Fruitful Practices 1

Eric Adams, Don Allen, Bob Fish, ‘Seven Themes of Fruitfulness’, International Journal of Frontier Missiology 26:2 (2009), 75-81.

The International Journal of Frontier Missiology is carrying an engaging series of articles on ‘fruitful practices’.

The authors of this particular essay are members of the Faithful Practices Taskforce, described as ‘a collaborative, multi-agency network of missiologists who are studying effective field practitioners and how God is working through them’, through which ‘they identify and publicize practices that are demonstrably “fruitful” in facilitating faith movements among Muslim people’ (75).

This paper describes seven themes which appear to correlate with fruitfulness in raising up communities of faith. Although the authors are focusing on work in Muslim contexts, it strikes me that their findings may carry significance in other situations. I’m certainly interested in reflecting on whether or not, or to what extent, that might be the case.

Here are the seven themes:

1. Fluency – sharing the hope within
2. Storying – engaging hearts and minds
3. Reputation – exemplary lifestyle
4. Social networks – redemptive bonds of trust
5. Scripture use – getting the word out
6. Intentional reproduction – faith, community, leadership
7. Prayer – a holy sacrifice

See the essay itself for a brief expansion of each of the themes.