Overview

Church planting is in vogue, yet there is a paucity of sustained biblical and theological reflection on the topic. Key voices are practitioners and planters themselves - here is the biblical theology that the missiological practice of our day has been crying out for. John Valentine explores the Bible's 'how' and 'why' for starting new churches and revitalizing old ones - in this robust and comprehensive biblical theological look at one aspect of the mission of God.

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9781789744279

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Reviews

'Church planting has received a lot of attention in recent years, which has caused some people to think that it is a new phenomenon. The result is that many of the books on church planting are shallow and lack a robust biblical theology. John Valentine has written a timely book that offers a biblical and theological foundation for church planting in today's complex and challenging world. If you are looking for a fresh introduction to church planting for today's world that is theologically sound, while at the same time practical, then this book is?for you!' -- Rev. Dr. Winfield Bevins, author of?Liturgical Mission? 'Jesus, the Church and the Mission of God is a profoundly biblical, inspiring and passionate book. Valentine patiently explores Scripture and the revelation of the God who goes into the world in order to save the world. Church planting is seen as part of the mission of God, in a context in which both traditional and emerging forms of church work in harmony to reach out beyond their own borders. It's a must-read for those who want to explore why and how church planting not only has a place, but is imperative in the church of today.' -- Revd Prebendary Dr Isabelle Hamley, Secretary for Theology and Theological Adviser to the House of Bishops? 'John Valentine has given us a wonderful gift! Church planting is all the rage these days, but few books anchor the practice within sound biblical theology. Jesus, the Church and the Mission of God offers us precisely that. Written in a highly accessible prose, Valentine situates church planting firmly within God's Mission, with timely reflections for what this means for the church of Jesus Christ in our contemporary day. The book reads as if talking with John Valentine: kind, wise, and filled with poignant insights. It's a must read for anyone involved in church planting.' -- Gregg Okesson, Provost, Asbury Theological Seminary, and author of A Public Missiology: How Local Churches Witness to a Complex World (2020) 'In this remarkable and wide-ranging book, John Valentine offers us a valuable resource. Rather than focussing on merely institutional questions (which often dominate the debate about church planting), he opens up the theological issues in the relationship between mission and community. He explores both the theology of God's mission in the world across the narrative of Scripture, as well as specific examples of missional practice in the ministry of Jesus and in the apostolic church - and connects both of these with contemporary questions for church planting today. This will be a vital resource, not just for church planters, but for anyone concerned to think biblically and theologically about the church and mission.' -- The Revd Dr Ian Paul 'Church planting has become an inescapable and sometimes controversial part of the life of the Church in recent decades. Yet it has often pursued pragmatic approaches rather than reflecting deeply on theological themes than might help strengthen, develop and direct the work of church planters. John Valentine's book is a big step in the right direction, towards a richer biblical and theological grounding for this vital aspect of the Church's mission.' -- Bishop Graham Tomlin, Director of the Centre for Cultural Witness, Lambeth Palace 'John Valentine has put us in his debt by this wide-ranging study of biblical and theological foundations and practices of church planting. Covering the Old Testament, the Gospels, Acts, and the Pauline letters, his study combines thoughtful reading of Scripture with persistent attention to the implications of his findings for church planting in the western world today. He draws on good scholarship in his writing, providing depth to his discussions. In addition, his more theologically-focused chapters on church, mission and God as Trinity provide coherence and reflective thinking about church planting in relation to mission and the nature of the Christian God. This is a book which many will want to read: it moves well beyond the rather superficial 'how to' nature of much previous writing on church planting to root this vital topic in the nature of God, mission and the church. Read it - it will do you and your church good!' -- Steve Walton, Professor of New Testament and Senior Research Fellow, Trinity College, Bristol 'Anchored in biblical and theological truth and reflections on John's many years of practical experience, this book underpins the intertwined nature of mission and church planting while infusing a fuel of encouragement and inspiration to the existing fire. A vital companion for the contemporary church leader and church planter. It is a must-read.' -- Rev Dr Girma Bishaw, Director and founder at Gratitude initiative, City Catalyst for the London project and part of the pastoral team at reality church London 'John Valentine's theological gifts and his personal experience as a church planter make him uniquely qualified to write this book. John knows what he is writing about.' -- Nicky Gumbel, former Vicar of Holy Trinity, Brompton 'For centuries, the Church was so wedded to Christendom that church planting was rarely considered - and, if it was, was often misunderstood or even seen as illegitimate.? As John so wonderfully shows, this view has been largely turned over by a wonderful wave of new and varied new church planting activity.? This book gives us exactly is now needed - a significant contribution to the theological underpinnings of this most biblical and missional expression of the gospel' -- Paul Harcourt, National Leader, New Wine England

'Church planting has received a lot of attention in recent years, which has caused some people to think that it is a new phenomenon. The result is that many of the books on church planting are shallow and lack a robust biblical theology. John Valentine has written a timely book that offers a biblical and theological foundation for church planting in today's complex and challenging world. If you are looking for a fresh introduction to church planting for today's world that is theologically sound, while at the same time practical, then this book is for you!' -- Rev. Dr. Winfield Bevins, author of?Liturgical Mission? 'Jesus, the Church and the Mission of God is a profoundly biblical, inspiring and passionate book. Valentine patiently explores Scripture and the revelation of the God who goes into the world in order to save the world. Church planting is seen as part of the mission of God, in a context in which both traditional and emerging forms of church work in harmony to reach out beyond their own borders. It's a must-read for those who want to explore why and how church planting not only has a place, but is imperative in the church of today.' -- Revd Prebendary Dr Isabelle Hamley, Secretary for Theology and Theological Adviser to the House of Bishops? 'John Valentine has given us a wonderful gift! Church planting is all the rage these days, but few books anchor the practice within sound biblical theology. Jesus, the Church and the Mission of God offers us precisely that. Written in a highly accessible prose, Valentine situates church planting firmly within God's Mission, with timely reflections for what this means for the church of Jesus Christ in our contemporary day. The book reads as if talking with John Valentine: kind, wise, and filled with poignant insights. It's a must read for anyone involved in church planting.' -- Gregg Okesson, Provost, Asbury Theological Seminary, and author of A Public Missiology: How Local Churches Witness to a Complex World (2020) 'In this remarkable and wide-ranging book, John Valentine offers us a valuable resource. Rather than focussing on merely institutional questions (which often dominate the debate about church planting), he opens up the theological issues in the relationship between mission and community. He explores both the theology of God's mission in the world across the narrative of Scripture, as well as specific examples of missional practice in the ministry of Jesus and in the apostolic church - and connects both of these with contemporary questions for church planting today. This will be a vital resource, not just for church planters, but for anyone concerned to think biblically and theologically about the church and mission.' -- The Revd Dr Ian Paul 'Church planting has become an inescapable and sometimes controversial part of the life of the Church in recent decades. Yet it has often pursued pragmatic approaches rather than reflecting deeply on theological themes than might help strengthen, develop and direct the work of church planters. John Valentine's book is a big step in the right direction, towards a richer biblical and theological grounding for this vital aspect of the Church's mission.' -- Bishop Graham Tomlin, Director of the Centre for Cultural Witness, Lambeth Palace 'John Valentine has put us in his debt by this wide-ranging study of biblical and theological foundations and practices of church planting. Covering the Old Testament, the Gospels, Acts, and the Pauline letters, his study combines thoughtful reading of Scripture with persistent attention to the implications of his findings for church planting in the western world today. He draws on good scholarship in his writing, providing depth to his discussions. In addition, his more theologically-focused chapters on church, mission and God as Trinity provide coherence and reflective thinking about church planting in relation to mission and the nature of the Christian God. This is a book which many will want to read: it moves well beyond the rather superficial 'how to' nature of much previous writing on church planting to root this vital topic in the nature of God, mission and the church. Read it - it will do you and your church good!' -- Steve Walton, Professor of New Testament and Senior Research Fellow, Trinity College, Bristol 'Anchored in biblical and theological truth and reflections on John's many years of practical experience, this book underpins the intertwined nature of mission and church planting while infusing a fuel of encouragement and inspiration to the existing fire. A vital companion for the contemporary church leader and church planter. It is a must-read.' -- Rev Dr Girma Bishaw, Director and founder at Gratitude initiative, City Catalyst for the London project and part of the pastoral team at reality church London 'John Valentine's theological gifts and his personal experience as a church planter make him uniquely qualified to write this book. John knows what he is writing about.' -- Nicky Gumbel, former Vicar of Holy Trinity, Brompton 'For centuries, the Church was so wedded to Christendom that church planting was rarely considered - and, if it was, was often misunderstood or even seen as illegitimate.? As John so wonderfully shows, this view has been largely turned over by a wonderful wave of new and varied new church planting activity. This book gives us exactly is now needed - a significant contribution to the theological underpinnings of this most biblical and missional expression of the gospel' -- Paul Harcourt, National Leader, New Wine England

Author Information

John Valentine is Dean of the Local Ministry Programme in Guildford Diocese. He previously served as Church Planting Trainer and Theologian at Large for the Gregory Centre for Church Multiplication. He's married to Catherine and they have two children. John was the Rector of St George's Holborn, a church plant from Holy Trinity Brompton, which planted two further churches in partnership with others over the subsequent 10 years. He is the author of 'Follow Me' on Christian Discipleship.

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