Mission Rift

There are two types of conflict in congregations: conflict that kills and conflict that cultivates growth. So argues David E. Woolverton in Mission Rift: Leading through Church Conflict. Conflict that kills--that damages or destroys teams, ministries, missions, vibrancy--occurs when we as the people of God forget who we are, why we're here, and where we're going in carrying out the divine mission. Conflict that cultivates growth often begins with the same scenarios, but leaders see conflict as a context for learning how to live together as a people called to transform their neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces. In Mission Rift, Woolverton reorients our view of congregational conflict. In part 1, he examines conflict from a theological and ecclesiological framework, exploring why it is essential to discipleship and mission. In part 2, he presents six principles of missional leadership, challenging pastors and other leaders to define themselves within the frameworks of spiritual formation and family systems, and then to create environments that facilitate growth in faith communities. Rather than resolve conflict too quickly, Woolverton explains, lest we inadvertently sabotage the potential it has to draw a congregation toward spiritual growth, wise leaders recognize that a lack of conflict may be a symptom of missional decline, rather than congregational unity. When the church pursues its divine mission first, conflict may become essential for defining its mission priorities. Successfully leading through conflict toward a transformative end will empower a congregation's witness within its community and beyond.

This book attempts to provide an ethnography of the Marakwet and its encounter with colonizers and missionaries. The core of the book concerns the formation of the Marakwet person through the rites of passage. Indeed, cultural education is critical in establishing a socially mature identity. By virtue of repetition, humans connect to the past and create a continuum. Also, through rituals, the world is no longer an opaque mass of objects arbitrarily thrown together, but a living cosmos that can be intelligible and significant. It explains why things exist and to what ends. At the same time, through rituals, new ideas are given new interpretations. The missionary colonizing project unsuccessfully tried to dislodge such traditions. The African tradition is the context from which most Christians come, and to which many still practice to some degree. It is therefore necessary for both Marakwet and Christian tradition to interact. The book highlights the concept of inculturation as a viable resource in helping Christianity engage the culture with minimal disruptions.

Being a mission-driven leader is hard. Being a mission-driven leader who knows how to navigate the emotions of loss and grief connected to leadership is harder still. It takes a vulnerable leader to lead well—one who has faced into their own losses and can let those losses equip their character for God’s greater plans. Not all leaders are willing. Not all leaders are able. Yet, according to David Woolverton, leaders’ vulnerability to the emotional processes of grief is essential for the overall health of the organizations they lead and for the well-being—and discipleship—of those under their direction. Grief, he says, is best viewed as a mosaic, where each of our significant losses forms a constellation of tiles that, when seen together over time, helps tell a story of God’s redemptive love, grace, and mission—a story desperately needed within today’s post-pandemic angst. Using Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance) as a guide, along with five biblical prophet “mentors,” Woolverton presents five strategies to equip pastors and leaders in negotiating with their losses to attain organizational resilience, sustainability, and vibrancy.

Between the two world wars, leaders of the mainline Protestant denominations in Canada -- Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian, United, and Baptist -- were engaged in a sustained effort to formulate and apply a form of Christian internationalism that would b

Early in his life, John Walsh made a commitment that he would do whatever the Lord told him to do, even if he didn't understand why. This commitment provided a foundation for his life. He has followed God's direction from the heartland of America to a bustling market in Cambodia, from a bus in Jerusalem to a water taxi in Bangkok. John doesn't seek God's direction in every decision he makes, but he has found that God steps in whenever he needs to change course. This book tells about a few times when God interfered with John's plans. This usually brought about a battle of wills between a man and the master of his destiny. The stories of these struggles are written in a casual, authentic voice that invites you to pour a cup of coffee and join John on the front porch. He will touch your heart with his hard-earned insights and delight you with his adventures around the world.

Now an episode of Apple+'s Amazing Stories, when rifts in time break families apart one man must figure out how to put them back together. The Rift tells the story of a single mother and her son whose lives change forever after witnessing a WWII fighter pilot from 1941 crash land in present-day Kansas. They find themselves drawn into the work of Section 47, a secret government organization responsible for responding to Rifts that open in space and time.