Common Grace as the Invitation to Missional Understanding: An Introduction to Fairview Presbyterian Church

The goal of this project is to enable a pastor in a new call to introduce his congregation to two theological emphases—missional theology and common grace—that shape his perspectives on ministry. In doing so, he begins to articulate his vision of the church’s role in the community and to measure the congregation’s resonance with that vision. The pastor contends the doctrine of common grace presents a framework for comprehending missional theology, both by helping followers of Jesus identify and participate in God’s work in the world and by providing a point of contact in the task of evangelism. The thesis was tested in the context of Fairview Presbyterian Church in North Augusta, South Carolina. Through a review of contemporary perspectives on Christian cultural engagement, this project explores a variety of components of missional theology and establishes common grace as the Reformed tradition’s critical doctrine for the Church’s relationship with culture. Additionally, the project challenges congregation members to interact with their context in specific ways according to the theology and doctrines presented. The execution of the project includes a seven-week teaching series and a three-week sermon series based on results of the teaching series. Following each series, intentional conversations with lay leaders and surveys to the congregation provide input as to the congregation’s interest in the doctrines and desire to pursue further study and practice. These evaluation tools indicate a high level of interest on the part of the congregation. Because this project is an effort to acquaint the new pastor and congregation with one another, these results can shape their future ministry efforts together. The positive response suggests further exploration of the relationship between common grace and missional theology is worthwhile