Body and Blood

The Body of Christ in the Life of the Community

Andrew R. Hardy, Keith Foster

• Publisher: Cascade Books
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN:
  9781532657313
  9781532657320
• eBook ISBN:
  9781532657337
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Church

The largest missional challenge facing the church of Christ in the West is to equip every member to engage in missionary endeavor in third places. Third places are those social zones in society like coffee shops, gyms, shopping malls, pubs, etc., that everyone and anyone can meet in as commonly owned spaces. The authors argue that for too long the church has not equipped and trained its members to engage in mission in the public square. The mobilization of every member to become the hands and feet of the missional sacramental body of Christ to carry the message of God's generous love to not-yet-Christians is vital, if we want to witness the kingdom reign of God extend into their lives. Places are important to the sovereign Lord of mission and this book challenges the churches of Christ to become what they properly need to be, equipping agencies for every member mission and ministry.

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• Chapter 1: Community Lifeblood —So What Is It?
• Chapter 2: The Missional Community Needs a Body
• Chapter 3: Entering the Conversation within the Post-Secular City
• Chapter 4: Equipping Post-Secular Missionaries
• Chapter 5: So Who Are the New Marginalized?
• Chapter 6: Grounded Theory, Methods, and Means of Embodying Jesus among the New Marginalized
• Chapter 7: The Importance of Place in Community
• Chapter 8: Shaping New Sacred Places in a Post-Secular Atmosphere
• Chapter 9: A Case in Question—Enhancing Community and Talking Jesus
• Chapter 10: How Phoenix Church Equips Urban Missionaries
• Conclusion: So What Now? A Hopeful Future
• Appendix: Does the New Testament Expect All Believers to Engage in Mission?
• Bibliography