Description

Congregations often seek to combat the crisis of decline by using innovation to produce new resources But leading practical theologian Andrew Root shows that the churchs crisis is not in the loss of resources its in the loss of lifeand that life can only return when we remain open to Gods encountering presence

This new book related to Roots critically acclaimed Ministry in a Secular Age project addresses the practical form the church must take in a secular age Root uses two stories to frame the book one about a church whose building becomes a pub and the other about Karl Barth Root argues that Barth should be understood as a pastor with a deep practical theology that can help church leaders today

This book pushes the church to be a waiting community that recognizes that the only way for it to find life is to stop seeing the church as the star of its own story Instead of resisting decline congregations must remain open to divine action Root offers a rich vision for the churchs future that moves away from an obsession with relevance and resources and toward the living God