A new model of mission is emerging among participants in the urban ministry of the Eden Network which reimagines evangelical identity and missiology. The Eden Network is a charismatic evangelical organisation which has engaged in incarnational urban ministry for the last nineteen years. In the course of my roles as a staff member and as a local participant observer, I identified tensions arising for Eden team members between their inherited evangelical theology and their experiences of mission in urban communities. This research aims to explore this dissonance, identifying the subcultural narratives of evangelicalism and the ways in which these narratives are complicated by lived experience.

The megachurch and the missional church are on-going global phenomena. Under the premise that the church has to be missional, this dissertation analyses and describes if a megachurch can be missional in both theoretical and practical ways from a Korean perspective. The megachurch is not simply a very large church in membership or size of its building. It, by the influence of interaction of socio-cultural, historical and theological backgrounds, has its own missiological and ecclesiological perspectives. The megachurch understands that the growth of an individual church is the expansion of the kingdom of God, so that the church must be functional and structural to fulfil the church growth efficiently. Thus, it is a powerful tendency that can be found not only in large size churches, but from all churches trying to achieve by all means the quantitative growth of the church and world evangelisation, through the power and material obtained from growth. The Korean megachurches represented by the Poongsunghan Church obviously display the characteristics of this tendency. The missional church is not simply a mission-driven church sending many missionaries to other countries. It believes that all churches are sent to the world by God who wants to reconcile the whole universe to Him, so that the church has to restore its missional essence to participate in the mission of God wherever it is as the early church did. Thus, the missional church is a reforming movement to witness to God’s rule by recovering its apostolic nature. The characteristics of the movement is clearly activating in the Bundang Woori Church, one of the Korean missional churches. In this line of research, any churches that are not resisting the megachurch tendency cannot be missional. The Korean church, which is in crisis being marginalised from society, has to join the missional movement. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / tm2015 / Science of Religion and Missiology / MA / Unrestricted

The theological theme missio Dei functions increasingly as the paradigm for local faith communities to renew the self-understanding of their identity and purpose in a changing world. There is, therefore, great interest in theological publications and religious practices regarding the so-called missional church. The missio Dei does not only have implications for the local faith community to be missional, but also for the way in which these faith communities should act in relation to each other in light of their new self-understanding. The missio Dei should, therefore, also shape the relationship between faith communities. This is already happening, especially in missional church-planting networks, but these networks have not thoroughly been grounded theologically or researched empirically in the light of the missio Dei. The purpose of this study is to develop a Scriptural matrix for the establishment of the relationship between faith communities in light of the missio Dei. The research is done by way of the practical theological methodology of Gerben Heitink (1999). * The first section of this study is a hermeneutic process, seeking to put the current state of affairs into perspective and develop Scriptural principles. Chapter 2 of the hermeneutic inquiry seeks to understand the way in which the missio Dei functions in existing literature on the role of the missio Dei in the relationship between faith communities. Literature on existing missional networks are also included. In Chapter 3, an understanding is developed of the role of the Trinity in the missio Dei and of the fact that its elements should also be present in the relationship between faith communities that are participating in the missio Dei. This is done by way of grammatical-historical exegesis of John 17. Chapter 2, therefore, helps to understand what needs to be changed, and Chapter 3 helps to understand the preferred practice. * The second section involves an empirical research in Chapter 4 of four missional networks in the United States of America and in Canada to determine the role of the missio Dei in the practice of those networks. These networks are Redeemer City to City, Church Innovations, Acts 29 and Forge Canada. * The third section is the strategic moment and involves the integration of the research results from Chapters 2, 3 and 4 in a practice theory. In Chapter 5, a practise-theory matrix is eventually developed for the establishment of the relationship between faith communities in light of the missio Dei. This matrix may also have many useful applications, ranging from being used as an instrument for measuring and developing the missionality of local faith communities to the evaluation or even development of missional networks. The conclusion of the study is that the degree of insight into the role of the Trinity in the missio Dei determines the extent to which faith communities and missional networks function missionally. The nature, boundaries, function and purpose of the unity of the Persons of the Trinity determine the nature, boundaries, function and purpose of the unity of missional communities of faith in their relationship with each other. The better a faith community's understanding is of the role of the Trinity in the missio Dei, the better that faith community will be able to function missionally with other faith communities. The matrix that has been developed helps the assessment, adjustment, establishment and prediction of the effectiveness of missional relationships between faith communities. / PhD (Pastoral Studies), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The theological theme missio Dei functions increasingly as the paradigm for local faith communities to renew the self-understanding of their identity and purpose in a changing world. There is, therefore, great interest in theological publications and religious practices regarding the so-called missional church. The missio Dei does not only have implications for the local faith community to be missional, but also for the way in which these faith communities should act in relation to each other in light of their new self-understanding. The missio Dei should, therefore, also shape the relationship between faith communities. This is already happening, especially in missional church-planting networks, but these networks have not thoroughly been grounded theologically or researched empirically in the light of the missio Dei. The purpose of this study is to develop a Scriptural matrix for the establishment of the relationship between faith communities in light of the missio Dei. The research is done by way of the practical theological methodology of Gerben Heitink (1999). * The first section of this study is a hermeneutic process, seeking to put the current state of affairs into perspective and develop Scriptural principles. Chapter 2 of the hermeneutic inquiry seeks to understand the way in which the missio Dei functions in existing literature on the role of the missio Dei in the relationship between faith communities. Literature on existing missional networks are also included. In Chapter 3, an understanding is developed of the role of the Trinity in the missio Dei and of the fact that its elements should also be present in the relationship between faith communities that are participating in the missio Dei. This is done by way of grammatical-historical exegesis of John 17. Chapter 2, therefore, helps to understand what needs to be changed, and Chapter 3 helps to understand the preferred practice. * The second section involves an empirical research in Chapter 4 of four missional networks in the United States of America and in Canada to determine the role of the missio Dei in the practice of those networks. These networks are Redeemer City to City, Church Innovations, Acts 29 and Forge Canada. * The third section is the strategic moment and involves the integration of the research results from Chapters 2, 3 and 4 in a practice theory. In Chapter 5, a practise-theory matrix is eventually developed for the establishment of the relationship between faith communities in light of the missio Dei. This matrix may also have many useful applications, ranging from being used as an instrument for measuring and developing the missionality of local faith communities to the evaluation or even development of missional networks. The conclusion of the study is that the degree of insight into the role of the Trinity in the missio Dei determines the extent to which faith communities and missional networks function missionally. The nature, boundaries, function and purpose of the unity of the Persons of the Trinity determine the nature, boundaries, function and purpose of the unity of missional communities of faith in their relationship with each other. The better a faith community's understanding is of the role of the Trinity in the missio Dei, the better that faith community will be able to function missionally with other faith communities. The matrix that has been developed helps the assessment, adjustment, establishment and prediction of the effectiveness of missional relationships between faith communities. / PhD (Pastoral Studies), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

In the same manner that the first-century church had to shift from traditional Judaism to a radical spiritual imagination that included Gentiles, the contemporary American church must shift from paradigms of church rooted in medieval and modern forms of Christendom to new ideals that are appropriate for the postmodern context in which we now live. This happens, at least in part, by accepting the challenge of reimagining church theology and practices in order to reach more people. The loss of Christianity’s cultural prominence is coupled with the rapid decline in church attendance, leading many churches to face institutional maintenance crises and even impending demise. These phenomena indicate that North America is a ripe mission field for the gospel and that fresh approaches led by the Spirit must be employed to best reap a present-day harvest. The missional imagination provides insight into these approaches by focusing on God’s ultimate mission of world redemption and the church’s role in that process. Missional ecclesiology places discipleship at the center of church ministry. Within a missional orientation, discipleship is understood as the process by which people are introduced to Christ; engaged in perpetual spiritual formation, and grow into faithful, redeemed members of God’s community. In order to be a facilitator of this process, the contemporary church must embrace a missional ideology. Unfortunately, church leaders are not typically trained in the missional imagination. A mission-driven leadership development program is necessary because, in the absence of such a tool, leaders may instinctively default to practices that put the mission of the church at risk. Without missional training, there is an insufficient understanding of the correlation between worship experiences as spiritual formation and the realized mission of the church among team members. I serve as the Worship Pastor at the Luke Church of Humble, Texas. This is the focal site of this project. The hurdles facing the Luke Church are emblematic of the critique that others in the missional church movement have levied against the old, Christian models of church that still pervade many American congregations across the denominational and theological spectrum. For this project, I define worship as more than the fifteen minutes of singing couched within a service, but rather the conglomerate of our efforts to give God full honor, attention, and reverence as we endeavor to live faithfully into God’s redemption of the world. With this understanding, our worship leaders have the opportunity to shape people’s worship life through the intentional and excellent execution of their different roles. I will conduct a three-month leadership boot camp with the liturgical, ministry, and hospitality teams. This training will include general sessions as well as breakouts. Between meetings, participants will participate in readings, guided observation, and discussion groups. At the conclusion of the boot camp, leaders will have gained the necessary tools to reimagine practices within their domain. This leadership intensive will be largely based on the Missional Change Model with pedagogical grounding in Jack Mezirow’s Transformational Learning Theory and Nancy Ammerman’s work on congregational study.

This research, with its focus on liturgy as a field inside practical theology, investigates the role of encounters during the Sunday sermon as well as the sermon of our daily lives. Three encounters are identified and studied. Firstly, the personal encounter between the individual and God. Secondly, encounters between people (where individuals share in each others stories and realities). Thirdly, encounters with the world and society (the missional encounters with the world in need). This research aims to study the impact of these encounters upon Christian identity and the subsequent way of life. The starting point for this research comes from the conviction that liturgy and life are deeply related to one another and that these encounters will therefore not only help maintain church members, but also shape their lives within a unique South African society which is in a continuous transitional phase. These encounters are not only necessary, but also needed to facilitate possibilities for new life realities, which in turn will help shape individual, congregational and societal lives. The research also includes emperical research where the experiences (with regards to the identified encounters) of church members after a traditional sermon, as well as the impact (or lack thereof) on their lives are observed. The findings serves as a valuable resource in determining the possible impact of encounters during the sermon, with the goal of maximising the life-changing potential of church sermons. / Die navorsing wil vanuit 'n studie van liturgie as veld binne die Praktiese Teologie die rol van ontmoetings binne die erediens en daaglikse kerkwees verken. Die navorsing fokus op drie ontmoetings: Eerstens, die ontmoeting tussen God en mens. Tweedens, ontmoetings met mekaar (waar lidmate deel word van mekaar se stories en lewenswerklikhede). Derdens, ontmoetings met die samelewing (die missionale gerigtheid van ons gemeentewees, waar lidmate in aanraking gebring word met die nood in 'n stukkende wêreld en hulle gestuurdheid daarheen besef). Die navorsing ondersoek die impak van hierdie ontmoetings op Christelike identiteit en gepaardgaande lewenswyse. Daar gaan vanuit die oortuiging te werk dat liturgie en lewe ten nouste verbonde is en die voorgestelde ontmoetings uiteindelik nie alleen lidmate wil behou nie, maar hulle leefstyl in Suid-Afrika wil vorm binne 'n voortgaande oorgangsproses. Dit is vanuit hierdie ontmoetings dat nuwe lewenswerklikhede moontlik word wat 'n impak op die individu, gemeente en samelewing kan maak. Die studie sluit empiriese navorsing, waar die eredienservarings (ten opsigte van die fokus- ontmoetings) van lidmate vanuit 'n gemeente in die noorde van Pretoria, na afloop van die gemeente se primêre erediens en die impak daarvan op hul identiteit en lewe verken word, in. Met hierdie empiriese navorsing as hulpmiddel, verken die navorsing die belangrikheid van hierdie ontmoetings binne die erediens, met die doel om die lewensimpakterende potensiaal van die erediens en ons daaglikse kerkwees tot sy volle reg te laat kom. / Dissertation (MTh)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Practical Theology / MTh / Unrestricted

The California-Nevada Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church exhibits a faster rate of decline than the already declining Protestant church in the United States. American consumerism and the professionalization of the church reveal a broken ecclesiology and missiology. Yet immigrant congregations display a set of apostolic practices that often correspond with growth and multiplication and an effective Wesleyan missional ecclesiology. Using Positive Deviance Theory, this thesis builds a robust 18-month process of generous impartation and contextual adoption between Fijian congregations, representing one particular immigrant group, and another partner congregation. The congregations will share their unique apostolic practices in intentional gatherings over time, shaped by intercultural theology and a vibrant Wesleyan missiology and enacted in incarnational relationships. The projected result is contextualized apostolic practices in both congregations that contribute to their growth and vitality.

This study looked at the journey towards becoming a missional church, using Beach Mission Presbyterian Church as a case study and explores the question of the missiological praxis of Beach Mission and UPCSA. Despite the fact that the church is not fundamentally the keeper of mission, it is however the sign, instrument, means of expression, and foretaste of God’s mission to the troubled, broken and traumatised world. I can affirm with equal validity that, mission belongs to God. Mission was not made for the church; the church was made for mission – God’s mission. The UPCSA must give careful attention to the processes by which it governs itself but the biblical and theological foundations will always be crucial than the specific structures implemented. These foundations will allow authentic relationships to develop simply because they assure people that they will be valued as those created in the image of God. Their wisdom and participation will be noticed and honoured. The church structures will give credence to God’s work of reconciliation. When church structures allow the biblical and theological foundations to order its life, the church will bring glory, praise and honour to God. Gibbs (2005:20) asserts that, the church of the twenty-first century needs missional thinkers and apostolic leadership. By missional leadership I mean leaders who can read the Scriptures with fresh eyes, relating the story of redemption to the human condition in its present cultural context – contexts that are increasingly multicultural and influenced by global trends. This poses a challenge to UPCSA. It was apparent that the Beach Mission Presbyterian Church approaches missional church conversation with a sense of hopefulness, and this was motivated by the strong belief that God is present and up to something wonderful. The Beach Mission Presbyterian Church’s case in point is heartening other congregations who intend in embarking on a journey towards becoming a missional church. The focus has been about God and his mission. The Beach Mission Presbyterian Church ought to comprehend the indisputable fact that it is just an instrument for missio Dei or to put it simply it is nothing more than a delivery means for the gospel. Wright (2010:31) asserts that, but at the end of the day, mission is a matter of loyalty. The ambassador must have complete loyalty to the government he or she represents. A trusted messenger will faithfully deliver what his sender said, not his own opinions. The church is a rejected community sent out to the world with a product (Jesus), to bring about transformation to the world. In essence, one wonders if the church does comprehend the world in which it is sent out to? Does it comprehend God, who has sent it? In the missional church, the theology is more than the self-serving what do you get mentality. Members comprehend that they are called to be the church rather than be served by it. / Dissertation (MA Theol)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Science of Religion and Missiology / unrestricted

The topic of my study is: Becoming a missional church- the case of Evangelical Lutheran Church in South Africa (ELCSA). The lack of missional astuteness and intelligence emanating from Christendom mind-sets and agendas is detrimental to the growth of the church and is creating missional chaos and paralysis; this is what I am struggling with in my study. The challenge I am grappling with is that the ELCSA as a church has been exposed to a variety and multiplicity of missional cultures and mission settings through a diversity of missionaries operating from different missional landscape and backgrounds. The various and differing missional histories has created inconsistencies in the theological foundations that underpin and add force to her missional outlook and maturity. As the church considers becoming a missional church, there is an imperative need to radically revisit her traditional ecclesiologies in order to develop a clearer understanding of her missional vocation. The missional direction of the church is in quandary, partly because of the leadership failure to manage the contradictory and inconsistent missional attempts and missional immaturity within the ELCSA. Leadership development and formation within the Lutheran training institutes in Southern Africa, which are crucial in church life seems inadequate from a curriculum perspective. Failure to understand and appreciate the current missional language will inadvertently confuse the church’s understanding of God’s mission in the world (missio Dei). The challenge facing the ELCSA will therefore be an imperative and absolute need to move from a church with mission to a missional church. The study seeks to further explore and investigate insights from the ELCSA’s mission history with a view of determining the missional health and checking whether the church has a comprehension and understanding of the concept and language of a missional church and missional leadership. In this study I will also attempt to answer two possible sub-problems of the study viz. How does the ELCSA create a missional leadership aptitude environment and how does the ELCSA implement the missional conversation(s) to the operating landscape of the church? This study will also contrast the attractional and incarnational mindsets I reflect in the conclusion the significance and importance of a missional church and highlight the characteristics or indicators of such a church by applying it to the ELCSA. Recommendations are indicated for consideration by the ELCSA and are not presented as an answer or solution to the challenge that the church is facing. / Dissertation (MA(Theol))--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Science of Religion and Missiology / unrestricted

Please read the abstract in the 00front of this document. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Science of Religion and Missiology / unrestricted