Rather than beginning with successful contemporary models of what churches are doing, The Essence of the Church encourages readers to rethink the nature of the church. The author draws on three decades of experience to address the challenges facing today's church and urges readers to think deeply yet practically about the church. Thoughtful and readable, this book integrates insight from a variety of disciplines and enables readers to root their methods and programs in sound biblical, theological, and theoretical principles. Diagrams help to illustrate the concepts.
Craig Van Gelder is professor of congregational mission at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is a church consultant, coeditor of The Church Between Gospel and Culture, and editor of Confident Witness-Changing World.
Foreword by Richard J. MouwPreface1Rediscovering the Church in the Twenty-first Century2A Missional Understanding of the Church3Historical Views of the Church4The Church and the Redemptive Reign of God5The Nature of the Church6The Ministry of the Church7The Organizational Life of the ChurchNotesSelected Bibliography