Sacred Space for the Missional Church

Sacred Space for the Missional Church examines the strong link between the theology and mission of the Church and the spaces in which and from which that theology and mission are lived out. The author demonstrates that the built environment is not incidental or even subservient to mission. Rather it is a key player in the fulfillment and the communication of that mission. The book begins with a working definition of the missional church, underscoring the connection between God's mission (missio Dei) and the Church's mission. The reader is presented with historical and theological frameworks for sacred space, and reminded of the pivotal role of the built environment in the fulfillment of the mission of the Church. The design and construction of sacred spaces are shown to be fundamentally a theological exercise and not solely a matter of function, pragmatics and fiscal astuteness. The author questions the uncritical application of blanket statements such ""form must follow function,"" and challenges the conviction that it does not matter where worship occurs, only that it occurs. The book addresses genuine concerns such as legitimizing the cost of church buildings and concludes with practical suggestions and essential questions that must be considered in posturing the built environment within the missional praxis of the Church.

""It was Canadian scholar Marshall McLuhan who first coined the phrase 'the medium is the message,' and Dr. Bill McAlpine, another Canadian, reminds readers that the gospel message is expressed not only in words but inescapably through the spaces in which Christians gather and worship. In a detailed and well-informed study that incorporates honest reflection on his own spiritual pilgrimage, he invites other Christians to reflect more deeply on what their buildings are saying about God.""
--John Drane
author of The McDonaldization of the Church

""In his well-researched and insightful book, William McAlpine examines what has been overlooked and often disregarded in the church today: the critical importance of the physical building that a congregation occupies. As he wisely observes, though pragmatism usually determines a building's structure, why is it that we still long for a sacred space for a wedding or funeral? This is a seminal work that transcends the limited boundaries of architecture or style, for McAlpine has fostered a biblical conversation on the Church's role in culture, which bears our attention. I enthusiastically recommend this book.""
--Ravi Zacharias
author of Can Man Live Without God and The Grand Weaver

""Bill McAlpine is right and I think we know it . . . In our appropriate pursuit of functionality and stewardship, our sacred spaces have somehow been muted. Bill challenges our preconceptions, encourages our dreaming, points to different pathways, and invites to refreshed plausibility structures that could allow our sacred spaces to again declare God's grace boldly even as we preach of it. These feel like ancient truths deeply needed for our future realities.""
--Clyde Glass
Lead Pastor
Southview Alliance Church, Calgary


Bill McAlpine is Associate Professor of Practical Theology at Ambrose University College at Calgary, Alberta, Canada.