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A review of current literature demonstrates that very little material is available to assist pastors and church leaders in transitioning their churches from a rural to suburban context. This project will serve as a tool to assist pastors in leading their churches to transition from a rural to suburban context. Based on demographic studies, an historical analysis, the development of a plan to move the church forward, analyzing potential disruptions, and seeing the end result of the rural to suburban transition, the goal of the project will be fulfilled.
The purpose of this project was to create a transition model to serve the elders of The Village Church, particularly its campus pastors, as they prepare and lead their multi-site campuses to become local churches. The project focuses on how a campus pastor can prepare himself, the leadership, and the membership at a multisite campus to be a local church. Chapter 1 outlines the two goals compelling the project. The chapter also describes the history and context of The Village Church, including my personal background. The chapter concludes by clarifying the rationale for the project and providing key definitions, limitations, delimitations, and methodological approach for it. Chapter 2 provides a framework for how a campus pastor can ready himself for a campus transition. Beginning with a theological survey of Timothy's pastoral development, this chapter focuses on the pastoral competencies a campus pastor must develop to become a lead pastor and to lead the campus into a transition. Chapter 3 outlines how a campus pastor can prioritize his energy and time toward preparing other pastoral leaders to help him care for the campus. Rooted in the ministry pattern established by the apostle Paul and handed off to Titus, this chapter focuses on the priority that leadership development must take in the ministry of a campus pastor in order for a campus to be healthy and ready to transition to a local church. It provides a theological foundation and model for campus pastors who want to structure their ministry for the sake of ongoing development of pastoral leaders. Chapter 4 describes how a campus pastor can lead the other pastoral leaders into the work of shepherding the congregation toward the spiritual health and maturity necessary for a campus transition. Informed by the apostle Paul’s instruction about the gift and goal of pastoral leadership, this chapter outlines a pattern for how the pastoral leaders at a campus, led by the campus pastor, can prepare the membership for a campus transition by shepherding them toward spiritual maturity. Chapter 5 provides a narrative of leading the Denton campus of The Village Church from its affirmative vote on the campus transition vision to its formal establishment as a new local church, The Village Church Denton. It highlights lessons learned over the course of the transition that might serve the campus pastors and other elders of The Village Church in the future as they seek to transition additional campuses.
This book seeks to dynamically alter the way that theologians, ecclesiologists, students of religion and ministers look at the church. Taking the ideas of composition, formation and vocation as basic ecclesial categories, Martyn Percy explores how apparently innocent and incidental material is in fact highly significant for the shaping of theological and ecclesiological horizons. The Introduction sets the tone, with a meditation on how the apparently ordinary scent of a country church can be redolent with meaning, setting the tone of expectation in relation to subsequent worship. This book is not, however, simply about reading meanings into events, ideas, conversations and contexts. Rather, it sets out to faithfully interpret much of the material that surrounds us, yet is often taken for granted, or more usually unnoticed. The book is an invitation to involve the scholar or minister, paying close and patient attention to beliefs, language, artefacts, rituals, practices and other material - all of which are constitutive for ecclesial life and theological identity.
The Transition Town Movement is a fast growing social movement with hundreds of local groups which aims to prepare communities for the impact of peak oil and climate change. Many Christians are involved already, but this is the first book to equip local churches to engage with the movement towards greater simplicity.
The Journey of Existing Churches into the Emerging Culture In our fast-growing post-Christian, postmodern culture, the church often finds itself marginalized and ineffective in mission. The new emerging church is both hopeful and frightening compared to more traditional forms of Christianity. However, these "two churches" need each other. The Church in Transition presents honest stories of the failures and successes of a variety of transitioning fellowships.
This book follows the journey of ten churches who underwent church consultancies, and explores in depth both the consultancy and its outcomes. Pre-consultancy and post-consultancy "snapshots," four to five years apart, of vitality indicators and attendance figures (using National Church Life Survey and other data) are used to compare these with churches that have not undertaken church consultancies. Theologies of church consultancy, church health, and church growth are also developed and examined, intersecting with a wide body of literature, including contemporary ecclesiologies. Consultancy outcomes are examined in detail. This includes interviews with pastors of some of those churches, reflecting on their perceptions of whether and how the church consultancy impacted the health and growth of their church. Conclusions are drawn about the efficacy of church consultancy in influencing the health and growth of churches, as well as contexts for the best use of church consultancy. This is a significant book for denominational leaders, theological lecturers, pastors, and church leaders as they encounter lack of health in churches and seek ways forward for greater health and impact in their local communities.
This focused concentration and celebration of Anglican life could not be more timely. Debates on sexuality and gender (including women bishops), whether or not the church has a Covenant, or can be a Communion, and how it is ultimately led, are issues that have dominated the ecclesial horizon for several decades. No book on Anglicanism can ever claim to have all the answers to all the questions. However, Martyn Percy’s work does offer significant new insights and illumination - highlighting just how rich and reflexive the Anglican tradition can be in living and proclaiming the gospel of Christ. These essays provide some sharply-focused snapshots of contemporary Anglicanism, and cover many of the crucial issues affecting Anglicans today, such as the nature of mission and ministry, theological training and formation, and ecclesial identity and leadership. Church culture is often prey to contemporary fads and fashion. Percy’s work calls Anglicanism to deeper discipleship; to attend to its roots, identity and shape; and to inhabit the world with a faith rooted in commitment, confidence and Christ.