DESCRIPTION

Churches and denominations often appear to settle for a primary objective that is less than what the apostles recommended. If we are honest, most church leaders acknowledge that our institutional sense of purpose is inconsistent, at best. In some places the purpose of the church is quite narrowly defined, and in others the definition is so broad that it seems meaningless. People wonder, and ldquo;Is this all there is to the church? and rdquo; It and rsquo;s a good question, and George Hunter, a longtime keen observer of the church, demonstrates the answer. Hunter and rsquo;s richly descriptive explanation of the and ldquo;missional church and rdquo; will convince leaders and students to recover a clear and consistent sense of purpose. As we are the stewards of and ldquo;the faith once delivered to the saints, and rdquo; so we are the heirs of the mission once entrusted to the apostles and their movements. The church and rsquo;s mission, locally and globally, is or should be its main business. The and ldquo;real church and rdquo; is an and ldquo;ecclesia and rdquo; and mdash;God and rsquo;s and ldquo;called out and rdquo; people whom the Lord shapes into an and ldquo;apostolate and rdquo; and mdash;and and ldquo;sends out and rdquo; to be publicly present in the world and mdash;but not of it. This mission is a serving, witnessing, inviting outreach to all people.