A helpful collection of studies on churches with strong and innovative missions programs.

The Mission of Today's Church is a compelling collection of twelve essays from current Baptist leaders addressing three major questions: (1) What does it mean to be a Christian today on individual, group, and societal levels? (2) How can Southern Baptists best work together? and (3) What is next for the Southern Baptist denomination? Those addressing these key topics in-depth include Stan Norman ("Together We Grow: Congregational Polity as a Form of Corporate Sanctification"), Ed Stetzer ("The Missional Nature of the Church"), and Daniel Akin ("Ten Mandates for Southern Baptists"). Among the many other contributors are Chad Brand, Charles Kelley, and Jim Richards.

Michael Goheen gives us a full-scale introduction to mission studies today in its biblical, theological and historical dimensions. Goheen covers the full horizon of major issues in mission, including its global, urban and holistic contexts. This text shows how the missional church encounters the pluralism of Western culture and global religions.

"Why are more churches not engaged in practical, substantial ways of taking the gospel to the nations?" When Missions Shape the Mission unpacks a statistical study of traditionally evangelical churches that reveals their anemic level of commitment to the biblical mandate of making Christ known around the world. Veteran pastor David Horner makes the data easy to understand, challenging other pastors to radically assign their best leadership and resources to missions as he looks at where the church is today, how it got there, and where we must go from here: "Let's dream a godly dream. What if you committed to step up and lead your church in the pursuit of becoming a mission-focused church? Then, what if you invited ten of your pastor friends to join you in the effort—and each of them did the same? What would happen to the available missions force beginning right here in the West?"

Theology disconnected from mission is not Christian theology at all. The pastors, professors, and missionaries writing Theology and Practice of Mission provide a clear biblical-theological framework for understanding the church's mission to the nations. Toward that goal, the book holds three major sections: God's mission, the church's mission, and the church's mission to the nations. Part one explores the canon of Christian Scripture from narrative and systematic angles, explaining how the mission of God-to redeem a people who will be a kingdom of priests to the praise of his glory, bear witness to his gospel, advance his church, and dwell with him forever on a new heaven and earth-is communicated in the Bible's four movements: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration. Part two sees the mission of God's people in the light of God's mission, emphasizing not only preaching and church planting but also gospel witness in every dimension of human culture-glorifying God in family, church, work, community, through the arts, sciences, education, business, and the public square. The writers encourage us to live missionally, leaving all of our resources at God's disposal for the sake of his kingdom. Finally, part three contends that the North American church must come to terms with its missional calling-just as international missionaries do-and gives a starting point and parameters for conceiving the church's mission to all people groups and cultural contexts. Chapters here include ones on unreached people groups, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and Postmoderns.

Genuinely Ghanaian is the fascinating history of the Methodist Church Ghana, from the time of its autonomy, 1961, to the year 2000. This book shows how missiological issues of contextualization and outreach have shaped the history of the Methodist Church Ghana since the independence of Ghana from colonial rule. Ghanaians have accepted Methodism on their own terms and have reworked it to fit their needs. The Methodist Church Ghana has its roots in a Bible study group of Ghanaians, formed in 1835. Aided by British Methodist missionaries, the group developed over the next 130 years, until, in 1961, it gained autonomy from the British Methodist Conference. Central elements in the contextualization of this church include Ghanaian identity Akan culture, and Methodist missionary theology. This book examines the evolution and consolidation of Methodism in Ghana from 1961 to 2000, highlighting in particular the contributions of the Fante people.

What is your greatest priority? Followers of Jesus are called to be disciples who make disciples of all nations. Somewhere along the way global missions have slipped far too low as a priority for individuals and churches. Missions and outreach to the lost is not an option for any true follower of Jesus because if you are a disciple then missions is in your DNA. Jesus requires us all to make disciples and live on mission with Him daily. Missions Abandoned challenges you to refocus your life as Jesus' follower making it a priority to make disciples locally and globally. Jesus has been calling His disciples for centuries to be obedient to follow him and to engage in His mission. Now is your time to follow Jesus and to do what disciples of Jesus do; make disciples. Andrew and Owen confront you to get reacquainted with what it truly means to be His disciple by reintegrating missions and witnessing into your daily life. You will not only be inspired, but also be equipped with the tools to become an effective disciple-maker. "Missions Abandoned" does more than inform followers of Jesus, it challenges us to reevaluate our commitment to missions and our passion for the lost." - Kyle Idleman, teaching pastor at Southeast Christian Church.