Imaginatively Missional
Ever since C. Peter Wagner declared church planting as the greatest strategy for the spread of the gospel around the world (1990), church planters have taken up the banner of what is no doubt one of the most obvious results of making disciples in the book of Acts. Indeed, Tim Keller writes, “The continual planting of new congregations is the most crucial strategy for the growth of the body of Christ” (2012). Pick up any church planting text these days and you’ll hear similar remarks. In fact, Ed Stezter and Daniel Im go so as far as to say, “We are most like Christ when we join him in the mission of reaching the unchurched by planting new churches” (2011, p. 26). Both domestically and internationally, the need and opportunity to make disciples who gather in community has never been greater.
Yet, church planting is not all that disciples do . . .
Continue reading “How we make a difference”In partnership, we can provide quality theological education where most needed. As you are considering your end of year giving, we would be honored to partner with you in God’s work around the world.
Here is what some leaders say about our training:
Your training is impressive. To me for our third world countries we would want a low or no cost program to benefit the churches and kingdom.
Pastor *Vinod, India – working with thousands of house church leaders
This is a great resource and training. Let us do this for Nepal and I will be praying for this.
Pastor *Santosh, Nepal – training pastors in all 7 provinces
As you know that ministry need sound theology to stand firmly upon the word of God. And I would like to request you to have a training with my team during your Nepal visit.
Pastor *Beni, Nepal – leading a team sharing the gospel more than 5,000 times each month
I think the Lord will use Ephesiology to accelerate the African mission movement in a special way, and I want to be part of it.
Pastor *Esaie – mobilizing the African church into missions to unreached people groups.
A community conversation about the most significant church-planting movement in the early church. The study of the Ephesian movement raises many questions about Christianity today. What made that city the epicenter of the movement? And how can we replicate sustained movements in a world that feels so different? This is not another methodology or attempt to re-contextualize evangelicalism. Rather, it is a look at the story of how the Holy Spirit still changes lives, cities, and the world.
Imaginatively Missional
On this special episode of the Ephesiology Podcast, we listen in to the first Areopagus Symposium with Dr. Michael T. Cooper sharing on the topic of contextualization. Missiologists have frequently recognized the thin line between contextualization and syncretism. This symposium will introduce broad boundaries in the missionary task which account for the tendency to either over- or under-contextualize systems of beliefs and behaviors. The respective paradox of syncretism and reductionism raises the question of the value of contextualization as a missions tool. As a corrective to the paradox, Dr. Cooper will introduce a missiological theology to serve as a framework for the missionary task.
If you have a question or topic that you’d like to hear addressed on the Ephesiology Podcast, just send it to Andrew at andrew@neartownchurch.org.
Michael is the missiologist in residence with East West where he focuses on equipping and empowering church leaders in evangelism, discipleship, leadership, and catalyzing church planting movements in the most difficult to reach places on the planet. He is the author of Ephesiology: The Study of the Ephesian Movement.
Andrew is a pastor, husband and father who desires all to know the one true King. He happily serves at Neartown Church in Houston, TX with a vibrant and growing community. He is the co-host of the Ephesiology Podcast. He is currently a Doctor of Ministry student at Kairos University.
Taking its inspiration from the historical and philosophical legacy of Athens, Greece, the Areopagus Symposium focuses on intellectual and philosophical topics related to Christology, missiology, and ecclesiology. We invite scholars, theologians, and practitioners from diverse backgrounds to engage in a profound exploration of the theological landscape at the intersection of these vital disciplines.
Beginning in October, a whole host of guests join the Ephesiology Podcast to explore the spiritual journey of a Christ-follower, starting with defining discipleship and concluding with the challenge of making more disciples. Each episode offers reflections and discussions with leaders who are passionate about making disciples.
If you want to understand principles for the growth of Christianity in the first century, the place to begin is the city of Ephesus. In this winsome study, Ephesiology offers readers a comprehensive view of the empowering work of the Holy Spirit in the most significant city of the New Testament, and compels us to ask the question: how can we effectively connect Christ to our culture?
“Masterfully handling the book of Ephesians and using its content as a definitive guide, Michael Cooper lays a theologically strong foundation that is both corrective and directive to disciple making movements. The principles he gleans from the book of Ephesians and related texts, help to ensure the on-going multiplication and maturation of a movement. Because these are supra-cultural principles, they are applicable anywhere in the world.”
Marvin J. Newell, Staff Missiologist, Missio Nexus, Author of Crossing Cultures in Scripture
To shift the tracks of history requires leaders who are equipped to critically assess and engage the contours of contemporary culture. As a new initiative in collaboration with the Movement Leaders Collective, Kairos University, and Ephesiology, we deliver just-in-time theological education focused on issues important to you, mxAcademy is designed as the theological and missiological foundation to unlock your potential as a movement leader and catalytic thinker. mxAcademy is a dynamic and innovative educational experience rooted in mDNA.
We dream of a church fully equipped, fully mature, fully mobilized, and fully alive. A church that lives and breathes the Good News of Jesus!
The Ephesiology Podcast comes to you from a desire to engage in community conversations about the intersection of theology and culture. We do not believe such dialogue should come with a cost so the podcast will always be free.
However, if you’ve benefited from the Ephesiology Podcast, would you consider a nominal $5 per month donation? All proceeds from the podcast go toward helping bring needed theological education to the majority world through our Ephesiology Master Class initiative to end a theological famine. We’d be honored to partner with you to continue providing solid biblical, theological, and missiological content for listeners around the world.
The Ephesiology Podcast and Ephesiology Master Classes are ministries of TELOS.GO, a registered 501c3 non-profit agency committed to imaginatively missional ways of engageing culture, church planting, and theological education. Your donation to the podcast is tax deductible.
Our podcasters are dedicated to not only the study of a New Testament movement but the application of timeless principles in the 21st century. More than anything, they are sold out to seeing more people worship God (Rev 5:9). If you are interested in movements in the United States and around the world, please feel free to connect with them.
Michael is the missiologist in residence with East West where he focuses on equipping and empowering church leaders in evangelism, discipleship, leadership, and catalyzing church planting movements in the most difficult to reach places on the planet. He is the author of Ephesiology: The Study of the Ephesian Movement.
Andrew is a pastor, husband and father who desires all to know the one true King. He happily serves at Neartown Church in Houston, TX with a vibrant and growing community. He is the co-host of the Ephesiology Podcast. He is currently a Doctor of Ministry student at Kairos University.
The Ephesiology Podcast comes to you from a desire to engage in community conversations about the intersection of theology and culture. We do not believe such dialogue should come with a cost so the podcast will always be free.
However, if you’ve benefited from the Ephesiology Podcast, would you consider a nominal $5 per month donation? All proceeds from the podcast go toward helping bring needed theological education to the majority world through our Ephesiology Master Class initiative to end a theological famine. We’d be honored to partner with you to continue providing solid biblical, theological, and missiological content for listeners around the world.
The Ephesiology Podcast is a ministry of TELOS.GO, a registered 501c3 non-profit agency committed to imaginatively missional ways of engageing culture, church planting, and theological education. You donation to the podcast is tax deductible.
We are too! The study of the Ephesian movement focuses on empowering people to use their gifts (2 Tim 1:3-6), inspiring them to join in hardship (2 Tim 1:8-14), entrusting them to teach faithful people to carry on the mission (2 Tim 2:1-7), and reminding them to preach the word in season and out of season (2 Tim 3:16-4:2). These are mission critical characteristics of spiritual multiplication and lead to innovating ways that you and your team can engage contemporary culture with the story of God.
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