Crossing Boundaries

The goals of this book are practical: To help you and your

church think about mission in new and deeper ways so that you

can engage in mission with confidence and clarity, experience

the spiritual benefits of joining in God's mission in the world,

and serve God and others more effectively. The book presents

a vision of mission that draws on both Wesleyan theology and

ecumenical thinking about mission. Yet the goal is to do more

than just present a theology of mission but rather to make suggestions about how to use this theology to shape or reshape your

and your congregation's mission work. Thus, theology is mixed

with suggestions for practice, and additional aids at the end of

each chapter help readers apply the concepts discussed.

A series of discussion questions at the end of each chapter is

intended to serve as the basis for group study. My hope is that this

book could be used as a six-week study by your mission committee, Administrative Council, youth group, Sunday school class,

United Methodist Women or United Methodist Men gatherings,

or other church groups. The study questions are designed to help

you reflect on your current mission work.

Each chapter also includes a list of further readings and

resources for those interested in learning more about related topics. This list of readings is annotated, with brief descriptions of the

materials, to help you select which ones will be most helpful to

you in your further learning about and growth in mission.