The church needs to be described in what purpose it serves in the world.
Describe churches in terms of community and witness.
Fitch then asked us to decide on an essential practice of the church, one that we felt passionate about and could write our paper on.
(This was my first major panic attack in the class. Already? I am just getting started? What if I don't choose the right thing? Oh no! Oh no! I am not ready for this)
Here were the examples of essential practices from different ministry practicioners throughout history.
Here they were:
What are the
Non-Negotiables for your Church?
Biblical Appellations of the Church
Pick one (that best
describes your sense of your church)
o People
of God Acts 15:14 1 Pet 2:9
o Body
of Christ 1 Cor 12:13
o Ekklesia
(the called out gathering) 1 Cor 1:2
o
None of the above
Creedal Marks of the Church
Pick One (that drives
the values of your church)
o
One
o
Holy
o
Apostolic
o
Catholic
o
None of the above
The Marks (Lutheran/Anapbaptist)
Which one do your
start with and why?
Luther’s 7 ‘notes’ On the Councils and Churches 1539
o the preaching of the true Word
o The proper administration of baptism
o The correct form of the Lord's supper
o The power of the keys Matt 18 .. binding and loosing … discipline …
o The lawful vocation and ordination of
ministers
o Prayer and the singing of psalms in the
vernavular
o Persecutions … sufferings …
Menno Simons .. added the
following marks to preaching of the word/sacrament
o Holy living
- moral non conformity is indispensible to their witness…
o Brotherly love - moves locus from
administration of eucharist ..to meaning of it ..
o Unreserved testimony - witness …
o Suffering
- cross… discipleship
Others
o
Community/fellowship/brotherly
love
o
Worship
gathering
o
Discipleship
o
Leadership
o
Evangelism
(mission?)
o
The
ministry to the poor (justice)
o
Catechesis
Dever’s Marks
o Expositional
preaching
o Biblical
theology
o Biblical
understanding of the Gospel
o Biblical
understanding of conversion
o Biblical
understanding of evangelism
o Biblical
understanding of membership
o Biblical
church discipline
o Promotion
of Christian discipleship and growth
o Biblical
understanding of church leadership
jj
Defensive v. Accomodative:
Two ways people engage culture in unhelpful ways
Defensive approach to culture results:
Accomodating approach to culture results:
A missional ecclesiology avoids both of these extremes.
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