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Beyond the Back Row: Rediscovering the Beauty of the Local Church for Your Family
Beyond the Back Rediscovering the Beauty of the Local Church for Your Family is a timely and inspiring call to renew our love and commitment to the local church. In an era where church attendance is declining and many find themselves disconnected from religious communities, Polski offers a compelling vision for why the church matters and how it can transform our lives and the lives of our families.
Drawing on her experiences as a pastor’s wife, mother, and active church member, Polski addresses the growing trend of disengagement from church life with empathy and biblical wisdom. She acknowledges the challenges and imperfections of church communities while highlighting the profound beauty and necessity of Christ’s bride.
Drawing on her experiences as a pastor’s wife, mother, and active church member, Polski addresses the growing trend of disengagement from church life with empathy and biblical wisdom. She acknowledges the challenges and imperfections of church communities while highlighting the profound beauty and necessity of Christ’s bride.
192 pages, Paperback
Published May 13, 2025
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76 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 20, 2025
“When was the last time you took a step back to appreciate the beauty of the church even in all its messiness? . . . when was the last time you really stopped to look around and take in the gift that is Christ’s bride?”
I was drawn to this book because of my longing to see believers fully engaged in the local community that is the local church. The book does an excellent job at inspiring believers to love Jesus by loving those that make up the Body of Christ.
"We love and serve the church because we love and serve Jesus."
The book is an essential read for Christian families and individuals alike, motivating us to be intentional with a conversational style and simplicity that helps the reader take in the meaningfulness found in each chapter. I can see it being convicting for some as well as inspiring toward becoming more involved in one’s church.
We are reminded to “reconsider the importance of the local church” in our lives and the next generation’s. This means actively engaging in authentic connections with those in our church, preparing our hearts for weekly worship, and fostering a love for the Body in our children. In these ways and more, we discover the beauty of Christ in each other as His Bride.
“…it's not usually sports, dance class, school, work, or socials that become the casualty of the whirlwind that is the busyness of life. It's the church.”
This quote encapsulates such an important reminder to us as believers, convicting though it is and perhaps even more challenging to live out in our lives. May we seek to place loving God and loving others in their primary place in our lives, in our local church and beyond.
Note: There are some phrasing issues on p. 9 and 15 that could be confusing related to Jesus and the Father. The author is a Trinitarian though and these should be corrected in later editions.
Highlights:
“Your involvement in your church matters, whatever the size, and whatever your stage of life.”
“Ask the Lord to refocus your vision to see His church the way He does. Doing so will help us better understand how to embrace and love the bride of Christ.”
“…the super busy family should consider picking one other ministry in which to invest. And investing, to be clear, is not showing up when you feel like it or giving an hour of your time once a semester, but investing in a ministry is committing yourself to it, attending or serving it regularly, and sacrificing other activities to remain faithful to it.”
“The entertainment industry has so skewed our views and attention spans that we have unrealistic expectations of being "wooed" or "ahhed" every time the preacher steps into the pulpit.”
“If looking like you have it together determines your self-worth, you will never experience the freedom of vulnerability with brothers and sisters in Christ.”
“If your family arrives late and slips out immediately after the sermon, you're not treating the body like you would your family, eager to see them and hear how they're doing.”
Total: 4 Stars
Readability: 4
Impact: 4
Content: 4
Enjoyment: 4
Thank you to Christian Focus for gifting me a copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily and was not required to leave a positive review. All opinions are my own.
I was drawn to this book because of my longing to see believers fully engaged in the local community that is the local church. The book does an excellent job at inspiring believers to love Jesus by loving those that make up the Body of Christ.
"We love and serve the church because we love and serve Jesus."
The book is an essential read for Christian families and individuals alike, motivating us to be intentional with a conversational style and simplicity that helps the reader take in the meaningfulness found in each chapter. I can see it being convicting for some as well as inspiring toward becoming more involved in one’s church.
We are reminded to “reconsider the importance of the local church” in our lives and the next generation’s. This means actively engaging in authentic connections with those in our church, preparing our hearts for weekly worship, and fostering a love for the Body in our children. In these ways and more, we discover the beauty of Christ in each other as His Bride.
“…it's not usually sports, dance class, school, work, or socials that become the casualty of the whirlwind that is the busyness of life. It's the church.”
This quote encapsulates such an important reminder to us as believers, convicting though it is and perhaps even more challenging to live out in our lives. May we seek to place loving God and loving others in their primary place in our lives, in our local church and beyond.
Note: There are some phrasing issues on p. 9 and 15 that could be confusing related to Jesus and the Father. The author is a Trinitarian though and these should be corrected in later editions.
Highlights:
“Your involvement in your church matters, whatever the size, and whatever your stage of life.”
“Ask the Lord to refocus your vision to see His church the way He does. Doing so will help us better understand how to embrace and love the bride of Christ.”
“…the super busy family should consider picking one other ministry in which to invest. And investing, to be clear, is not showing up when you feel like it or giving an hour of your time once a semester, but investing in a ministry is committing yourself to it, attending or serving it regularly, and sacrificing other activities to remain faithful to it.”
“The entertainment industry has so skewed our views and attention spans that we have unrealistic expectations of being "wooed" or "ahhed" every time the preacher steps into the pulpit.”
“If looking like you have it together determines your self-worth, you will never experience the freedom of vulnerability with brothers and sisters in Christ.”
“If your family arrives late and slips out immediately after the sermon, you're not treating the body like you would your family, eager to see them and hear how they're doing.”
Total: 4 Stars
Readability: 4
Impact: 4
Content: 4
Enjoyment: 4
Thank you to Christian Focus for gifting me a copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily and was not required to leave a positive review. All opinions are my own.
January 28, 2026
Que lo traduzcan al español por favor, un libro que nos recuerda el privilegio de ser parte de la iglesia y que servimos para Cristo, y como lo hacemos muy práctico. Fue de mucha edificación para mi.
December 29, 2025
In Beyond the Back Row, Katie Polski offers families a way to rediscover the beauty of the local church.
This heartfelt book provides a glimpse of what the local church was meant to be. With intentionality and grace, Polski presents a thoughtful plan to help strengthen your family’s faith through active participation in the local church. From preaching and music to small groups and serving, this book truly covers all the bases.
The Church as God Sees Her
What I appreciated most were the sections addressing young children and teenagers. My own children are still young, and I was challenged to cultivate a love for the church early in their lives. The chapters on teens were equally impactful, speaking to me in my work in youth ministry and exhorting me to encourage the teens in my church as they pursue Christ.
Through personal stories and biblical truth, this book inspires readers to see the church as God sees her and motivates them to play an active role in building up the body of Christ.
I received a media copy of Beyond the Back Row and this is my honest review. @diveindigdeep
This heartfelt book provides a glimpse of what the local church was meant to be. With intentionality and grace, Polski presents a thoughtful plan to help strengthen your family’s faith through active participation in the local church. From preaching and music to small groups and serving, this book truly covers all the bases.
The Church as God Sees Her
What I appreciated most were the sections addressing young children and teenagers. My own children are still young, and I was challenged to cultivate a love for the church early in their lives. The chapters on teens were equally impactful, speaking to me in my work in youth ministry and exhorting me to encourage the teens in my church as they pursue Christ.
Through personal stories and biblical truth, this book inspires readers to see the church as God sees her and motivates them to play an active role in building up the body of Christ.
I received a media copy of Beyond the Back Row and this is my honest review. @diveindigdeep
January 23, 2026
I cannot say too many good things about this book! Such a good reminder about how we should love the church, the bride of Christ that is for our benefit and we can serve to benefit others. Really loved Katie's emphasis on involving and helping young children and teens to be a part of the church as well. I would recommend all Christians read this book and I think it would be good for married couples to go through together too.
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June 13, 2025Review coming soon
June 28, 2025
So many tidbits on ways to love your local church and how to help your family love the local church. Will definitely be reading again!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews