Treasure in Clay Jars: Patterns in Missional Faithfulness

There is a growing literature on the need for local congregations to become more mission-minded, yet churches lack the know-how for turning conviction into practice. What would a missional church actually look like? How would it live its life? This volume answers such questions by highlighting eight tangible characteristics currently being modeled by nine congregations from across North America.

Produced by a team of authors, "Treasure in Clay Jars" is built around case studies of missional churches that are diverse in their denominational affiliations, worship styles, political stances, and socioeconomic backgrounds. The book explores eight concrete patterns common to the success of these churches that can be fruitfully adopted by any congregation seeking to embody God's mission in the world. An important emphasis of the book is that mission is not simply the work of women and men bringing the gospel to faraway places. Rather, it is the character of the church in whatever context it exists. The authors therefore call for a renewed focus on engaging an American culture that is today dominantly secular in orientation.

If you saw a missional church, what would it look like? What patterns of behavior and practice would you find there?

Building on the ground laid by the book "Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America" (Darrell Guder et al. 1998), "Treasure in Clay Jars" centers on case studies of nine missional congregations from across North America that are diverse in their denominational affiliations, worship styles, political stances, and socioeconomic backgrounds. The book explores eight concrete bpatternsb common to these churches. Although the patterns may be different in each setting, they can be recognized in any congregation seeking to participate in Godbs mission in the world.

The team that authored this book believes that bmissionalb says something not so much about the activities of the church as its character: bThe church does not exist for itself, but for participation in Godbs mission of reconciliation. . . . Mission is the character of the church in whatever context it exists.b The congregations studied here are bclay jars, b but each carries in its witness a remarkable treasure that points to Godbs power and purposes.

Authors: Lois Y. Barrett

Darrell L. Guder

Walter C. Hobbs

George R. Hunsberger

Linford L. Stutzman

Jeff Van Kooten

Dale A. Ziemer

There is growing literature on the need for local congregations to become more mission-minded, yet churches lack the know-how for turning conviction into practice. This volume highlights eight tangible characteristics currently being modeled by nine congregations from across North America.