Total Church

How does your church measure up? Total Church pleads for two key principles for church and mission. First, the gospel as content: being word-centred (for the gospel is truth) and being mission-centred (for the gospel is truth to be proclaimed). Secondly, the community as context: sharing our lives as Christians and offering a place of belonging to unbelievers. The authors apply these principles to church planting, evangelism, apologetics, social involvement, leadership, discipleship, pastoral care, world mission and notions of success. They critique current trends within the church: emerging church movements are strong on community but weak on truth, while conservative evangelicalism is strong on truth but weak on community. Their call is a call for the best of both. This is a timely and provocative book which deserves to be widely read and applied. 'I am glad that this book is earthed and avoids the trap of dealing in theories that sound cool in a classroom but crash on the ground... I love books that make me answer back like this one did. (Out loud on a plane as well. Quite embarrassing.) Ian Coffey 'Total Church accurately and insightfully identifies the local church as a gospel community on mission with Jesus.' Mark Driscoll 'Radical, punchy teaching that provokes, stimulates, challenges and inspires.' Vaughan Roberts 'Passionate and insightful.' Chris Stoddard