Shaped by God's Heart: The Passion and Practices of Missional Churches

by Milfred Minatrea

Book Overview

Discover the tools to create a new kind of church and move from merely surviving to thriving. Drawing on an extensive two-year field study of 200 churches from a variety of denominations and geographic regions, Milfred Minatrea--a missiologist, urban strategist and practioner in minister--presents the best practices for re-energizing Christian spirituality in a congregational setting. He provides readers with the tools for assessing their congregation's...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0787971111
• ISBN13: 9780787971113
• Release Date: August 2004
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Length: 205 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.3" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Shaped by God's Heart

This author hits the nail on the head of what it means to be a "new wineskin church" in this post-Christian age and in doing so shows where the Church has gotten away from God's original intention for His Body. This is an excellent resource with a helpful survey at the end to help churches interested in becoming more missional.

A practical look as missional

Some books on the missional church in a postchristian culture leave you wonder what a local church is suppose to do and be in the new mileu. Not Shaped by God's heart. It ask pointed questions that help you a church evaluate who they are and how missional they are. It also has some very missional applications. If one is having a hard time figuring out what missional church looks like in the post-christian age...this is the book.

Missional Church

When I began to read this book, I couldn't put it down. In fact, I read until 2am! He explains exactly what it means to be on mission for God. He takes you logically through the principles of missional church and helps you know what to expect. At the end of each chapter is a section to reflect and apply as well as to assess just exactly where your church is in the process of becoming missional. He points out how we need to be authentic disciples of Christ and reach the world outside the walls of the church - be missional.

Powerful and Practical

The more I read about the missional church, the more I want to learn. This title is the latest in a string of several on the subject. Minatrea begins by describing the need for the missional church. He then lists nine practices of missional churches: they have a high threshold for membership, they are real, not really religious, they teach to obey rather than to know, they rewrite worship every week, they live apostolically, they expect to change the world, they order their actions according to their purpose, they measure growth by capacity to release, not retain, and they place kingdom concerns. While the explanations of the nine practices of missional churches are useful, the best part for me was Part 3. The author in this section gives some very practical ways in which these new approaches to ministry can be incorporated. Overall, this book is superb!

A Must Read for the Missional Christian

Minatrea is right on target. He has obviously been thorough in his research and his conclusions are stellar. Minatrea delivers what is needed for the North American church today. This book is an easy read but is packed with great information. Minatrea was able to get to the heart of the issues and translate them into practical action. You will not be disappointed by this book.