In the contemporary church, the word 'mission' has become synonymous with pace, expansion and results. And yet such an approach can often leave those with a responsibilities in mission or ministry feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. Not only that, but mission which focuses on the rapid and the growing fails to recognise the rich resources the more contemplative Christian traditions can offer our post-secular society, and especially those who would call themselves 'spiritual but not religious'. In 'The Seeking Heart', Ian Mobsby calls for an approach to mission which takes a deeper, slower spirituality more seriously. Drawing on the work of a wide range of figures within the Christian tradition, from John of the Cross and St. Hildegard of Bingham to John Taylor, Mobsby boldly calls the church and to a new kind of mission which takes spirituality more seriously, and offers a model to demonstrate what such an approach might look like in practice.

About the Author
Ian Mobsby is Associate Missioner of Fresh Expressions and founder of MOOT, a worship community exploring fresh ways of being the church in the centre of London.

Reviews
"For many years, I have had great respect for Ian Mobsby, not only for the good work he does, but for the good spirit in which he does it. Now, seeing his newest book, my respect grows even deeper. He is integrating missiology with contemplative spirituality, and I think it's a match made in heaven. He's a writer worth taking to heart, and this is a book deserving your attention." -- Brian D. McLaren
"Ian takes a deep dive into the world of spiritual seekers and comes up with some pearls. He develops a contemplative approach to mission that I found both compelling and very resonant personally. He has a lot of component parts that build, but like a kaleidoscope they align rather beautifully in the final section where he shows how this plays out in practice." -- Jonny Baker
"Like the forerunner he is, Ian Mobsby brings us a prescient synthesis of belief undergirded by solid practice. The holy questing he writes of in this post-secular age is an important intervention in mission studies. The pilgrimage envisioned for both seeker and missioner, marked by deep listening and an intentional trust, is crucial to a re-formed spirituality that eschews glibness, superficiality and the shininess of new spiritual trends and is instead immersive and grounded. The seeker is beckoned into a relationship with the triune God which is beautiful, sometimes gritty but above all real. Surely this is the direction in which the church is being called..." -- Bishop Susan Bell
"The first rule for 'becoming missional' is to become a good listener. Ian Mobsby models how to do this through his unique interviews with the 'spiritual but not religious.' He frames these within a broad-sweeping cultural and theological analysis, and then puts his finger on a strategic but neglected point of connection with the SBNR. Anyone who cares about the Gospel in a post-secular world today will find this a stimulating and helpful read." -- John P Bowen
"Ian Mobsby's writing here emerges as a crucial Anglican voice in a time of crisis and decline requiring a re-examination of our Christian identity. Mobsby calls us back to the heart of faith implying that unless the church regains its ability to help people truly encounter God then it has little to offer the world. This book is a powerful reminder that what's at stake isn't institutional survival - it's the real conversion of the heart and the world changing potential that the Christian contemplative path offers." -- Adam Bucko



Book Information
ISBN 9780334065852
Author Ian Mobsby
Format Paperback
Page Count 224
Imprint SCM Press
Publisher SCM Press