‘As St. John of the Cross said: “Mission is putting love where love is not.” This book is full of ideas. It should prompt us all to examine the effectiveness of the way local churches are organized.’—The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Dr. John Sentamu, Archbishop of York ‘Everything that Steve Chalke writes is insightful and cutting-edge. Here he argues in favor of a church that thinks and acts in ways that make the Kingdom of God visible and reasonable in a secular society.’--Tony Campolo, PhD Eastern University, Pennsylvania, USA The task of the Church is “to be the irrefutable demonstration and proof of the fact that God is love,” claims Steve Chalke. An intelligent church intentionally connects the Bible and its twenty-first-century culture, is authentic and, most importantly, has thought through its practice. In other words, the way it does church is a reflection of its understanding of who God is. This foundational issue must be addressed by pastors, church and ministry leaders, small group leaders and others as we continue to grapple with the shape of effective church in the postmodern, post-Christian West. As Chalke unpacks central theological concepts, such as the incarnation, human sinfulness and the Trinity, he points us to the corresponding characteristics of an intelligent church, such as inclusiveness, messiness and diversity. Each thought-provoking chapter concludes with a ‘Yes but How?’ section, which gives practical suggestions for moving your church along this path.
