Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City

Many pastors struggle to translate their theological beliefs into fruitful ministry in the places they are called to reach. It's not enough to simply know what to believe (theology) or, on the other hand, how to do ministry (methodology) - they need something in between. They need help thinking about ministry in a culture that no longer believes Christianity is a force for good, let alone the source of ultimate revealed truth in the person of Christ. This collection of twelve essays by Timothy Keller outlines a theological vision for ministry that is organized around three core commitments: - Gospel-centered: The gospel of grace in Jesus Christ changes everything, from our hearts to our community to the world. It completely reshapes the content, tone, and strategy of all that we do. - City-centered: With a positive approach toward our culture, we learn to affirm that cities are wonderful, strategic, and underserved places for gospel ministry. - Movement-centered: Instead of building our own tribe, we seek the prosperity and peace of our community, as we are led by the Holy Spirit. A theological vision creates a bridge between doctrine and expression, a balance between cultural engagement and countercultural distinctiveness. Written by a practitioner for practitioners, it will provoke serious reflection, creative adaptation, and decisive action. It can be used by groups or individually and includes questions for discussion and reflection.… (more)