Treasure in Clay Jars: Patterns in Missional Faithfulness

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 "patterns" common to these churches. Although the patterns may be different in each setting, they can be recognized in any congregation seeking to participate in God's mission in the world.

The team that authored this book believes that "missional" says something not so much about the activities of the church as its character: "The church does not exist for itself, but for participation in God's mission of reconciliation. . . . Mission is the character of the church in whatever context it exists." The congregations studied here are "clay jars," but each carries in its witness a remarkable treasure that points to God's 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

Lois Y. Barrett is director of the Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary Great Plains Extension in North Newton, Kansas, where she is also assistant professor of theology and Anabaptist studies. She also serves as research project director for the Gospel and Our Culture Network in Holland, Michigan, and as a congregational and organizational consultant for Church Innovations Institute in Minneapolis, Minnesota.