In-tensional - Print.

In-tensional: A Way Forward for the Church

By Justin Duckworth; Alan Jamieson

Archbishop Justin Duckworth and sociologist senior pastor Alan Jamieson explore the necessary dynamic between traditional church structures and radical edge movements.

They propose a new conversation that integrates both, offering hope and renewal for the church in the West as it faces social and global crises.

Read this book to:

• Gain valuable perspectives on navigating the changing landscape of church life.
• Discover actionable strategies for fostering community and engagement within your church.
• Empower leaders with innovative ideas that promote resilience and adaptability.
• Learn how to cultivate a spirit of collaboration and understanding among your congregations
• Embrace a comprehensive framework for church revitalisation that addresses spiritual, relational, and organisational dimensions.
• Use the book as a catalyst for meaningful conversations in study groups and church meetings.
• Apply principles that are relevant in diverse church contexts and traditions.

Features

• Engaging Case Studies: Explore real-life examples of churches successfully implementing the authors’ strategies.
• Thought-Provoking Questions: Each chapter includes reflective questions to facilitate personal and group discussion.
• Practical Tools and Templates: Access resources designed to help churches implement the concepts discussed.
• Diverse Perspectives: Learn from the combined experiences of both authors, providing a well-rounded view of church challenges.
• Accessible Language: Written in clear, relatable language, making it suitable for a broad audience, from clergy to laypeople.

124pp softcover
6” x 9”
ISBN 9781991027764
Philip Garside Publishing Ltd (2024)

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Description

In-tensional: A Way Forward for the Church offers a bold and prophetic vision for revitalising the church in the West, where traditional expressions of faith and cutting-edge mission initiatives come together in dynamic tension.

Written by Archbishop Justin Duckworth and sociologist senior pastor Alan Jamieson, both veteran leaders in Christian ministry, this book calls for an in-tensional conversation between “centre-church” leaders and “edge” missional pioneers.

Recognising that the church faces unprecedented global challenges – from the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic to climate change and cultural upheavals – the authors provide practical insights, rooted in decades of experience, on how the church can reshape for a hopeful future.

This is not just another book about church decline or a nostalgic call for church restoration.

Instead, Duckworth and Jamieson guide readers through an innovative dialogue that acknowledges the strengths of both established church structures and missional communities at the margins.

The book invites church leaders, innovators, and passionate followers of Jesus to engage deeply with each other, fostering new ways of living the gospel for today’s world.

Whether you’re leading a congregation or involved in community mission work, In-tensional offers vital perspectives and practical strategies for navigating the future of faith.

• • •

Free Sample from the book: Introduction pp1-20

Customer response after downloading the sample:

"Wow! The extract you have made available is the most inspiring thing I have read for a very long time!" EB, 23 July 2024

Click here to: Download your free sample

• • •

Some top quotes from the book

“Throughout history, when things got desperate, God turned up with a new invitation. If we ever needed a miraculous and transforming God turning up, then it is right now.”

“We can’t keep isolating the edge from the centre of the church… Through this book we want to give you working models of how these differently gifted groups of the church can and must work together.”

“Centre-church leaders can invite edge-dwellers into a relationship where differences are recognised and respected without trying to bring the edge-dwellers under the church programmes and management.”

“Edge communities attract prophetic people and often form questioning communities that love to face the complex issues of our time, think deeply and are willing to critique assumptions.”

“Centre-leaders should not try to tame mission initiatives and leaders by enticing or forcing them to fit into centre-church structures and life.”

“Church-leaders may be tempted to pay edge-leaders but we caution against offering money too soon. Going unpaid reduces expectations on the edge-leader, ensures their freedom and frees you from accounting for where church money is spent.”

“The centre’s role is not to lead and shape the new gospel initiatives, but to support and authenticate the emerging leaders and movements. This means putting our mana (respect and backing) behind them.”

“Expect new edge-leaders to fail and make mistakes. Innovating results in more false starts and complex challenges than following a proven formula.”

“When communicating with centre-leaders and congregations, edge-leaders must carefully consider who is listening, seeking healthy commonalities and prayerfully discerning which part of the gospel challenge to highlight. … Keep it simple at first, you will lose listeners by diving too deep too soon.”

“…the Edge-community leaders need to work hard on their character. As things develop and grow the maturity of the edge-communities and their leader’s character will become the prime limiting factor for future growth and influence.”

• • •

Contents

Introduction

• Getting on the Same Page
• Our stories of centre and edge
• Hosting the courageous conversation that might reshape the church

Chapter 1 — Facing our Reality

Chapter 2 — Process of Renewal

• Edge defined

Chapter 3 — Stories of Renewal

• To the desert
• To the monastery
• To the beggars
• Patterns of new movements that take root

Chapter 4 — So, What Do We Do?

• What now?
• The Usual Tale
• The Unusual Tale

Chapter 5 — What Edge and Centre Offer

• What the Edge Offers
• What Centre-church offers
• The life cycle of Edge Communities
• Saying it again!
• Our main points so far

Chapter 6 — Radical

• Operating from Humility
• Centre-church

Chapter 7 — Sustainable

• What the Edge does
• Changing Gear
• The relationship between the Edge’s needs and the Centre-church
• What the Centre does

Chapter 8 — Influential

• What the Edge does
• Influence by fostering new edge movements
• Influencing the wider church
• Multiplying
• Keep the main thing the main thing
• Watch for mission drift
• What the Centre does

Chapter 9 — In-tensional In Action

• Final thought from Justin
• This is what we’ve achieved by living into this in-tensional relationship between centre and edge
• The icing on the cake

Conclusion

Notes and References

About the Authors

• • •

About the Authors

Alan and Justin have known each other for a quarter of a century in various capacities in church leadership.

Justin was elected Archbishop Tikanga Pakeha of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia in May 2024, having served as Bishop of Wellington since 2012, during which time his passion has been for the renewing of Jesus’ church; most often through the interplay of centre and edge expressions. He is the co-founder of Urban Vision, a movement of local residential intentional communities which seek to serve those at the margins of their neighbourhoods. Justin is married to Jenny, and lives in Whanganui. He is father to the marvellous Luca, Jesse and Maya.

Justin and Jenny have also co-published Against the Tide, Towards the Kingdom (Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock, 2011).

 

Alan has been an Aotearoa New Zealand pastor for 30 years. He has is also sociologist who has researched faith development. He is married to Sandra and lives in Ōtautahi Christchurch close to their children and four grandchildren.

 

 

 

 

He has written four prior books:

• A Churchless Faith, (Philip Garside Publishing Ltd, New Zealand, 2000). Published internationally by SPCK, 2002.
  
  
• Called Again, (Philip Garside Publishing Ltd in NZ, 2004.) Retitled and published internationally as, Journeying in Faith, by SPCK, 2004.
  
  
• Five Years On, (Portland Research Trust, New Zealand 2006.)Published internationally by SPCK under the title, Church Leaving, 2006.
  
  
• Chrysalis: The hidden transformation in the journey of faith, (2008, Carlisle: Paternoster). Republished in French as Chrysalide: les Metamorphoses de la foi, 2016.