The goals of this book are practical: To help you and your
church think about mission in new and deeper ways so that you
can engage in mission with confidence and clarity, experience
the spiritual benefits of joining in God's mission in the world,
and serve God and others more effectively. The book presents
a vision of mission that draws on both Wesleyan theology and
ecumenical thinking about mission. Yet the goal is to do more
than just present a theology of mission but rather to make suggestions about how to use this theology to shape or reshape your
and your congregation's mission work. Thus, theology is mixed
with suggestions for practice, and additional aids at the end of
each chapter help readers apply the concepts discussed.
A series of discussion questions at the end of each chapter is
intended to serve as the basis for group study. My hope is that this
book could be used as a six-week study by your mission committee, Administrative Council, youth group, Sunday school class,
United Methodist Women or United Methodist Men gatherings,
or other church groups. The study questions are designed to help
you reflect on your current mission work.
Each chapter also includes a list of further readings and
resources for those interested in learning more about related topics. This list of readings is annotated, with brief descriptions of the
materials, to help you select which ones will be most helpful to
you in your further learning about and growth in mission.
