Mission of the Church

What is the mission of the corporate church? What is the mission of local churches regardless of denominations? What is the reason for the existence of the local church? These three questions not only deserve consideration by leadership but also need to be understood by the entire membership to enable productive kingdom work. It is so easy for a congregation to develop programs and activities based on what other groups are doing or on what are the perceived needs of the moment. These do have value; however, they tend to be based on our human concepts rather than the directives of Scripture. Terry Cross, Dean of the School of Religion at Lee University, describes this book as follows: ""Another book on the church? This one is different. Thirteen seasoned professors with some 400+ years of combined ministerial experience engage various aspects of the mission of the church. Much like the pulse that beats from a strong heart, the idea of partnering with God's mission as transformed participants in God's work reappears throughout the chapters. While the focus of attention is different for each author, the theme beats the same pulse throughout--the mission of God is the heart of God and must be the heart of the church."" With additional contributions from: Bob Bayles Terry Cross Rolando Cuellar Tom Doolittle Jimmy Harper John Lombard Lisa Long Edley Moodley Mark Walker ""Mission of the Church is a vital resource to reinvigorate the missionary commitment of the church in this new century. In each of the chapters, the accomplished authors identify a significant missional focus and challenge--inviting churches to participate in God's work of transforming the world. Without a doubt, these essays of practical theology will revitalize, mobilize, and align the church with the mission of God."" --David E. Ramirez, Assistant General Overseer, Executive Director, Division of Education, Church of God ""The Mission of the Church . . . is a lucid and insightful description of the church's mission in the world. Not only does it describe what God expects of His church, but it shows the church's responsibility to FINISH the Great Commission. I sincerely endorse this valuable work."" --Timothy M. Hill, Church of God General Overseer ""These engaging and thoughtful chapters . . . feature some critical convictions for the churches of North America. How might our expectations and actions change if we believe God is the primary agent and is ahead of us among our neighbors and in our communities? . . . In addition to thoughtful and imaginative reading of these chapters, I'd recommend new prayerful and attentive experiments, with the hope you will find Spirit-inspired mission."" --Mark Lau Branson, Professor, Fuller Theological Seminary ""I'm a child of the church. My parents pioneered a Pentecostal church in my hometown of Lucknow, India. That is why reading Mission of the Church stirred something within me. My friends from Lee University have combined scholarship with pragmatism to develop what the Mission of the Church means holistically. This is not a one-off book, rather one that will be underlined again and again and cherished as we are reminded about the Mission of the Church."" --Sam Chand, author of Bigger Faster Leadership Jerome Boone is Professor of Old Testament and Christian Formation at Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee. He teaches biblical studies, hermeneutics, discipleship studies, and worship studies at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. He is a regular presenter at the annual meetings of the Society for Pentecostal Studies and has published in several journals. Recently, Boone and his wife Sandra have written discipleship curriculum on the Thanksgiving Psalms. Jerald Daffe is Professor of Pastoral Studies at Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee, as well as Coordinator of the Pastoral Studies major. His teaching is in areas of Pastoral Studies such as preaching, worship, and pastoral responsibilities. Ot