Church in the Middle

Stepping Outside the Building to Reach the World of Tomorrow

by Rolland Daniels

This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.

Buy on Amazon Buy on BN.com Buy on Bookshop.org

*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.

Pub Date Aug 01 2014 | Archive Date Jan 15 2015

Warner Press | Tree 1:3 Ministry Resources

Christian | Religion & Spirituality

Description

According to a U.S. Religion Census, approximately 150 million Americans are not engaged with any religious community. Churches have the opportunity to share the hope of the Gospel with millions of people living in a broken world. As we look to the future, however, rapid changes in society are causing approaches to ministry to become ineffective. An attractional approach, where we rely on people to come to our churches to be introduced to Jesus, isn’t going to be enough. Our congregations will be most effective in reaching coming generations when we exit our buildings and engage people as Jesus did, in servanthood, compassion and love.

But how can churches make that shift?

This workbook is designed for the “church in the middle”—the church that is caught between operating with an attractional approach to ministry and a desire to get outside its walls and engage the community missionally. This book identifies the challenges facing all churches, provides tools for you to assess the present practices at your church, and helps you create and implement new ways for your church to build relationships with your community. It will walk you through practical steps to help prepare your church to reach the generations of tomorrow.

Advance Praise

"Over fifty years ago, Alvin Toffler's best-seller Future Shock predicted that the pace of exponential change would transform western society, upending values, moral boundaries, and traditional institutions long treasured and thought transcendent. Well, the future is here and the pace of change continues unabated. In a civilization devolving, how does the church move forward, honoring the living Christ and actually following Him? How does the church remain true to its Founder, finding the energy, power, and resiliency that propelled it in its beginning? Rolland Daniels' Church in the Middle paves the way, leading us into life-changing ministry, step-by-step, helping us refocus on what Jesus came to do in the first place. He did not walk into our world to develop greenhouses into which His followers could retreat; He walked into this world and dwelt among us, meeting us on the streets and in the tough corners of everyday life. Church in the Middle is an excellent read that will open your eyes to the promise and power resident in every member of the Body of Christ. Buy it. Read it. Do it."

– Rev. Jim Lyon, General Director, Church of God (Anderson, Indiana)

"Over fifty years ago, Alvin Toffler's best-seller Future Shock predicted that the pace of exponential change would transform western society, upending values, moral boundaries, and traditional...