Аннотация

How does one determine the readiness of any candidate for leadership in ministry? Whether considering vocational ministry leadership or a position on a local board of elders or deacons, without question, knowledge and skills are essential. But an individual's readiness for leadership and ministry cannot be assessed solely on the basis of academic transcripts or impressive statistics found in a pastor or lay leader's annual report. While embracing knowledge and skill as essential to effective leadership and ministry, the author demonstrates how these dimensions are inadequate unless rooted in that which is less quantifiable, namely, heart-readiness. But what does heart-readiness entail or look like in the life of a leader in ministry? In a word that is grossly overused and profoundly misunderstood, love–and more specifically, love for the right things, in the right way, for the right reasons.
This book is intended for those being trained in the bible college or seminary classroom but also for lay leaders already engaged in virtually any ministry context as well. Readers are encouraged to consider and cultivate four essential loves: love for God's Word, for Christ's church, for one's neighbor, and for oneself.

Аннотация

Sacred Space for the Missional Church examines the strong link between the theology and mission of the Church and the spaces in which and from which that theology and mission are lived out. The author demonstrates that the built environment is not incidental or even subservient to mission. Rather it is a key player in the fulfillment and the communication of that mission. The book begins with a working definition of the missional church, underscoring the connection between God's mission (missio Dei) and the Church's mission. The reader is presented with historical and theological frameworks for sacred space, and reminded of the pivotal role of the built environment in the fulfillment of the mission of the Church. The design and construction of sacred spaces are shown to be fundamentally a theological exercise and not solely a matter of function, pragmatics and fiscal astuteness. The author questions the uncritical application of blanket statements such «form must follow function,» and challenges the conviction that it does not matter where worship occurs, only that it occurs. The book addresses genuine concerns such as legitimizing the cost of church buildings and concludes with practical suggestions and essential questions that must be considered in posturing the built environment within the missional praxis of the Church.