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The Local Church, Agent of Transformation: An Ecclesiology for Integral Mission Unknown Binding – January 1, 2004

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 10 ratings

2004 KAIROS EDITIONS SOFTCOVER
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ediciones Kairos (January 1, 2004)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Unknown Binding ‏ : ‎ 322 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9879403673
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-9879403679
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12 ounces
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 10 ratings

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Rene Padilla
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2016
    Excellent read by various authors who demonstrated a biblical understanding of the local church's role in development as well as giving four very practical examples of churches that are making this happen in South America.
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2009
    Today's society is plagued by social injustices, extreme religiosity, and poor regard for authority caused by an extreme sense of individualism and apathy. The need for an affective healing ministry is great, but the Christian church is falling far short in accomplishing this task. The book, "The Local Church, Agent of Transformation", is a group of essays written by twelve different Christian scholars, which focus on the practice of "Integral (or holistic) Mission". This book is geared towards the local church, however there are important words for "mega-churches", too. Its goal is to present a clear ecclesiology so churches can learn to be "salt" and "light" to their community in the way that Jesus calls us to be.

    The work is split into two parts: In chapters 1-9, it lays out a comprehensive structure for how churches can practice integral mission. The second part (chapters 10-13) gives four examples of churches that are effectively living this out today. In spite of its multiple authorship, the editors orchestrate a noticeable flow throughout the text, which builds upon its thesis from chapter to chapter. It establishes the foundation of the mission upon the Lordship of Jesus Christ and His example of bringing transformation on both a personal and communal level, and then supports this concept scripturally. Special attention is given to topics such as poverty, the kingdom of God, the messages of OT prophets and NT Apostles, and the Trinity. The book offers psychological and social models for identifying, building, and correcting systems of authority, power, and politics, too.

    The authors consistently slam contemporary "Evangelicalism", pointing out its failure to engage the community around it, its dependency upon clergy and lack of attention to training servant-leaders, its distorted sense of triumphalism in missional efforts, and its tendency to search for "quick fix" models that promote shallow spiritual worship experiences. This is not meant to debilitate the Evangelical Christian church, but rather it serves as a prophetic voice that calls them to join the missional church in its redemptive process of what the apostle Paul calls "working out [our] salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil. 2:12b-13).

    I believe that this book accomplished its mission not just because it provides excellent content, but it is the way it is presented that will make this an effective tool for churches. In ch. 5, Alberto Fernando Roldán writes, "The way of love and freedom is not easy. If it were, it would not be necessary to talk so much about these values" (Yamamori & Padilla 164). I greatly appreciate the humility and honesty in which this material is presented, and it is in that honesty that this message will be more readily received and implemented.

    -By Lincoln Skinner
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  • Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2009
    Padilla and Yamamori do a great job of collaborating the works of others as well as their own into a book that outlines how the church should be formed into something more than just a meeting place of community. They take the ideas of other authors and their own to explain what it means to be a church with an "integral mission." The book pinpoints many aspects of the church such as; leadership, evangelism, discipleship, authority, worship and mission just to name a few. These subjects try to distinguish how the church should react and to show what the church needs to be in order for an integral missional church to be living and active within a community.

    They use their many years of experience in a Latin American context, to share how a church can be transformed into a church practically serving and emulating the one who created it all. Their basic theme throughout the entire book is trying to get the church back to what Jesus would have done. They go as far to state, "the church itself has no mission other than the missio dei," meaning the mission of God, "that is expressed paradigmatically in Jesus the Christ." Their book highlights the purpose of getting the church to be the church of God and the embodiment of what Christ would be in today's society. This book would be a great book for leaders of a possible church plant to the leaders of an established church of 100 plus years. The book causes the reader to think outside his or her own understanding, because of the multiple authors, to focus in on what is really important in the integral mission of the church.
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  • Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2015
    These are stories without much serious biblical theological and critical analysis, as I expected. It's geared for local people without much theological sophistication or training. At times, it seemed overly repetitious like a song with the same music but different lyrics. I expected more from Dr. Padilla.
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2009
    Rene Padilla, one of South America's leading theologians, offers a detailed and concise definition of the "integral," the entire mission of the church to its local community from a biblical standpoint. The Lordship of Christ, he claims, was the foundation upon which the early church was built and must continue to be built on today if it is to be obedient to its scriptural mandate. He calls for a renunciation of all things that may hinder the church in fulfilling this mandate and a rededication to a proposed theological framework in which it may proceed from. His accompanying team of Latin American theologians supplement this proposal through not only their individual chapters on the missional, but also the theological purpose of the church in contrast to its present state of involving the "Great Omission" in its ministerial outreach to the poor within its own community and the various components of integral mission. The book is divided into two parts with the first nine chapters focusing on a proposed ecclesiological framework for integral mission and the last three chapters touching on various examples of churches that have implemented this proposed framework and their remarkable results because of it. This book is recommended for pastors and lay people who are actively involved in either church planting or church ministry.
    One person found this helpful
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