"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. 

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.  

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.

Today many pastors are struggling to adapt to a post-Christian culture without abandoning orthodox theology. How do we communicate the concepts of grace and substitutionary atonement in our globalized culture and context? 

Pastor Timothy Keller offers challenging insights and provocative questions based on over twenty years of ministry in New York City. This book outlines a theological vision for ministry - applying classic doctrines to our time and place - organized around three core commitments: 

• Gospel-centered: The gospel of grace in Jesus Christ changes everything, from our hearts to our community to the world. It completely reshapes the content, tone and strategy of all that we do.  • City-centered: With a positive approach toward our culture, we learn to affirm that cities are wonderful, strategic and underserved places for gospel ministry.  • Movement-centered: Instead of building our own tribe, we seek the prosperity and peace of our community as we are led by the Holy Spirit.

The Gospel Primer is designed to help any group of people cultivate a practical understanding of the gospel and grow in gospel fluency––the ability to proclaim and demonstrate the gospel in absolutely every area of life.

As church leaders around the world have started forming new mission-focused, incarnational communities, they have consistently discovered that they need a greater grasp of the transforming Gospel of the Kingdom. When we get this right, everything else changes. Life together in community becomes possible–not out of obligation–but out of a gratefulness and confidence that the Gospel alone can give. Speaking the truth in love is no longer a scary thing, sharing our faith doesn't have to weird us out; the Gospel truly is transformational good news!

Together, over 8 weeks, The Gospel Primer will help you creatively learn: What is the Gospel? It looks at The Story of God that illustrates the gospel throughout all of scripture. It teaches you how to form and tell your personal 'My Gospel Story' in a natural, yet powerful way. You'll also learn how the Gospel has actually given us a new identity in Christ and how to live out the truth of this gospel identity in the normal rhythms of everyday life. We know of no other resource that can help you gain such a useable understanding and practice of the Gospel in such a short period of time as The Gospel Primer.