The Shape of Our Lives:
A Field Guide for
Congregational Formation
A Brand New Book from
Cultivating Communities!
Cultivating Communities is collaborating with Englewood Press, the Ekklesia Project, and Missio Alliance, to publish a new series of books on topics related to our work in congregational formation. The first of these books is now available!!!
I’ve been thrilled to bring this book to fruition, as the ideas in it have been vital to us at Englewood Christian Church for over a decade, helping us to make sense of and to reflect on our life together as a
local church body.
The Shape of Our Lives:
A Field Guide for Congregational Formation
by
Philip Kenneson, Debra Dean Murphy, Stephen Fowl,
Jenny Williams, and James Lewis.
Foreword by Lisa Rodriguez Watson of Missio Alliance.
[ Browse
the Table of Contents and an Excerpt ]
Desire. Conviction. Character. Story. Practice. Institution.
As Christians across North America grapple with the value and purpose of church, The Shape of Our Lives digs into how these six factors—often operating beneath our consciousness—profoundly affect our
spiritual formation, both as individuals and congregations. When we relegate spiritual formation to only the private and personal lives of our church members, our congregations suffer. The Shape of Our Lives lays a theological and practical foundation for congregations and communities to be transformed more into the image of Christ–together.
“The Shape of Our Lives is a careful,
patient discussion of the ways we are formed as persons for a life together in the fullness of Christ. A simple but thorough guide into the assumptions that inhibit us from, and the ways that shape us towards, a richness of life we call church. In these times of disillusionment with church, there could not be a more timely book.”
– David Fitch, Lindner Chair Evangelical Theology, Northern Seminary
The Shape of Our Lives is the first book in the new Cultivating Communities Series, where authors from a diverse range of denominational, cultural, and theological backgrounds come together to guide congregations through the most important discussions they are having and questions they are asking.
This book explores the forces impacting our formation and asks, “How does a community of people—in their particular location,
with their different and sometimes competing values—grow together? How can congregations make room for God’s spirit to be at work?”
The Shape of Our Lives will give you and your Christian community the language to renew these conversations and embark on the journey of congregational formation.
[ Browse
the Table of Contents and an Excerpt ]
Support independent publishing…
Order the book / ebook directly from us!
It is also available now on Amazon (Print / Kindle editions).
(The book will be also distributed through Ingram, and will be soon available through independent / chain bookstores and most online retailers. However, that distribution is still in process and won’t be live for a couple of
weeks.)
