Check out this review of Timmis and Chester’s The World We All Want (authors of Total Church). The reviewer highlights three mains strengths to this evangelistic approach: 1) gospel presented in the wider context of the Biblical story 2) emphasis on conversion into community, not making “the church” optional 3) Jesus centered. Here is an excerpt of the review:

I particularly liked the manner in which God’s people are described in session seven as “a waiting community, a proclaiming community, a loving community.” It’s been reported recently that many people on the street are cool with Jesus, but have a problem with the church. TWWAW demonstrates that you can’t have the bridegroom without his bride, nipping that particular problem in the bud.

A number of readers responded enthusiastically to my posts on the UK published book Total Church. Steve Timmis and co have now released an entire website devoted to Total Church. An entire chapter can be read online, after registration.

Crossway is slated to publish it in the U.S. in 2008. *Link is fixed.

Tim Chester and Steve Timmis of Crowded House have written a much needed book. Total Church: a radical reshaping around gospel and community (IVP, UK) cuts through the conservative and progressive views on church and community without taking the wearisome Emergent/Emerging debate head on. Instead, Total Church charts a course for the church that is gospel-centered, mission-centered, and community centered (One wonders just how may centers we can have!).

Part One lays a rich and accessible biblical-theological foundation addressing the questions: “What is community” and “What is the gospel?” I will be posting on this book throughout the week. Here is a summary of their description of gospel-centered:

Being gospel-centered has two dimensions. First, it means being word-centered because the gospel is a word. The gospel is good news. It is a message. It is a message that can be summarized in simple gospel outlines or even the three-word confession that ‘Jesus is Lord’. Yet it is a message that fills the entire Bible. It is the story of salvation from creation to new creation. It is a word that has become incarnate in Jesus Christ. It is this word that brings new life to people and shapes the life of the church.

Second, being gospel-centered means being mission-centered, for the gospel is a missionary word. The gospel is good news. It is a word to be proclaimed. You cannot be committed to the gospel without being committed to proclaiming that gospel.