 9781481317085 Reviewed by James Butler There have been a good number of books which reflect on the changes in church seen over the last couple of decades in the development of fresh expressions, missional communities, missional church and pioneering, but few books have explored the wider networks and the enabling of these new communities and churches. This could be helpfully developed further by drawing more fully on the theo- logical insight from practice to push these accounts further in into developing an ecclesiology of adaptive church. Keywords: church; hubs

• Towards a Politics of Communion by Aldous, Ben (2023) - Rowlands too notes that the fundamental ideas in CST can look and feel a little worn around the edges as the notions of human dignity, the common good, subsidiarity and solidarity can at times be collapsed in meaning through their overuse or feel banal in over exposure. Chapters 2 to 4 are rooted in an exploration of human dignity, first drawing on phil- osophical and theological sources (from Cicero to Mary Wolfstencraft) and subse- quently drawing on the varying encyclicals. Keywords: cst; francis; rowlands

• Smith, Jennifer R. 2023. A thematic analysis of religious identity and volunteer motivation among emerging adult members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; and  Grell, Daniel. 2023. Pursuing Jesus Christ until we meet him face-to-face: A biblical and theological challenge to retired Baby Boomers to become transformed disciples of Jesus Christ who faithfully serve him in the context of their local church. by Fröh, Johannes (2025) - 93 Ecclesial Futures – DOI: 10.54195/ef23525 93 Despite their shared structure and common focus on church volunteering, the two dissertations offer complementary perspectives, particularly in the context they provide. In the first section, Grell presents the results of his semi-structured interviews with retired Baby Boomers, focusing on their perspectives on church volunteering. Keywords: baby; church; grell; research; smith; volunteer

Epilogue

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Created: 2025-12-23