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by Neil Darragh (Author)
What is the church really for? Some people are members of the church because it's part of their family tradition or their culture or their identity. Others have left the church because that's all it is in fact. Is it the best way to salvation or a way of coming closer to God? In any case, the church is not just for us or the benefits we get out of it. Very few of us would say that this is what the church is really for. There is surely something more here, something more generous, life-giving, outgoing, and gracious than what we personally get out of it. This book is about the church's outreach beyond itself--its purpose beyond any benefits for those already its members. This book is not about a church looking inwards and worrying about itself, but about a church looking outwards. The local Christian community that we belong to is part of that much bigger, much more exhilarating project of the evolving realm of God.
Author Biography
Neil Darragh is a pastor and theologian in Aotearoa, New Zealand. His lectures and publications result from his commitment to combining social and pastoral engagement with academic research. Most recently his publishing interests have focused on compiling and editing original research on the interaction between church and society such as But Is It Fair? Faith Communities and Social Justice (2014) and Living in the Planet Earth: Faith Communities and Ecology (2016). Most recently, it is the local Christian community and its mission that has absorbed his attention.
