Doing Church: A Biblical Guide for Leading Ministries through Change
Overview
Why do so many churches interpret and apply the Bible differently when it comes to ministry? Is it good to change ministry models to fit the changing culture or should we stick with traditional methods? As the church enters a new century and millennium, it finds itself awash in an ocean of cultural change. Some churches have jettisoned long-held models of ministry while others insist that such changes violate biblical truths. What is the biblical model for ministry?As Aubrey Malphurs observes, the answers to such questions are found in how we interpret Scripture, that is, in how we apply the principles of hermeneutics to Scripture and how we apply the results of this hermeneutical study to culture. This kind of study clarifies how much freedom each church should have in designing its own ministry. It also identifies what things can or should change over the years, and what things must never change.
Doing Church is designed to move beyond theory to provide a hermeneutical model for effective ministry. Part One addresses why churches view ministry differently while part Two presents a biblical hermeneutic for ministry. Questions at the end of each chapter help apply the material to individual situations.
Aubrey Malphurs is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. In this volume he addresses the Biblical basis for church ministry, distinguishing between activities that are mandated by the Scriptures and activities that are simply permitted by the Scriptures. The last section of this title is especially helpful to church leaders, for it gives specific Biblical principles and criteria to evaluate church activities. I've purchased several titles by Malphurs, and I have yet to read one I haven't liked. This book provides a wealth of information in return for the small investment required.
—David R. Bess, online reviewer
- Title: Doing Church: A Biblical guide for Leading Ministries through Change
- Author: Aubrey Malphurs
- Publisher: Kregel
- Publication Date: 1999
- Pages: 112
Aubrey Malphurs earned his Ph. D. and Th. M. from Dallas Theological Seminary, where he is also the chairman of the Field Education Department. He is president of the Vision Ministries International and has a passion for equipping a new generation of leaders for significant ministry in the twentieth-first century church. Dr. Malphurs is the author of numerous books in the areas of leadership, vision, and church ministry, including Ministry Nuts and Bolts: What They Don't Teach Pastors in Seminary; Doing Church; A Contemporary Handbook for Weddings and Funerals; as well as Strategy 2000: Making Disciples for the Next Millennium; and Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.
