Description
"La iglesia no es un lugar al que asistir", escriben los pastores Tim Chester y Steve Timmis. "Es una identidad hecha nuestra en Cristo. Identidad que da forma y fondo a la totalidad de nuestras vidas, y ello de tal forma que vida y misión se fundan en una 'iglesia total'".
Tim Chester y Steve Timmis investigan en este libro lo que significa en la práctica estar verdaderamente centrados tanto en el Evangelio, como en la congregación. Estos son los dos principios clave fundamentales para la iglesia y la misión. Cuando estos principios tienen prioridad, afirman los autores, la verdad de la Palabra es confirmada, la misión del evangelio se lleva a cabo y la prioridad de las relaciones se practica de una manera radical.
"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.