Total Church

by Chester, Tim

• ISBN13: 9781433502088
• ISBN10: 1433502089
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-09-30
• Publisher: Crossway Books

Summary

Two pastors outline and apply a pair of overarching biblical principles that call the current body of Christ to a deep restructuring of its life and mission."Church is not a meeting you attend or a place you enter," write pastors Tim Chester and Steve Timmis. "It's an identity that is ours in Christ. An identity that shapes the whole of life so that life and mission become 'total church.'" With that as their premise, they emphasize two overarching principles to govern the practice of church and mission: being gospel-centered and being community-centered. When these principles take precedence, say the authors, the truth of the Word is upheld, the mission of the gospel is carried out, and the priority of relationships is practiced in radical ways. The church becomes not just another commitment to juggle but a 24/7 lifestyle where programs, big events, and teaching from one person take a backseat to sharing lives, reaching out, and learning about God together.InTotal Church, Chester and Timmis first outline the biblical case for making gospel and community central and then apply this dual focus to evangelism, social involvement, church planting, world missions, discipleship, pastoral care, spirituality, theology, apologetics, youth and children's work. As this insightful book calls the body of Christ to rethink its perspective and practice of church, it charts a middle path between the emerging church movement and conservative evangelicalism that all believers will find helpful.

Author Biography

TIM CHESTER and STEVE TIMMIS are cofounders of the Crowded House, a church-planting initiative in Sheffield, UK, and codirectors of the Porterbrook Network, which trains and mentors church planters. Chester has 15 years’ experience in church planting, and Timmis previously directed Radstock Ministries, a mission agency facilitating the involvement of the local church in world mission. This is their third book together.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. 9
Acknowledgments	p. 11
Introduction	p. 13
Gospel and Community in Principle
Why Gospel?	p. 23
Why Community?	p. 39
Gospel and Community in Practice
Evangelism	p. 53
Social Involvement	p. 69
Church Planting	p. 85
World Mission	p. 99
Discipleship and Training	p. 111
Pastoral Care	p. 127
Spirituality	p. 141
Theology	p. 153
Apologetics	p. 163
Children and Young People	p. 181
Success	p. 191
Conclusion: A Passion for God	p. 203
Notes	p. 209
Scripture Index	p. 215
General Index	p. 220
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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