Encountering the Gospel through Confirmation

2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-25
Author(s):  
Terri Martinson Elton ◽  
Richard Osmer
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Holy Spirit ◽  
The Body ◽  
Body Of Christ ◽  
Christian Community ◽  
The World ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
God's Mission ◽  
Bear Witness ◽  
The Church

Confirmation is a ministry aimed at strengthening young people's understanding of faith, deepening their experience in Christian community, and equipping them to discern their calling to join in God's mission in the world. As the church engages in confirmation, young people encounter the gospel anew and congregations bear witness to the redemptive love of God and the covenant of grace into which all Christians are baptized. Learning from and with each other, within and across denominations, enhances confirmation as a discipleship ministry for young people. But it does more than that. As the body of Christ comes together to help young people encounter the gospel anew, lives are changed and become open to the Holy Spirit. Embracing our call to share the gospel and cultivate faith within young people not only serves the church today, it invests in the future.

Ecclesiology

2019 ◽  
pp. 224-240
Author(s):  
Tom Greggs
Keyword(s):  
Holy Spirit ◽  
The Body ◽  
The Other ◽  
Body Of Christ ◽  
Corporate Body ◽  
The World ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
The Church

This chapter examines Bonhoeffer’s account of the church and advocates that throughout Bonhoeffer’s corpus there remains a desire to explicate the reality of the church in terms of its structural being with and for the other. This structure exists both internally in terms of its members’ relation to each other, and externally as the church relates as a corporate body to the world. The chapter considers Bonhoeffer’s ecclesiological method; the visibility of the church; vicarious representation; the church as the body of Christ; the agency of the Holy Spirit; preaching, the sacraments, and the offices of the church; and the question of the church in a religionless age.

scholarly journals Communio und Eucharistie. Ekklesiologische Parallelen bei Dumitru Stăniloae und Joseph Ratzinger

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-101
Author(s):  
Constantin Prihoancă
Keyword(s):  
Holy Spirit ◽  
The Body ◽  
Body Of Christ ◽  
Christian Life ◽  
Christian Community ◽  
Critical Engagement ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
Communion Ecclesiology ◽  
Catholic Churches ◽  
The Church

Abstract This article is a critical engagement with D. Stăniloae’s and J. Ratzinger’s ecclesiological thought as shaped by the description of church as the body of Christ and the Trinitarian roots of this ecclesiology. Starting from practical problems of prayer and living a Christian life, the authors argue that God’s relationship to the Christian community has primacy over God’s relationship to individual believers. When one conceives of the Christian community as being the body of Christ, one can uphold the elevated Christian ideal of Eucharist Communio without making it unattainable. The authors show that the being of the church is given to the Christian community not as a possession or property, but as a task to be fulfilled through the power of Christ and of the Holy Spirit. One can discover that in becoming the church, the Christian community is elevated to the Trinitarian life in communion. Communion ecclesiology has the potential to bridge the divide between the Orthodox and Catholic churches.

scholarly journals Menuju Gereja Apostolik Transformatif

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 136
Author(s):  
Gernaida K. R. Pakpahan ◽  
Frans Pantan ◽  
Epafras Djohan Handojo
Keyword(s):  
Church Growth ◽  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Leadership Training ◽  
Senior Pastors ◽  
The World ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
God's Mission ◽  
Depth Study ◽  
The Church ◽  
Apostolic Church

Peter Wagner, as an expert on church growth, stated that the Apostolic church is a church that is experiencing rapid growth. This claim is made because many Apostolic churches have been built around the world. The church continued the spirit of the apostles at the time of the early church's birth. However, it is important to conduct an in-depth study regarding the realization in the field; whether a thriving Apostolic church is carrying out God's mission or the personal ambition of a charismatic church leader. This study analyzes how the church which is said to be an Apostolic church runs its organization so that it experiences significant growth. The research method used is descriptive qualitative. The researcher tries to explore the phenomena and data obtained through respondents about the transformative apostolic church that was developed in the ministry of the Indonesian Bethel Church of Gatot Subroto. In conclusion, GBI Gatot Subroto is a transformative apostolic church, because of several things, such as a visionary church, senior pastors or mentor pastors as apostolic leaders, divine authority and the work of the Holy Spirit have an impact, the church as a center for leadership training and discipleship across generations implements apostolic ministry followed by other gifts/services, prioritizing mission, and focusing on the Kingdom of God.AbstrakPeter Wagner, sebagai salah satu ahli pertumbuhan gereja, menyatakan bahwa gereja Apostolik adalah gereja yang mengalami pertumbuhan secara pesat. Klaim ini disampaikan karena banyak-nya terbangun gereja-gereja beraliran Apostolik di seluruh dunia. Gereja tersebut melanjutkan semangat para rasul pada masa lahirnya gereja mula-mula. Namun, penting untuk dilakukan kajian mendalam terkait realisasi di lapangan; apakah gereja Apostolik yang berkembang menja-lankan misi Allah atau ambisi pribadi dari pemimpin gereja yang berkharismatik. Penelitian ini menganalisis bagaimana gereja yang dikatakan sebagai gereja Apostolik menjalankan organisa-sinya, sehingga mengalami pertumbuhan yang signifikan. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah kualitatif deskriptif. Peneliti berusaha mengeksplorasi fenomena dan data-data yang diperoleh melalui responden tentang gereja apostolik transformatif yang dikembangkan dalam pelayanan Gereja Bethel Indonesia Gatot Subroto. Kesimpu-lannya, GBI Gatot Subroto adalah gereja apostolik transformatif, karena beberapa hal, seperti: gereja yang visioner, gembala senior atau gembala pembina sebagai pemimpin kerasulan, otoritas Ilahi dan pekerjaan Roh Kudus berdampak, gereja sebagai pusat pelatihan kepemimpinan dan pemuridan lintas generasi, menerap-kan jawatan rasuli diikuti karunia-karunia/jawatan lainnya, memprioritaskan misi, dan berfokus pada Kerajaan Allah.

scholarly journals Sisi Gelap Kepemimpinan Pentakostal-Karismatik

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 175
Author(s):  
Minggus M. Pranoto
Keyword(s):  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Practical Theology ◽  
Charismatic Leadership ◽  
The Body ◽  
Dark Side ◽  
Body Of Christ ◽  
Critical Question ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
The Church ◽  
Theological Concept

Abstract This article highlights a critical question: why is Pentecostal-Charismatic leadership vulnerable to various scandals? This model of leadership often exposes the dark side of leadership characterized by the issues of money, sex, and power. This study suggests that Pentecostal-Charismatic leaders are often trapped in the model of personalized charismatic leadership that is based on misinterpretation of the doctrine of being Spirit-filled. The method used in this article is that of practical theology relating the framework of socialized charismatic leadership to the theological concept of the church (ekklesia) as the body of Christ and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.   Abstrak Tulisan ini menyoroti pertanyaan kritis: mengapa kepemimpinan Pentakostal-Karismatik rentan terkena berbagai skandal? Model kepemimpinan ini acap kali memunculkan sisi gelap kepemimpinan yang ditandai oleh masalah-masalah keuangan, seksual, dan kekuasaan. Kajian ini mengungkapkan bahwa para pemimpin Pentakostal-Karismatik seringkali terjebak dalam model personalized charismatic leadership yang didasari oleh penafsiran yang keliru atas doktrin being Spirit-filled. Metode tulisan ini termasuk dalam ranah teologi praktis yang mengaitkan kerangka berpikir socialized charismatic leadership dengan konsep teologis tentang gereja (ekklesia) sebagai tubuh Kristus dan persekutuan Roh Kudus.

scholarly journals A missional perspective on funerals and bereavement counselling

2015 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Kotze ◽  
C.J.P. Niemandt
Keyword(s):  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Theoretical Research ◽  
Missio Dei ◽  
Missional Ecclesiology ◽  
The World ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
God's Mission ◽  
Kingdom Of Christ ◽  
The One ◽  
The Church

This article deals with the importance of a missional approach to the funeral and bereavement counselling process in congregational praxis in the midst of a context of secularisation. The creation of a missional perspective on the funeral and bereavement counselling could support the nature and praxis of a congregation in a secular society, especially if the congregation finds its relevance in the expression of the missio Dei. The basic theoretical research for missional ecclesiology, which is the systematic study directed toward greater knowledge of the fundamental aspects of missional ecclesiology (National Science Foundation 1953:38), is based on the premise that God is the source of all missions. The expression missio Dei means to join God in the mission he is already busy with in the world. As the one who sends, God the Father sends the Son, the Son sends the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit sends the church. The church only participates in the mission God is already busy with. It is a mission that uses both words and deeds and brings hope in the midst of tragedy. It is the hope of the kingdom of God and the incarnation of Christ that can already be experienced and expressed in the present. It is also the hope of the transformation of everything to form a new heaven and earth. Hope and mission can therefore not be separated. The concretisation of the expression of the kingdom of Christ in the world is hope, and a strong emphasis is therefore placed on mission as action in hope. Hope must be present where tragedy reigns, and the funeral and bereavement counselling can be used as a vehicle for this hope. Hope can then become an instrument of healing. The church can thus participate in God’s mission in the midst of tragedy and make an impact on society by taking on a missional character of hope.

scholarly journals Spiritual gifts for biblical church growth

2016 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian A. DeVries
Keyword(s):  
Church Growth ◽  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Spiritual Gifts ◽  
Church Leaders ◽  
The Body ◽  
Body Of Christ ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Church

This article examines the use of spiritual gifts for church growth, particularly in relation to the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit. The article begins with a definition of spiritual gifts and by highlighting their purpose for growing the church. This is followed by two practical considerations: How should Christian believers use spiritual gifts for church growth, and how should church leaders motivate gift use for this purpose? Since the Holy Spirit works though believers to build up the body of Christ, advocates of biblical church growth should seek to employ his means to motivate spiritual giftedness in the church.

scholarly journals RELIGIOUS PLURALISM AND DISABILITY IN ZAMBIA: APPROACHES AND HEALING IN SELECTED PENTECOSTAL CHURCHES

2016 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 54-72
Author(s):  
Nelly Mwale ◽  
Joseph Chono Chita
Keyword(s):  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Religious Pluralism ◽  
People With Disabilities ◽  
The Body ◽  
Body Of Christ ◽  
Video Recordings ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
Pentecostal Churches ◽  
The Devil ◽  
The Church

Zambia has recently witnessed the growth of Pentecostal churches that publicly claim to be healing disabilities. This paper explored how some Pentecostal churches in Zambia’s pluralist society claimed to be healing disability. Interviews, documents and video recordings from three different Pentecostal ministries depicting healing and disability were analysed. The paper observes that some Pentecostal ministries exemplified disability as that which could be healed through the work of the Holy Spirit, and disability was attributed to the work of the devil. The paper argues that the disability healing messages and miracles indirectly victimised people with disabilities, despite its potential to offer social capital. This created a need for deconstructing views on disability. Disability issues in the church also had to go beyond healing and miracles to appreciating the contributions of people with disabilities to the body of Christ. 

scholarly journals Investigating the Holy Eucharist and the term ‘people of God’ according to the Eastern Orthodox Church

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelo Nicolaides
Keyword(s):  
Holy Spirit ◽  
The Body ◽  
Body Of Christ ◽  
Literature Study ◽  
People Of God ◽  
The People ◽  
The New Testament ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
God's Grace ◽  
The Church

This article unpacks aspects of the Eucharist and how it is understood in various churches using a literature study methodology. It also looks at the notion of the “people of God’. The Greek word εὐχαριστία (eucharistia), means "thanksgiving", appears fifteen times in the New Testament and is a critical aspect of the Christian faith. The weekly celebration of the Eucharist on Sunday’s is an requisite activity of the Church because the Eucharist establishes the Church as the Body of Christ. The Eucharistic celebration is also known as the Divine Liturgy and is believed to impart the actual Body and Blood of Christ to the faithful. In the act of communion, the entire Church, those past, present, and even forthcoming are unified in eternity. It is the source of her life, the superlative act of her thanksgiving and of her sacrifice of praise to the creator God. The Holy Eucharist is the very core of Christian life, and the means by which each believer is nourished by God's grace and tender mercy. At the Divine Liturgy, the Church is continuously changed from a human community into the Body of Christ, the temple of the Holy Spirit, and the holy People of God.

The Anabaptist Tradition: Mennonites

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
John D. Rempel
Keyword(s):  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Lord's Supper ◽  
The Body ◽  
Body Of Christ ◽  
1 Corinthians ◽  
Late 19Th Century ◽  
The Bible ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
The Church ◽  
Great Stress

Anabaptism and its descendant movement, Mennonitism, came into being through the illegal baptism of believers upon confession of faith. Anabaptist worship was characterized by form and freedom. It included reading and interpreting the Bible by preachers and other worshipers, practicing baptism, the Lord’s Supper, anointing, and other acts while allowing for immediate promptings by the Holy Spirit, as in 1 Corinthians 14. Routinized worship developed gradually by means of leaders internalizing important turns of phrase as well as writing prayers and publishing prayer books. Some streams of Mennonitism, like the Amish, have laid great stress on following the tradition that emerged. At the same time there arose renewal and missionary movements for whom Spirit-led improvisation was essential for true worship that was accessible to seekers. Beginning in the late 19th century, Mennonite churches arose in the Global South. For them the movement between form and freedom was essential to authentic worship. Singing is the central act of the congregation in all types of Mennonite worship. There is a lean sacramentalism in which the visible church is the body of Christ in history. In the practice of ordinances or sacraments, there has been great concern from the beginning that God’s acts of grace be received by the faith of the believer in order for such acts to be true to their intention. The Lord’s Supper emphasizes encountering both Christ and one’s sisters and brothers in a transformative way. Baptism is entering a covenant with Christ and the church. In addition, anointing, discipline, funerals, marriage and celibacy, parent and child dedication, and ordination are practiced.

Speaking in Tongues and the Mission of God Ad Gentes

2011 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-47
Author(s):  
Richard Bliese
Keyword(s):  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Missio Dei ◽  
Mission Of God ◽  
Speaking In Tongues ◽  
The World ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
God's Mission ◽  
Full Immersion ◽  
The Church ◽  
New View

AbstractThe Pentecostal and Charismatic movements have assisted many denominations, including Lutherans, with the call to mission by challenging them with a new view of the Holy Spirit. A full immersion in these movements along with a firm grounding in the tradition will lead to a fuller grasp of what the Spirit is doing in the world. This article reviews two prominent Lutheran theologians who have shaped a whole generation of leaders concerning the Holy Spirit: Robert Jenson and Larry Christenson. In response to their work, I will explore how the work of the Spirit can be understood when framed within God's mission (the missio Dei). The call to mission is central. The church emerges as it engages in the missionary activity of witness and sanctification. This is the story of Acts. It is the story of the Spirit. The church's missionary call is to speak in tongues.

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