Message(Note: I’m reading this most interesting book at the moment, and will be submitting a review in the next few weeks on this website. Rowland).

Friends and Colleagues

Attached are some pdf paraphenalia related to mine and Michael Frost’s new book, The Shaping of Things To Come: Innovation and Mission for the 21st Century Church (Peabody: Henrickson, 2003). The aim in writing this book was to provide a new frameworks, a vocabulary, some practical and theoretical missiology, and broader legitimacy for the Missional Church in the Western world.

There is something phenomenal going on in the world today of which we are privileged to be a part. One of the aspects relates to what is being tagged the neo-apostolic movement.

Dr. David Barrett is Professor for Missionmetrics at Regent Uni, Virginia Beach, and publisher of the World Christian Encyclopedia, He is the major reporter of world trends in mission. His research indicates that there are now 111 million Christians without a local church. According to Barrett, the rise of the so-called “neo-apostolics” is particularly marked, now numbering over 20,000 movements and networks with a total of 394 million church members. They:

a.. reject historical denominationalism and restrictive overbearing central authority b.. seek a more effective missionary lifestyle c.. are one of the fastest growing church movements in the world, and in Barrett’s estimation, will have 581 million members in 2025 – 120 million more than all Protestant movements. (Source: (GEM-WERC)” see http://www.jesus.org.uk/dawn/2001/dawn07.html Their fuller findings are available at http://gem-werc.org/ )

Some reviews from Eddie Gibbs and Leonard Sweet a.. “It is especially helpful to have an Australian perspective on the twenty-first century missional church as these two authors are engaged in church planting in one of the most secularized societies in the Western world. Their contribution brings and in-depth 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. Furthermore, Mike and Alan are not armchair-theorists but are engaged in innovative and risk-taking ventures in church planting and the mentoring of leaders to extend this strategic ministry. Their contribution to the literature is as substantial as it is engaging.” – EDDIE GIBBS Donald A. McGavran Professor of Church Growth, b.. “This book is a bountiful mutli-course meal, each serving presented with charm and class. It will satisfy even eclectic appetites, and please the most discriminating palates.” – LEONARD SWEET Drew Theological School, George Fox University

If this book gives some positive shape and direction to even a part of this phenomenon, we will be greatly blessed. The Shaping of Things To Come has been extremely well received and is now going to second print after only four months since release.

It is available at most Christian bookstores across the English-speaking world world or at http://www.amazon.com

Feel free to pass this on or give us any feedback

For the love of it all…

Alan Hirsch IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

National Director

Forge Mission Training Network

Level One, 77 Capel Street

West Melbourne, Vic.

Australia, 3003