Lois Y. Barrett is director of the Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary Great Plains Extension in North Newton, Kansas, where she is also assistant professor of theology and Anabaptist studies. She also serves as research project director for the Gospel and Our Culture Network in Holland, Michigan, and as a congregational and organizational consultant for Church Innovations Institute in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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Reviews
Barry Harvey "Treasure in Clay Jars is a godsend for those who contend that the church is called to a distinctive way of life that runs counter to the dominant trends of modern -- and now postmodern -- culture. In a manner that is both theologically sound and generally accessible, the authors examine nine local congregations that embody distinctive patterns of faithfulness to the redemptive mission of God in the world. When people ask me 'Just where is this church you're always talking about?' I can now respond by handing them this book." Wilbert R. Shenk "Treasure in Clay Jars is a bracing combination of vigorous theology and firsthand observation of what is happening at the front line. One frequently hears the plaint that books about the church and mission are too heady and make little contact with what goes on at the local level. The backbone of this work is case studies of congregations, ranging from Holy Ghost Full Gospel Baptist Church to Transfiguration Roman Catholic Parish in Brooklyn, alive to their calling to be the people of God in the world. Rather than suggesting that these churches furnish us with ideal models, this book emphasizes eight missional practices that characterize the local church committed to God's mission.Treasure in Clay Jars is a worthy sequel to Missional Church."