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RESOURCES for DISCERNING GOD'S CALL
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But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9)
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As Christian communities seek to discern God's vision for more faithful witness in their North American context, the intentional and substantive engagement with Scripture and the Christian heritage is key to the authority, validity, and relevance of the process.
The following resources, developed for and tested within communal processes of missional church transformation, will enrich the sharing and shaping of participants' hopes and dreams for their church's future.
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The Beatitudes: The Practice of Christian Community. In ten sessions explores the Beatitudes as the distinctive "ethic" of Christian communities. It is by living the way of life taught by and embodied in Jesus Christ, that the church participates in the blessings to be found in a faithful and obedient relationship with God. Integrating exercises are included along with suggestions for study group facilitators. $10.00
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Behold: There is a New Creation! In six sessions illumines the powerful biblical image of new creation by considering what it might mean to become a "people of God's dream." Key themes of the biblical story: God's good creation, humanity's rejection of the dream, the healing of relationships in Jesus Christ, and the manifestation of the dream in the household of faith. Each sessions includes an introduction, study process, and options for additional reflection and discussion. $7.00
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The Biblical Mission of the Church. This four session Bible study focuses on the mission of the church as found within Jesus' final charge or commissioning of the disciples within each of the four Gospels. To gain a richer vision of the church's calling, each "commission" is placed within the context and content of the full Gospel of which it is the climax. Discussion questions, integrating exercises, and other helps are provided for group facilitators. $7.00
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The Church and the Coming Reign of God. This six session Bible study explores the mission of the church as a sign, foretaste, and instrument of the coming reign of God. Within the context of the reign of God, as God's "dream" for the world, participants will engage the Bible as an inspiring book of visions. Integrating exercises are included along with practical suggestions to help study group facilitators make this study process especially meaningful. $10.00
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Developing the Missional Church. A collection of three essays reprinted with permission from the Reformed Review which explores features of the missional church, trends within missional congregations, and cultural currents. 1998. $3.00
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Discerning God's Vision Together. A short essay, originally published in Transformation, sketches an image of discerning communities where faithful imaginations are cultivated. As a people of hope and faith - listening and hearing, studying and reflecting, sharing and testing - congregations will creatively discern new possibilities for their life and ministry. $2.50
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Gathered Together to Seek and to Do God's Will. Offers an approach to decision making that moves beyond win/lose competitive struggles to a way of seeking wisdom together and agreement about God's will for shared life and mutual ministry. Using Acts 10-15 as an illustration of early church decision making, this study includes a process for exploring your church's narrative of decision making, and offers a guide for planning to become more fully a "wisdom community." $10.00
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Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America (Study Guide). A Study guide created in partnership between the Center for Parish Development and the Synod of the Sun, Presbyterian Church (USA). $3.00
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A People of Salt and Light: Jesus' Model for Community. Considers the Sermon on the Mount as a model for the life and practice of the Christian community. Topics include: Jesus' vision of right relationships, the practices of Christian faithfulness, and the church as a contrast community. Questions for reflection and discussion accompany each of the six sessions, helping participants explore the implications of Jesus' vision for their local church. $7.00
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The People Called by God. This eleven session Bible study explores biblical images of the church: the People of God, the Body of Christ, and the Communion of the Holy Spirit, all of which illuminate the identity and purpose of the church as a "called" community with a distinctive witness and mission. Integrating exercises and suggestions for study group facilitators to enable congregations to make the best use of this resource are included. $10.00
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The Practice of Sabbath Time. In a culture characterized by accomplishment and accumulation, the simplicity and freedom of sabbath time calls for intentionality and creativity. This resource explores four central sabbath themes: the trust of ceasing, the faith of resting, the joy of embracing, and the hope of feasting. Along with questions for reflection and discussion, examples, illustrations, and ideas for practicing sabbath time are drawn from several cultures. $10.00
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Sign, Foretaste, and Instrument. A brief four sessions Bible study which introduces a vision of the church as sign, foretaste, and instrument of the coming reign of God. $3.00
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Teach Us to Pray. Nurturing Christian Prayer. This twelve session study enables participants to share their current understanding and practice of prayer as they explore the context, content, and purpose of the foundational prayer of the church: the Lord's Prayer. Integrating exercises are included along with aids for group facilitators and suggestions for helping study groups discover how prayer is nurtured within their congregation. $10.00
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We Believe: Shaping and Shaping Christian Belief. This twelve session study invites participants to investigate, test, and interpret the Nicene Creed as a powerful and living expression of the church's confession of praise and thanksgiving to the God of Jesus Christ. Integrating exercises are included along with recommendations for group facilitators and suggestions for discovering how their congregation shapes and shares Christian belief. $10.00
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Which Story Will Shape the Church in the 21st Century? A short essay, originally published in Transformation, explores the contrast between churches shaped by the story of the crucified Messiah and those shaped by the story of Constantine. $2.50
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