Post-Christendom Mission

by Alan Hirsch

The church as we know it is changing. We live in a post-modern, post-Christian and post-American world, where the church is no longer placed at the center of society. Our influence is waning and our basis for ecclesiology will drive the way we interact in this new reality. It begs the question, what should the church look like and how does the mission of the church adapt within this context? In his book, The Shaping of Things to Come, Alan Hirsch paints a picture of what the new church should look like. Hirsch asserts that "the church can be reborn through incarnational mission, messianic spirituality and apostolic structure."

Comments

Jesse Phillips

I'm so excited that Alan Hirsch is getting to much influence in the conference circuit lately. The Shaping of Things to Come has been very influential to me, and I believe that he's right about the future of the Church. We can't do what we're doing & be successful in 20 years :(

Ike Allison

Dead on, he stole the words from my heart. I believe our society needs a church more similar to the early, Acts church than the organizational beast it has become.

janice dunnet

just noted jesse's words about 20 years...that hit home...just had another bday and for me at that moment I said that I have atleast 20 good years left and i want them to count.

alan's words encourage one to get out, take Jesus to the places He longs to hang out, and be with His created..i like the idea of being a pioneer bringing honest love.

Peter Lange

Alan makes a good argument, much impart to agree with. His skill in usage of words diminishes the fact of what history already has accomplished; by that it makes high look to the unexpected as being new & awesome; as so many already find with emotional impact. But Charles Finny & John Wesley made their changes to alter reformers thought & from that see what road the doctrines of Christianity have adopted? When one attempts to change the wheel / the delivery system just might in this case be the same! It's deceptive but agreeable because it is just the same; with the usage of new words.

Annanonymous

Peter, thanks for a balancing statement. Your reference to Chuck Finny got my attention, as you seem to be saying this is an old goat in new hair. I have found my firmest grounding in the reformed teaching over the last 7 years, however I have grown up in a post Christian generation who have heard enough of Christianity to want little to do with it. They are not interested in my church or my God. Please direct me to reformed evangelicals who are engaging these disengaged people --the other 60%. The old harvest fields have been trampled, and the earth compacted. Before the sower sews the seed into good ground, the farmer must come and till the earth. By what means are we to till and replenish this road hard soil?