What do you think?
Rate this book
The Gospel-Centered Community
The Gospel-Centered Community Participant's Guide
- GenresChristian
104 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2013
3 people are currently reading
51 people want to read
About the author
Robert H. Thune
21 books9 followersRobert H. Thune, MA (Reformed Theological Seminary), is the lead pastor of Coram Deo, a gospel-centered church he planted in 2005 in Omaha, Nebraska. He is the coauthor of The Gospel-Centered Community, another Christ-centered small group study. Bob and his wife Leigh have four children.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 29, 2023
This book is an introductory guide to what it means to live in and cultivate a community centered around the Gospel. I had the privilege of going through this book as a study with my church's Missional Community.
For the most part, I appreciated this book and what it attempted accomplish. Unfortunately, I think the book often fell short of its own aspirations. It oversimplified certain concepts. It was a little repetitive. And then some of the questions and attempts to offer practical application fell a little short.
However, I overall valued the conversations, discussions, and formation this book inspired and I think it could be a great launching pad for a study with believers who are maybe brand-new to the Gospel and what it means to live in a Gospel-centered community.
For the most part, I appreciated this book and what it attempted accomplish. Unfortunately, I think the book often fell short of its own aspirations. It oversimplified certain concepts. It was a little repetitive. And then some of the questions and attempts to offer practical application fell a little short.
However, I overall valued the conversations, discussions, and formation this book inspired and I think it could be a great launching pad for a study with believers who are maybe brand-new to the Gospel and what it means to live in a Gospel-centered community.
May 9, 2024
This was great! I loved the format. Short and sweet. Led to many great discussions (and hopefully future changes!) in our house church. I’ll definitely recommend this widely for small groups to go through!
April 12, 2018
Eh it was okay.
April 22, 2022
Good resource for groups to go through or for discipleship on how the Gospel impacts and directs how our community interacts and serves one another
October 24, 2013
Central to the nature of God is His triune nature. That is, He is three in one. He is a triunity. This communicates community within the trinity. It is out of this community in the trinity that forms the foundation for man’s communion with both God and man. This is what lies behind the idea of gospel-centered communities. We form community as God is community and we form this community around the gospel God has revealed to us.
Being gospel-centered is the rage today. And this is a good thing. There are those who use the label but do not deliver on gospel-centered content. With the goal in mind of actually producing gospel-centered material, World Harvest Mission (WHM) has released a small book, The Gospel-Centered Community, in an effort to help small groups do just that. The authors are Robert H. Thune and Will Walker who have previously written the accompanying material The Gospel –Centered Life. Their goal is to deepen our knowledge and understanding of the gospel and in turn help us to apply that so that we are actually gospel-centered individuals and communities.
WHM’s material is short but very focused and intent on offering solid Biblically based gospel content in order to form grounded and purposeful communities around the gospel. The book follows the basic four part storyline of the Bible and the gospel presented in it: creation, fall, redemption and consummation. The material is designed to be used in a small group and is divided into a section on gospel foundations followed by a section on gospel application.
As the first section lays down a gospel foundation Thune and Walker cover the basics of the gospel itself and then looks at how it shapes community. Community is created in the nature of God, broken in the fall, redeemed in Christ and transformed in the community of the church as we wait for its final consummation in the return of Christ. In fleshing out the gospel further the authors discuss both what makes and breaks community. The application portions of the first section have very pointed questions and statements designed to get the readers attention so they can be brought out their selfish comfort zones of isolation from others.
The second section of the book addresses what a gospel-centered community looks like when the gospel begins to take over in the life of a community. The basis for this is “faith working through love” as found on Galatians 5:6. After laying a foundation in this verse the authors discuss what the fruit of a gospel-centered community looks like. There is a joy in our salvation, humility in our living, honesty in our sharing, grace in our accepting and finally “moving towards others as God moves towards them.” (85) This final step is the goal of the gospel shaping our communities. Our growth in understanding the gospel results in our living out the gospel in our lives which in turn pushes us out towards others in sharing the gospel. In short, a gospel-centered community is a gospel-sharing community. It proclaims to the world in word and deed the message and implications of the gospel.
The Gospel-Centered Community material is perhaps the best first book to walk a small group through in order to provide a Biblical foundation for its existence. Whether you are leading or are in a new group forming or an old group that needs to refocus, this material is for every group.
NOTE: I received this book for free from New Growth Press in exchange for an honest review. I was under no obligation to provide a favorable review and the words and thoughts expressed are my own.
Being gospel-centered is the rage today. And this is a good thing. There are those who use the label but do not deliver on gospel-centered content. With the goal in mind of actually producing gospel-centered material, World Harvest Mission (WHM) has released a small book, The Gospel-Centered Community, in an effort to help small groups do just that. The authors are Robert H. Thune and Will Walker who have previously written the accompanying material The Gospel –Centered Life. Their goal is to deepen our knowledge and understanding of the gospel and in turn help us to apply that so that we are actually gospel-centered individuals and communities.
WHM’s material is short but very focused and intent on offering solid Biblically based gospel content in order to form grounded and purposeful communities around the gospel. The book follows the basic four part storyline of the Bible and the gospel presented in it: creation, fall, redemption and consummation. The material is designed to be used in a small group and is divided into a section on gospel foundations followed by a section on gospel application.
As the first section lays down a gospel foundation Thune and Walker cover the basics of the gospel itself and then looks at how it shapes community. Community is created in the nature of God, broken in the fall, redeemed in Christ and transformed in the community of the church as we wait for its final consummation in the return of Christ. In fleshing out the gospel further the authors discuss both what makes and breaks community. The application portions of the first section have very pointed questions and statements designed to get the readers attention so they can be brought out their selfish comfort zones of isolation from others.
The second section of the book addresses what a gospel-centered community looks like when the gospel begins to take over in the life of a community. The basis for this is “faith working through love” as found on Galatians 5:6. After laying a foundation in this verse the authors discuss what the fruit of a gospel-centered community looks like. There is a joy in our salvation, humility in our living, honesty in our sharing, grace in our accepting and finally “moving towards others as God moves towards them.” (85) This final step is the goal of the gospel shaping our communities. Our growth in understanding the gospel results in our living out the gospel in our lives which in turn pushes us out towards others in sharing the gospel. In short, a gospel-centered community is a gospel-sharing community. It proclaims to the world in word and deed the message and implications of the gospel.
The Gospel-Centered Community material is perhaps the best first book to walk a small group through in order to provide a Biblical foundation for its existence. Whether you are leading or are in a new group forming or an old group that needs to refocus, this material is for every group.
NOTE: I received this book for free from New Growth Press in exchange for an honest review. I was under no obligation to provide a favorable review and the words and thoughts expressed are my own.
November 19, 2013
The church which I pastor has been on a long run of experiencing God's grace and goodness in their love for one another. I have never, in over 16 years as their pastor, seen a group of people who want to love one another and care for one another like we do. Yet…
You knew there was going to be a 'yet' or a 'Yes, but…' I know we can do better, do more and grow deeper, as well as see that broaden our outreach and contact with unbelievers. But how?
Along comes New Growth Press, asking me to review a study guide in a series of 'Gospel-Centered _______' books from World Harvest Mission. The timing of receiving this particular book, 'The Gospel-Centered Community' is about as perfect as I've ever seen. One of the primary focal points of ministry for our church in 2014 will be developing and growing true fellowship and community. This study guide will become one of the key tools in helping our congregation understand what that is, what it looks like and how to carry it out.
Each chapter (there are nine) starts out with a one-page description of the 'Big Idea' for that chapter. Then there's an article to read (usually about 5-6 pages) that will give the participant a good grasp on that 'Big Idea' principle. Then, to close things off and to ensure that no one is merely a hearer of the Word without being a doer of the Word, there's an exercise to carry out. Once a person or a group has studied the very foundations of a gospel-centered community, they move on to see what the fruit of such a community will look like.
I believe, if this study guide were to be used by churches and their small groups (whatever name they give such groups) would benefit them greatly. I've become more and more convinced that this is one of the acts of the early church that made them grow in the respect of the general public. And goodness knows, we could use that in our American culture now.
You knew there was going to be a 'yet' or a 'Yes, but…' I know we can do better, do more and grow deeper, as well as see that broaden our outreach and contact with unbelievers. But how?
Along comes New Growth Press, asking me to review a study guide in a series of 'Gospel-Centered _______' books from World Harvest Mission. The timing of receiving this particular book, 'The Gospel-Centered Community' is about as perfect as I've ever seen. One of the primary focal points of ministry for our church in 2014 will be developing and growing true fellowship and community. This study guide will become one of the key tools in helping our congregation understand what that is, what it looks like and how to carry it out.
Each chapter (there are nine) starts out with a one-page description of the 'Big Idea' for that chapter. Then there's an article to read (usually about 5-6 pages) that will give the participant a good grasp on that 'Big Idea' principle. Then, to close things off and to ensure that no one is merely a hearer of the Word without being a doer of the Word, there's an exercise to carry out. Once a person or a group has studied the very foundations of a gospel-centered community, they move on to see what the fruit of such a community will look like.
I believe, if this study guide were to be used by churches and their small groups (whatever name they give such groups) would benefit them greatly. I've become more and more convinced that this is one of the acts of the early church that made them grow in the respect of the general public. And goodness knows, we could use that in our American culture now.
November 21, 2015
This series of books is intentionally very entry-level (as far as explaining the Gospel goes), but that does not mean that it is fluff or unbiblical. The theology is very solid. The books are intended for group-discussion. I would recommend group leaders not be too tied to the “lesson plan” (get your nose out of the book and don’t read the plan out loud to people while you are leading them… prepare beforehand and just use the lesson plan as a basic guide for the discussion… feel freedom to skip questions or pick the 3-5 questions that you think would be most beneficial for your group). If you lead a group through Gospel-centered Life followed by Gospel-centered Community and it goes well, then consider following that up with the Gospel Trilogy by World Harvest Mission (Book 1: Gospel Identity, Book 2: Gospel Growth, and Book 3: Gospel Love).
December 13, 2016
A practical, easy to read book that summarizes what it means to be a gospel-centered community. Looking forward to spending so time with the leader's guide next.
April 28, 2017
Lots of Christianese, but definitely a good convicting read for a community group to tackle together. We took nine weeks to go through the nine chapters, which were very readable and sparked good discussion.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews