The Essence of the Church: A Community Created by the Spirit

by Craig Van Gelder, Richard Mouw (Foreword)

This fresh perspective on the church explores its essential nature as a community of people governed by the Word and led and taught by the Spirit.

Genres: Theology, Ecclesiology, Reference, Church, Christian

212 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2000

Reviews

[Malachi McCaveney · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tolerable overview of ecclesiology from a variety of different perspectives though lacking in any depth regarding important issues.

[Stephen Hoogerhyde · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting book at times. Attempts to integrate missiology and ecclesiology, which is a worthy objective. Long on theory, short on practical applicability.

[Cliff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated the distinction between the nature of the church (what it is), the ministry of the church (what it does), and the organization of the church (how it does what it does), but I think the chapters could have been arranged more effectively to avoid some of the repetitiveness. It certainly helped me realize the complexity of the church.

[Mary Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by: Mary Lou Codman-Wilson, PhD., Pastoral Psychology, Psychological Anthropology, Christian Education and Buddhism.

Review:

Van Gelder’s book The Essence of the Church contains broad overviews of church history, evolving church ecclesiology, and organizational structures that have shaped the church since Pentecost. He writes from a misssiological framework with a clear kingdom agenda: “The basic idea of the kingdom is that God in Jesus powerfully entered human history with a reign that reestablished life on the basis of redemptive power (p.75). “The church. . .has a distinct calling – to demonstrate the reality of God’s redemptive power in the world. It has a distinct nature – to live as a fellowship that demonstrates kingdom values and expresses kingdom power. It has a distinct purpose of carrying out a ministry of participating fully in the redemptive work of God in the world. . .The church is missionary in nature because God has sent it on a mission in the world under the leading of the Spirit” (pp.89, 98). Van Gelder’s emphasis throughout is on the Spirit’s central role in teaching and leading the church (156), and on the dynamic presence of God’s redemptive power confronting the forces of evil and restoring life to its fullness” (74-75). This is not a book one skims through lightly. His premises challenge the primary ethos of all the multicultural Christian churches and parachurch organizations in North America. 5 stars



Excerpts

“Failing to understand the nature of the church can lead to a number of problems. Defining the church functionally – in terms of what it does- can shift our perspective away from understanding the church as a unique community of God’s people. In place of this, the church tends to become a series of ministry functions such as worship, education, service and witness. Defining the church organizationally – in terms of its structures- can shift our perspective away from the spiritual reality of the church as a social community. The church becomes a patterned set of human behaviors to be structured and managed. These approaches reduce the church to a set of ministries administered through management skills to maintain effectiveness, or to an organization designed to accomplish certain goals.. . [Rather,] The church is to be about human behavior that is being transformed through God’s redeeming power and about patterns of life that reflect redemptive purposes.. .The church lives in the world as a human enterprise, but it is also the called and redeemed people of God. . .created by the Spirit to live as a missionary community. As such, the church is both a social organization and a spiritual community. . .The church is God’s personal presence in the world through the Spirit. This makes the church, as a spiritual community, unique,” (pp. 23-25).



“An understanding of the church must start with an understanding of the kingdom of God. More specifically it must start with the inauguration of God’s redemptive reign in the person and presence of Jesus... Jesus clearly expects the children of the kingdom to have the insight, power, and perspective to live as a redeemed community in a fallen and broken world. They will fully participate in every aspect of life but will do so on the basis of a different set of values, values shaped by the redemptive reign of God and made effective by the power of the Spirit… It is about forming a new type of community that lives by this power through the presence of the Spirit. It is about this new community continuing the work Jesus has begun,” (pp. 75, 81, 83).


“The nature of the church entails an interdependence among all the members. This interdependence is a function of the diversity of spiritual gifts that have been given by the Spirit for ministry by members. The church as the body of Christ is to live as a new community in dynamic, gift-shaped interdependence. The essential idea of the church as a “fellowship of saints” is that we now experience God and each other in reconciled relationships based on what we share in common in Christ,” (pp. 110- 111).

[Ezekiel McMurtry · Rating 1 out of 5]

Van Gelder spends a great deal of time discussing Reformation ecclesiology and the consequences of the Reformer's ecclesiology without actually quoting the Reformers. He deals almost exclusively with secondary sources, which makes it difficult to take his work seriously in areas he attempts to discuss historical views. His lack of Scripture references while asserting what the Bible teaches is equally as frustrating.

[Noah Calcagno · Rating 1 out of 5]

Found it very dry and without any information, I didn't already know. Also, the sections that were pseudo-narrative were irritating to read and I found myself skipping them entirely by the end of the book.

[Jake · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a definite read for anyone who wants to understand the local church more. Whether you're struggling with its value and purpose or you simply want to delve deeper into community, Van Gelder's book will help you in this process. Although this is an academically written book, I thoroughly enjoyed this book while I was in school and have since referenced it in several conversations about the local church.

[Jordan J. Andlovec · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is now the go-to book when people recommend a book on the church. It has its issues like all books do, but the cohesiveness and accessibility of Van Gelder's ideas and implementations can give a framework for missional and ministerial organization and engagement for the complexity of 21st century American life.

[Corey · Rating 2 out of 5]

A strong start and a few good ideas along the way, but overall way too theoretical and not helpful to any pastor or church leader.