Stop Dating the Church

Title: Stop Dating the Church: Fall in love with the family of God
Author: Joshua Harris
Publisher: Mutinomah, 2004
Pages: 129
Begun: February 18, 2009
Finished: February 19, 2009

This book is a plea to Christians to commit to a local church. Using the illustration of a dating relationship, Harris explains how many Christians today are content to date around in the church. Church hopping or even regularly attending a church without committing to serve and be accountable are at an all time high in our generation. Many Christians go to church looking for how it can serve them. A "me" generation has created a myriad of churches that are packed out on Sunday but are not changing and influencing lives throughout the week. Joshua Harris does an excellent job at giving the reader biblical reasons for his need to be passionate about the church as the body of Christ as well as the local church.

My favorite chapter was the one on how to choose a local church. Recognizing that there are many churches that would not be healthy for us to commit to, Harris gives 10 essential things to look for in a church. These are the non-negotiables. Preferences are okay as long as these essential elements are present. This is a quick reference guide for someone choosing a local church or trying to determine whether the church they are in is a good one.

The chapter titled "Rescuing Sunday" was an excellent plea to make Sunday's different from the other days of the week. He gave some helpful, practical suggestions on how to make the most of your Sunday.

This was a very easy, quick read. As you can see, I read it in a day! The small book format and conversational style is an enjoyable and profitable read.

posted by Johanna