A newsletter to support discerning and participating in God's mission |
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Center for Parish Development Newsletter
Welcome to Taking Part in God's Mission, Center for Parish Development's electronic newsletter. Its purpose is to help your faith community reflect deeply and converse meaningfully to discern its calling, and to act faithfully within its context for ministry.
With this issue the Center introduces Center Letter Blog featuring the topic, "The Simple Life: God's Quiet Revolution of Love, Forgiveness, and Unity." Inagrace Dietterich, the Center's Director for Theological Research, will post monthly content, inviting your comment. You may opt to have Center Letter Blog come directly to your email inbox.
Taking Part in God's Mission will provide interaction with fresh thinking and practice for the transformation of the church toward a missional way. Here, is your doorway to a learning community that includes practitioners, theologians, researchers, students, associations, colleagues, and individuals --- learners all -- seeking to take part in God's mission more faithfully and fruitfully.
Welcome to the conversation.
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Center Letter Blog
The Simple Life: God's Quiet Revolution of Love, Forgiveness, and Unity
Exploring Presuppositions
March 1, 2011
Inagrace Dietterich
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing....But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matt. 6:25, 33).
The Gospel of Matthew offers concrete advice about how to live the good life by recommending a simple life which trusts in God. This vision of life is not a pie-in-the-sky otherworldly dream. Rather than rejecting or ignoring bodily concerns, the Bible is intensely interested in the human realities of hunger and thirst. The goal of the Christian life is not an escape from the world or an abstract communion with God, but a way into the realities of the world through an alternative vision and way of life. Participation in the life, worship, and witness of the church is an invitation to a new communal life, a new social identity, and a new way to receive and to share the basic necessities of life. It is by recognizing their own hunger, their own need for forgiveness and reconciliation, that Christians learn how to stand in solidarity with the hungry, the dispossessed, and the fearful. Seeking God's reign and God's righteousness, Christians are nourished and strengthened. As they pray, study, and break bread together in Christian fellowship, Christians are drawn into God's quiet revolution of love, forgiveness, and unity.
During 2011, Center Letter Blog intends to explore the theological, biblical, and practical implications of living the simple life, which will also be the theme of the Center's Convocation in Chicago, IL on July 14-16, 2011.
IN THIS BLOG POST:
- Excursus: Presuppositions of Center Letter Blog
- "Do not be anxious...."
- "Seek first God's Kingdom...."
- "Blessed are...."
- Questions for Reflection and Discussion
Read more...
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Opportunities for learning-in-community 2011:
July 14-16
Missional Church Convocation
 Jonathon Wilson-Hartgrove
Keynote Speaker
July 11-13
Transforming Churches Seminar |
Coming Soon!
Participating in God's Mission A Best Practices on-line learning community Find out more...
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 What is Missional? 
A missional church is a community of faith where people are discerning and participating in God's mission. As a dynamic process, the outcome of their discernment and participation will vary given their unique circumstances. At the center of their life and ministry missional congregations spend time together, opening their minds and hearts and imaginations to the movement of the Holy Spirit through prayer and worship, Bible study and conversation. At the same time, missional congregations engage in learning about their missional context, asking, what are the forces and factors that are blocking the fulfillment of life as God created it? As together they discern God's mission and discern the challenges of their context, missional congregations may shape their life and ministry in distinctive ways, utilizing their particular gifts. |
Participating in God's Mission
A Best Practices online Learning Community
This online learning community will consist of leaders and faith communities who have been and are on an intentional journey to discover how to participate in Gods mission more faithfully and fruitfully.
This community
- has access to the research, resources and experience of the Center of Parish Development in support of participating more faithfully and fruitfully in Gods mission.
- involves participation in a learning community of church leaders sharing questions, experiences, best practices, resources and inspiration with one another.
- receives and gives wisdom and support, but also challenges one another as members of the diverse body of Christ toward more faithful incarnational witness.
- is people and churches seeking to discover and join in what God is doing in the cultural context they share, and in each setting uniquely.
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Center for Parish Development
773-752-1596 |
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