New book for pioneering leaders
Pioneers 4 Life: Explorations in Theology and Wisdom for Pioneering Leaders, is a soon to be published book edited by David Male.
Fresh Expressions, Mission-Shaped Ministry, ReSource. Are they enough to take the Church forward within a society where two-thirds of the adult population have no contact with a church and are not looking to develop a significant link?
Without doubt these endeavours are a helpful start. But that is what they are, a start. The major challenge for the Church is finding more people who have the ability, with others, to continue creating church for those who have no experience or association with church in the community leaders who can cross boundaries and take church into new areas, church which is both true to the gospel but free in how the forms are expressed. Churches need Pioneers.
David Male, who has first-hand experience of Fresh Expressions and teaches Pioneer Mission Training at Ridley Hall and Westcott House, Cambridge, has brought together in his new book, Pioneers 4 Life, significant mission thinkers, key practitioners and leading theologians to open up the debate on how the Church needs to respond to these immense challenges as it struggles to missionally connect with large areas of society.
'Things are changing so dramatically in our society that we cannot simply change to being a trendier church; we need to become more revolutionary in our thinking about what future forms of church may look like.'
Contributors include: Richard Bauckham, Professor Emeritus in the University of St Andrews and Senior Scholar at Ridley Hall College, Cambridge; Adrian Chatfield, Director of the Simeon Centre for Prayer and Spiritual Life at Ridley Hall; Bishop Graham Cray, the Archbishops’ Missioner and leader of the Fresh Expressions team; John Drane, mission consultant and co-chair of the Mission Theology Advisory Group and also Professor of Practical Theology at Fuller Seminary in California; Peterson Feital, evangelist; Beth Keith, Learning Networks Coordinator for the Fresh Expressions team; George Lings, Director of The Sheffield Centre, Church Army’s research unit into fresh expressions of church and church planting; Kate Middleton, Director of Care at Hitchin Christian Centre; Lucy Moore, Messy Church team leader; Mike Moynagh, editor of Share and co-director of the Tomorrow Project, which advises businesses and government on social trends; Mark Russell, Chief Executive of Church Army.
David Male is Director of the Centre for Pioneer Learning based in Cambridge and Tutor in Pioneer Mission Training at Ridley Hall and Westcott House, Cambridge. He is Fresh Expressions Adviser for Ely Diocese and was previously Vicar of the Net Church, Huddersfield, a ‘network type’ church that was one of the pioneers of fresh expressions in the UK. He has also written Church Unplugged: Remodelling church without losing your soul (Authentic).
Pioneers 4 Life is published in paperback on 19 August 2011, ISBN 978 1 84101 827 0
Price: £8.99