Description
Kingdom Contours: Empowering Everyday People With the Tools to Shape Kingdom Movements
Kingdom Contours is a compilation of proven tools and practical wisdom for those who want to develop a vision for discipleship within the Kingdom of Heaven as a movement. Drawing on Alan Hirsch’s The Forgotten Ways as a blueprint, Kingdom Contours shares a host of resources that Jeremy and Monica Chambers have observed, studied and practiced while participating in global missional Jesus movements. This book entrusts readers with simple – yet profound – truths for mobilizing and stimulating movemental kingdom work, encouraging and challenging all along the way.
Chapters
- Christocentric and Trinitarian: Centering on Jesus as Lord
- Discipleship: Being and Making Jesus Followers
- Incarnational Living: Adopting a Missional Strategic Mindset
- Movement Wisdom: Being Movemental
- Organic Systems: Structuring for Multiplication
- Deep Community: Taking on Risks by Faith
Kingdom Contours contains the kind of thinking and action that are needed to shift the tracks of history in our day. Jeremy and Monica are well-studied apostolic leaders, and in this book they demonstrate that they are articulate writers as well. Consider this a viable handbook for a much-needed revolution.
Kingdom Contours is a key resource for the Church written by two real-life, Jesus-centered, people-loving, kingdom-sharing, disciple-making leaders. The insights in this book are not only biblical and needed; they are also proven and trustworthy. Only read this if you are serious about Gospel movement among those outside the church.
Jeremy and Monica are not just well-read, but also highly experienced in missional and movemental ways of being the church around the world. This is a brilliant collection of movement resources, synthesized so every practitioner can benefit.
Since the Kingdom of God is both here/now and there/then, Kingdom Contours is a valuable tool to provide the rails to help believers stay on track throughout life’s journey. Not only is this book theologically grounded and global in application, it synthesizes scores of timeless concepts from ancient to modern practitioners. Every missional leader will profit by using this book as a rubric to evaluate their effectiveness in striving to fulfill 2 Timothy 2:2.
A Small Taste…
“The movement begins here, with Christ being first and foremost over all things, Christ being the One who holds all things together. Let us repent of the things that have turned Christ into a marginal topic in our lives.”
“Love is the unconditional intention, affection, and bendedness toward another; to will and to do that which is truly best for another’s entire well being. This involves feelings, but is able to operate objectively beyond mere feelings. It involves the element of respect for the personhood and will of the other; not forcing itself upon the other. Love is a wise and humble respecter of the appropriate boundaries of personhood.”
“Our goal is to draw people toward life. Jesus first loved us, so we can love others. Jesus forgave us, so we can forgive others. No, that is not simplistic; it is eternally powerful. Don’t belittle that point in your heart! If people are ever to experience real maturity and the beautiful, eternal delights that come from community and growth, then they need to be drawn in and unconditionally loved. They need to get through the barrier of their hinderances to deep community. For some, this is easier than for others, so we need to apply the gospel here more than ever! The good news is that Jesus has created the opportunity for us to be reconciled (brought back into restored relationship) with God! Jesus invited us into His way, His Body, His life! So, we can extend this to others. We are now ambassadors for Christ, imploring the world to be reconciled to God. Even more strongly, God is imploring the world, pleading with the world, through us, to be brought back into His Divine Community (2 Corinthians 5).”
“To be a ‘disciple’ of someone means to follow, imitate, and move toward a complete understanding of the worldview and practices of a particular teacher/master. It is not simply head knowledge but involved seeking to understand His heart and perspective. It is not simply actoins or good deeds but involves imitation of His practices. It is not simply being a healthy and spiritually well-rounded individual but being conformed to His image in an ongoing process.”
