How does the Reality of the Incarnation inform and shape the nature of Christian ministry? What is the church's impact in the world when its members embody the powerfully redemptive presence of Christ-in personal as well as corporate witness? These key questions are addressed in Incarnational ministry: The Presence of Christ in Church, Society, and Family-a volume honoring the significant contributions and personal witness of Ray S. Anderson to a theology of incarnational ministry. The essays explore three central themes: (1) the church's nature and life as the ministry of the incarnate Savior; (2) the church in mission and service, witnessing to Christ's solidarity with the world; (3) the church in ministry to families and as family to all of humanity. The diverse voices in this volume harmonize in a shared passion for the church to engage in the "hard theological thinking and costly personal practice that should flow from its doctrine of the incarnation." "Incarnational Ministry transfers theology from the library and lecture hall to life, where it belongs...brings together a stellar company of Christian scholars and leaders who write not merely for the academy but for the church, for laity as well as for clergy."---W. Ward Gasque, Provost, Eastern College, St. Davids, PA "Reading this book, one is struck with how relevant basic Christian doctrines...are to the burning issues of our time. This is theology related to life."---Elizabeth Achtemeier, Adjunct Professor of Bible and Homiletics, Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, VA

Andrew Root reviews the history of relational/incarnational youth ministry in American evangelicalism and recasts the practice as one of "place-sharing"--not so much "earning the right to be heard" as honoring the human dignity of youth and locating God in their midst.

Intro -- Title Page -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Contents -- Preface -- Prologue: There Is Need of Only One Thing -- Introduction: The Ministry of Being With -- 1. Being with God -- 2. Being with Oneself -- 3. Being with the Creation -- 4. Being with God Together -- 5. Being with Child -- 6. Being with the Called -- 7. Being with the Troubled -- 8. Being with the Hurt -- 9. Being with the Afflicted -- 10. Being with the Challenged -- 11. Being with the Dying -- Epilogue: Precious, Honored, and Loved -- Index of Names and Subjects -- Index of Scripture References

A study of four types of societies with characteristics that affect receptivity to evangelism and church planting.

An accomplished theologian recovers the biblical theme of union with Christ, showing how it affects current theological and ministry issues.

For several years, argues Guder, contemporary Christian churches have often thought of their mission efforts as simply one more program of the church. In addition, outsiders have rightly criticized Christian mission efforts as exercises in cultural imperialism. In this provocative book, Guder argues that the incarnation of God in Jesus provides the foundational model for the practice of Christian missions in the world today. The incarnation is the culmination of God's activity and presence in the world, says Guder, for in this event God initiates the healing of a broken world. Using literary, historical, and social approaches to scripture, Guder claims the contemporary church should return to an Òincarnational missionÓ in which the practice of Christian witness is Òshaped by the life, ministry, suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus.Ó

In this follow-up to Incarnational Ministry: Being with the Church, Samuel Wells explores what it means for Christians and churches to engage with the world. Drawing on the Gospels, Acts, and personal insights gleaned from more than two decades in ministry, he shows how ‘being with’ others includes experiences of presence, attention, mystery, delight, participation, partnership, enjoyment and glory. His vivid narratives and wise reflections will help Christian readers better understand how to be with all kinds of people outside the church, including: • Being with Seekers • Being with Those of Other Faiths • Being with the Hostile • Being with Neighbours • Being with Government • Being with the Excluded

Ministering Cross-Culturally examines the significance of the incarnation for effective cross-cultural ministry. The authors demonstrate that Jesus needed to learn and understand the culture in which he lived before he could undertake his public ministry. The ideas in this book have proven to be successful for thousands of ministers, and the book is destined to be a resource of choice for years to come. Book jacket.

2013 CCED Book Prize winner Incarnational Humanism in an updated edition with a new foreword and preface. Having left its Christian roots behind, the West faces a moral, spiritual and intellectual crisis. It has little left to maintain its legacy of reason, freedom, human dignity and democracy. Far from capitulating, Jens Zimmermann believes the church has an opportunity to speak a surprising word into this postmodern situation grounded in the Incarnation itself that is proclaimed in Christian preaching and eucharistic celebration. To do so requires that we retrieve an ancient Christian humanism for our time. Only this will acknowledge and answer the general demand for a common humanity beyond religious, denominational and secular divides. Incarnational Humanism thus points the way forward by pointing backward. Rather than resorting to theological novelty, Zimmermann draws on the rich resources found in Scripture and in its theological interpreters ranging from Irenaeus and Augustine to de Lubac and Bonhoeffer. Zimmermann masterfully draws his comprehensive study together by proposing a distinctly evangelical philosophy of culture. That philosophy grasps the link between the new humanity inaugurated by Christ and all of humanity. In this way he holds up a picture of the public ministry of the church as a witness to the world's reconciliation to God.

Pastor T. C. Ryan narrates the unsettling story of his lifelong struggle with sexual addiction, one that predated and pervaded his pastoral ministry--one that went on for years in secrecy and isolation. In light of his full experience of exile and healing, Ryan calls the church to a ministry of unsettling grace that is the worthy of the gospel.