Jesus Cropped from the Picture

Epilogue

Jesus Cropped from the Picture chronicles my journey from discouragement to joyful freedom; my experience with America’s miniaturization of the Story, and the discovery that the Kingdom, expressed in the Great Tradition, is the antidote to the cropping process. Constructing an identity based on the Church’s Sacred Roots helps churches of all cultures to ground themselves in the Great Tradition, so the Church can be One, yet free to express its devotion within its indigenous culture. This has been God’s intent since before the foundation of the world, revealed to Abraham, and fulfilled in Rev. 5.9. Forming this identity is the way to restore bored Christians to vibrant faith. Identity produces life, but “how-to” methods crop Jesus from the picture. In fact, the subtitle, “How To Restore Them to Vibrant Faith” is a tongue-in-cheek reference to current tendencies to gravitate to the latest how-to method. As founding Director of The Urban Ministry Institute (TUMI), Rev. Dr. Don Davis has invested decades of research and prayerful study to the Church’s Sacred Roots , which is the foundation of TUMI’s approach to urban church leadership development. As TUMI’s Satellite Director, I am honored to work under Dr. Davis’ pioneering leadership to produce new resources that help churches anchor themselves to their Sacred Roots . Many resources already exist and can be found at our website, www.tumi.org, where

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