Original Research - Special Collection: Practical Theology
Die verband tussen gemeentebouprosesse en missionale gemeente-ontwikkeling
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies | Vol 67, No 2 | a931 |
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v67i2.931
| © 2011 André G. Ungerer, Malan Nel
| This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 02 August 2010 | Published: 19 May 2011
Submitted: 02 August 2010 | Published: 19 May 2011
About the author(s)
André G. Ungerer, University of Pretoria, South AfricaMalan Nel, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Abstract
This article dealt with the process of building up the local congregation and the manner in which missional objectives are achieved. The article was undertaken against the background of the disturbing decline in membership numbers, particularly in the two traditional Reformational churches in South Africa, namely the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) and the Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa. This decline is in line with similar tendencies in mainstream churches the world over. The key aspects of the theory of building up the local church was discussed and mission in the current South African context dealt with, particularly in view of the fact that an entirely new mission field has opened itself up with the influx into the country of so many people from neighbouring countries who have come to live in our midst. Missional objectives for the local church, as well as aspects that can be subjected to empirical testing are determined all along. The hypothesis wanted to verify whether local churches that have undergone a structured process of building up the local church are more successful missionally than those that have not undergone a structured process.
Keywords
Missional; Missio Dei; a structured process in building up the local church; missional objectives; decline in membership numbers
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Crossref Citations
1. The application of Ephesians 4:11 in the recent missional debate with reference to Scripture
Barry Van Wyk
In die Skriflig/In Luce Verbi vol: 52 issue: 3 year: 2018
doi: 10.4102/ids.v52i3.2305