John Piper states that the Church exists to worship God. But because not all of humankind neither knows the Triune God, nor worships Him, missions exist to introduce people to their Maker, so that they will worship Him! The local church is central in reaching the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and, therefore, should understand its own identity and task within God’s universal plan.
The Bible, and especially the New Testament, gives us a good understanding of the principles of what the Church is, what her role is in reaching the world, as well as some principles in missionary methods. This course will seek to integrate current missiological discussions while simultaneously staying grounded in Scripture, particularly the letter of 1 Peter.
Over the course of the semester we shall move towards a missionary theology for the local church by looking at some of the relevant issues that concern the church both today, and will be on the agenda in the not-too-distant future.
- Teacher: Andre van Rheede van Oudtshoorn