Church on the Edge of Somewhere: Ministry, Marginality, and the Future
George B. Thompson Jr.
Most congregations today exist in what George Thompson calls the "middle of anywhere." They live comfortably with their surrounding culture, focusing their energies on serving the needs of the current members. These congregations have many strengths and gifts that they can exercise without changing a thing. But Thompson envisions a deeper, more prophetic call for congregations to explore the meaning of being in the world but not of it—a church on the "edge of somewhere." Thompson sees a church that is deeply engaged in ministering to the community while calling on others to commit to doing the same. By analyzing the interaction between a congregation’s focus of identity and their stance with the world, Thompson has created a helpful grid for congregations to place themselves on today’s cultural map. A congregation that sees itself as existing on the margins of society will look different than one that sees itself as embedded in society. A congregation that hears a call to serve the surrounding community will look different from one that focuses on its internal needs. Knowing where they stand now is the key for congregations to discover where they must go in the future to fully live out their call to be God’s people in the world.
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Praise for the Book
“Drawing from his fine scholarship and his lifetime of church experience, George Thompson has the ability to translate theoretical concepts into the practical realities of congregational life.” —Lovett H. Weems, Jr., Director of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership, Wesley Theological Seminary
“George Thompson invites congregations to find the edge of ‘empathetic marginality,’ which calls leaders and churches to risk comfort and security in order to engage the world with a transforming vision of the gospel.” —Marcia Barnes Bailey, Author, Choosing Partnership, Sharing Ministry: A Vision for New Spiritual Community
“The local church needs momentum as it moves forward into the twenty-first century. This book creates that momentum as it helps address difficult questions, chart fresh direction, and respond with theological integrity to a church that is finding itself on the margins.” —Roy M. Terry IV, Pastor, Cornerstone United Methodist Church, Naples, Florida
About the Author
George B. Thompson, Jr.,
is Associate Professor of Leadership and Ministry Practice at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta. He also serves as Director of Faith and the City at ITC, an interseminary project in public ministry. He holds a Ph.D. from the Chicago Theological Seminary and other doctoral degrees from San Francisco Theological Seminary and the Claremont School of Theology. He is an ordained Presbyterian minister and the author of several books, including Treasures in Clay Jars: New Ways to Understand Your Church.
ISBN# 978-1-56699-348-7
Alban No. AL338
paper, 137 pages
2007
In stock
$18.00
($14.40 for members)
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