imagining how the church can reorient around mission

A Course on the Missional Church

I have taught a class at Whitworth University every year for
some time now called on the Missional Church. 
Missional-Church-2-300x194

First of all, next year I hope to change the course's title to
something like, “A Church for the World.” 
It is book title I am messing around with.  The Missional Church idea is, perhaps, missing the centrality
of what I am teaching and is also a bit dog-eared (can you say overused?).

Secondly though, I am intending on changing one or two of
the required texts.  Would some of you
savvy “missional” folk weigh in on what texts you would use if you were
teaching this course?  What do you
think the best 2 or 3 books out on the subject are?

I am not going to tell you what I am currently using so you
can have a clean slate to suggest from.

Would you be willing to help me?

r

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10 Responses

  1. Great suggestions JR. Yeah, the reading load might be a bit much. It is a Jan term class so the time to read is collapsed making it very difficult to read as much as I would like them to.
    Thanks for weighing in.

  2. I think you need something on missio Dei, something on gospel/salvation, and a few thinks of general missiology and then missional ecclesiology.
    On missio Dei, I think I’d be looking to Newbigin, Chris Wright (get the hermeneutical element there as well), or selections from Barth.
    On gospel/salvation, McKnight and Dallas Willard are some of the best in my opinion.
    On missiology, I think Bosch’s, “Witness to the World” is top notch! Enjoyed Tennant’s, “An Invitation to World Missions” as well.
    On missional ecclesiology, I still like the Missional Church book edited by Guder, the new Missional Church in Perspective is helpful I think, and Fitch’s new one, Prodigan Christianity, will be excellent.
    I’d probably assign way too much reading 😉

  3. Great suggestions. I like the way you have turned the corner on looking at what it means to be a church for the world. Though I have read most of Newbigin, I have not read the Good Shepherd. Just ordered it.
    How are your studies going?

  4. I would use Eugene Peterson’s The Pastor. I think it is now my favorite book on being a church for the world. For a different slant, I would attempt Charles Finney’s autobiography. Finney had and has his enemies but he was extraordinary intelligent and not a performer-pastor in the way we think of now. A man very knowledgeable about and in tune with “world”. OK, lastly, Newbigin’s book “The Good Shepherd.” Presents a very balanced Newbigin as he, the bishop, teaches pastors. Gives a deeper, fuller picture of what he thought missional leaders do.

  6. Speaking of changing the world….I would recommend Wolfgang Simson’s book “Houses that Change the World”

  8. i think that if we talk about a Church impacting the world, we have to talk about multiplication and reproduction. Movements is a great read on those concepts.

  9. Tony, I will drop in what I am using after I get a few more responses. I’m interested in the book, Movements that Change the World. Why that one for this course.