In The Teaching Ministry of Congregations, Richard Osmer gives historical background and develops a practical theology of the teaching ministry for contemporary communities of faith. He begins by exploring the importance of the teaching ministry of the apostle Paul and his congregations, arguing that three teaching practices can be detected in his letters: catechesis - handing on Israel's scripture and early Christian tradition; exhortation - the moral formation of these communities through the imitation of moral exemplars and the study of moral teachings; and discernment - teaching the members of these communities how to determine God's will in the face of controversial and confusing issues emerging in their life. He views these three teaching tasks as essential to the teaching ministries of Christian congregations across the ages, but also as demanding a process of contextualization in different social and historical contexts. He then presents case studies of the teaching ministries of three contemporary congregations, one in the US, one in Korea, and one in South Africa. Finally, he explores what it means for congregations to find their own particular stories within the theodr
