Renewal Through Restoration

In an age when biblical discipleship appears to be waning, four current and former church elders call for spiritual renewal through restoring the ancient faith, practices, and ethos of the first Christians. The writers offer fresh, practical insights about spiritual renewal, sharing observations concerning the personal, communal, and societal aspects of discipleship.

While the writers share a common spiritual heritage among Churches of Christ, they bring diverse perspectives gained from living and working in Asia, Australia, and America. Even as the book emits different voices, the underlying conviction is unmistakable: authentic disciples are those who abide in Christ, are empowered by the Holy Spirit, and glorify the Father by demonstrating fidelity to Scripture.

CONTENTS

Part One: Renewal Through Restoration 1

1. Renewal Among God's People 3

2. Restoration Today 17

3. Reflections on Renewal Through Restoration:

- Being Simply Christian: Is It Possible? Allan McNicol 31

- The Once-for-all Faith Steve Wilson 37

Part Two: Personal - Being in Christ 43

4. Becoming a Disciple 45

5. Towards Maturity in Christ 59

6. Reflections on Being in Christ:

- The Way of Christ Steve Wilson 73

- The Gift(s) of the Spirit Today? Allan McNicol 79

Part Three: Communal - Living as God's People 87

7. Leading and Nurturing God's People 89

8. A Community of Worshippers 105

9. Reflections on Living as God's People:

- On Matters of Opinion Steve Wilson 121

- The Church as the People of God Allan McNicol 127

10. Churches of Christ: Who We Are and What We

Ought to Be Everett Ferguson 135

Part Four: Societal - Engaging the World 147

11. Developing a Biblical Worldview 149

12. Disciples "in" But Not "of" Society 163

13. Reflections on Engaging the World:

- The Defeat of Death Allan McNicol 177

- Christianity's Decline... and Renewal? Steve Wilson 184

Appendix: Churches of Christ in America and Australia 191

Author and Contributors 200

Bibliography 201

Scripture Index 208

Subject Index 216

Discussion Questions 221