Discipleship in Community: A Theological Vision for the Future

Jesus said, Go and make disciples. So, what exactly are we doing?

Western churches face a difficult future marked by numerical decline and evident signs of shrinking cultural influence. But Discipleship in Community wisely asks the church to go back to basics. What does it mean to follow Jesus? What does a life of discipleship look like?

Trusted scholars Mark Powell, John Mark Hicks, and Greg McKinzie invite you to consider how good theology can lead to better, more intentional discipleship. In Discipleship in Community you will learn
how the language of Trinity matters to everyday disciples;
how God's plan and mission is unfolding and how, as disciples, we can participate in that mission;
how the Bible is more than a book of facts and how it guides us into a relationship with God;
how baptism and the Lord's Supper allow us to experience God's saving power; and
how local churches can encourage intentional discipleship.

When I return from speaking at a Churches of Christ event and tell my pastor or academic friends, they often ask me, What do the Churches of Christ believe? From now on I will say, read this book. But this book will do something else: it will introduce the Churches of Christ to the broader movement with which they have many deep affinities-evangelicalism. That will be good for all of us.
-Scot McKnight, Northern Seminary

In an age in which religious affiliation continues to wither, Christian communities are burdened with the charge of effectively communicating who they are and why that matters. This book does precisely that for the heirs of the Stone-Campbell Movement by lifting up discipleship not simply as a theme from the past, but as the way forward to a hopeful future. I commend the authors for approaching their tradition with such care and concern. This book represents institutional charity-that is, love of a tradition-at its best.
Daniel Castelo, Seattle Pacific University

Discipleship in Community is a vital and careful plea for the reexamination of theological commitments within Churches of Christ. A fair and attentive book, the authors offer constructive proposals for a new, yet thoroughly biblical, vision of how to emerge from the current crisis facing those who embrace the restoration tradition.
-Arthur Sutherland, Loyola University Maryland

In Discipleship in Community, Powell, Hicks, and McKinzie provide a perceptive analysis of the key theological ideas of our heritage. Beyond analysis, the gift of this book is its usefulness in showing how these historic ideas may shape our hearts and lives for and through obedience. In this sweet participation in the practical life of the church, we follow Jesus, who makes all things new.
-Carisse Mickey Berryhill, Abilene Christian University

Disciple making is the core mission of the local church. I commend this book to everyone within Churches of Christ who hungers to learn more about disciple making and the best path for churches into the future.
-Bobby Harrington, point-leader of discipleship.org and renew.org

In Discipleship in Community, Powell, Hicks, and McKinzie offer a convincing theological vision for Churches of Christ. Deeply grounded in their knowledge of the history of the Churches of Christ and the larger Stone-Campbell Restoration movement, their book brings Churches of Christ into dialogue with the early Christian communities in and beyond the New Testament period, and with other Christian communities today. Highly recommended, not just for Churches of Christ folks, but for other Christians intent on understanding the ethos and directions of their churches.
-Ted Campbell, Southern Methodist University

MARK E. POWELL is a professor of theology at Harding School of Theology in Memphis, Tennessee, and the author of Centered in God.

JOHN MARK HICKS is a professor of theology at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee. He is the author of six books, including Meeting God at the Shack.

GREG MCKINZIE is the executive editor of Missio Dei, an online journal for missions, theology, and practice.