Over the past six months I've had opportunity to dialogue with people, both near and far, about a book written by two Australians, Michael Frost and Alan Hirsh. The Shaping of Things to Come is an important work for any Christ follower to consider, but especially those who are involved in new church developments. Frost and Hirsch have strong convictions that the time is right for the Church to be a force for positive change and transformation in the world today. They write:

"For the first time we in the West are living in what has been called a post-Christian era. Most people throughout the Western world have seen what the Church has to offer, and they found it to be wanting. The current credibility gap has made it hard to communicate the gospel with clarity and authenticity. Paradoxically, this is the case even though it is currently a time of almost unprecedented openness to issues of God, faith, and meaning. This is a time when the need for, and relevance of, the gospel has seldom been greater, but the relevance of the Church has seldom been less. If ever there was a time for innovative missionary effort in the West, it is now."

I have to tell you this book is rocking my world (in a positive way) and I am excited about the conversations it is stimulating among those involved in local church leadership. Through a very cool set of circumstance, both authors will be here in Pittsburgh on Saturday April 16 to discuss their book and to facilitate discussion among churches here in the Pittsburgh region interested in being a positive force in the world today. The event will take place at Bellefield Presbyterian Church in Oakland from 9 AM - 5 PM. Before that date I'd encourage you to do a couple of things:

1) get a copy of the book and begin to read it (http://www.hendrickson.com/html/product/36597.acad.html?category=academic)
2) block off April 16 and plan to attend the event (there is a $50 registration fee which includes breakfast and lunch. If that is an obstacle to your participation please let me know)
3) pray for churches in the Pittsburgh region who are committed to becoming missional communities of faith

Over the next two months I will be posting some thoughts about this book and the ideas it contains; I encourage you to join in the dialogue.