Christianity Commons^™

Disability, Difference, And Inclusion In The Church: A Special Issue, Jennifer Reinsch Schroeder

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

This introductory article sets the context for the conversations in this special issue of Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry on disability, difference, and inclusion in the church.

Book Review: Bridging Theory And Practice In Children's Spirituality, Shannon Rains

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

Bridging Theory and Practice in Children’s Spirituality: New Directions of Education, Ministry, and Discipleship, edited by Mimi L. Larson and Robert J. Keeley. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Reflective, 2020. 264 pages, $22.99.

Book Review: Neighborhood Church: Transforming Your Congregation Into A Powerhouse For Mission, Brandon Pierce

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

Neighborhood Church: Transforming Your Congregation into a Powerhouse for Mission, by Krin van Tatenhove and Rob Mueller. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2019. 146 pages, $20.00.

Missional Partnership: Reframing The Concept Of “Placing Membership”, Steve Cloer

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

This essay reframes the process of “placing membership” in a local church with the theological concept of missional partnership. A critical review is offered of the organizational procedure of “placing membership,” its underlying theoretical assumptions, and its deficient theological vision. Then, the practice of joining a local Christian community is reimagined in a missional ecclesiology focusing on the key theological strands of spiritual accountability and equipping for mission. The biblical metaphor of “partner in the gospel” is explored as an alternative to “membership” as a way to adequately communicate what joining, entering, and participating within a church on mission entails. …

Shared Leadership In Congregations: How To Construct A Holding Environment To Do Adaptive Work, Zach Ellis

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

Many congregations struggle to adapt to changes in their environment. Congregational and pastoral leadership is an important factor in a congregation’s success or failure. The emerging practice of Shared Leadership offers congregational leaders one tool that might help them successfully engage in the adaptive work necessary in the face of a changing environment. Recent research has connected the practice of Shared Leadership to increased innovation in businesses. This form of leadership should be explored as a model for congregations as they engage in adaptive change. However, because it is adaptive change that is required, and not only technical change, a …

Churches Of Christ, Spiritual Formation, And The Liturgical Christian Calendar, Wes Horn

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

For many Christian traditions, participation in the liturgical year does not seem remarkable; in fact, it is second nature being the form, or liturgy, through which congregational members grew up practicing their faith. However, for those Christian traditions, like the Churches of Christ, who have avoided the liturgical year, the inclusion of liturgical practices is a substantial deviation in worship theology, practice, and comfort.

This article recounts one congregation’s journey through the liturgical calendar as a test case for a Doctor of Ministry project. The thesis questioned whether the introduction of the liturgical Christian calendar into the worship life of …

The Initiation Of Growth-Focused Relationships Involving Healthy Accountability, Stephen L. Shaffer

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

This paper summarizes a Doctor of Ministry project thesis conducted in 2011 that introduced healthy accountability within growth-focused relationships to shape an emergent spiritual growth culture at the Carbondale Church of Christ. The theological basis for the intervention (1) uses Romans 12 to establish the Christian community, not the individual, as the ultimate vision of fully realized human life and (2) asserts that spiritual growth, following Alasdair MacIntyre’s definition of a practice, must involve virtues such that the means of growth are reflective of the desired ends of growth. The positive results demonstrate the effectiveness of healthy accountability, illuminate participants' …