When we look at the church, how do we describe it? Often the word used to describe a "solid" church is the word healthy. McIntosh and Stevenson advocate that being healthy is not enough. Their reasoning is this: someone who is healthy is not necessarily going to be able to run a 5K race, let alone a marathon. But a fit person can do this. A person can be healthy but not fit and in the same way, a church can be healthy but not fit.
Just like exercise, this book is divided into 4 sections: cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility. Each of these 4 sections is then broken down further into twelve specific areas that the church can improve on, such as outreach, personal ministry, Christ-exalting worship, and loving community. Each of these areas of ministry can be measured much in the same way that runners measure their progress: beginner, novice, intermediate, advanced, and elite. The authors encourage each church leader to evaluate their own church in the areas presented, to praise God for the areas where they are strong and to improve the areas where they are weak.
I absolutely loved this book. The theme and the analogy presented challenged me greatly. Life isn't about just getting by and being healthy. Rather we should be striving, pushing to be as fit as we can be. For these reasons, I give this book 5 stars out of 5.
WHERE TO BUY THIS BOOK:
https://www.amazon.com/Building-Body-Characteristics-Fit-Church/dp/0801019621/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1516563935&sr=8-1&keywords=building+the+body+mcintosh
BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:
McIntosh, Gary L., and Phil Stevenson. Building the Body: 12 Characteristics of a Fit Church. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2018.
DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Baker Book Bloggers book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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