National headlines regularly herald the decline of Christianity in the
United States, citing historically low levels of confidence in organized
religion, drops in church attendance, church closures, and the dramatic
rise of the "Nones." Scarcely heard are stories from the thousands of
new churches and new forms of church that are springing up each year
across the country. In this book, Christopher James attends carefully to
stories of ecclesial innovation taking place in Seattle, Washington-a
city on the leading edge of trends shaping the nation as a whole.
James's study of the new churches founded in this "post-Christian" city
offers both theological reflection and pragmatic advice. After an
in-depth survey- and -interview-based analysis of the different models
of church-planting he encountered, James identifies five threads of
practical wisdom: 1) embracing local identity and mission, 2)
cultivating embodied, experiential, everyday spirituality, 3) engaging
community life as means of witness and formation, 4) prioritizing
hospitality as a cornerstone practice, and 5) discovering ecclesial
vitality in a diverse ecclesial ecology. Stimulating, encouraging, and
stereotype-shattering, this book invites readers to reconsider the
narrative that portrays these first decades of the twenty-first century
as a period of ecclesial death and decline, and to view our time instead
as a hope-filled season of ecclesial renewal and rebirth.Available here and here.
No comments:
Post a Comment