Everyday Church: Gospel Communities on Mission

By Tim Chester and Steve Timmis

HOW DOES THE CHURCH REACH THE UNCHURCHED?

We live in an increasingly post-Christian culture. More and more we find ourselves on the margins as less and less people have any intention of ever attending church. What used to work doesn’t work anymore and we need to adapt.

Helping us to see the way forward, this book offers practical ideas and personal stories for engaging with Western society. Find out how to effectively reach people in the context of everyday life and take hold of the opportunity to develop missional communities focused on Jesus.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Crossway Books
• Release date: Sep 30, 2012
• ISBN: 9781433542640

Tim Chester

Tim Chester is Pastor of Grace Church, Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire, and a faculty member of Crosslands, a partnership between Oak Hill College and Acts 29. His many books include Total Church, You Can Change and Mission Matters. He blogs at www.timchester.co.uk.

Reviews for Everyday Church

[rswright_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A much needed book to re-orient the modern, Western church to get back to what it is called to be- live everyday life as a believer!

[bsanner_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Using 1st Peter as a template to discuss Christian life and mission in a 21st Century post-Christian environment, Chester and Timmis lead the reader through a re-imagination of church - from church as a weekly activity to church as an everyday lifestyle. Church life becomes "everyday" as one makes the shift from program-driven events to "gospel communities." Gospel communities, as imagined by Chester and Timmis, serves as a basis for regular and consistant community, pastoral care, mission, and evangelism within the larger church. "Everyday Church" recognizes and unpacks many of the important shifts taking place in western culture and discusses how the church can faithfully share the gospel in this changing culture. A-

[deusvitae · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An insightful analysis into the work of Christians and the church through an analysis of 1 Peter.The commentary on 1 Peter, by itself, is quite useful; the authors engage in a good reading of the text.The authors' main premise is that Christianity and the church has returned to the periphery of society. They compare that to the "Christendom" model of state-sanctioned / societally encouraged Christianity which persevered from 325 until recently. And yet Western society is turning more secular and more ambivalent toward Christianity; this is clearer in Europe than in America, but the trends are heading the same way. The authors spend the rest of the book discussing how Christians and the church can get beyond the "Christendom" model and attempt to practice Christianity so as to lead others to the faith.The authors insist on low levels of organization and institution; they find more value in everyday evangelism approaches which go out into the community rather than program or event based evangelism. They rightly observe that programs get created because Christians do not do what they should be doing on a daily basis. They show how the Gospel is to be good news and phrased as good news to the people: all things which people go after in sin are inferior to what Jesus offers them through Himself. Their conversation paradigm is excellent. They do well at showing that everyone has a "gospel" in which they believe; everyone has some story of "creation" (identity, how I got to where I am), "fall" (the problems/ challenges I am experiencing), "redemption" (the way I imagine it will get resolved), and "consummation" (the ultimate end of the matter). Only the true Gospel of Christ has a fully satisfying and true narrative of our creation, fall, redemption, and consummation. But when those we know in the world talk about things going on in their lives which give the opportunity to gently question and discuss these narratives, we have the opportunity of comparing and contrasting some element of their "gospel" with the true Gospel of Christ. The authors are Protestant/Evangelical and this gets reflected in some of their comments and perspectives; while they do espouse a "both/and" approach to some degree, we can tell where their prejudices lay. Nevertheless, there is much to think about and gain from their perspective and the underlying reality that for the better part of human history Christianity has been promoted and spread more by the life and work of its individual members than through any medium or large scale evangelism campaign, and what worked for Christianity as a societal outlier in the 1st century will work again for Christianity as a societal outlier in the 21st century.Well worth consideration for all those interested in evangelism and the proclamation of the Gospel.**--book received as part of early review program

[jerrikobly · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

HOW DOES THE CHURCH REACH THE UNCHURCHED?We live in an increasingly post-Christian culture. More and more we find ourselves on the margins as less and less people have any intention of ever attending church. What used to work doesn’t work anymore and we need to adapt.Helping us to see the way forward, this book offers practical ideas and personal stories for engaging with Western society. Find out how to effectively reach people in the context of everyday life and take hold of the opportunity to develop missional communities focused on Jesus.

[hjvanderklis_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The authors of Total Church, Tim Chester & Steve Timmis brought us their ideas of Everyday Church. The UK edition (2011) was subtitled Mission by being good neighbours, the US September 30, 2012 release has Gospel Communities on Mission as a subtitle. Pick your favorite after reading First the bad news: Christians are increasingly aware that we live in a post-Christian culture. And if not, the authors do their best to show you by the numbers and percentages. As Christians in the Western countries, we’re marginalized. We recognize the need to adapt, but are unsure of the way forward. What if programs, 12-steps courses, small groups, bible study, seeker-sensitive churches, in other words “better products” don’t attract people? Change leadership? Concentrate on pastoral care for members? Missions only?Everyday Church offers practical ideas for engaging with secularized society. Be there and be yourself. Communities, interaction and a church life without too much energy spent on the Sunday morning services. No more Christian subculture, but visible Christians fully engaged with their neighbours.The authors organized their book around a missional reading of 1 Peter. The churches to which Peter wrote faced a similar situation, but Peter doesn’t offer sympathy. He encourages them to be faithful 24/7 in community, pastoral care, mission and evangelism. Then, there’s hope in the margins. But, don’t forget: there will be trials and persecutions, just like our first century brothers and sisters encountered.The authors think an Everyday Church is achievable. It may never perfectly match the biblical ideal, because the church is made up of people who, though saved by grace, continue to struggle with sin. God doesn’t call us to mediocrity, nor does He call us to be a community on mission and then mock our failures. Chester & Timmis are reluctant to present The Crowded House as a showcase, because their message is about the biblical principle of an Everyday Church, not a template or success formula to be copied.The book is refreshing and different from other church growth books in practical approach and honesty.