Why bother with church? (Questions Christians Ask)

Very sensible answer to the question of why church? I was looking for something to help me in encouraging my teenagers to attend, this was recommended by a Pastor and I found it to be very helpful.

In today’s world of such casual attendance to a church “I” might like or not like, a reminder that the local Bible believing church is ordained by and loved by God, and should be by His people also.

The book is a very simple read, while covering profound topics, which tend to affect people deeply - church community, what is it? How is it done? Why is it done? Should it be done? I loved the content so much, I came back and bought two more copies to give out. Besides the content, Amazon's prompt service was on cue (as expected). As usual, the delivery was whithin the established dates, and the products where in mint condition.

Accessable. Readable. Personal. Biblical. The analogies were quite useful. Church isn't a stroll in the park, a club to hang out with like minded friends, nor is it optional for the obedient believer.

Have you every asked this question? Honestly? Why bother with the church? Why is it important? Can't I just do this whole Christian thing on my own? Perhaps you haven't, and if so, amen! Or perhaps you're among the rest of the majority who has definitely struggled through some of these question. Or perhaps — hopefully not — you're among that growing group of Christians who has answered his question with: I don't have to. I don't need the church. If you've ever thought about these questions, or know someone that has (which probably includes all of us), I want to let you know about a new book by Sam Allberry titled, Why Bother with Church? This new volume is part of The Good Book Company's excellent series: "Questions Christians Ask." You may know the author by his popular book in the same series: Is God Anti-Gay? Allberry is a pastor in the UK and a pretty prolific author in recent years. So what's the purpose of the book? Allberry answers: "Church is an effort. It is sometimes hard. And it's far from normal. So why bother going at all? Why bother making it a priority in your week, every week? Why bother getting stuck in when it means putting yourself out? After all, the park is right there, ready and waiting. That's what this book is about. Maybe you're someone who goes along dutifully to church week by week, but you've never been completely sure why. Maybe you're study in and serving hard, but wondering if it's all worth the effort. Maybe you're someone who's commitment to the church has been waning for a while now. Or maybe you're new to church and you want to know what it is that you're getting into. Whoever you are, I hope you'll find this book realistic and useful. I hope that you'll grow not just to be bothered, but excited about your church. This book's last line will be: Why one earth would I not bother with church? (9) The Structure So how does the author go about answering this question? How does he get us from asking "Why bother with it," to "Why on earth would I not bother with it?" In a very concise and to-the-point way, and in just 88 pages (and small pages at that), Allberry briefly covers six important questions that help us answer our main question: Why bother with church? 1. What is church? Fundamental to answering our main question is to have a biblical understanding of what the church is 2. Why do I need church? After understanding what the church is, Allberry helpfully shows us that we need the church, and the church needs us. 3. What makes a good church? Once we're convinced that church is important, how do we pick one? What makes for a strong, healthy church? Allberry looks to Acts 2 to identify some key components of a good church 4. How is a church run? In a very brief way, Allberry looks at different forms of church government, and the officers that lead the church 5. How do I survive church? The fact is that if you're a part of a church for any lengthy time, there will be struggles, disagreements, and even hurt come your way. Allberry looks at 3 of those and how we handle them. 6. How can I be a good church member? Finally, Allberry makes sure that we understand that the church is not just a consumeristic entity that exists to meet your needs. The church is made up of members, each serving and contributing in his/her own way. Conclusion This small book is not a full-orbed treatment of the church. It's not a full work on ecclesiology. It won't answer all of your questions about a presbyterian system of church government, or how the ordinances (or sacraments) of baptism and the Lord's Supper should be administered. But it's not intended to be that. What it is, instead, is an introduction to the question: "Why Bother with Church?" For the non-reader, or the person just beginning to consider this question, this is a great introductory resource. I would not recommend stopping with this book, but I would recommend starting with it. For what it intended to accomplish, it did a great job. In accordance with FTC regulations, I would like to thank The Good Book Company and Cross Focused Reviews for providing me with a review copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is an amazing book on understanding just how important it is to be a part of a church body .

This is one of the best books I've read about the church. If you are wondering why you should bother with the church, then this book is for you.

Great product, quick service, item as described, would order again from this seller.

I'd lost sight of why I bothered with church this book was a great reminder of why I should bother going. Thank you

Concise and accessible guide to why being grounded in a local church community still matters for Christians today!

Here in France, church commitment is a real issue. Most people see church as something optional. Church is a voluntary based organisation. It doesn't really matter if I don't attend, and when my local church doesn't reach my expectations any more, I find another one. In many churches, a minority are faithfully committed to the church but the majority isn't. They will attend most Sundays unless they have something better to do, or feel too tired to go to the service. Most will never bother with a midweek meeting. In one church I know, it seems that some members only attend services when they are on duty like preaching or leading the service. "Why bother with church ?" is a helpful little book. In a few pages it gives compelling reasons why believers should bother with church. It concludes with the question "Why on earth would I not bother with church?" There are only 6 short chapters and it is an easy read. The first chapter is a quick introduction to Ecclesiology: "What is church?". The other chapters answer various practical questions: why do I need church? What makes a good church ? There is also a chapter on church government. The last two chapters: "How do I survive church ?" and "How can I be a good church member? are especially helpful. I liked that the author doesn't push his own ecclesiology (he is an Anglican), but at one point, he wisely tells his readers that if they want to go deeper on a specific issue, they should talk with their pastor.This little book is practical and pastoral. You will understand that the reason you find church boring "has to do with the mindset with which we arrive week by week." So instead of coming to get something out for yourself, try to think how you can serve others.Read "Why bother with church". Use some of its arguments in conversations. Get a few copies and hand them over around you. Make sure that young believers read it and understand it. Personally, if I were to use it, I would take each chapter heading and make a series of sermons. Actually, I wonder whether it started as a series of sermons. I received a free copy for review but didn't have to write a positive review.

Sam allberry is terrific. Studied theology at oxford and is the editor for the gospel coalition uk. He has an amazing gift for making complicated concepts simple, he's a great communicator. This book is very good, simple, short and easy to read.

The final push I needed to leave the Anglican Church. This short book is well written, and nicely summarises the Evangelical motivations for going to church. But, I’m sorry to say and I hope not to offend my Protestant brothers, in laying it out so clearly and succinctly, it really brought home to me how astonishingly shallow this theology really is. You’d think that the only resource that modern Christians have is the Bible, rather than two thousand years of the apostolic church— Christ’s literal body— acting in the world. If these are the best reasons we can advance for coming to church, we need to take a step back and re-discover our bearings.