language

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The Church speaks the language of mission but uses more than one dictionary. Eckhard J. Schnabel observes this matter when he writes, “Many exegetical studies on missions fail to indicate which notion of mission is used or presupposed” (Early Christian Mission: Jesus and the Twelve, 11). Consider even the most […]

Communication Breakdown: Language of Mission

 in Agencies / Evangelical Missiological Society / History / International Missions / Leadership / missiology / North American Missions / Theology  tagged apostolic imagination / communication breakdown / Eckhard Schnabel / language / Mission by
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I have been posting a great deal lately on matters surrounding the definition of mission, missions, and missionaries. Much of this is due to my present book project. If you are new here and curious, let me encourage you to check out the following posts: If Everything is Mission Rethinking […]

Missions Post that Will Make Everyone Angry with Me

 in Agencies / History / International Missions / missiology / North American Missions / Theology  tagged Church Planting / language / missio Dei / Mission / Transcending Mission by
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Mission language forms our ideas and actions. Talking about such language is not a waste of time. Uncertainty abounds when it comes to the language of mission. Definitions are found in the eye of the beholder. Missionary activity is defined as everything from church planting among an unreached people to […]

Apostolic Imagination: Rethinking Language of Mission

 in Agencies / History / Innovation / International Missions / missiology / North American Missions / Podcast / Theology  tagged language / Mission / Missions by
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When churches are unable to meet on their properties, ecclesiology suddenly trends in a radically biblical direction. After the sanctuary is flooded, the pastor tells the people the church is not the building. The worship center burns to the ground, but the pastor informs the news reporter the church is […]

“Since Your Church is Closed, be the Church” (2 Hezekiah ...

 in Church Planting / contextualization / Discipleship / History / Leadership / Pastoral Training / Theological Education / Theology  tagged Communication / COVID-19 / ecclesiology / language / Matthew 16:18 / pastors / Revelation 21;2 by
Language is powerful. Language communicates meaning. Language delivers theology. Language is supported by theology and language shapes theology. What we say means something–something more than just words. If I write the word “church,” you immediately have something in mind. This something may be a group of people, the called-out ones. […]

Time to Do Away with Missions?

 in Church Planting / Discipleship / History / International Missions / missiology / North American Missions / Theology  tagged apostolic / Apostolic Church Planting / Creative Tension / culture / Discovering Church Planting / Donald McGavran / Effective Evangelism / language / Stephen Neill / To the Edge by
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The reporter made this horrific statement on the news today: “The church was completely destroyed by fire. . . .” What!? That’s terrible. Knowing the median worship attendance in the US is 75, I had a mental image of at least 75 people being burned simultaneously. Check Twitter. What? Nothing […]

Church Destroyed, Everyone Lives?

 in Church Planting / contextualization / Discipleship / Leadership / missiology / Theology  tagged doctrine / ecclesiology / evangelicals / language / theology / tradition by