Feb 09 2009
Preface
Imagining Church:
Seeing Hope in a World of Change
Though we sat near each other in Abnormal Psychology and exchanged casual glances every now and then, the two of us didn’t really “see” each other until that class had ended and we met up again at a denominational meeting intended for those considering a pathway toward ordained ministry. We reintroduced ourselves to each other, sat together at the end of the conference table, and didn’t hear another word the presenter was saying. It was as though we were the only two people in the room.
From the start, the two of us shared a similar faith journey. We grew up in families that embraced the importance of the local church. Early on in our lives, we sensed a call to ministry. Kim sought to fulfill her calling through Christian education and Gary pursued ordained ministry. Except for two years (while we attended colleges six hours apart), we have been together for more than thirty years.
Over the past three decades we have served numerous churches in almost every conceivable setting; codirected leadership, marital, and spiritual retreats; copresented at denominational gatherings; planted two new churches; and raised two awesome sons. Now we can add to our list of cooperative endeavors the writing of a book. If you want to test the strength of any significant relationship try this!
What we present in this book is a culmination of our experiences—struggles, successes, and failures—of ministry in the local church. It clearly defines our personal vision for what we believe the church is called to be in this postmodern age where all the lines are blurred, everything familiar is challenged, and the need for effective, healthy churches has never been greater.
As we look out into this world of phenomenal change we continue to imagine what the church can be and in so doing we have hope. Join us!