It is nearly impossible to overstate the importance of how local churches understand the nature of God’s salvation. While McKnight (Professor of New Testament) and Fitch (Lindner Chair of Evangelical Theology), who both teach at Northern Seminary, may not see eye-to-eye on all aspects of this conversation, where they are in complete agreement is that how we understand the Kingdom of God, the Gospel, and Salvation – and how they relate – not only should impact all aspects of the life and practice of our churches, but that they already and always do.
Akin to the centering issue of soteriology being explored in the ongoing series of the theological vision of Dallas Willard (Post 1, Post 2, Post 3, Post 4, Post 5), the fundamental thesis giving rise to this workshop is that a proper and faithful understanding of these key Christian doctrines – and their interrelationship – has been distorted and/or lost within evangelical Christianity. Consequently, the life and witness of our local churches for mission has been compromised.
Given that the title for the gathering at which this workshop was recorded was, The Future of the Gospel: Renewing Evangelical Imagination for Mission, this workshop was a key component in exploring that theme. The arguments put forth by these presenters and the discussion that ensues with those gathered, therefore, are valuable resources for all of us seeking to grapple with these issues and their implications for shaping believers and congregations for faithful participation in God’s mission.
Enjoy and share!
Workshop Description:
This seminar explores how placing salvation within the total gospel, the inbreaking Kingdom, changes church dynamics in mission. We will discuss what salvation means when driven by the Gospel of the Kingdom. Then we will describe how this changes the nature of the gathering for worship, evangelism, and the Christian life.
The audio download of this workshop is available HERE and is available for free all day today, 12/16/13 (discount automatically applied when you add the workshop to your cart).
**If you find resources like this helpful, there are many more available here. You might even want to grab a bundle all at the same time.**
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