Reconciling Mission

Alastair McKay is the founding Director of Reconciliation Initiatives, a not-for-profit organization resourcing clergy and their churches for missional engagement with local communities. He is the author of Bridgebuilding: Making Peace with Conflict in the Church (2019).David Brubaker is Professor Emeritus of Organizational Studies at Eastern Mennonite University, an organizational consultant, and author of numerous publications, including When the Center Does Not Hold: Leading in an Age of Polarization (2019).

• UK Foreword: Samuel Wells, Vicar of St Martin-in-the-Fields, London, UKUS Foreword: Nancy Ammerman, USAAcknowledgements Introduction 1. Big Picture and Foundational Stories 2. Applying Reconciling Mission Insights in England 3. Collaborating to Meet Community Needs in Arizona 4. Raising Awareness and Pursuing Justice in Wisconsin 5. Neighborhood-Based Community Development in Montana6. Applying an Asset-Based Approach in England 7. Concluding Threads Notes Recommended Further Reading and Resources Index

In recent years there has continued to be much talk about church growth, not least in response to a narrative of decline in church attendance. However, growth is not all about numbers - it is about the flourishing of interdependent individuals of all ages and backgrounds in an adventure of encounter, rooted in Jesus Christ. We are created for relationship and community, and this book focuses on the growth of the local church’s engagement with neighbours and community organisations. Through deepening those relationships and finding ways to work collaboratively in partnership with people and organisations of peace, there is exciting potential to see more of God’s reconciling kingdom being made real in our local communities. This book offers encouragement, practical insights and hopeful examples in the adventure of joining in with God's kingdom transformation. I am delighted to commend this book.