item: #1 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-11873 author: Taylor, Steve title: Editorial date: 2021 words: 1828 flesch: 50 summary: Such an imaginative approach to research and writing raises significant questions about the nature of academic writing. This article is thus an imaginative pushing of the boundaries of academic writing and an argument for the ways in which a monastic lifestyle might embody the Church’s under- standing of mission in our time. keywords: writing cache: ecclesialfutures-11873.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-11873.txt item: #2 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-11874 author: Aldous, Ben title: Ecclesial Futures MA Prize Details date: 2021 words: 1020 flesch: 46 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-11874.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-11874.txt item: #3 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-11875 author: Park, Bokyoung title: Missional Hospitality towards Healing: : A Narrative Approach in Missiology date: 2021 words: 7045 flesch: 64 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-11875.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-11875.txt item: #4 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-11876 author: Bradbury, Paul title: 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 date: 2021 words: 7506 flesch: 58 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-11876.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-11876.txt item: #5 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-11877 author: Robinson, Ian title: Business Analogies at Church: A Hermeneutical Study into the Use of Analogy for Missional Church Leadership date: 2021 words: 7008 flesch: 62 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-11877.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-11877.txt item: #6 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-11878 author: Fox-Robinson, James title: The Franciscan Vow of Poverty as an Ancient and Modern Resource for Innovative Missional Practice date: 2021 words: 7235 flesch: 67 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-11878.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-11878.txt item: #7 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-11879 author: Taylor, Lynne; Heath, Elaine; Rooms, Nigel; Taylor, Steve title: Courageous, Purposeful, and Reflexive: Writing as a Missional and Emergent Task date: 2021 words: 7287 flesch: 72 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-11879.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-11879.txt item: #8 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-11880 author: Bargár, Pavol title: Olofinjana, Israel Oluwole, ed., World Christianity in Western Europe: Diasporic Identity, Narratives & Missiology: Oxford: Regnum Books International, 2020. ISBN 978-1-913363-31-4 date: 2021 words: 674 flesch: 38 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-11880.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-11880.txt item: #9 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-11881 author: Eiffler, Felix title: Ruddick, Anna, Reimagining Mission from Urban Places—Missional Pastoral Care.: London: SCM Press, 2020. ISBN: 9780334058656 date: 2021 words: 771 flesch: 59 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-11881.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-11881.txt item: #10 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-11882 author: Todjeras, Patrick title: 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 date: 2021 words: 1520 flesch: 54 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-11882.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-11882.txt item: #11 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-11883 author: Rooms, Nigel title: Editorial date: 2021 words: 2156 flesch: 54 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-11883.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-11883.txt item: #12 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-11884 author: Churu, Beatrice W. E.; Getui, Mary N. title: Community on Mission in a World Wounded by Poverty: A Call to Solidarity, Vulnerability and Liberation date: 2021 words: 7031 flesch: 60 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-11884.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-11884.txt item: #13 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-11885 author: Njuguna, Daniel title: Transforming Discipleship: Missional church, discipleship and the discourse of transformation amongst the urban poor date: 2021 words: 8177 flesch: 52 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-11885.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-11885.txt item: #14 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-11886 author: Akomiah-Conteh, Sheila title: Out with the Old, in with the New? An Introduction to the Phenomenon of New Churches in Glasgow, Scotland date: 2021 words: 7386 flesch: 59 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-11886.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-11886.txt item: #15 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-11887 author: Kim, Sinwoong title: A Reflection on Nominal Christians in Contemporary England: A Non-Diasporic Korean Missionary Perspective date: 2021 words: 8182 flesch: 47 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-11887.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-11887.txt item: #16 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-11888 author: Ladd, Nick title: Dwelling in the World with People of Peace: Missional Discipleship within the Missio Dei date: 2021 words: 7674 flesch: 66 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-11888.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-11888.txt item: #17 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-11890 author: Hagley, Scott J. title: 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 date: 2021 words: 1676 flesch: 50 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-11890.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-11890.txt item: #18 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-11891 author: Heath, Elaine A. title: Soerens, Tim, 2020. Everywhere You Look: Discovering the Church Right Where You Are: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press ISBN: 978–0830841561 date: 2021 words: 1195 flesch: 57 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-11891.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-11891.txt item: #19 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-11892 author: Recepcion, Andrew title: Tira, Sadiri Joy and Juliet Lee Uytanlet (eds.), 2020. A Hybrid World Diaspora: Hybridity and Missio Dei: Pasadena: William Carey Publishing ISBN: 978–1645082880 date: 2021 words: 715 flesch: 42 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-11892.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-11892.txt item: #20 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-11893 author: Taylor, Steve title: 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/) date: 2021 words: 1314 flesch: 59 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-11893.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-11893.txt item: #21 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-12039 author: Taylor, Steve title: Editorial date: 2020 words: 3276 flesch: 53 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-12039.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-12039.txt item: #22 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-12040 author: Anslow, Matthew title: Our Agricultural Krísis: Sketches of a Missional Response date: 2020 words: 7834 flesch: 63 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-12040.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-12040.txt item: #23 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-12042 author: Jennings, J. Nelson title: A Contextual Analysis of Onnuri Church’s “Love Sonata”: “Cultural Evangelism Gatherings” in Japan date: 2020 words: 6924 flesch: 57 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-12042.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-12042.txt item: #24 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-12043 author: Taylor, Steve; Johnston, Rev Dr Mark title: The Missio Dei Embodied in Local Community Ministry in Scotland date: 2020 words: 6864 flesch: 62 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-12043.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-12043.txt item: #25 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-12044 author: Bradbury, Paul title: Dreams and Visions: Critical Realism, Practical Theology, and the Spiritual Experiences of Pioneers Discerning the Missio Dei date: 2020 words: 7154 flesch: 57 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-12044.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-12044.txt item: #26 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-12045 author: Benac, Dustin D. title: When the World Is Changing: A Roundtable Review date: 2020 words: 1880 flesch: 50 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-12045.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-12045.txt item: #27 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-12046 author: Stache, Kristine title: James, Christopher B. 2018. Church Planting in Post-Christian Soil: Theology and Practice: New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN: 978-0-19-067364-2 date: 2020 words: 1114 flesch: 54 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-12046.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-12046.txt item: #28 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-12047 author: Reppenhagen, Martin title: Campbell, Douglas A. 2020. Pauline Dogmatics: The Triumph of God’s Love: Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. ISBN: 978-0802875648 date: 2020 words: 1185 flesch: 63 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-12047.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-12047.txt item: #29 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-12049 author: Rooms, Nigel title: Editorial date: 2020 words: 3242 flesch: 59 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-12049.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-12049.txt item: #30 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-12050 author: Niemandt, Nelus title: The Missio Dei as Flourishing Life date: 2020 words: 7055 flesch: 65 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-12050.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-12050.txt item: #31 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-12051 author: Müller, Sabrina title: Towards the Acceptance of Diversity: A Brief History of the Mixed Economy of Church and Continental European Adaptations date: 2020 words: 6101 flesch: 62 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-12051.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-12051.txt item: #32 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-12052 author: Stache, Kristine title: Stories that Shape an Understanding of God’s Mission in the World: Visionary Leadership in the ELCA date: 2020 words: 7155 flesch: 71 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-12052.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-12052.txt item: #33 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-12053 author: Herbst, Michael title: Missiological Perspectives from Germany: Innovation and Mission in Rural Areas date: 2020 words: 6739 flesch: 63 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-12053.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-12053.txt item: #34 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-12054 author: Hagley, Scott J. title: Free for Mission: Missional Church and Ethnographic Fieldwork date: 2020 words: 7091 flesch: 52 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-12054.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-12054.txt item: #35 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-12055 author: Todjeras, Patrick title: Moynagh, Michael. 2017. Church in Life: Innovation, Mission, and Ecclesiology: London: SCM Press. ISBN: 978–0-334–05451-1 date: 2020 words: 1220 flesch: 55 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-12055.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-12055.txt item: #36 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-12056 author: James, Christopher B. title: 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 date: 2020 words: 1425 flesch: 57 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-12056.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-12056.txt item: #37 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-12135 author: Mann, Sally title: Parklife – Listening to Stories as a Deep Missional Practice date: 2022 words: 7673 flesch: 65 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-12135.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-12135.txt item: #38 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-12148 author: Rooms, Nigel title: Editorial date: 2022 words: 2030 flesch: 54 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-12148.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-12148.txt item: #39 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-12149 author: Butler, James title: Setting God’s pioneers free? The need to release lay pioneers from the Church of England’s narrative of resourcing and equipping date: 2022 words: 7406 flesch: 60 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-12149.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-12149.txt item: #40 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-12150 author: M’fundisi-Holloway, Naar title: Discipleship, mentorship and training which empowers African women for ministry in the diaspora date: 2022 words: 6688 flesch: 62 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-12150.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-12150.txt item: #41 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-12151 author: Ladd, Nick title: Communal maturation and missional discipleship: A congregational study date: 2022 words: 7631 flesch: 59 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-12151.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-12151.txt item: #42 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-12152 author: Harrison, Mike title: Joyful disciples: A study of a missing link in considering spiritual disciplines and corporate missional habits date: 2022 words: 6877 flesch: 60 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-12152.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-12152.txt item: #43 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-12153 author: Aždajić, Dejan title: We want the good life now: Insights from lived religion for a whole person and communal approach to salvation in the twenty-first century date: 2022 words: 7498 flesch: 43 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-12153.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-12153.txt item: #44 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-12155 author: Aldous, Ben; Larner, Luke; Schleifenbaum, Adrian; Sidhu, Rajiv title: Problems with "pioneering" mission: Reflections on the term "pioneer" from Germany, South Africa and the UK date: 2022 words: 7758 flesch: 61 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-12155.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-12155.txt item: #45 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-12156 author: Müller, Sabrina title: Kwiyani, Harvey, Multicultural Kingdom: Ethnic Diversity, Mission and the Church: London: SCM Press, 2020. ISBN: 978-03-3405-752-9 date: 2022 words: 937 flesch: 57 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-12156.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-12156.txt item: #46 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-12157 author: Olsen, Steen title: 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 date: 2022 words: 1488 flesch: 64 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-12157.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-12157.txt item: #47 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-12158 author: Larner, Luke title: Lucas, Susan (ed.), God’s Church in The World: The Gift of Catholic Mission: Norwich: Canterbury Press, 2020. ISBN: 978-17-8622-240-4 date: 2022 words: 629 flesch: 56 summary: (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 cache: ecclesialfutures-12158.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-12158.txt item: #48 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-12159 author: Keifert, Patrick R. title: Olsen, Steen, Jacob’s Ladder: Missional Church in the 1970s: St. Marys, Australia: SA & RL Olsen, 2020. ISBN-13: 978-06-4899-680-4 date: 2022 words: 986 flesch: 69 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-12159.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-12159.txt item: #49 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-12802 author: Neate, John title: Cultural perceptions: A barrier to the role of cross-cultural friendships in mission? date: 2022 words: 7192 flesch: 51 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-12802.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-12802.txt item: #50 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-12915 author: Rooms, Nigel title: Beholding: Recovering “right brain” apophatic spirituality for the local church in mission date: 2022 words: 7293 flesch: 64 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-12915.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-12915.txt item: #51 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-12989 author: den Hertog, Rein title: Leading from the liturgy: Ordained ministers as facilitators of a communal process of interpretation date: 2022 words: 7180 flesch: 59 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-12989.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-12989.txt item: #52 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-13329 author: Labuschagne, Pieter title: The LIMM Model: Paradigm for Missiological Research date: 2023 words: 7500 flesch: 58 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-13329.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-13329.txt item: #53 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-13347 author: Todjeras, Patrick title: Spencer, Stephen. 2019. Growing and Flourishing. The Ecology of Church Growth London: SCM Press. date: 2022 words: 927 flesch: 58 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-13347.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-13347.txt item: #54 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-13402 author: Doss, John title: Gorman, Michael J. 2018. Abide and Go: Missional Theosis in the Gospel of John Eugene: Cascade Books date: 2022 words: 1361 flesch: 56 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-13402.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-13402.txt item: #55 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-13403 author: Stache, Kristine title: Percy, Martyn. 2021. The Humble Church: Renewing the Body of Christ London: Canterbury Press. date: 2022 words: 968 flesch: 68 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-13403.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-13403.txt item: #56 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-13404 author: Taylor, Lynne; Rooms, Nigel title: Report of the Christian Communities and Mission Study Group date: 2022 words: 1203 flesch: 57 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-13404.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-13404.txt item: #57 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-13418 author: Taylor, Steve title: Editorial volume 3 issue 2 date: 2022 words: 1738 flesch: 42 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-13418.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-13418.txt item: #58 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-13420 author: Harrison, Mike title: Surfing with the Spirit or sinking into the sea? : Elements enabling Christian character formation in a post-Christendom culture date: 2022 words: 7114 flesch: 59 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-13420.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-13420.txt item: #59 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-13424 author: Adenekan-Koevoets, Bisi title: Nigerian Pentecostal Mission in Europe: Ecumenical and Secular Relations in Britain date: 2023 words: 6371 flesch: 47 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-13424.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-13424.txt item: #60 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-13613 author: Chung, Seung-hyun title: How to make the best Ganjang Gejang: The Missional Church Movement in Korea: Evaluation and Proposal date: 2023 words: 5234 flesch: 65 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-13613.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-13613.txt item: #61 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-13628 author: Harden, Mark title: A Congregational Study on Mission Readiness: Toward a practical ecclesiology of practical action date: 2023 words: 6234 flesch: 44 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-13628.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-13628.txt item: #62 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-13656 author: Park, Bokyoung title: Churches’ Missional Engagement during the Pandemic and afterwards in Korea date: 2023 words: 7050 flesch: 54 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-13656.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-13656.txt item: #63 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-13666 author: Nam, Sung Hyuk title: The Metaverse as a Digital Missionary Site date: 2023 words: 5949 flesch: 57 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-13666.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-13666.txt item: #64 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-13746 author: Lee, Seon-Yi title: Mongolian Migrants in a Korean Missional Church: : The Case of Nasom Community date: 2023 words: 6459 flesch: 57 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-13746.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-13746.txt item: #65 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-13747 author: Tan, An-wei title: Small Missional Church as an alternative in the period of Church Decline in Korea date: 2023 words: 5847 flesch: 61 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-13747.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-13747.txt item: #66 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-13749 author: Kim, Hyeong-kyoon title: Balancing visible and invisible belonging for Korean Migrant Missional Churches in Aotearoa New Zealand date: 2023 words: 6950 flesch: 52 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-13749.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-13749.txt item: #67 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-13755 author: Lee, Bright Myeong-Seok title: Missional Discipleship in Post-Pandemic Korea: : The Case of Suwonsung Church date: 2023 words: 6256 flesch: 59 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-13755.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-13755.txt item: #68 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-14831 author: Holdsworth, Sue title: Learning to love: Pastoral care as mission at church-based, intercultural initiatives date: 2023 words: 6530 flesch: 53 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-14831.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-14831.txt item: #69 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-15513 author: Butler , James title: Adaptive Church: Collaboration and Community in a Changing World.: Book Review date: 2023 words: 1179 flesch: 48 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-15513.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-15513.txt item: #70 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-15514 author: Woodman, Simon title: The God Who Walks Slowly: Reflections on Mission with Kosuke Koyama: Book Review date: 2023 words: 1084 flesch: 53 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-15514.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-15514.txt item: #71 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-15515 author: Tagwirei, Kimion title: Interfaith Networks and Development: Case Studies from Africa: Book Review date: 2023 words: 1538 flesch: 33 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-15515.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-15515.txt item: #72 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-15516 author: Sonea, Cristian title: Tradition and Apocalypse: An Essay on the Future of Christian Belief : Book Review date: 2023 words: 1761 flesch: 40 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-15516.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-15516.txt item: #73 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-15530 author: Park, Bokyoung; Lee, Seonyi title: Editorial Volume 4 Issue 1 date: 2023 words: 2172 flesch: 49 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-15530.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-15530.txt item: #74 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-16368 author: Rivera, Catherine title: “They made space for me”: Enhancing receptive generosity in an Anglican Diocese in Aotearoa New Zealand date: 2023 words: 6468 flesch: 56 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-16368.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-16368.txt item: #75 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-17337 author: Benac, Dustin; Kalbaugh, Juli; Coe, Hannah; Miller, Tatum; Moniz, Erin title: Bending the Light: A Methodological Structure for Collaborative Theological Inquiry date: 2023 words: 7769 flesch: 47 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-17337.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-17337.txt item: #76 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-17726 author: Kolosova, Alison title: Orthodox Perspectives on the Church as an Evangelizing, Eucharistic Community: A Case Study of the Orthodox Parish of St John of Kronstadt, Bath, UK date: 2024 words: 6882 flesch: 53 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-17726.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-17726.txt item: #77 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-17944 author: Dewerse, Rosemary; Haines, Roxanne; McGregor, Stu title: Regenerative : Regenerative Development as a pathway for church renewal date: 2023 words: 7248 flesch: 53 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-17944.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-17944.txt item: #78 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-18340 author: Young Lee, Say title: Freeing Congregational Mission: A Practical Vision for Companionship, Cultural Humility, and Co-Development date: 2023 words: 1464 flesch: 40 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-18340.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-18340.txt item: #79 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-18341 author: den Hertog, Rein title: Questions of Context date: 2023 words: 1238 flesch: 41 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-18341.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-18341.txt item: #80 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-18342 author: Schröder, Bernhard title: Political Formation date: 2023 words: 1296 flesch: 62 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-18342.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-18342.txt item: #81 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-18343 author: Butler, James title: A Public Missiology date: 2023 words: 1524 flesch: 58 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-18343.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-18343.txt item: #82 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-18344 author: Reissmann, David title: The Invitation date: 2023 words: 1730 flesch: 48 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-18344.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-18344.txt item: #83 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-18345 author: Aldous, Ben title: Towards a Politics of Communion date: 2023 words: 1103 flesch: 45 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-18345.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-18345.txt item: #84 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-18354 author: Taylor, Steve title: CONTENTS and Editorial date: 2023 words: 2451 flesch: 38 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-18354.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-18354.txt item: #85 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-18529 author: Blackmer, Geneva title: Digital Worship as Fostering or Inhibiting Social Inclusion and Social Cohesion date: 2024 words: 5380 flesch: 31 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-18529.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-18529.txt item: #86 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-18541 author: Hagley, Scott title: Reflections on Faithful Innovation in the City of Saint Francis: ICEF Conference Report date: 2024 words: 4977 flesch: 49 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-18541.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-18541.txt item: #87 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-18685 author: Natalie Magnusson title: Sharing in the Indiscriminate Generosity of God date: 2024 words: 7315 flesch: 57 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-18685.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-18685.txt item: #88 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-18728 author: Van der Meulen, Marten; van den Berge-Bakker, Jonna title: The Two Crises of the Church date: 2024 words: 6787 flesch: 71 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-18728.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-18728.txt item: #89 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-18743 author: Hirome, David title: A Missional Church Strategy in an Era of Humanlike Chatbots date: 2024 words: 6950 flesch: 47 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-18743.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-18743.txt item: #90 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-18835 author: Van der Watt, Stéphan title: Proclaiming and Embodying Peace in Pacifist Japan: a Reformed Church Perspective date: 2024 words: 7260 flesch: 52 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-18835.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-18835.txt item: #91 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-19017 author: Terry, Ian title: Characteristics of a 'common good building' Church of England Church: A case study in a UK southern coastal town date: 2024 words: 6986 flesch: 62 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-19017.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-19017.txt item: #92 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-19163 author: Maicom, Kevin title: Examining Filipino Popular Piety in the light of Vatican II’s Directory of Popular Piety and the Liturgy: Principles and Guidelines date: 2024 words: 6704 flesch: 44 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-19163.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-19163.txt item: #93 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-19198 author: Labuschagne, Pieter title: Hartman, Tim. 2020. Theology After Colonization: Bediako, Barth, and the Future of Theological Reflection date: 2024 words: 1622 flesch: 40 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-19198.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-19198.txt item: #94 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-19199 author: Joynt, Shaun title: Müller, Sabrina. 2023. Religious Experience and Its Transformational Power: Qualitative and Hermeneutic Approaches to a Practical Theological Foundational Concept date: 2024 words: 1780 flesch: 23 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-19199.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-19199.txt item: #95 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-19200 author: den Hertog, Rein title: Spijker, J. van ’t. 2021. To Participate: Looking for an Ecclesial Structure to be a Witnessing Church Today date: 2024 words: 1228 flesch: 52 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-19200.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-19200.txt item: #96 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-19226 author: Rooms, Nigel title: Editorial 5.1 date: 2024 words: 1977 flesch: 43 summary: – 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-19226.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-19226.txt item: #97 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-19268 author: Labuschagne, Pieter title: Healing the Wounded to Lead in the Postcolonial Church date: 2024 words: 6724 flesch: 69 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-19268.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-19268.txt item: #98 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-19723 author: Kgatle, Mookgo Solomon title: Missiological approach to Migration and Mission in Pentecostalism: a Pneumatological Missional Imagination date: 2024 words: 7180 flesch: 48 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-19723.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-19723.txt item: #99 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-19793 author: Ruxton, Peter title: An Assessment of Contemporary British New Monasticism Framed by the Missional Spirituality of the Celtic Peregrini date: 2024 words: 6785 flesch: 60 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-19793.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-19793.txt item: #100 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-19862 author: Oliva, Sarah title: Relational Authenticity in Community: A Key for Support on the Spiritual Journey? date: 2025 words: 6923 flesch: 49 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-19862.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-19862.txt item: #101 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-19868 author: Dunlop, Andrew title: Implementation of the Mixed Ecology in Church of England Diocesan Strategies date: 2025 words: 6602 flesch: 44 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-19868.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-19868.txt item: #102 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-21094 author: Taylor, Steve title: Editorial date: 2024 words: 1977 flesch: 43 summary: – 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-21094.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-21094.txt item: #103 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-21095 author: Asuncion, Lemuel title: Antonio-del Castillo, Fides, and Raymund B. Habaradas. 2024. Basic Ecclesial Communities in the Philippines: Histories and Stories of a Pilgrim Church date: 2024 words: 1519 flesch: 45 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-21095.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-21095.txt item: #104 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-21096 author: Rooms, Nigel title: Bargár, Pavol. 2023. Embodied Existence: Our Common Life in God date: 2024 words: 978 flesch: 54 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-21096.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-21096.txt item: #105 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-21097 author: Butler, James title: Bevans, Stephen B. 2024. Community of Missionary Disciples: The Continuing Creation of the Church date: 2024 words: 1108 flesch: 59 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-21097.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-21097.txt item: #106 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-21098 author: Rooms, Nigel title: Bradbury, Paul. 2024. In the Fullness of Time: A Story from the Past and Future of the Church date: 2024 words: 844 flesch: 54 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-21098.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-21098.txt item: #107 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-21099 author: Herbst, Michael title: Cray, Graham. 2024. On Mission with Jesus: Changing the Default Setting of the Church date: 2024 words: 1713 flesch: 55 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-21099.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-21099.txt item: #108 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-21100 author: Butler, James title: Foulger, Will. 2023. Present in Every Place?: The Church of England’s New Churches, and the Future of the Parish date: 2024 words: 1165 flesch: 55 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-21100.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-21100.txt item: #109 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-21101 author: Eiffler, Felix title: Root, Andrew, and Blair D. Bertrand. 2023. When Church Stops Working: A Future for Your Congregation beyond More Money, Programs, and Innovation date: 2024 words: 1168 flesch: 70 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-21101.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-21101.txt item: #110 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-21102 author: Taylor, Steve title: Shaw, Richard. 2024. The Unsettled: Small Stories of Colonisation date: 2024 words: 1218 flesch: 56 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-21102.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-21102.txt item: #111 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-21714 author: Campbell, Heidi A; Boone, Megan title: Making Sense about the Future of Churches' Engagement with Technology: A Post-pandemic Reflection on Digital Ministry date: 2025 words: 7838 flesch: 38 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-21714.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-21714.txt item: #112 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-22183 author: Kauhaus, Hanna title: Fostering Diversity in Congregations: A practical framework for local churches to reflect and improve accessibility date: 2025 words: 6585 flesch: 53 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-22183.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-22183.txt item: #113 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-22184 author: Domsgen, Michael title: Christian Empowerment and Secularity date: 2025 words: 3272 flesch: 50 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-22184.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-22184.txt item: #114 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-22190 author: Eiffler, Felix title: Evaluation of Ecclesial Innovations as Empowerment date: 2025 words: 5630 flesch: 48 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-22190.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-22190.txt item: #115 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-22222 author: Herbst, Michael; Todjeras, Patrick title: Conference Report: Christian Empowerment, Secularity and Church Development date: 2025 words: 2417 flesch: 52 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-22222.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-22222.txt item: #116 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-22223 author: Herbst, Michael title: Regional and/or local: Can church be present in close proximity and in regional cooperation at the same time? date: 2025 words: 7661 flesch: 72 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-22223.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-22223.txt item: #117 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-22491 author: Schlegel, Thomas title: How do new forms of being church emerge in mainline churches and what does it tell about patterns, dynamics and competition? date: 2025 words: 3698 flesch: 58 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-22491.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-22491.txt item: #118 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-22577 author: Donkor Ampofo, Mishael ; White, Peter title: Innovative Mission Funding: Approaches Used by Assemblies of God Ghana in the Vision 3000 Initiative date: 2025 words: 5646 flesch: 29 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-22577.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-22577.txt item: #119 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-23037 author: Kgatle, Mookgo Solomon title: The Indigenous provenance of missio spiritus and the expansion of African Pentecostalism date: 2025 words: 7101 flesch: 58 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-23037.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-23037.txt item: #120 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-23483 author: Kräuter, Thomas; Barentsen, Jack title: “Bringing the Gospel to the City together”: Interconfessional Cooperation in Missionary Church Development in Vienna date: 2025 words: 7341 flesch: 44 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-23483.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-23483.txt item: #121 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-23521 author: van Driel, Edwin Chr. title: 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. date: 2025 words: 3020 flesch: 48 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-23521.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-23521.txt item: #122 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-23522 author: Doss, John D. title: Legrand, Lucien. 2023. Paul and Mission. date: 2025 words: 1638 flesch: 59 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-23522.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-23522.txt item: #123 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-23523 author: Aldous, Benjamin title: Percy, Martyn. 2025. The Crisis of Colonial Anglicanism: Empire, Slavery and Revolt in the Church of England. date: 2025 words: 1342 flesch: 57 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-23523.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-23523.txt item: #124 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-23525 author: Fröh, Johannes title: 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. date: 2025 words: 2581 flesch: 41 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-23525.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-23525.txt item: #125 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-23526 author: Hagley, Scott J. title: Cavanaugh, William T. 2024. The Uses of Idolatry. date: 2025 words: 1376 flesch: 48 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-23526.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-23526.txt item: #126 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-23532 author: Eiffler, Felix title: Editorial date: 2025 words: 2090 flesch: 43 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-23532.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-23532.txt item: #127 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-23612 author: Manu, Eric title: Unity and Diversity among Ghana’s new Prophetic Churches: A Comparative Study of Vida Bethel Prayer Ministry and Believers Worship Centre date: 2025 words: 6988 flesch: 54 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-23612.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-23612.txt item: #128 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-25059 author: Butler, James title: BOOK REVIEW Edwards, Korie L., and Rebecca Y. Kim. 2024. Estranged Pioneers: Race, Faith, and Leadership in a Diverse World date: 2025 words: 1129 flesch: 50 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-25059.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-25059.txt item: #129 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-25060 author: Rooms, Nigel title: BOOK REVIEW Mobsby, Ian. 2025. The Seeking Heart: A Contemplative Approach to Mission and Pioneering date: 2025 words: 1295 flesch: 52 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-25060.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-25060.txt item: #130 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-25096 author: Joseph Theng, Andre title: BOOK REVIEW Mong, Ambrose. 2025. Treasure in Earthen Vessels date: 2025 words: 1928 flesch: 49 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-25096.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-25096.txt item: #131 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-25097 author: Barentsen, Jack title: BOOK REVIEW Olsworth-Peter, ed. 2024. Mixed Ecology date: 2025 words: 1111 flesch: 48 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-25097.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-25097.txt item: #132 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-25098 author: Eiffler, Felix title: BOOK REVIEW Root, Andrew 2025. Evangelism in an Age of Despair date: 2025 words: 1419 flesch: 60 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-25098.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-25098.txt item: #133 of 133 id: ecclesialfutures-25210 author: Taylo, Steve title: Editorial date: 2025 words: 1108 flesch: 38 summary: 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 cache: ecclesialfutures-25210.pdf plain text: ecclesialfutures-25210.txt