NASHVILLE, TN - (March 2007) - Radical hospitality. Passionate worship. Intentional faith development. Risk-taking mission and service. Extravagant generosity. People are searching for a church shaped and sustained by these qualities, asserts Robert Schnase, author of Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations. Schnase is Bishop of the Missouri Conference of The United Methodist Church and previously was pastor of First United Methodist Church, McAllen, Texas.
These fundamental practices are critical to the success of congregations. Their presence and strength demonstrate congregational health, vitality, and fruitfulness. Drawn from Scriptural images, they articulate a common language for the basic elements of community life in Christ, helping churches become clear about their mission and confident about their future. Capturing the imagination of church leaders and pushing them to a higher quality ministry, these five practices help to create powerful strategies for focused, intentional, and creative ministry.
In addition to his biblical and theological framework for ministry, Schnase includes examples of fruitful congregations who are shaped by these practices. One church, knowing that adjusting to the addition of a new baby in the family isn't easy and that many new parents find themselves falling into a pattern of ordering pizza or bringing home fast food during the first few hectic, exhausting days with a newborn, decided to help out with a "Meals for New Moms" ministry. Members of the church prepare homemade dinners and deliver them to the house of new parents several times during the first couple of weeks after coming home.
Another congregation, after participating in DISCIPLE BIBLE STUDY, decided to work with other congregations and faith communities to raise the minimum wage in their state in an effort to help workers with full-time jobs who nevertheless live in poverty.
Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations assists congregational leaders in holding a mirror to their own ministries in order to ask the questions, "How are we doing in practicing these qualities of ministry in our congregation? In our classes, choirs, small group ministries, mission teams, and leadership circles? How are we practicing these in our own personal discipleship? And how might we do better?"
Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations is published by Abingdon Press and is available at Cokesbury Christian Bookstores, online at www.Cokesbury.com, at 1-800-672-1789, and at your local bookseller.
Abingdon Press publishes resources for church leaders, scholars, and students engaged in leading congregations and theological education, and inspirational books and study materials that reach broad ecumenical audiences. Cokesbury is the retail and customer services arm of The United Methodist Publishing House, which serves more than 11 million church members worldwide, with books, Bibles, curriculum, worship resources, church supplies, and church furnishings.
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