The Church: Volume 4

How can Christians effectively engage today's world while staying true to Scripture? Calling us to listen well to both the Word and the world, John Stott shows how Christianity can preserve its authentic identity and remain relevant to current realities. With the God's Word for Today series, pastor Tim Chester has updated Stott's classic book The Contemporary Christian and made it accessible to new generations of readers. In The Church, Stott presents a biblical portrait of the church as a covenant community at the center of God's purposes. Keeping in view both the ideal of what God intends and how we fall short, Stott considers how the church can be sensitive to current needs and societal issues, mobilize people for mission, seek holistic renewal, and promote healthy leadership. Each chapter includes stories, practical suggestions, and questions for reflection or discussion. People are hungry for transcendence, significance, and community. This is the great challenge and opportunity facing the church--will we cooperate with the Spirit so that others can find what they seek in Christ and his people?

John R. W. Stott (1921-2011) was known worldwide as a preacher, evangelist, and communicator of Scripture. For many years he served as rector of All Souls Church in London, where he carried out an effective urban pastoral ministry. A leader among global evangelicals, Stott was a principal framer of the landmark Lausanne Covenant. His many books include Basic Christianity, The Cross of Christ, and Christian Mission in the Modern World.

Tim Chester is a pastor of Grace Church in Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire, England, and a faculty member with the Acts 29 Oak Hill Academy. He is the author of over thirty books, including Bible Matters, Mission Matters, and Closing the Window.