Come Again to the Circle: 40 Leaders Imagine the Church beyond COVID
Ebook
Come Again to the Circle features the wisdom and reflections of forty diverse Christian leaders from around the US. These leaders are working to faithfully facilitate the conversations that broke open during the pandemic and to leverage the learnings from the era of COVID for what lies ahead. Their stories, perspectives, and actions will provide reference points and first steps for congregations discerning the commitments and contours of their own futures. COVID-19 pulled the curtain back on the realities in the church and the broader society. Grief and massive uncertainty of recent years especially have created a pervasive, albeit misguided, nostalgia that has sent many congregations scurrying to return to the congregational life of pre-March 2020. At the same time, many people are evaluating the value added by their church participation and whether and how they will resume their religious activities. Come Again to the Circle focuses on the church transcending COVID, on being the church beyond COVID rather than a church defined by it. These leaders name themes, opportunities, and strategies to show us the way.
“If you are seeking faithful ways to envision ministry in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, or how to pivot in the midst of any complicated season, this volume wisely curates ministry voices on the ground who are doing exactly that. The wisdom and clarity that Kincaid distills in this volume offers not just insight into faithfulness in hard seasons, but clear-eyed, honest hope.”
—Karen Rohrer, director, Center for Adaptive and Innovative Ministry
“William Kincaid draws the circle of trust, truth, and transformation wide and invites us to pull up a chair and join in. We come to the circle, trusting that what we see will teach us, the truths we hear will heal us, and the transformation we feel will inspire us to join God’s work of becoming the church fit for today’s world. A timely and treasured resource for the church!”
—Leah Gunning Francis, Christian Theological Seminary
“Come Again to the Circle is a beautifully written and much-needed exploration regarding congregational life post-COVID. Read, and you will become a conversation partner with those who, like you, are committed to congregations. William Kincaid is a trusted companion, a devoted colleague who imagines a circle of hope unveiling God’s calling for these times.”
—Tim Shapiro, president, Center for Congregations
- Title: Come Again to the Circle: 40 Leaders Imagine the Church beyond COVID
- Author: William B. Kincaid
- Publisher: Wipf and Stock
- Print Publication Date: 2022
- Logos Release Date: 2022
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9781666749588, 9781666749564, 9781666749571, 1666749583, 1666749567, 1666749575
- Resource ID: LLS:9781666749588
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-12-22T07:32:22Z
William B. Kincaid is the Herald B. Monroe Professor of Leadership and Ministry Studies at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is the author of Like Stepping into a Canoe: Nimbleness and the Transition into Ministry (2018).