What Is the Mission of the Church?
MAKING SENSE of SOCIAL JUSTICE, SHALOM, and the GREAT COMMISSION
KEVIN DEYOUNG and GREG GILBERT
wheaton, illinois
What Is the Mission of the Church? Making Sense of Social Justice, Shalom, and the Great Commission
Copyright © 2011 by Kevin DeYoung and Gregory D. Gilbert
Published by Crossway
1300 Crescent Street
Wheaton, Illinois 60187
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law.
Published in association with the literary agency of Wolgemuth & Associates, Inc.
Cover design: Faceout Studio, www.faceoutstudio.com
Cover photo: Shutterstock
First printing 2011
Trade paperback ISBN: | 978-1-4335-2690-9 |
ePub ISBN: | 978-1-4335-2693-0 |
PDF ISBN: | 978-1-4335-2691-6 |
Mobipocket ISBN: | 978-1-4335-2692-3 |
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
DeYoung, Kevin.
What is the mission of the church? : making sense of social justice, shalom, and the Great Commission / Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4335-2690-9 (tp)
1. Mission of the church. 2. Social justice—Religious aspects—Christianity. I. Gilbert, Greg, 1977– II. Title.
BV601.8.D48 2011
262’.7—dc23
2011017072
Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
To Collin, Josh, Justin, and Tullian—
thanks for sharpening us, laughing with us,
and sharing your Crazy Bread.
PART 1: UNDERSTANDING OUR MISSION
1 A Common Word in Need of a Careful Definition
2 What in the World Does Jesus Send Us into the World to Do?
PART 2: UNDERSTANDING OUR CATEGORIES
Seeing the Biblical Narrative from the Top of Golgotha
4 Are We Missing the Whole Gospel?
Understanding God’s Redemptive Rule
6 Making Sense of Social Justice
7 Making Sense of Social Justice
Understanding the New Heavens and the New Earth
PART 3: UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE DO AND WHY WE DO IT
Why and How We Do Good, both as Individuals and as Churches
10 The Great Commission Mission
What It Means and Why It Matters
Epilogue: So You’re Thinking of Starting a New Kind of Church?
Advice for the Young, Motivated, and Missional
It’s fun to write acknowledgments because saying “thank you” is enjoyable. But it’s also difficult because we can’t possibly say thank you to everyone we should. Here’s an abbreviated list.
We are grateful for all the good people at Crossway who have been excited about this book and eager to make an interesting concept into an attractive read.
We appreciate Andrew Wolgemuth for always being in our corner and providing thoughtful counsel and support.
We love our churches—University ...
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About What Is the Mission of the Church? Making Sense of Social Justice, Shalom, and the Great CommissionSocial justice and mission are hot topics today: there's a wonderful resurgence of motivated Christians passionate about spreading the gospel and caring for the needs of others. But in our zeal to get sharing and serving, many are unclear on gospel and mission. Yes, we are called to spend ourselves for the sake of others, but what is the church’s unique priority as it engages the world? DeYoung and Gilbert write to help Christians “articulate and live out their views on the mission of the church in ways that are theologically faithful, exegetically careful, and personally sustainable.” Looking at the Bible’s teaching on evangelism, social justice, and shalom, they explore the what, why, and how of the church’s mission. From defining “mission”, to examining key passages on social justice and their application, to setting our efforts in the context of God’s rule, DeYoung and Gilbert bring a wise, studied perspective to the missional conversation. Readers in all spheres of ministry will grow in their understanding of the mission of the church and gain a renewed sense of urgency for Jesus’ call to preach the Word and make disciples. |
| Support Info | 9781433526930 |