God Unbound

How can the church stay in step with the Spirit during a time of unprecedented change? The apostle Paul led the Galatians through a massive cultural shift in which they had to radically expand their ideas of who God is, who they were, and God's mission for the church. Paul was able to lead them through this time of great change because of his own preparation for apostolic ministry. His encounter with the risen Christ on the Damascus road and his time spent in the Arabian wilderness completely upended his understanding of God and pushed the boundaries of his faith tradition. He realized that God sent Jesus Christ to show God's love for all people, not just the Jews. Today Christianity is undergoing a cultural shift just as challenging as the situation confronting Paul and the Galatians. As many churches decline, congregations and their leaders feel uncertain and anxious about how to move forward in their mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ. Elaine Heath invites us to broaden our view of God, become more diverse, and exhibit love in everything we do-both in the church and in our communities. While deeply honoring tradition, she calls the church to boldly follow the Holy Spirit's leadership into the future. Heath offers practical advice and hope for how the church can move through anxiety to courageous, culturally sensitive, and Spirit-led engagement in our rapidly changing world. Reflection questions make this book ideal for a 6- to 9-week small-group study.