I have known Scott Boren for many years and watched as he has worked with the issues of small groups and the missional call of God upon us in local congregations. In the midst of this wrestling Scott has continually worked at the ground level, with real people in local churches seeking to figure out just how to invite people into missional life around small groups.

Scott's new book, Missional Small Groups: Becoming a Community that Makes a Difference in the World, is the result of those years of hard work, theological reflection and practical experience. I generally give books on small groups a wide birth; however, this one is excellent. It’s a wonderful gift to the church, a resource leaders will be able to use, make sense of and be helped to practice missional life through the small group.

A focus on biblical theology shaped the Executive Consultation Craig Van Gelder and I hosted in Vancouver this past week. We met in the beautiful setting of the Vancouver School of Theology on the campus of the University of British Columbia.

Denominational Executives came from all over Canada and the US as well as New Zealand. We worked with case studies written ahead of time that focused on the work of each Executive in his or her context. Our work together involved Biblical-theological framing of the issues and challenges these leaders face in framing and leading missional communities of the kingdom.