Building the Basileia

<p>Year after year a familiar narrative unfolds: Church attendance declines communities wither away and once-thriving churches shutter their doors. But does this spell the end of Christianity and the relevance of church communities? Absolutely not. We have the power to breathe new life into the church and restore its significance by embracing the ideas of Open and Relational Theology allowing it to shape our ecclesiology. Within this transformation lies a profound summons - to actively engage in constructing the very kingdom of God here and now. We are called to partake in the building of the kingdom of God or the what the biblical writers called the <em>Basileia</em> even as we keep our gaze fixed on the ultimate kingdom that awaits. This will be the key to new life for churches moving into the 22<sup>nd</sup> century.</p>