Centered-Set Church
eBook - ePub

Centered-Set Church

Discipleship and Community Without Judgmentalism

  1. 256 pages
  2. English
  3. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

Centered-Set Church

Discipleship and Community Without Judgmentalism

About this book

Christians can be adept at drawing lines, determining what it means to be "a good Christian" and judging those who stray out of bounds. Other times they erase all the lines in favor of a vague and inoffensive faith. Both impulses can come from positive intentions, but either can lead to stunted spiritual life and harmful relationships. Is there another option?

The late missionary anthropologist Paul Hiebert famously drew on mathematical theory to deploy the concepts of "bounded," "fuzzy," and "centered" sets to shed light on the nature of Christian community. Now, with Centered-Set Church, Mark D. Baker provides a unique manual for understanding and applying Hiebert's vision. Drawing on his extensive experience in church, mission, parachurch, and higher education settings, along with interviews and stories gleaned from scores of firsthand interviews, Baker delivers practical guidance for any group that seeks to be truly centered on Jesus.

Baker shows how Scripture presents an alternative to either obsessing over boundaries or simply erasing them. Centered churches are able to affirm their beliefs and live out their values without such bitter fruit as gracelessness, shame, and self-righteousness on the one hand, or aimless "whateverism" on the other. While addressing possible concerns and barriers to the centered approach, Baker invites leaders to imagine centered alternatives in such practical areas of ministry as discipleship, church membership, leadership requirements, and evangelism. Centered-Set Church charts new paths to grow in authentic freedom and dynamic movement toward the true center: Jesus himself.

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Yes, you can access Centered-Set Church by Mark D. Baker in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Theology & Religion & Christian Church. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Information

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Dedication Page
  4. Contents
  5. 1 Drawing Lines and Erasing Lines
  6. Part One: Defining the Paradigms
  7. Part Two: Foundation of a Centered-Set Church
  8. Part Three: Discipleship in Community
  9. Part Four: Centered Ministry
  10. Acknowledgments
  11. Notes
  12. General Index
  13. Scripture Index
  14. Centered-Set Church: Video Series & Discussion Guide
  15. Praise for Centered-Set Church
  16. About the Author
  17. More Titles from InterVarsity Press
  18. Copyright