Missional Press is pleased to announce upcoming release of JOURNEYS: Transitioning Churches to Relevance by Marty Duren and Todd Wright. And as a special Pastor Appreciation offer, Missional Press is offering the book for just $10.00, $4.99 off the retail price of $14.99. This special price is only available through Missional Press.

From the Cover:
When did the church become our refuge from the world? How did it happen that the church became the place we went when trying to get away from those we are supposed to be trying to reach?

How did we ever become convinced that lost people remain lost because they will not come to church, rather than because followers of Christ refuse to live the gospel while sharing the gospel with them?

For various reasons, many church leaders today have a tendency to ignore the value of understanding the changing times. Others simply preach against the changing seasons, as if by doing so they will prevent the times from coming.

In JOURNEYS: Transitioning Churches to Relevance, Pastors Todd Wright and Marty Duren share candidly about the road they each traveled as they labored to bring their churches to a place of significance and cultural relevance. Wright and Duren speak candidly about their struggles and their own pharisaical attitudes that for years kept them from experiencing lives lived on mission with Jesus Christ.

JOURNEYS is about seeing every encounter as a divine appointment to somehow bring Jesus to the surface of life. It is a challenge issued to the church to intentionally find areas of need in their communities to be the eyes, ears, heart, and hands of Jesus.

Lots of people can tell you what to do. Some can do so through research, others through personal observation, and still others through their intuition. In JOURNEYS: Transitioning Churches To Relevance, Marty and Todd take us on a journey and tell us a story—and it is a worthwhile journey and a moving story. Instead of telling you what to do, Marty and Todd tell their journey from religious role-playing to personal transformation… and from personal transformation to fresh expressions of mission and ministry in their churches. I found myself engaged and challenged and believe you will as well

Ed Stetzer, Co-author Comeback Churches and Compelled by Love

When it comes to writing books about leading transition in the church, there are three types of pastors. There are those who have led change and do not take the time to write about it. There are those who have not led change but write about how to do it anyway. And there are those that have actually done it well and written it down. Todd Wright and Marty Duren are definitely in the right category.

This book rocks! It is the actual story of how they did it – and provides big insights and big ideas. If your church is transition, this is a must read!

Dan Southerland
Author, Transitioning: Leading Your Church Through Change
Pastor of Extension, Next Level Church , Charlotte

“It is a call to have a Kingdom philosophy of ministry as well as a missional approach to life. I commend this book to you. It is one that will help the next generation as they struggle in a less than easy environment in seeking to reach an ever increasing secular culture.”

Dr. Frank Page, Senior Pastor, Taylors (S.C.) First Baptist Church
Southern Baptist Convention President, 2006-2008

About the Authors:

Todd Wright has been the Lead Pastor of Midway, in Villa Rica, GA since 1996. He holds a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies degree from Luther Rice University. He has a passion for the world, having served internationally 22 times in 13 nations in Central and South America, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. Todd is also a leadership conference speaker with the International Leadership Institute. He has been married to his wife Lisa since 1982. They have two teenage daughters, Hannah and Olivia. They enjoy living on a farm in West Georgia. Todd can be contacted though Midway’s website at www.midwaychurch.com.

Marty Duren has been in pastoral ministry since 1989, most recently as Lead Pastor of New Bethany in Buford, GA. Largely self-taught, he hopes to complete his undergraduate degree in time to jointly celebrate his 30th high school reunion. His desire to see the glory of God displayed to the peoples of the world has taken him to every inhabited continent and compelled him to engage unreached people groups such as the Tuvan people of Siberia. He has been married to the longsuffering Sonya since 1984 and abundantly enjoys his three children, Beth, Timothy and Abigail. He enjoys reading, laughing, hiking and blogging and can be contacted via email, martyduren@hotmail.com