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Shaping of Things to Come, The: Innovation and Mission for the 21st-Century Church Paperback – January 1, 2004

by Alan Hirsch (Author), Michael Frost (Author)

58 customer reviews

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In The Shaping of Things to Come Australians Frost and Hirsch present an innovative vision of how the church can be more relevant and responsive to the spiritual hunger seen in the Western world.

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Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Christendom is dying and needs to be removed from its life-support system. Starting with this frank assessment of the current church, Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch present an alternative model for ministry in today's post-Christian context. Instead of mourning the demise of the Western church as the religious guardian of Western society, the authors explain how the church can be reborn through incarnational mission, Jesus-shaped spirituality, and apostolic leadership. Church leaders who heed the authors call will see death turned into new life through the creation of a vital, missional church.

Frost and Hirsch's contribution offers profound theological reflection as well as providing a broad scope informed by their extensive reading in theology, culture and mission as well as their on-site visits to missional churches in the USA and the United Kingdom.
--Eddie Gibbs, Donald A. McGavran Professor of Church Growth, Fuller Theological Seminary

About the Author

Michael Frost is professor of evangelism and missions at Morling College in Sydney, Australia, and a Baptist minister. He is the author of Exiles: Living Missionally in a Post-Christian Culture and the coauthor of ReJesus: A Wild Messiah for a Missional Church.

Alan Hirsch is the founding director of Forge Mission Training Network and a founder of Future Travelers. He is the author of numerous award winning books including The Forgotten Ways, Untamed, On The Verge, and Right Here, Right Now.

Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Baker Books; Reprint edition (January 1, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0801046300
ISBN-13: 978-0801046308
Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.6 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 58 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,890,603 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2944 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Ministry & Evangelism > Missions & Missionary Work
- #91158 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Christian Living
- #377125 in Books > Religion & Spirituality

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Captain America's Dad

This book changed my paradigm

January 15, 2016

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This book changed my worldview like no other book (outside of the Bible, of course). I didn't always agree with the authors, but have been challenged to rethink how the church functions. Ministry friends who know me well know how much of a Frost and Hirsch fan I am. Break down the walls of our churches and get outside - engage people where they are, not where we might want them (or ourselves) to be - such concepts are mind-blowing when you actually begin to live them out.

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July 30, 2009

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This book challenged me on a number of fronts as a pastor and Christian.

It challenged me to reconsider the "come and see" method of doing church. I have been a part of this strategy in church ministry for 11+ years and have seen it work--but not real well. When I read the book of Acts, I find a great chasm between what I see there and what I've experienced here so far...

It challenged me on the leadership roles in the church. We really do emphasize the pastor-teacher role over the prophet, apostle and evangelist roles. Why didn't I see this before...

It challenged me because the print was so small...

It took me a while to get through this, honestly. But it was worth it. I'm starting to put books down without finishing them. But this one was worth plowing through to the end. I recommend it heartily!

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Nick Watts

Stands Out Amongst the Rest

July 20, 2011

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

If you have heard any of the following terms in religious conversations as of late, Missional, Incarnational, Meta-Narrative, Post-Christendom Culture, being an authentic community, it was probably encouraged at least in part by this book, "The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation and Mission for the 21st Century Church". Both Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch have done an excellent job in describing what is at the the center of the fresh expressions of church that are emerging.

Frost and Hirsch explain how "Western" society has been moving into what they describe as a post-christendom era. They say, "Christendom has been in decline for the last 250 years." They argue that many are now or many ought to be moving in to a "Missional" phase of church expression. One where we are moving away from the many things that defined the era of Christendom, such as Buildings, Institutional Centralized Leadership, Institutional Sacraments, Church as center of Society, and ex-tractional Conversions.

The Missional emerging shape of things to come will not be focused on a Church building. The new leadership mode is one that is pioneering-innovative in nature, including the five-fold ministry ethos, not just majoring on the "pastor/teacher" role. It will move towards being more grassroots and decentralized. It Redeems, re-sacralizes, and ritualizes new symbols and events. Church is once again on the fringes of society and culture. The church re-embraces a missional stance in relation to culture.That is a mouth full.

They suggest the idea of Shared Projects. Rather than only doing church based programs, instead getting involved in programs and initiatives that are already helping the community.

There is this group in San Francisco calling itself ReImagine. They have been meeting to explore the goal of living in what they call Green space. Green is the goal. The color green is made up of course by both the colors yellow and blue . "Yellow space refers to a Christian spirituality that is only concerned with the personal, interior world of faith. It characterizes the classic individualized form of faith the focuses on personal quiet times, Bible study, church attendance and personal moral/ethical behavior. Blue space refers to an exclusively other-focused form of Christian spirituality, one that takes context seriously and features such activities as social concern, justice-seeking, activism, and public moral/ethical behavior." These two parts of faith ought to be blended and not separated.

Rather than being an attractional church, the goal of the emerging church is to be Incarnational. "The incarnational church seeks to infiltrate society to represent Christ to the World" A long chapter toward the end is about what they call "the genius of APEPT". This is the five-fold ministry or functions of disciples: Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher. The newer expressions of church are giving a more rounded recognition within the leadership of all these roles, not just favoritism to the Pastor/Teacher C.E.O. style of things from the past.

I have read many books in this genre and this one is is quite unique and stands out amongst the rest in many ways.

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Carlos a. Hernandez

I feel like the missional movement does not have reverence for the ...

December 5, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I feel like the missional movement does not have reverence for the entire body of Christ and the different expressions of the church. I find arrogant their position on the local church. However, I appreciate many of the principles shared in regards to being about the kingdom mission in practical ways.

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grubedoo

Outside the box?...No where near the box.

June 26, 2005

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Most books I enjoy I read in a matter of a week or two. I'm in month number two with this book. Not because I don't enjoy it, quite the opposite. I enjoy it so much and it's so thought provoking I have to chew on and savor it as much as possible.

The book challenges the very foundations of western Christendom, especially how and why we do church. It acknowledges the evolution of western culture from modern to postmodern and postChristian as well as points out that the Christiandom church remains firmly rooted in the Renaissance. The authors (who are knee deep in the application of their theories) challenge almost every aspect of the modern "church." They take great effort in getting the reader to think outside the box and imagine what church could be.

Another strength of the book is the author's refusal to give instructions on how to create what they call the "incarnational, messianic church." They use examples of some that have been started, but won't allow for their vision to become a 5 step program or formal institution (even though human history suggests its inevitability). Rather, they allow the reader's imagination to roam limitlessly and encourage the reader to aspire and create unique, functional and wonderful communities that give Jesus to people.

In general I dislike most Christian literature. It's too formulaic and/or narrow-minded. But this book will remain in my top 10 for a long time, along with books like; "Blue Like Jazz," "Traveling Mercies," The Ragamuffin Gospel," "Searching for God Knows What," "Eternity in Their Hearts," "A New Kind of Christian," and "Let Me Tell You A Story."

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Pam Lynch

Diagnostic and Prescriptive.

April 21, 2014

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

This book provides an in-depth and broad perspective on the present decline of the influence and effectiveness of the church in the western world and also what is needed to turn it around. Church leaders and church members have an opportunity to look at their own assumptions regarding the mission of the church and to gain an understanding into what the general population feels about the church. The book may be a bit verbose (therefore a 4 versus a 5 star rating), but it does give many examples and an in-depth treatment of the issues. The authors draw from many sources to give a very broad perspective and I felt that it was very good and an excellent read.

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Most recent customer reviews

Manikanta Sai

Very nice

Good condition.

Published 1 month ago

Steven H Propp

A “GUIDEBOOK” FOR THE EMERGING, MISSIONAL CHURCH

Alan Hirsch (born 1959) is the founding director of Forge Mission Training Network, and a former pastor.The Forgotten Ways: Reactivating Apostolic Movements,,,, etc. They have also cowritten and Read more

Published 6 months ago

great material when trying to reboot.

Published 1 year ago

David F.

A Great Read and Guidebook For How Churches Should Be

An excellent vision of what the church should be... What our Lord Jesus intended it to be. As a pastor with the Front Porch Fellowship in Akron Ohio, we have started Missional...Read more

Published on August 2, 2016

Kennedy McGowan

Fascinating and challenging read

Hirsch and Frost create a challenging call for the church to return to mission - found the focus on recovering the Hebraic roots of Christianity powerfully insightful - good stuff

Published on February 4, 2016

Daryl L

Five Stars

THE source for understanding missional ministry.

Published on October 27, 2015

Daniel Cool

The Missional, Incarnational Church

Great insight into the past, good insight into the present, and a way to go into the future. Hope the Church is listening!

Published on May 20, 2015

kathleen matheson

Three Stars

good

Published on March 30, 2015

Jim Mustain

Five Stars

Spot on!

Published on March 18, 2015

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