Brian Sanders – författare

What If the Church Truly Empowered People to Engage in God''s Mission?

Something extraordinary has been happening in Tampa, Florida. A new expression of the church has been quietly growing. It''s something of an experiment, but over the last ten years the church has been validating its ideas with sustained and growing results. At The Underground, being the church is not focused around a weekly gathering or church programs. It''s about empowering individuals to respond to God''s call to ministry and mission, especially to the poor and disadvantaged in our midst.

While many churches talk about discerning calling and engaging in mission, very few are structured to make this their ministry focus. Underground Church is a new vision for the church rooted in its biblical mission to share the love of God and serve the poor. Sanders explores how to make structural changes, how to think about leadership, how to fund ministries, and how to truly engage people in God''s mission. Filled with creative insights, he explains what it means to center the mission of the church around the callings of individuals to outward ministry - whether that involves leading Bible studies in the workplace, feeding the homeless, or working to free women and children from sex trafficking.

This book will both tell the inspiring story of a church that is rethinking what church looks like while also outlining and uncovering the principles that transfer for every church and Christian community that hopes for more. It''s the true story of a 10-year experiment that unpacks the possibilities of a church structured and streamlined for mission.

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What if you don’t have a calling from God . . . but callings?

Often we think of our calling as a singular moment of divine purpose revealed to us in young adulthood and static for the rest of our lives. But consider how God usually works. He created the cosmos in six successive days. Might He not also have six seasons of calling for the lives of His people?

In The 6 Seasons of Calling, Brian Sanders helps you view your calling as something ongoing and dynamic. Because your calling is rooted in your relationship with God and your perception of His voice, it isn’t a static or one-time experience. Of course, your calling doesn’t constantly shift and change. Yet God has ordained six basic seasons as your life unfolds:

Instead of wandering aimlessly through life, let the six seasons of calling provide structure for your development. Locate yourself in this sequence. Live mindfully in each season. Learn from its lessons. Look for what might be next. And remember . . . only at the end of your life will you see why each season was valuable and not to be rushed.