Description
Church Leadership and the Way of the Cross
Michael Jinkins
80pp
‘Accessible language that goes to the heart of the matter. Jinkins’ work asks hard questions … buy one for your pastor, and read it for yourself.’ Christianity and Renewal
‘This book is a jewel. You will return to it again and again for the joy of beholding the divine light refracted through it.’ Dr Jeremy Begbie, Vice Principal, Ridley Hall, Cambridge
Transformational Ministry starts with a straightforawrd statement: \"the purpose of our common ministry is the transformation of persons into the likeness of this Jesus Christ whom humanity crucified and God raised from the dead.\"
The book looks at:
- The importance of character rather than technique
- Our model for ministry
- Clarity of purpose
- Conflict and the ministry of hope
- The strength to persist
- The joyful ministry to which God calls us
This book takes an ecumenical look at the role of leadership in Christian ministry. Whether at worship, in a committee meeting, addressing children or providing pastoral care, the great goal of ministry is the transformation of persons into the likeness of Jesus Christ.
The author deals with many practical and spiritual issues including: what it means to be a minister in today's world; and how, despite their own problems and conflicts, ministers can offer others the best care.
SAMPLE TEXT
From Chapter 6: The joyful ministry to which God calls us
Basically, what we have said so far is that the minister’s activities are grounded, first, in the minister’s character, and, second, in the mission of God’s Church.
The issues of character and mission are pre-eminently theological issues.
We are who we are because the God who created and redeemed us is the God revealed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Our mission springs, in turn, from our understanding of who God is and what God is like.
If God were capricious, careening between acts of wickedness and deeds of arbitrary kindness, our mission might be to warn people to tiptoe through life terrified of their eternal destination, uncertain whether God can be trusted at any moment.
But, if God is the God revealed in Jesus Christ, the God who created all things from a wealth of unconditioned, unlimited, unbounded, unneedy love, the God who abhors not the Virgin’s womb, the God who at the cost of that which was most dear brought back to the Father’s house those who were most unworthy, the God who loves creation so much that God will not rest until all creation shares the wholeness, completeness and perfection of God’s eternal being-in-communion, then our mission is quite different.
© Michael Jinkins