The Gospel-Driven Church

Reviewed By:

Demelza Ramirez, Imago Dei Anglican Church, 56 Center Street, Bangor, ME 04401

Title:

The Gospel-Driven Church: Uniting Church-Growth Dreams with the Metrics of Grace

Author:

Jared C. Wilson

Publisher:

Zondervan

Publication Date:

2019

Format:

Print Book

Length:

240 pages

OVERVIEW:

If you’re a church leader in any way (pastor, deacon, ministry leader), this book is a must read, especially if you are attempting to give your church a shot of energy. The Gospel-Driven Church focuses on how a church might say it’s gospel-driven but in reality it’s not, and what to do to fix that. For many churches in the United States, attempting to attract nonbelievers, to be missional, has been what has driven the church and its leadership. But many times these churches, which author Jared C. Wilson calls “attractional churches,” discover that they have fewer nonbelievers in the pews
than they think and that the believers they do have in the pews aren’t growing in discipleship with Christ. Wilson maps out a way for churches to turn this around to not only reach the lost but reach their brothers and sisters in Christ. Some leaders might find this book humbling. It tears down the popular notion of attracting nonbelievers to church with “Christianized” items of the culture such as music, and points out the pitfalls of the moralistic preaching found coming down from the pulpits (regardless of how well-intentioned such preaching is). Church leaders
everywhere, whether they are looking to jump start their existing church or not, should read this book and compare what their church body is doing and ask themselves the hard question, “Is my church really gospel-driven?”

ASSESSMENT Rating (1 to 5):

5 stars

Suggested Audience:

Church and ministry leaders, anyone interested in church growth
and development, anyone studying to be a church leader in the future.

Christian Impact:

Leaders can begin evaluating their ministries and ensuring that how
they do things reach the most people with the gospel of Christ.