Church on the Edge of Somewhere: Ministry, Marginality, and the Future

Many congregations today exist in the "middle of anywhere," living comfortably with the surrounding culture and focusing their energies on serving the needs of members. These congregations have many strengths and gifts that they can exercise without changing a thing. But Thompson envisions a deeper, more prophetic call for congregations: a church on the "edge of somewhere" one that is deeply engaged in ministering to the community while calling on others to commit to doing the same. By analyzing the interaction between a congregation's focus of identity and its stance with the world, a congregation can place itself on today's cultural map. Knowing where they stand now is the key for congregations to discover where they must go in the future to fully live out their call to be God's people in the world.