Practices for the Refounding of God's People: The Missional Challenge of the West

by Alan J. Roxburgh, Martin Robinson

Speaks to the bewilderment and helplessness many churches feel in the face of current events Practical new interpretation of changes in the West Throughout its history, the church has faced crises of meaning and identity in all kinds of changing contexts. The crises facing the churches of the western hemisphere today are no different. At their best, churches have recognized that their challenge is not their own fixing or even “reformation” but a deep engagement with the ways the gospel transforms society. This book explores how this can happen again in a radically changing western world.

160 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 15, 2018

About the author

Alan Roxburgh is a pastor, teacher, writer and consultant with more than 30 years experience in church leadership, consulting and seminary education. Alan has pastored congregations in a small town, the suburbs, the re-development of a downtown urban church and the planting of other congregations. He has directed an urban training center and served as a seminary professor and the director of a center for mission and evangelism. Alan teaches as an adjunct professor in seminaries in the USA, Australia and Europe. In addition to his books listed here on Amazon, Alan was also a member of the writing team that authored "Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America".

Through The Missional Network, Alan leads conferences, seminars and consultations with denominations, congregations and seminaries across North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the UK. Alan consults with these groups in the areas of leadership for missional transformation and innovating missional change across denominational systems. Along with the team at TMN, he provides practical tools and resources for leaders of church systems and local congregations.

When not traveling or writing, Alan enjoys mountain biking, hiking, cooking and hanging out with Jane and their five grandchildren as well as drinking great coffee in the Pacific North West.

Reviews

[Scott Gamble · Rating 4 out of 5]

Content-wise, an engaging book. Unlike many books in a similar vein ("what's wrong with the church and how can we fix it" variety) I greatly appreciate the depth of thought and research, the breadth of study and interest of the authors, the historical scope they draw in, and just the robust intellectual meat of it all.

I think the book could have used a few more passes from an editor. There were numerous typos and inexcusable oddities in the the writing that should have been caught. One example is the tendency in the first half of the book to end each section or chapter with a grand conclusion that draws us, once again, back to the main theme of the book. These make tons of sense on account of there being two authors, and the likelihood that many chapters and sections were written independently, but they are wholly unnecessary to be inserted every 15-20 pages in the final manuscript. A minor thing that should have been caught in editing, but it still took away from the overall quality of the book.

Despite those things, I've been recommending this to pastors and thinkers in the church left right and centre. I sincerely appreciate Martin and Roxborough's unwillingness to prescribe one "sure-fire" path forward, but rather push us towards prayerful watching and searching, changing our disposition in order to fundamentally alter our relationship to the world.

My biggest complaint is that this book has put me in a truly uncomfortable place in ministry, as I wonder how I can possibly lead a church into the vast unknown of this unravelling time without mooring to the aging and faltering structures of the past. The days might be numbered for those structures, but at least they give some semblance of stability in the here and now. It is a fearsome place to live, in the unknown, living truly in the grace of God. (And yes I am keenly aware that this is exactly the place the authors would have us be, but that doesn't make it any less terrifying).

[Grant Klinefelter · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating look at the status of the Church in the west (primarily UK and Europe). The authors do well to point out the need, not just for a reformation of church practices, but a re-founding of what we mean by church.

I most appreciated their reliance on Alan Kreider’s The Patient Ferment of the Early Church as a paradigm for how to reach the west again.

As societies in the West become more and more secular and Christianity becomes more and more marginalized, a doorway of early-Christian-styled witness emerges. One that doesn’t vie for political power to push its agenda. One that doesn’t pander to culture to evangelize.

Like the early church, the re-founding needed in the West is a return to the basics—living lives that echo the truth of the gospel and compel people toward Jesus through the beauty of our practices.

Side note—really enjoyed their take on the importance of “Perish” and living locally. Seeking to live this out currently and greatly appreciated their words on the power of proximity.

[pm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alan and his fellow author shows himself to be a master at weaving sociological, biblical and theological narratives together. However, I would have liked to see more on the case for the practices in particular because the exploration of the narratives have been done so well in Alan's previous books. I had eagerly anticipated (from the title) more of a focus on the practices. Having said that, the authors have produced a worthy contribution to the discussion around the church's challenges.