Incarnational Ministry : Being With The Church

On the implications of “being with” for the ministry of the church

” With,” says Samuel Wells, “is the most important word in the Christian faith.”

In the Trinity, we see the eternal persons of the Godhead being with each other. In the Gospels, we see Jesus being with the people he encounters, mediating God’s grace to them with his own incarnational presence. Those in ministry, as Wells shows in this book, are also called to the task of being with with God, with the church, and with the created world and those who dwell in it.

Wells elaborates on the concept of being with in eight dimensions: presence, attention, mystery, delight, participation, partnership, enjoyment, and glory. His vivid narratives and wise reflections challenge readers to deeper discipleship and more vital ministry as they explore what it means to be with the troubled, the hurt, the afflicted, the challenged, the dying–and all who are embraced by the church’s incarnational ministry.