scholarly journals Planning and management in the Missional agenda of the 21st Century Church: A study of Lighthouse Chapel International

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter White ◽  
Benjamin O. Acheampong
Keyword(s):  
21St Century ◽  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Church Leadership ◽  
Missio Dei ◽  
Planning And Management ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
Pentecostal Churches ◽  
Central Argument ◽  
Interdisciplinary Study ◽  
The Church

Planning and management is an important aspect of every successful organisation. In a similar way as the church participates in the missio Dei, it is essential that we consider planning and management as part of the missional tools for the management of the various resources God has given the church. Doing this, church leadership must join in with the Father (God) and the Holy Spirit to know what he wants to accomplish in their context as they plan and manage God�s resources for missional purposes. In the light of this understanding, the article discusses the role of �planning and management in the missional agenda of the 21st century church� by using one of the fastest growing Neo-Pentecostal churches in Ghana, the Lighthouse Chapel International, as a case study. The central argument in this paper is that although leadership has a major role to play in missional planning, it is however a holistic and all-inclusive agenda. Missional planning includes the involvement of the Holy Spirit, congregational leadership, the entire congregation and the various resources the church is being endowed with by God.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The study is an interdisciplinary study between Missiology, Planning, and Management. The result from the study will enhance the Ecclesiastical Community to appreciate the importance of management and planning as they participate in the missio Dei.

scholarly journals Die missionale kerk in informele behuisingsgemeenskappe

2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pieter Verster
Keyword(s):  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Informal Settlements ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Missional Church ◽  
Missio Dei ◽  
Medical Facilities ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
Youth Subcultures ◽  
Mission Church ◽  
The Church

The missional church in communities in informal settlements. Mission in informal settlements faces huge challenges, which include poor living conditions and structures, lack of infrastructure and medical facilities, extreme poverty, illnesses, criminality, youth subcultures, et cetera. Massive urbanisation plays an important role in this regard. From the missio Dei perspective the missional church should view the communities with a holistic approach. Missio Dei means that the living God sends his Son to the world in need so that the church, through the Holy Spirit, can become a mission church. The glory of Jesus Christ is central in the proclamation of this message and transcendence should be acknowledged in mission. The living church will emphasise and live out kerugma, diakonia, marturia, koinonia and leiturgia. Much attention will be given to Christian hope to empower communities who live under dire circumstances. Love and justice will also be emphasised. Only when the missional church becomes a true living church can the full community be served.

Spiritual generosity: Biblical hospitality in the story of Lydia (Acts 16:14–16, 40)

2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-63
Author(s):  
Jody B. Fleming
Keyword(s):  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Kingdom Of God ◽  
Good News ◽  
Missio Dei ◽  
Social Boundaries ◽  
Mission Of God ◽  
Cultural Boundaries ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
The Sacrifice ◽  
The Church

The sending of the church to spread the good news of the gospel often crosses cultural and social boundaries. This means that Christians must be sensitive to the needs of others and provide a level of hospitality to others as a means of offering respect and humbly entering their world. Hospitality is grounded in generously giving to others and receiving the blessings they offer in return. This article discusses the connection between spiritual generosity that is experienced through the work of the Holy Spirit and an example of biblical hospitality shown in the story of Lydia found in Acts 16. The context of the exchange between Lydia, a well-to-do business woman and her friends and the Pharisee-turned-follower of Christ, Paul and his missionary companions provides a biblical example of the work of the Holy Spirit in both parties. Spiritual generosity comes from the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that indwells all believers, allowing the crossing of cultural boundaries to provide hospitality as a means of sharing the love of God through Christ. Hospitality is connected to spiritual generosity that assists Christians in accomplishing the missio Dei, the mission of God as a means of experiencing the kingdom of God on earth through the church. The Lydia–Paul story provides an example of how the generosity shown to humanity through the sacrifice of Christ and given to us through the Holy Spirit is directly connected to the need to extend hospitality to others as a means of accomplishing the missio Dei.

Missiology as Global Conversation of (Contextual) Theologies

2004 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-53
Author(s):  
Kirsteen Kim
Keyword(s):  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Social Power ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Missio Dei ◽  
Contextual Theology ◽  
Mission Of God ◽  
Cultural Perspectives ◽  
Creation Theology ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
The Church

AbstractMissiology and contextual theology are related but not equivalent. Missiology arose from the study of mission activity in the former mission fields of Africa, Asia and Latin America but has come to be understood as the study of the mission of God in the whole world in which the church participates. Global and cross-cultural perspectives are essential to missiology and these challenge all theological parochialism. There is a danger that contextual theology degenerates into relativism, but in mission all theologies are challenged to recognize their own contextuality and at the same time their common Christian confession. Grounded in an understanding of missio Dei that includes a creation theology of the Holy Spirit, missiology can and should affirm contextual theologizing while encouraging and facilitating theologians from different contexts to pursue a global conversation. "Conversation" is preferred over "dialogue" because there are many partners from around the world, various means of conversing, and widely varying access to social power among the participants.

scholarly journals Pentakostalisme dan Aksi Sosial: Analisis Struktural Kisah Para Rasul 2:41-47

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 136
Author(s):  
Yushak Soesilo
Keyword(s):  
Structural Analysis ◽  
Social Action ◽  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Rapid Growth ◽  
Early Church ◽  
Pentecostal Movement ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
Pentecostal Churches ◽  
The Church ◽  
The Ideal

Abstract. The Pentecostal Movement is a Christian movement that puts the power and work of the Holy Spirit at the first place. This movement sought to bring back the biblical Christianity as experienced by the early church. As the early church experienced a rapid growth of new souls, so it is with today's Pentecostal churches. The problem that arises is often in the effort to win the soul there is a dichotomy between power ministry, as emphasized by the Pentecostal movement, with social action. Some churches emphasize only one aspect of the ministry. Through a structural analysis approach to Acts 2: 41-47 the researcher seeks to find the ideal formulation in an attempt to win souls as in the experience of the early church. Through this approach the result is that the power ministry and social action must be carried out by the church at the same time and in balance that ultimately make the effort to win souls effectively.Abstrak. Gerakan Pentakostalisme adalah gerakan orang Kristen yang mengutamakan kuasa dan karya Roh Kudus. Gerakan ini berusaha untuk mengembalikan kekristenan yang Alkibiah sebagaimana yang dialami oleh gereja mula-mula. Sebagaimana gereja mula-mula yang mengalami pertumbuhan jiwa baru yang pesat, demikian halnya dengan gereja-gereja Pentakosta masa kini yang juga mengalaminya. Permasalahan yang muncul adalah seringkali dalam usaha untuk memenangkan jiwa ada dikotomi antara pelayanan dengan kuasa, sebagaimana yang ditekankan oleh gerakan Pentakostalisme, dengan aksi sosial. Beberapa gereja menekankan hanya pada satu segi dari pelayanan tersebut. Melalui pendekatan analisis struktural terhadap Kisah Para Rasul 2:41-47 peneliti hendak mencari formulasi yang ideal dalam usaha untuk memenangkan jiwa sebagaimana pengalaman gereja mula-mula. Melalui pendekatan tersebut diperoleh hasil bahwa pelayanan kuasa dan aksi sosial harus dijalankan oleh gereja secara bersamaan dan seimbang yang pada akhirnya membuat usaha untuk memenangkan jiwa berlangsung secara efektif.

scholarly journals Church Models for the 21st Century

Kairos ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-91
Author(s):  
Stanko Jambrek
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Word Of God ◽  
Cattle Breeding ◽  
God's Will ◽  
The Bible ◽  
God's Word ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
The Church

In order to have a fruitful understanding of the nature of the Church, the Bible uses a variety of pictures, which when taken together form Church models by which believers live and act by. We have reviewed Church models in three categories: the first category is taken by Church models which are formed today by our everyday life; the second one are Church models which have been created by man throughout history; and third, the Church models which have a foundation in the Word of God. Church models formed by everyday life and man-made Church models can be used as negative examples of models to be changed and avoided, especially models of the Church as an institution and as a denomination. The Bible shows a particular reality and nature of the Church by using numerous different pictures from everyday life. These include pictures from the ownership system; the picture of the way the human body works; pictures from premarital, marital, and family life; pictures from architecture, agriculture, cattle breeding, fishery, and citizenship and patriotism. Each of the used pictures communicates one or more God’s truths in a way that is experientially very close and familiar to the listeners and readers. These pictures reflect life and point towards life. The 21st century Christianity needs to adopt and apply Biblical pictures of Church which, when taken together, form the Biblical Church model. As we establish this model, we need to focus on God and His purposes and plans for a specific time, place, and culture. Our communication with God needs to be completely open, and the Church needs to be prepared to follow God’s plans and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Biblical Church model contains God’s (immutable) and human (mutable) elements. God is immutable, which is why anything that is permanent and immutable in Church comes from God, and what can and needs to be changed is anything that came from people. The human elements need to be aligned with God’s Word and the Holy Spirit’s guidance, so that the Church would be able to obey God’s will fruitfully.

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 Rural Pastoral Transfers in Classical Pentecostal Churches in Ghana and Pastors Children’s Holistic Development

2021 ◽  
pp. 23-28
Author(s):  
Job Wiredu
Keyword(s):  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Early Church ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Holistic Development ◽  
Unequal Treatment ◽  
The Bible ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
Pentecostal Churches ◽  
The Church

The transfer of pastors is an age-old phenomenon dating from the early church as recorded in the Bible. This process was conducted in consultation with the Holy Spirit and the leaders of the Church. In the contemporary Church, the same format is used. However, what is lacking is unequal treatment given to pastors who are posted to rural areas that were not evident in the early church. This paper employed the qualitative research approach in studying rural pastoral care in three Classical Pentecostal churches in Ghana. The study findings indicate that children of rural pastors face challenges which affect their holistic development. It recommends pastors and their families should be given fair treatment in the transfer process to ensure the holistic development of their children. Keywords: Rural Pastoral Transfer, Equity, Holistic Development

scholarly journals The Theological Significance of the Concept of Anointing in Contemporary Churches in Nigeria

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-126
Author(s):  
Olatundun Abosede Oderinde
Keyword(s):  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Analytical Method ◽  
Wide Spread ◽  
The Bible ◽  
1 John ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
Pentecostal Churches ◽  
Biblical Perspective ◽  
The Church

Anointing is a popular concept in most Pentecostal Churches in Nigeria today. It is common to hear sayings such as “falling under anointing”, “transfer of anointing”, “anointing service”, “anointing for favour”, “anointing for sickness”, “anointing for breakthrough”, and many more. There is a wide spread confusion within the Pentecostal movements regarding anointing. There is no common accepted meaning. There is no uniformity in understanding how one may obtain whatever the anointing is, there is even a great disagreement about who really is anointed. The main reason for this misunderstanding in most cases is because everyone is holding to a different interpretation of the Bible. The study examines the concept of anointing from the Biblical perspective in the context of the practice of anointing in contemporary Pentecostal churches in Nigeria. The study adopted the contextual and narrative analytical method to investigate the historical and contemporary contexts of the use of anointing and its practice in the church today. The study shows that spiritual anointing with the Holy Spirit was conferred on Christians by God (2Cor1:21) and they were described as having an unction from God by which they know all things (1 John 2:20, 27) but there was no indication in the Scriptures that anyone can transmit the anointing by any means as it is being practised in the church today.

scholarly journals Beauty and battle: How the Spirit is moving and operating in the Reformed Churches of the Netherlands

2012 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Hans Kommers
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Spiritual Renewal ◽  
Protestant Church ◽  
Core Function ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
Reformed Churches ◽  
New Vision ◽  
The Church

This article discusses how we in the present day hear the sound of the Holy Spirit and where his work can be witnessed in the Reformed Churches of the Netherlands. Mainstream churches have been faced with many challenges during the first decade of the 21st century. Many people have left these churches and have had little contact with its institutions. Is it necessary for them to search for spirituality elsewhere? The author is convinced that the Lord is not bypassing his church. The following question is relevant, In what way is the Spirit working today? This question is urgent, because today there is a renewed search for the reality and power of the Holy Spirit. Within the great and traditional Reformed Churches we hope to see a spiritual renewal. Last year the synod of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands revealed a new vision for mission work, which indicates that the church wants to return to its core function, to reach out to others who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ. Looking forward to the dynamic work of the Holy Spirit in this century, we are already witnessing the beauty of the work of the Holy Spirit, but we have a battle to wage in order not to lose what has been gained.Grootsheid en stryd: Die dinamiese werking van die Gees in die Gereformeerde Kerke van Nederland. In hierdie artikel word die teenwoordigheid en werking van die Heilige Gees in die Gereformeerde Kerke van Nederland bespreek. Die hoofstroomkerke het met baie uitdagings te kampe gehad tydens die eerste dekade van die 21ste eeu. Baie mense het hierdie kerke verlaat sonder om enige verdere interne kontak daarmee te hê. Was dit vir hulle nodig om elders na spiritualiteit te gaan soek? Die outeur is daarvan oortuig dat die Here nie sy kerk verlaat het nie. Die volgende vraag is relevant: Op watter wyse werk die Gees vandag? Hierdie vraag is belangrik, aangesien daar ‘n hernude soeke is na die wese  en krag van die Heilige Gees. Binne die groot tradisionele gereformeerde kerke hoop en verwag ‘n mens om  spirituele herlewing te sien. Die sleutelplan wat die Protestantse Kerk van Nederland (PKN) se sinode in 2009 bekendgestel het vir die oplewing in sending, wys dat die kerk wil terugkeer na sy kerntaak. ‘n Toekomsblik op  die dinamiese werk van die Heilige Gees in hierdie eeu dui op die grootsheid van die werk van die Heilige Gees tot dusver en dat ons die stryd moet verskerp om nie te verloor wat ons tans het nie.

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. 

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