192pp

What exactly is a living church? Author John Stott explains, "We need more radically conservative churches: 'conservative' in the sense that they conserve what Scripture plainly requires, but radical in relation to that combination of tradition and convention that we call 'culture'. Scripture is unchangeable, but culture is not."The Living Church brings together a number of characteristics of what the author calls "authentic" or "living" church. The marks, being clearly biblical, are timeless and need to be preserved.We are encouraged to become learning churches, caring churches, worshipping churches and evangelising churches.John Stott unpacks the Bible's wisdom rigorously with a teacher's skill and applies it faithfully with a pastor's heart. Becoming a living church is not an impossible goal.CONTENTSPreface: 'Emerging churches'The postmodern world1. Essentials: God's vision for his churchA learning churchA caring churchA worshipping churchAn evangelizing church2. Worship: Glorying in God's holy nameBiblical worshipCongregational worshipSpiritual worshipMoral worship3. Evangelism: Mission through the local churchForms of evangelismThe church must understand itself: its theologyThe church must organize itself: its structuresThe church must express itself: its messageThe church must be itself: its life4. Ministry: The Twelve and the SevenAn every-member ministryThe pastoral ministryThe example of the apostle (the shepherd)The invasion of false teachers (the wolves)The value of the people (the sheep)5. Fellowship: The implications of koinoniaOur common inheritanceOur common serviceOur mutual responsibilitySome practical illustrations6. Preaching: Five paradoxesBiblical and contemporaryAuthoritative and tentativeProphetic and pastoralGifted and studiedThoughtful and passionate7. Giving: Ten principlesSpringing from the TrinityCreating equality according to our meansCareful supervision and friendly rivalryA harvest with symbolic significanceThe result: thanksgiving to God8. Impact: Salt and lightThe truths of salt and lightWeapons for social changeChristian distinctivesConclusion:Looking for Timothys in the twenty-first centuryA threefold appealWhere are the Timothys?Three historical appendicesAn autobiographical sketchI. Why I am still a member of the Church of EnglandII. I have a dream of a living churchIII. Reflections of an octogenarian-Publisher.