Worlds Within a Congregation

by Jones, W. Paul

• ISBN13: 9780687084340
• ISBN10: 0687084342
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-04-01
• Publisher: Abingdon Pr

Summary

In Worlds Within a Congregation, W. Paul Jones follows up on his previous work Theological Worlds in a most practical way. He argues that many church communities consist of sub-congregations, which have come about not as the result of divisive intentions, but as congregants naturally group themselves according to preferred styles of worship, interaction, stewardship, and so forth. Jones suggests that this struggle with theological diversity in congregations is something to be understood and embraced, rather than fled from as a grounds of division, and shows how--by understanding the different variations in a congregation--one can better minister with and to the congregation. Key Features: * Examines the existence and character of theological diversity within congregations * Shows that theological diversity within a congregation can be a positive factor in the life of congregations * Follows up on a previous book (Theological Worlds) Key Benefits: * Readers will learn to analyze and evaluate theological diversity within a congregation * Readers will understand how this diversity shapes the preferred ways of doing a number of things in the ministry of a congregation (worship, mission, service, interaction) * Readers will learn how to apply this knowledge and evaluation of a congregation to the administration and ministry of that congregation

Table of Contents

Preface Transcending the Liberal-Conservative Impasse	13	(2)
A Frightened Glance Forward, with Excitement	15	(8)
The Church's Search for a Reason to Be	15	(2)
The Postmodern Search for Meaning	17	(1)
Diversity and Authentic Commitment	18	(5)
Theological Diversity in Today's Church	23	(12)
The Liberal-Conservative Impasse	23	(3)
United Methodism: Case Study of the Dilemma	26	(2)
The Cleavage as Widespread	28	(1)
Threshold of a New Perspective	29	(1)
A Cultural Point of Contact	30	(1)
Toward an Internal Ecumenism	31	(4)
The Variegated Church: A Model for Models	35	(10)
Christianity as Diverse	35	(1)
The Present Theological Situation	36	(2)
Theological Worlds	38	(1)
Variegation as Need, Fact, and Motivation	39	(6)
The Theological Worlds Inventory: Discovering One's Self and One's Congregation	45	(26)
Introduction: The Meaning Of A Theological World	45	(1)
The Theological Worlds Inventory	46	(12)
The Theological Worlds Description And Self-Rating	58	(5)
Self-Scoring The Theological Worlds Inventory	63	(2)
Theological Worlds: An Evaluation	65	(6)
An Experimental Case Study in Local Church Variegation	71	(10)
How to Get There from Here: Beginning Where We Are	81	(20)
The Seekers and the Sought	81	(3)
Secular Groups as the Latent Church	84	(2)
Stages of Local Church Transition	86	(15)
Acknowledgment	86	(2)
Discernment	88	(3)
Orientation	91	(5)
Implementation	96	(5)
Christian Education as a Variegated Enterprise: Seeing the Whole	101	(38)
Using Contemporary Christian Education Options	101	(10)
Action-Reflection as a Way of Life	111	(1)
Christian Education as Spiritual Formation: The Teaching-Learning Process	112	(4)
Learning Styles	116	(4)
Faith Development	120	(3)
Myers-Briggs and Personality as Positively Variegated	123	(7)
The Enneagram and Personality as Negatively Variegated	130	(1)
Theological Worlds as Contexts for Learning	131	(8)
Variegated Worship: Liturgical Interaction and Subcongregations	139	(30)
The Larger Church: Liturgical Centers as Subcongregations	140	(3)
Alternative Liturgies	143	(7)
Alternative Approaches to Sacraments and Sacramentals	150	(8)
The Smaller Church: Intracongregational Worship as Variegated	158	(11)
Variegated Preaching: Theologizing Within Intentional Contexts	169	(26)
Preaching Within Alternative Worship	169	(2)
Narrative and Image	171	(4)
Toward Variegated Homiletics	175	(4)
Preaching ``As If''	179	(4)
Preaching from and Within Alternative Worlds	183	(9)
Variegated Preaching in the Single Service	192	(3)
Variegation in Operation: Implications for Administration, Evangelism, and Pastoral Care and Counseling	195	(30)
Order as Administration	195	(9)
Order as Evangelism	204	(3)
Order as Pastoral Care and Counseling	207	(18)
A Glance Backward, with Realism	225	(6)
A Theological Epilogue	227	(2)
A Personal Epilogue	229	(2)
Appendix A Clarification of Terms	231	(2)
Notes	233