Publisher's Synopsis
Cities and communities full of celebration; basic food, housing and belonging needs met; young and old contributing meaningfully to society; people living lives that contribute to the common good; all in a reconciled relationship with God? The prophet Isaiah believes this is not only possible, but that in fact it is God's design for our communities. For our world to reflect this image, it needs to be transformed. To effectively engage in the work of transformation, we need to answer some fundamental questions: How can God's Kingdom be expressed in such a way that encourages the Church to actively engage in the community? What is the internal shape of the Church necessary for effective engagement? What's the cultural context of our communities and cities? And what are some concrete methods and connecting points we can use to engage? Starting with a snapshot of Australian society Building Communities of the Kingdom goes onto build a contextualized theology around the important task of community development. A selection of stories from the field and personal reflections set a lively tone and help to ground the theories and concepts. Andrew Van Eymeren's powerful book emerges from road-tested insights gained as a Christian community activist. Giving a picture of what the world could be and should be, Andrew takes an honest look at our nation and its varied communities and encourages us, with a passionate heart, to a broader understanding of God's vision for His world. He brings the Good News to our neighborhoods with a message of social transformation that we all might embrace. Tim Costello, Chief Executive, World Vision Australia The church certainly has a voice in Australian society today, but not the tone of voice Andre Van Eymeren is suggesting. The church's voice is either heard as a shame-faced whisper (apologizing for our treatment of children in our care), a shrill attack (fighting initiatives like the Safe Schools program), or a defensive explanation (staking a claim for a traditional understanding of marriage). What Andre has in mind is a far more generous tone of voice, confident in the understanding of the gospel as the work of God to restore humans to union with God and communion with others, in the context of a community for the good of others and the world. Read it. It changes everything. Michael Frost, Morling College, Sydney; author The Road to Missional and To Alter Your World Andre is an experienced community development consultant, trainer and practitioner. This has seen him and his family live and work in marginalised and hurting communities in South Australia and Victoria. For most of his married life, Andre, together with his wife Amy and son Josh, have lived in varying forms of community, many of those caring for homeless and marginalised young people. Andre has been involved in projects across Australia, working extensively with local councils, schools, faith groups and the not-for-profit sector. These projects have seen him teaching, networking, organising and supporting people of various faiths and no faith to work together to achieve their dreams.
