Tim Chester and Steve Timmis, Total Church: A Radical Reshaping around Gospel and Community. Crossway Books, 2008.
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LifeandLeadership.com Summary
Typical of titles from Crossway Publishing, this volume approaches the issue of becoming missional from a Resurgent Reformed perspective, which is a kind of Convergent with Conventional approach. The authors are heavily involved in a house church movement in the UK. They preserve an evangelical emphasis on truth which emergents tend to downplay. They are equally challenging toward the traditional church’s ineffectiveness in engaging incarnational ministry and creating authentic community, where emergents are more successful.
The authors believe that a church should be built around two main principles: gospel (the content of our message) and community (the context of our message). They present three criteria for faithful Christian practice:
- Gospel-centered in the sense of being word-centered (an emphasis here on proclamation)
- Gospel-centered in the sense of being mission-centered
- Community-centered
The authors divide the book into two sections:
Part One, Gospel and Community in Principle – These two chapters lay out the theological bases of word, mission, and community. Chapter 1 addresses the issue of word and gospel. They contend, “Christianity must be word-centered because ‘God rules through his gospel word’” (24) and “mission-centered because God extends his rule through his gospel word.” (28) They support this with biblical exposition and actual accounts of Christian communities that live these principles. Chapter 2 addresses the issue of community, arguing that “Christian community is central to Christian Identity” (39) and “Christian mission.” (47)
Part Two, Gospel and Community in Practice – Applies the biblical principles of the first section to several practical areas of ministry:
- Evangelism, Chapter 3
- Social Involvement, Chapter 4
- Church Planting, Chapter 5
- World Mission, Chapter 6
- Discipleship and Training, Chapter 7
- Pastoral Care, Chapter 8
- Spirituality, Chapter 9
- Theology, Chapter 10
- Apologetics, Chapter 11
- Children and Young People, Chapter 12
- Success, Chapter 13
This text offers several helpful insights, though it is not the strongest representation of the convergent perspective. See other suggestions in the LifeandLeadership.com resource guide on Theology of Mission – Convergent with Conventional.
From the Publisher
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.
In Total 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.
About the Authors
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.
***For additional information on this resource, including reviews, click the bookstore links. Check the reference at page top or the links below for resource guides on related topics.***
See Resource Guides on Related Areas:
- Missional Perspectives, Introduction
- Missional Church Resources, Introduction and Index
- Church Leadership and Renewal, Index to Resources
See Resources on Over 100 Areas of Ministry Leadership: