Best-selling author Phil Maynard wrote The Journey's Call for as a part of The Greatest Expedition, a series of books by leading United Methodist authors to help local congregations to reach new people in their communities.
The people called Methodists are part of what was one of the greatest movements in all of history. Methodism was not conceived as a new kind of institution to do what we have always done in a more structured, restrictive way. It was a movement to reform the institutional church. It was a movement to help people rediscover the amazing relationship God has offered to us through Jesus Christ. It was a movement to revitalize the great balancing of ideas of holiness of heart and holiness of life. It was a movement to recapture the change that God works in the heart through faith in Christ.
For modern-day Methodists, the present challenge is to embrace adaptive change - not merely to employ technical changes to pull every trick out of the hat to preserve the institution as it has been - but to remain true to the Great Commission while modifying our approach with flourish and finesse. It's not about institutional preservation. It's about a bold, adaptive journey that ultimately honors the narrative of our heritage as Methodists and defines us as faithful and fearless disciples.
“Phil Maynard is an experienced guide for such a journey as this. Let him guide you and your church through this incredible resource to reclaim your Methodist roots as you embark on an expedition to be the church that God is calling you to be in this time.”
Rev. Jason C. Stanley
Coordinator for Church RevitalizationElizabeth River District, Virginia Conference
“Maynard brilliantly weaves together the call for The Greatest Expedition journey through the filters of a pioneer theology vs. a settler theology. Our Methodist roots call us to be pioneers on a journey to share the Good News, not to be settlers in pews. Phil helps us re-focus once again in becoming the movement that John Wesley intended.”
Kay Kotan
Author of Being The Church in a Post-Pandemic World
“In The Journey’s Call, Dr. Maynard equips us to embrace the journey of our faithas a sequence of intentional steps, actively walking with Christ while embracing our identity as a beloved child of God. This book is a helpful resource for equipping and engaging people on their journey to belong to the body of Christ and become more like Jesus while blessing the world. ”
Mary Noble Parish
Executive Pastor, First UMC Dothan, Alabama
“In The Journey’s Call, Phil Maynard helps us to walk into the future by reminding us of our past. As we move into a new (and sometimes uncertain) future, Phil brings us back to the core basics of our rich Wesleyan heritage and gives modern day applications of those basics. This book is a valuable resource as we blaze new paths in the name of Jesus.”
Jason T. Zebert
Conference Coaching Coordinator, Mississippi Conference of the United Methodist Church
