The new parish : how neighborhood churches are transforming mission, discipleship and community / Paul Sparks, Tim Soerens, and Dwight J. Friesen. [print]

Introduction: Three lives transformed by rooting and linking together Part 1. Why do we need a new parish? Dislocated: naming the crisis we all create Misplaced: how the church lost its place Part 2. What is the new parish? Faithful presence: ending techniques for renewal that perpetuate fragmentation Ecclesial center: how worship beyond the gathering reconfigures the church New commons: finding the church in all of life Part 3. How do we practice the new parish? Presencing: adapting to the spirit's movement Rooting: growing stability within your place Linking: Connecting the church across places Leading: Living a life worth following Conclusion: Presence in a post-everything future.

"When ... faith communities begin connecting together, in and for the neighborhood, they learn to depend on God for strength to love, forgive and show grace like never before. ... The gospel becomes so much more tangible and compelling when the local church is actually a part of the community, connected to the struggles of the people, and even the land itself." Paul Sparks, Tim Soerens and Dwight J. Friesen have seen in cities, suburbs and small towns all over North America how powerful the gospel can be when it takes root in the context of a place, at the intersection of geography, demography, economy and culture. This is not a new idea the concept of a parish is as old as Paul's letters to the various communities of the ancient church. But in an age of dislocation and disengagement, the notion of a church that knows its place and gives itself to where it finds itself is like a breath of fresh air, like a sign of new life.

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