Becoming a New Church

By Malcolm L. Warford

In a world where the appearance of religion has eclipsed its substance, where procedures and all the tangible and visible evidences of religion make the love of God, the justice of God, and their ability to change us almost invisible, Becoming a New Church provides hope . . . It should be read by pastors and laypersons and discussed-and discussed. -Donold M. Mackenzie Jr. Minister and Head of Staff University Congregational United Church of Christ, Seattle, Washington Becoming a New Church moves from an almost painfully accurate portrayal of the anxious state of mind of liberal Protestant churches to solid insights about ministry and leadership in this new time. The chapters zing with sermonic material and are packed with truths that inform and encourage weary and worried church members. -Nancy Jo Kemper Executive Director Kentucky Council of Churches This book invites the reader to become a pilgrim, a sojourner, a searcher in the community of Jesus Christ. Sharing his personal reflections, Malcolm Warford offers both penetrating metaphors and commonsense meanings in the practices of faith for a 'weary church' . . . A fresh resource for all congregations wanting to become places of faith, mystery, and mission. -Robert K. Welsh President Council on Christian Unity of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Becoming a New Church is tonic, encouragement, challenge, evangel, and ecclesiology all rolled into one and a welcome antidote for the weariness so many of us serving the church now feel. Weaving literature, anecdote, theology, and Scripture into a no-nonsense analysis, Warford invites us to exchange norms of institutional success for signs of Gospel faithfulness. -Bonnie Rosborough, Broadway United Church of Christ, New York

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1556355173
• ISBN13: 9781556355172
• Release Date: August 2005
• Publisher: Wipf & Stock Publishers
• Length: 158 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

"Becoming a New Church: Reflections on Faith & Calling"

In these elegantly-written essays, the author's insights, based on his pastoral, personal, and educational ministries, are deeply felt and beautifully expressed. He explores the necessity of a Christ-centered community in these times of ease and anxiety. All who seek to live as part of a vibrant church will find his thoughts evocative and provocative. As Warford writes: 'In our society, we tend to discredit the possibility of one truth being more important or more significant than another. We lean toward flattening all things, making everything equal, and in the end, we sometimes do not commit to anything that has real importance for us.'The author offers guidance and encouragement to nurture individual churches as places of worship, service, and faith, and his inspiration should find its way into sermons, Sunday School lessons, and private meditations.

The Contemporary Church

Malcolm Warford is a wonderful writer, who uses his many skills to delve deeply into the heart of the modern mainline churches, and to make constructive suggestions that are designed to help support changes in religious thought and practice in the 21st century. Warford's book of essays will be essential reading for anyone interested in the state of the contemporary church.