The Crowded House (TCH) is a network of missional communities in the city of Sheffield, England. Most of their communities—seven or eight, I think—meet regularly in homes, but that is not the most unique thing about them. Over the past few years, they have focused on what it really means to be a community. They are serious about living life together seven days a week: intentionally and strategically inviting unbelievers into their homes, not just for a worship service or a Bible study or an evangelistic event, but to taste what genuine, loving friendship is all about.
Sometimes it means providing a spare bedroom for an asylum seeker or a university student, and at other times it means devoting hours of time and effort helping a stranger learn how to speak English. Some TCH members have even exchanged professional career positions for jobs that enable them to be more flexible and available to serve the Lord, their fellow believers, and more importantly, those who do not yet know Jesus Christ. Two leaders in TCH, Tim Chester and Steve Timmis, have recently published a new book entitled, Total Church
Being both gospel-centered and community-centered might mean:
- see church as an identity instead of a responsibility to be juggled alongside other commitments
- celebrating ordinary life as the context in which the word of God is proclaimed with 'God-talk' a normal feature of everyday conversation
- running fewer evangelistic events, youth clubs and social projects, and spending more time sharing our lives with unbelievers
- starting new congegations instead of growing existing ones
- preparing Bible talks with other people instead of just studying alone at a desk
- adopting a 24-7 approach to mission and pastoral care instead of starting ministry programs
- switching the emphasis from Bible teaching to Bible learning and action
- spending more time with people on the margins of society
- learning to disciple one another—and be discipled—day by day
- having churches that are messy instead of churches that pretend
My son and daughter-in-law are members of TCH, so I've had a unique perspective, and I have come to know Tim Chester and Steve Timmis personally over the past three years. As I blog through the book, I'll share a few more quotations and maybe you'll find them compelling enough to buy a copy for yourself.
