The Gathered and Scattered Church : Equipping Believers for the 21st Century - Softcover

"In the first chapter, Eddie Hammett guides the reader to face the difference between the church as an institution and the church on mission for God in the world. He than spends the rest of the book helping pastors and other staff members and particularly lay persons understand how this may be done-indeed how this must be done. He gives illustration after illustration from the lives of lay people how this is being done. To understand what this book proposes can revolutionized the life of our churches." - Findley B. Edge "Edward Hammett has identified the core issues which must be struggled with if the true essence of Church is to be recovered in our time. Primary energy must be released for the task. The author recognizes that the call of Christ is "always beyond our human capabilities," and also the "harsh reality that every church is not Christ's church." The focus of this book is the Church in the world. Practical and helpful resources are included for use by local congregation." -Mary Cosby, Co-founder, The Church of the Savior "At a time when talk about renewing the Church is nearing its half-century mark, and when many churches seem to be content with "declining unto death," Eddie Hammett continues to point the Church towards hope. In this, his second book, which has received a great recommendation from one of the senior members of congregational development in the United States, Loren Meade, founder of the Alban Institute, Eddie points with clarity to the Church that must exist outside of itself in order to live. It must die to its total preoccupation with its success and live for the world. A must reading for all who are concerned with doing and being Church." - William Clemmons, Myers Professor of Pastoral Spirituality Executive Director, The Grow Center for the Renewal of the Churches "Hammett dares to face the question, "Can our kind of church save our kind of world?" His answer is "No." And his book is a vigorous prescription for change, for equipping the scattered church to make a difference in the world we live in. The questions he asks will make you squirm and his analysis will help you examine your own situation. The courses he outlines in the back should be the backbone of every adult curriculum." - Marjory Zoet Bankson, President, Faith@Work, Author of The Call to the Soul "Read this book! Eddie Hammett has created a portal into the future that will not lead to any easy journey, but may be the only way to put a pulse back into effective ministry in this country" - Phil Bergey, Conference Executive, Franconia Mennonite Conference Director, Mennonite Resource Network

Edward H. Hammett is Leadership-Discipleship Consultant for the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina and serves various denominations as a consultant to assist churches in upgrading their ministry, philosophy, and mission statements for effective ministry in the 21st century.