The renewal of the church and its expansion are interlinked. Renewal is the work of God resulting in a fresh outburst of Christian movements, that is new Church Congregational Structures and new vitality and expression in new Church Missional Structures. Generally, there are logical causes underlying a fresh outburst of vitality. But, often it is unexplainable, except to say that God works in the heart of some key individuals through whose influence renewal springs forth. The monastic renewals led to the expansion of the church into many outlying areas. When one order became sterile and ineffectual, new orders with renewed zeal and commitment would spring up. Likewise, the Celtic movement resulted in the formation of new monasteries and the expansion of the church in pagan lands, which in turn resulted in the functioning churches in those lands.
The questions we must consider are: What are the movements today that God is raising up to renew and expand the church of God and the mission of God? How can we participate in what God is doing and what God is aiming to do in the world today in which we live?
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