Church in Life breaks fresh ground by proposing a new framework for thinking about innovation in the church, by arguing that starting new ecclesial communities should be at the centre of the church's life and thought, and by offering new theology and methodologies for church planting. Church planters will find in it the theoretical and practical resources for a radical missional ecclesiology, while theologians will find a nuanced reworking of the purpose and nature of the church. ''I love the framework for innovation that Mike uses here. It's a really exciting way to come at mission and pioneering, and a welcome voice in a church that can so often be risk averse. There's a lot of energy in an approach that is fuelled by imagination, possibility and hope rather than anxiety. As a result of seeing the material I invited Mike to teach pioneers at CMS and they found it energising for their pioneering practice.'' --Jonny Baker, Director of Mission Education, Church Mission Society, Oxford, UK ''The church, like the Triune God, must give itself away. This is perhaps the central thesis in Michael Moynagh's exciting and provocative book, and this is the reason why new ecclesial communities need to be cultivated with creativity, imagination and entrepreneurship. It's not about the church. It's about God's dream for the world. That's why a real church, like the generous God it serves, needs to be rooted in real life. When you read this book, you will think differently about the church, and perhaps even do church differently as well.'' --Stephen B. Bevans, SVD, Louis J. Luzbetak, SVD Professor of Mission and Culture, Catholic Theological Union, USA ''Michael Moynagh has become a voice of inspiration and encouragement for many priests and pastors who are part of the Missional Movement - in the UK but also far beyond its boundaries. He is appreciated for his perceptive analyses of the church's dilemmas, his broad knowledge of the social sciences, his fresh, imaginative way of reading Scripture, and his positive, practical advice to congregations. Add to this his passion for mission and his deep commitment to the Gospel and you can see why many people are blessed by his writings. In Church in Life we see all of this and more. This book is a must read for everyone interested in missional churches.'' --Coenie Burger, Director of Communitas: Centre for Continuing Ministry Development and Research, Stellenbosch University, South Africa ''The fresh expressions movement has been criticized for a lack of theological depth. Michael Moynagh's Church in Life represents by far the most significant move to date to address that deficiency. Particularly welcome is his enthusiasm for the church itself as a gift of God to the world. I look forward to the prospect that the book will provoke a genuinely theological discussion about the church and the nature of its mission.'' --Revd Dr Andrew Davison, Faculty of Divinity, Cambridge, UK, and co-author of For the Parish