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Limited Church: Unlimited Kingdom
Book by Rob Rienow
336 pages, Paperback
First published March 26, 2013
15 people are currently reading
61 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 22, 2021
A must read for every pastor and church leader!
April 20, 2013
Rethinking Roles of Church and Family
In his book Limited Church: Unlimited Kingdom, Uniting Church and Family in the Great Commission, author Rob Rienow searches the scriptures for the unique roles that family and the local church plan in advancing the Gospel, challenging what many of today's churches and families practice. He calls churches back to a more limited set of responsibilities and families to more expanded ones.
He purports that the church's God-given tasks include worshiping God, preaching the Bible, caring for believers, and equipping believers for works of ministry (p. 87). His conclusion: "When the local church 'limits' its focus and activities within its God-given jurisdiction, God blesses the church's ministry, and the Kingdom of God advances for His ever-increasing glory" (p. 74).
As for families, Rienow says their mission is to be discipleship centers, to impress the hearts of children with a love for God, and to be an essential engine of world evangelization through the power of multi-generational faithfulness (pp. 146-47).
In the remainder of the book, Rienow outlines how local churches and families can unite in fulfilling the Great Commission. This, for me, was the most challenging part of the book. While I can certainly agree with Rienow's theology and his conclusions, this is a paradigm shift for most churches today, and one that takes both prayer and time. You can bet I'll be thinking through a lot of Rienow's suggestions and praying over how we can implement some of them in our own family and local church.
If you're from a program-based evangelical church, get ready to wrestle with some of your "traditions." Many of us have grown up in churches that segregated age groups, where the various ages saw each other in the car on the way to church and on the way back home. According to Rienow, that's not God's intention, and he cites biblical evidence. I do appreciate that Rienow encourages the reader to study the scriptures and to even disagree with him as long as one can support his argument biblically and prayerfully.
For those who are discontent with the fact that so many young people are leaving the church today, you'll find this a helpful tool.
Limited Church: Unlimited Kingdom is a great book, biblically based with lots to think about. It's one I'll likely refer to over and over again as our family continues to grow in faith together and as we serve in our church and community.
Don't expect to finish the book quickly. While it's not difficult reading, there's so much to think about that you'll want to take your time.
*Note: I received a copy of the book from the publisher for this review. However, the opinions expressed are my own.
In his book Limited Church: Unlimited Kingdom, Uniting Church and Family in the Great Commission, author Rob Rienow searches the scriptures for the unique roles that family and the local church plan in advancing the Gospel, challenging what many of today's churches and families practice. He calls churches back to a more limited set of responsibilities and families to more expanded ones.
He purports that the church's God-given tasks include worshiping God, preaching the Bible, caring for believers, and equipping believers for works of ministry (p. 87). His conclusion: "When the local church 'limits' its focus and activities within its God-given jurisdiction, God blesses the church's ministry, and the Kingdom of God advances for His ever-increasing glory" (p. 74).
As for families, Rienow says their mission is to be discipleship centers, to impress the hearts of children with a love for God, and to be an essential engine of world evangelization through the power of multi-generational faithfulness (pp. 146-47).
In the remainder of the book, Rienow outlines how local churches and families can unite in fulfilling the Great Commission. This, for me, was the most challenging part of the book. While I can certainly agree with Rienow's theology and his conclusions, this is a paradigm shift for most churches today, and one that takes both prayer and time. You can bet I'll be thinking through a lot of Rienow's suggestions and praying over how we can implement some of them in our own family and local church.
If you're from a program-based evangelical church, get ready to wrestle with some of your "traditions." Many of us have grown up in churches that segregated age groups, where the various ages saw each other in the car on the way to church and on the way back home. According to Rienow, that's not God's intention, and he cites biblical evidence. I do appreciate that Rienow encourages the reader to study the scriptures and to even disagree with him as long as one can support his argument biblically and prayerfully.
For those who are discontent with the fact that so many young people are leaving the church today, you'll find this a helpful tool.
Limited Church: Unlimited Kingdom is a great book, biblically based with lots to think about. It's one I'll likely refer to over and over again as our family continues to grow in faith together and as we serve in our church and community.
Don't expect to finish the book quickly. While it's not difficult reading, there's so much to think about that you'll want to take your time.
*Note: I received a copy of the book from the publisher for this review. However, the opinions expressed are my own.
March 4, 2015
I purchased this book on Kindle a long time ago, and it sat on my "bookshelf." After reading Visionary Marriage (also by Rienow), Limited Church: Unlimited Kingdom rapidly climbed my "eager to read" list. And I was not disappointed!
I found it to be an easy read, but not a quick one. While I could have read it quickly, I preferred to read it slowly (1-2 chapters a day) and wrestle with the material. Did I agree? If I disagreed, what Scripture supported my "side"? I spent many hours discussing sufficiency and jurisdiction with my husband. That is the kind of book worth my time.
If you are content with your current walk with Christ, this book will upset you. The sufficiency of Scripture is not normal for most Western Christians, so if you determine to live out that doctrine, many people won't understand. But obedience usually costs us something. Be encouraged... and challenged. Read this book!
I found it to be an easy read, but not a quick one. While I could have read it quickly, I preferred to read it slowly (1-2 chapters a day) and wrestle with the material. Did I agree? If I disagreed, what Scripture supported my "side"? I spent many hours discussing sufficiency and jurisdiction with my husband. That is the kind of book worth my time.
If you are content with your current walk with Christ, this book will upset you. The sufficiency of Scripture is not normal for most Western Christians, so if you determine to live out that doctrine, many people won't understand. But obedience usually costs us something. Be encouraged... and challenged. Read this book!
March 3, 2015
Excellent, helpful book. Through refreshingly Scripture-centered writing, Rob seeks to establish a doctrine of 'jurisdiction' and shows that, when the church limits itself in function and purpose, it serves the Kingdom in far better ways. He exhorts families to take on the responsibilities of neighborhood evangelism, children-discipleship, etc., rather than churches forming program after program to do so.
I found his discussion of family ministry and including children in worship services helpful. I was also encouraged and challenged by Rob's continual call to base not only what we believe on Scripture, but the "who" and "how" to those beliefs on Scripture as well.
I found his discussion of family ministry and including children in worship services helpful. I was also encouraged and challenged by Rob's continual call to base not only what we believe on Scripture, but the "who" and "how" to those beliefs on Scripture as well.
February 14, 2020
Excellent take on how church has encroached on the jurisdiction of the family in many areas of life and ministry.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews