Total Church is a book written by Tim Chester, one of the leaders of the Edge Network, together with Steve Timmis. It expresses something of the Crowded House approach to church and mission. If you want to find out what we are about then this is a good place to start.
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.
In God’s plan of redemption the gospel and the church community belong together. The church community is the fruit of the gospel and a persuasive apologetic for the gospel. Gospel-centred community is God’s strategy for making disciples of all nations.
Total Church applies these principles to church planting, evangelism, apologetics, social involvement, leadership, discipleship, pastoral care, world mission and notions of success. It critiques 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.
Buy it from the Good Book Company here.
