scholarly journals Led by the Spirit: Missional Communities and the Quakers on communal vocation discernment

2014 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Curtis R. Love ◽  
Cornelius J.P. Niemand
Keyword(s):  
Missio Dei ◽  
Suitable Model ◽  
Missional Ecclesiology ◽  
Missional Communities ◽  
Missional Community

This article argues that the term missional is an expression of the global shift towards a theocentric (rather than ecclesiocentric) understanding of mission. A Missional Community is a concrete, local embodiment of this missional ecclesiology and it comes to be through discerning its particular and ongoing vocation in the cosmic missio Dei. It is for this reason that we argued that communal vocation discernment lies at the heart of the Missional Community’s life and practice. This practice births, energises and renews the Missional Community in the wake of the boundary-breaking Spirit’s work in the local neighbourhood or context. Because communal vocation discernment is central to Missional Communities it seemed prudent to ask which other communities or traditions see discernment as central to their life and practice. In Western Christianity, the Quakers stand out as a significant example of communal discernment as their normal way of making decisions. We sought to answer whether the Quaker practice of communal discernment, in the Meeting for Worship in which Business is Conducted, is a suitable model for communal vocation discernment in Missional Communities. We suggested that it was not suitable in so far as it did not express an explicit commitment to being grounded and connected to a place or neighbourhood as a prerequisite for discernment. We suggested that it was suitable in so far as it continually reminds the community that communal discernment is not simply about making decisions or finding your vocation but at its heart is an act of worship. This awareness in the Quakers is primarily achieved through naming communal discernment spaces as worship spaces and through the strategic use of silence. We also suggested that the Quaker commitment to unity anddissent creates space for belonging, agency and responsibility in the community and that this is something which Missional Communities would do well to appropriate in their own communal vocation discernment.

scholarly journals A missional study of Ghanaian Pentecostal churches’ leadership and leadership formation

2015 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter White
Keyword(s):  
Theological Education ◽  
Church Leadership ◽  
System Structure ◽  
Missio Dei ◽  
Leadership Formation ◽  
Pentecostal Churches ◽  
Missional Communities ◽  
Ultimate Purpose

Church leadership plays an important and irreplaceable role in the planting and the configuration of the missional congregation. The key to the formation of missional communities is their leadership. In that regard, this article explores Classical Ghanaian Pentecostal Churches’ leadership and leadership formation from a missiological perspective. This was done through an exposition on their leadership system (structure). It was argued that Classical Ghanaian Pentecostal Churches’ leadership is based on the Fivefold Ministry (Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher). These leadership functions were therefore discussed in the light of their missiological implication. The conclusion arrived at is that it is not enough to discover one’s spiritual gift or calling; these gifts should be developed and nurtured through mentoring and proper theological education, with the ultimate purpose being to participate in the Missio Dei.

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 Missional ecclesiology as basis for a new church order: A case study

2013 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wim A. Dreyer
Keyword(s):  
21St Century ◽  
Paradigm Shift ◽  
Transformation Process ◽  
Missio Dei ◽  
Missional Ecclesiology ◽  
Church Polity ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Point Of Departure ◽  
The Church

In this contribution the author looks at the ecclesiology and church polity of the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika (NHKA) as a case study. Different approaches to ecclesiology and church polity by different NHKA theologians are examined. The conclusion is reached that a paradigm shift is required, to assist the church in the process of transformation. Part of the transformation process, is the creation of a church order with a stronger missional orientation. It is argued that, in the context of the 21st century, the missio Dei paradigm and missional ecclesiology could be a suitable point of departure in the creation of a new church order for the NHKA.

scholarly journals Welcoming Africa's children: The nature and implications of being a missional church

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes J. Knoetze
Keyword(s):  
Historical Development ◽  
Youth Ministry ◽  
Missional Church ◽  
Children And Youth ◽  
Missio Dei ◽  
Reformed Tradition ◽  
Missional Ecclesiology ◽  
African Independent Churches ◽  
Independent Churches ◽  
African Context

�This article presents a brief overview of the historical development of the missional church from the understanding of the missio Dei. From this perspective, it attends to the African context. With regard to African children, the African independent churches are looked at from a missional church perspective. The nature of the missional church is described as being a Biblical, Trinitarian, discerning, evangelistic, hermeneutic and agogic community. The implication of being missional in accordance with the mentioned characteristics is then linked to the five solas of the Reformed tradition. It is concluded that the African independent churches and the mainline missionary churches need each other in order to be truly missional in Africa and to reach the children of Africa.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: Children and Youth Ministry is challenged by the context of Africa, when some relevant characteristics of the African independent or initiated churches (AICs) are described and related to the Reformed tradition. The (missional) ecclesiology of the AICs and the Reformed tradition is challenged by children�s ministry

scholarly journals Missionale ekklesiologie in die Afrikaanse gereformeerde kerke sedert 1990

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 249-276
Author(s):  
Wim Dreyer
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Historical Analysis ◽  
Missio Dei ◽  
Local Congregation ◽  
Church Mission ◽  
Missional Ecclesiology ◽  
God's Love ◽  
African Churches ◽  
Theological Foundation ◽  
The Church

Missional ecclesiology in the Afrikaans reformed churches since 1990This article argues that “missional ecclesiology” in the last decades became a new mission paradigm for churches in South Africa, especially after the demise of apartheid. After an overview of the development of a “missio Dei” theology, the article examines texts from various South African churches in which this terminology is used. The article concludes with a section which underlines the importance of missional ecclesiology in the context of the local congregation. Congregations are seen as “missional”, challenged to be present in local communities as a living witness to God’s love. Missional ecclesiology has its theological foundation in the “missio Dei”. In missional ecclesiology, mission is understood as part of the nature of God as well as the nature of the church. Without mission there is no church. Mission is not a project, it is existential. However, there are diverse interpretations of “missio Dei”, “missional ecclesiology” and “mission” itself. As a result, many congregations find it difficult to identify with missional ecclesiology and enter a process of transformation. The historical analysis presented here contributes to a better understanding of the terminology as well as the challenges facing churches in the 21st century.

Chemical modification of the bacterial wall to determine sites of metal deposition

1978 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 350-351
Author(s):  
T. J. Beveridge
Keyword(s):  
Electron Scattering ◽  
Metal Salt ◽  
Metal Deposition ◽  
Suitable Model ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
Subtilis Cell ◽  
Thin Sections ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Section Data ◽  
Metal Impregnation

The Bacillus subtilis cell wall provides a protective sacculus about the vital constituents of the bacterium and consists of a collection of anionic hetero- and homopolymers which are mainly polysaccharidic. We recently demonstrated that unfixed walls were able to trap and retain substantial amounts of metal when suspended in aqueous metal salt solutions. These walls were briefly mixed with low concentration metal solutions (5mM for 10 min at 22°C), were well washed with deionized distilled water, and the quantity of metal uptake (atomic absorption and X-ray fluorescence), the type of staining response (electron scattering profile of thin-sections), and the crystallinity of the deposition product (X-ray diffraction of embedded specimens) determined.Since most biological material possesses little electron scattering ability electron microscopists have been forced to depend on heavy metal impregnation of the specimen before obtaining thin-section data. Our experience with these walls suggested that they may provide a suitable model system with which to study the sites of reaction for this metal deposition.

The Filter Loop Technique as a Method of Measuring Platelet Aggregation in the Flowing Blood of the Rat; the Inhibitory Activity of 5-oxo-l-cyclopentene-l-heptanoic Acid (AY-16,804) on Platelet Aggregation

1973 ◽  
Vol 30 (01) ◽  
pp. 138-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher R. Muirhead
Keyword(s):  
Platelet Aggregation ◽  
Prostaglandin E1 ◽  
Suitable Model ◽  
Heptanoic Acid ◽  
Simple Method ◽  
Loop Technique ◽  
Flowing Blood ◽  
Filter Loop

SummaryThe filter loop technique which measures platelet aggregation in vivo in the flowing-blood of the rat was compared to the optical density technique of Born which is carried out in vitro with platelet rich plasma. Using these two experimental models the effect on platelet aggregation of three known inhibitors sulfinpyrazone, dipyridamole and prostaglandin E1, and a novel compound 5-oxo-l-cyclopentene-l-heptanoic acid (AY-16, 804) was determined.The effects on platelet aggregation of the known inhibitors were consistent with information in the literature. Prostaglandin E1 was the most potent inhibitor in both techniques; sulfinpyrazone inhibited aggregation in both models but was less potent than prostaglandin E1. AY-16, 804 exhibited activity in vitro and in vivo similar to that of sulfinpyrazone. Dipyridamole did not inhibit platelet aggregation in vivo and did not inhibit aggregation in vitro in concentrations at which it remained soluble.The filter loop technique is a suitable model for measuring platelet aggregation in the flowing blood of the rat. It is a relatively simple method of determining aggregation and easily adapted to other species.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document