Mission Is the Shape of Water

Learning From the Past to Inform Our Role in the World Today

by Michael Frost

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In an ever-changing world, how can we learn from the past to discern the shape of mission today?

In our contemporary culture, the mission of God can seem elusive and hard to define. We often focus on the present moment, losing sight of the epic story of God that has been unfolding through the ages. Michael Frost offers a compelling framework for understanding mission by drawing on the rich tapestry of Christian history and revealing how context shapes mission, just as a bottle shapes water.

Through captivating storytelling and perceptive analysis, this book sheds light on how the shape of mission has changed over time, enabling us to learn from past successes and failures, and inspiring and equipping readers to engage in the mission of God in new and transformative ways.

Michael Frost has written a remarkable book examining ten historical paradigms of Christian mission, showing how the church has succeeded-and sometimes failed-to reach radically diverse cultures with the unchanging gospel of Christ’s life, teaching, death, and resurrection. Mission Is the Shape of Water often inspired me, sometimes made me uncomfortable, and taught me things in every chapter. That’s how I like my Christian books. I can see this being used as a mission textbook, a small group study, or simply a source of personal Christian inspiration. I hope it is widely read.

JOHN DICKSON, author and historian; Jean Kvamme Distinguished Professor of Biblical Studies and Public Christianity, Wheaton College