The Forgotten Ways: Reactivating the Missional ChurchAlan Hirsch is convinced that the inherited formulas for growing the Body of Christ do not work anymore. And rather than relying on slightly revised solutions from the past, he sees a vision of the future growth of the church coming about by harnessing the power of the early church, which grew from as few as 25,000 adherents in AD 100 to up to 20 million in AD 310. Such incredible growth is also being experienced today in the church in China and other parts of the world. How do they do it? The Forgotten Ways explores the concept of Apostolic Genius as a way to understand what caused the church to expand at various times in history, interpreting it for use in our own time and place. From the theological underpinnings to the practical application, Hirsch takes the reader through this dynamic mixture of passion, prayer, and incarnational practice to rediscover the dormant potential of the modern church in the West. |
Contents
Foreword by Leonard Sweet | 11 |
A Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with a Single Question | 18 |
Method in the Madness | 26 |
Denominational and Translocal | 49 |
Introduction | 75 |
Jesus Is Lord | 83 |
Disciple Making | 101 |
MissionalIncarnational Impulse | 127 |
Organic Systems | 179 |
Communitas Not Community | 217 |
Its Everywhere Its Everywhere | 224 |
Beyond the EitherOr Church | 237 |
We Just Got a New Set of Spectacles | 250 |
How Then Shall We Live? | 265 |
The Bible and Communitas | 277 |
| 287 | |
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Common terms and phrases
adaptive challenge APEPT Apostolic Genius apostolic ministry authentic become biblical Brian McLaren C. S. Lewis called central chaos theory chapter Christ Christendom Christendom mode Christian church growth church planting communitas complex consumerism context creates culture denomination develop disciples discipleship dynamic early church Easum ecclesia ecclesiology Edge of Chaos elements of mDNA emerging emerging church engagement evangelism experience explore expression faith Gioja God’s gospel house church human Ibid ideas incarnational influence innovation institutional involved Jesus movements leaders learning liminality living systems living systems theory look Lord means Millemann missional church missionary monotheism move movement ethos nature Neil Cole organization organizational paradigm Pascale pastoral Pentecostal phenomenon prophetic religious remarkable Shaping of Things significant simply situation SMRC social spiritual structure Surfing the Edge systems story task teaching theological theory threat twenty-first century worship