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Unmissable Church: Why you need church and church needs you
Modern life is a constant struggle between competing priorities, and for Christians especially so on Sundays.
How can we juggle all the demands on our time and still make church a priority? Why is there sometimes such a disconnect between the Bible’s captivating vision for church and our experience of it?
In Unmissable Church, Antony Barraclough and Richard Sweatman combine meticulous research, practical advice and pastoral warmth. They explore the reasons why it’s sometimes difficult to make it to church and what we can do about it. The issues of broken relationships, conflicting priorities, health concerns and more are treated with empathy and encouragement.
Whether you are a leader looking to understand what’s keeping people away from church, a regular attender who wants to encourage others to gather more often, or someone who finds weekly attendance a challenge, this book will bring you greater clarity and perspective.
How can we juggle all the demands on our time and still make church a priority? Why is there sometimes such a disconnect between the Bible’s captivating vision for church and our experience of it?
In Unmissable Church, Antony Barraclough and Richard Sweatman combine meticulous research, practical advice and pastoral warmth. They explore the reasons why it’s sometimes difficult to make it to church and what we can do about it. The issues of broken relationships, conflicting priorities, health concerns and more are treated with empathy and encouragement.
Whether you are a leader looking to understand what’s keeping people away from church, a regular attender who wants to encourage others to gather more often, or someone who finds weekly attendance a challenge, this book will bring you greater clarity and perspective.
- GenresChurch
193 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 11, 2023
2 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 3, 2023
There are some good reminders in this book, however it’s title should be “Unmissable Sunday morning service” because this is what it’s really about. I can’t help but think of my friends in cross-cultural ministry who don’t have buildings in which to meet, can’t do so on a Sunday and they continually face the task of taking church to the communities they are part of. This book is not for them. I also have local friends who are being Jesus in a range of different gatherings that don’t fit the mold described here, that is, “church is a place” we go to on Sunday. This book is not for them either.
May 31, 2024
This is a rare title both in its content, tone, and context. The gift of having Australian research on church attendance, practical biblical insight and application to assist church goers and leaders alike in navigating this topic is such a blessing to the church. It faltered a little with some inconsistent regarding treating God’s word as authoritative while prioritising worldly wisdom in some reasons people may not attend, but overall a truly helpful book.
September 12, 2024
A punchy and concise book helping us to remember what the church is, why it's so important to regularly gather together, and unpacking honest reasons why it can be difficult. This is greatly helpful for a congregation member who hasn't thought through these things (we're currently preaching on this topic at my church alongside the Six Steps to Loving Your Church Bible studies from Matthias Media) as well as a back-to-basics that will help refocus vision for church pastors. There are also some helpful appendices containing data from the authors' original research and a helpful pastoral guide. Would recommend, and I did! Here's a verbatim book review I wrote for my weekly church email:
***
Many of us will enjoy a good story about assembling the team for the job (for instance The Fellowship of the Ring, Ocean’s Eleven, or The Avengers). Even Jesus has gathered his team: us, the church! …But why? “The big purpose is not a heist or a performance; it is the glory of God.”
In Unmissable Church, the authors explore the purpose Jesus has given his church as a ‘here-and-now’ expression of the whole body of Christian brothers and sisters gathered in the heavenly places (Heb 12). Sweatman and Barraclough dive into the many rich images which are used to describe our church: Christ’s body (Eph 4), God’s flock (1 Pet 5), his temple (Eph 2), a family (1 Tim 5), and Christ’s bride (Eph 5). They spend time diving deep into 1 Corinthians 12 “[God’s Spirit] gifts his people so that they might be able to contribute to the good of the church,” and Hebrews 10 “Our purpose as part of the body is to encourage one another to stay fixed on Jesus [… ironically, as we do so] we will find ourselves encouraged to run the race and stay focused on Jesus.”
Drawing on their own research with members from Sydney churches, the authors note that the average church attendee believes that they are significantly more regular than they are in reality. The authors reflect that this can be due to a number of (often complex) reasons, and spend time unpacking challenges of: guilt, time and priorities, tricky relationships, and mental health issues. “Whether it is sin or weakness or a combination of both, there may well be times when you find yourself at home wrestling with a sense of failure. In these bleak moments, we need to remember the love and compassion of Jesus.”
The authors help us to rightly feel the pain of not meeting with our Christian brothers and sisters weekly in our congregation, yet remind us that “if we remain committed to meeting with God’s people, we can expect God to work in us and through us in ways that are good for our faith and our church, and which ultimately bring glory to God.” This is a great book to remind us of the glorious purpose of our church, and how we each contribute to loving and growing one another up in Jesus, so that church is truly unmissable!
***
Many of us will enjoy a good story about assembling the team for the job (for instance The Fellowship of the Ring, Ocean’s Eleven, or The Avengers). Even Jesus has gathered his team: us, the church! …But why? “The big purpose is not a heist or a performance; it is the glory of God.”
In Unmissable Church, the authors explore the purpose Jesus has given his church as a ‘here-and-now’ expression of the whole body of Christian brothers and sisters gathered in the heavenly places (Heb 12). Sweatman and Barraclough dive into the many rich images which are used to describe our church: Christ’s body (Eph 4), God’s flock (1 Pet 5), his temple (Eph 2), a family (1 Tim 5), and Christ’s bride (Eph 5). They spend time diving deep into 1 Corinthians 12 “[God’s Spirit] gifts his people so that they might be able to contribute to the good of the church,” and Hebrews 10 “Our purpose as part of the body is to encourage one another to stay fixed on Jesus [… ironically, as we do so] we will find ourselves encouraged to run the race and stay focused on Jesus.”
Drawing on their own research with members from Sydney churches, the authors note that the average church attendee believes that they are significantly more regular than they are in reality. The authors reflect that this can be due to a number of (often complex) reasons, and spend time unpacking challenges of: guilt, time and priorities, tricky relationships, and mental health issues. “Whether it is sin or weakness or a combination of both, there may well be times when you find yourself at home wrestling with a sense of failure. In these bleak moments, we need to remember the love and compassion of Jesus.”
The authors help us to rightly feel the pain of not meeting with our Christian brothers and sisters weekly in our congregation, yet remind us that “if we remain committed to meeting with God’s people, we can expect God to work in us and through us in ways that are good for our faith and our church, and which ultimately bring glory to God.” This is a great book to remind us of the glorious purpose of our church, and how we each contribute to loving and growing one another up in Jesus, so that church is truly unmissable!
January 8, 2024
4.5 stars - Great read, accessible theology and interesting stats. I felt some of the writing on mental health and relationship complexities was too simplistic and could have used a deeper analysis. Overall - fantastic book.
March 21, 2024
This book was an excellent reminder about the importance of gathering with God’s people. It drew heavily on Scripture and gave good insight into church attendance rates and trends in Australia. This book addresses ideas like whether church has to be on a Sunday and whether a small group can be church. I’d recommend this book to anyone who would like to be encouraged in the significance of the church in God’s plans, and to gain practical insight into how God wants to use you to encourage and build up His people.
June 25, 2025
wow church so good
February 20, 2024
5 quick thoughts:
1. To write a book tasked to get people to church more often is a hard ask, but they did well!
2. Positioning it as "You don't get to church as often as you think you do" is a helpful slant. Stops being judgemental and more as a support for people to commit to what they actually say they do.
3. It was good to be reminded theologically how good church is in the first few chapters. And for the varied stories of church attenders, not all "perfect" but just "plodders" which is good.
4. The last chapter with lots of quotes from Hebrews is great! (But I think you need the rest of the book for that too)
5. The only downside is that it didn't specifically answer good reasons not to be at church. It skimmed over it by saying "Health / holidays" a lot as a reason that pastors might "expect" you to miss church. So it wasn't specific enough where it could have been helpful. (And maybe the appendix on tips for church attendance should actually be more like an infographic? Makes it more engaging)
p.s. My first borrow from Moore Library. yay for Christian libraries woot!
1. To write a book tasked to get people to church more often is a hard ask, but they did well!
2. Positioning it as "You don't get to church as often as you think you do" is a helpful slant. Stops being judgemental and more as a support for people to commit to what they actually say they do.
3. It was good to be reminded theologically how good church is in the first few chapters. And for the varied stories of church attenders, not all "perfect" but just "plodders" which is good.
4. The last chapter with lots of quotes from Hebrews is great! (But I think you need the rest of the book for that too)
5. The only downside is that it didn't specifically answer good reasons not to be at church. It skimmed over it by saying "Health / holidays" a lot as a reason that pastors might "expect" you to miss church. So it wasn't specific enough where it could have been helpful. (And maybe the appendix on tips for church attendance should actually be more like an infographic? Makes it more engaging)
p.s. My first borrow from Moore Library. yay for Christian libraries woot!
March 18, 2024
A great book to have on the bookshelf and to give away.
The book uses an easy-to-follow guide:
- The first three chapters show show us theologically the significance of church from a vertical and horizontal perspective.
- the following chapters then address different reasons for why individuals might struggle and seeks to address them pastorally (ie., guilt, priorities, relationships, mental illness).
The thing I appreciated about this short book was its pastoral sensitivity. Especially in the chapters on mental health and guilt, the authors are excellent in showing empathy and giving what I thought were excellent practical steps to move forward. So for the person who is struggling with church and wanting to change that, this book would be wonderful book to read. It is warm in tone and helps the individual to focus on Jesus.
The book uses an easy-to-follow guide:
- The first three chapters show show us theologically the significance of church from a vertical and horizontal perspective.
- the following chapters then address different reasons for why individuals might struggle and seeks to address them pastorally (ie., guilt, priorities, relationships, mental illness).
The thing I appreciated about this short book was its pastoral sensitivity. Especially in the chapters on mental health and guilt, the authors are excellent in showing empathy and giving what I thought were excellent practical steps to move forward. So for the person who is struggling with church and wanting to change that, this book would be wonderful book to read. It is warm in tone and helps the individual to focus on Jesus.
August 13, 2023
This is a simple, easy read that is a great resource to use with friends or fellow church members who are on the fence about church attendance. It's a blend of accessible theology with practical points of application. There are also a couple reflection questions that readers can go through on their own or with a friend after each chapter. I've already recommended it to others.
October 25, 2023
Easy to read, relatable statistics based on an Australian 2020-2022 context. Scriptural basis for recommendations of how we can approach church attendance better. Recommend for anyone wanting to know why people do/do not atten church, what the latest statistics are and why more people should make attending church a priority.
May 27, 2025
This book had some really great thoughts and reminders. I especially appreciated the challenge to be actively serving in ways that aren’t “on the roster”.
I think the only criticism I have for this book is that it focuses on a very westernised version of church. I think churches in different cultures and circumstances can have a bit more diversity in how they look and function.
I think the only criticism I have for this book is that it focuses on a very westernised version of church. I think churches in different cultures and circumstances can have a bit more diversity in how they look and function.
July 10, 2023
Australian slant (fair enough). I'm not sure that those we'd like to read it (those more loosely committing to a particular church) actually would read it, but nevertheless some really helpful stuff from a pastoral point of view.
May 23, 2023
What an excellent book - covers a lot of areas, gives practical advice, makes you think... well written and a worthwhile investment of time...
November 28, 2023
Thoughtful. Accessible. Practical.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews