The Living Church - by John Stott (Paperback)

About the Book

John Stott describes the characteristics of an "authentic" or "living" church that conserves Scripture and radically combines tradition and that convention called "culture." He presents the Bible's wisdom with a teacher's skill and applies it with a pastor's heart. Stott shows that becoming a living church is not an impossible goal.

Book Synopsis

At the 150th anniversary of the dedication of his church, John Stott gave voice to his dream for All Souls, London, and all souls everywhere: "I have a dream of

• . . . a biblical church
• . . . a worshiping church
• . . . a caring church
• . . . a serving church
• . . . an expectant church

Reflecting on his more than sixty years of service at All Souls and a worldwide ministry that led Time magazine to acknowledge him as one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World," Stott alerts a church that is in transition to the marks of a church that is living.The Living Church is the full articulation of Stott's dream for the body of Christ in the world today. To the people of God who inherit the global church he has helped to build for the past sixty years, he bequeaths this calling: There is such a thing as goodness: pursue it. The postmodern mood is unfriendly to all universal absolutes. Yet the apostle says there is such a thing as truth: fight for it. And there is such a thing as life: lay hold of it. May God enable us to make an unabashed commitment . . . to what is true, what is good, and what is real.

Review Quotes

"I'd like to be able to say that this is a book for pastors, but it's just as much for the flock as it is for their shepard. Stott takes his decades of experience in pastoral ministry and missions and whittles it down into basically an annotated outline of what the Church as a whole should look like. . . .a Survival guide of sorts, teachign what is vital to the life of the church."

--Nick Norelli, Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth, February 26, 2008

"It is biblical. It is encouraging, and it is instructive. His insights are to be found on every page. He writes with conviction and candor, without rancor or provocation. And as a man in his late 80s, he demonstrates a joyful wisdom too rarely observed in aging pastors and scholars."

--John Nyquist, Missiology, February 2009

"Stott has earned a close reading through his more than 50 years of faithful service to the church. He understands the dangers facing the church and the urgent need for 'God's new community' to be biblically strong and outward looking. He seeks a biblical middle ground between emergent churches and those traditional ones that have become complacent."

--Susan Olasky, World Magazine, May 3-10, 2008

"This short, well-organized book is perhaps most useful for those clergy and laity who are directly involved in ministry."

--Publishers Weekly, September 24, 2007

"While many high-profile churches come and go, All Souls, Langham Place, in the heart of London has maintained its spiritual vitality and mission commitment over many decades. Its effectiveness has depended not on a formula for success but on an unswerving commitment to fundamental biblical principles. The Living Church establishes the foundations for a biblically balanced approach to ministry that is comprehensive in its scope and expressed with John Stott's characteristic clarity. It provides a valuable resource for church leaders seeking to revitalize existing churches and for those birthing new faith communities."

--Eddie Gibbs, senior professor, Brehm Center for Worship, Theology and the Arts, Fuller Seminary

"While Stott offers a special word to young ministers, his message is applicable to both clergy and laity of all ages."

--Ken Camp, Baptist Standard, October 31, 2011

As the subtitle claims, these are the "convictions of a "lifelong pastor." Turning 87 in April, Stott, an inveterate list-maker, has had plenty of time to develop his convictions."

--David Virtue, VirtueOnline - "As Eye See It," May 2, 2008

About the Author

John Stott is 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. Stott was honored by Time magazine in 2005 as one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World." His many books, including Why I Am a Christian and The Cross of Christ, have sold millions of copies around the world and in dozens of languages.