The church lies at the centre of God’s purpose. Christ gave himself ‘to purify for himself a people that are his own’.
But when we think about church, there’s the tension between the ideal and the reality. The former is beautiful: God’s special treasure, the covenant community, a haven of love and peace. The latter? A motley rabble needing constant rebuke and exhortation.
Here we focus on the ideal, on what God intends his church to be, while all the time keeping in view the reality, so that we can grasp the changes that need to be made.
Mục lục
About the authors viii
Preface ix
A note to the reader xi
Series introduction: the Contemporary Christian – the then and the now 1
The Church: introduction 9
1 Secular challenges to the church 11
2 Evangelism through the local church 25
3 Dimensions of church renewal 42
4 The church’s pastors 55
Conclusion: the now and the not yet 72
Notes 82
Giới thiệu về tác giả
John Stott exercised a worldwide ministry as a church leader, Bible expositor and author. His bestselling books have been translated into numerous languages, won several awards and shaped whole generations of ministers, thinkers and writers. John was Rector Emeritus of All Souls, Langham Place, London and Founder-President of the Langham Partnership. He was awarded the CBE in the Queen’s 2006 New Year honours.