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Practicing Life Together: A Common Rule for Christian Growth
You don’t have to go it alone after college—nor should you!
Even when we want good things, when we desire what’s right, we’re often frustrated by how we fail to follow through. Practicing Life Together invites readers to experience the blessings and benefits of a common rule.
A rule of life is like a trellis. It’s a standard, offering guidance and encouraging growth in the right direction. It’s a way of living intentionally—of making a commitment to spiritual disciplines that are too important to leave up to our day-to-day whims. And the best way to take on a rule of life? Doing it with others.
Practicing Life Together invites emerging adults to consider participating in a common rule that will guide their growth and cultivate genuine community. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer discerned, Christian community is “not an ideal which we must realize; it is rather a reality created by God in Christ in which we may participate.” Christians don’t have to go it alone during the formative years after college—it’s possible to practice life together. Paul Gutacker introduces practices we can take up with others—communal prayer, weekly dinners, studying together, and Sabbath—in the hope that these can become life-shaping habits.
Even when we want good things, when we desire what’s right, we’re often frustrated by how we fail to follow through. Practicing Life Together invites readers to experience the blessings and benefits of a common rule.
A rule of life is like a trellis. It’s a standard, offering guidance and encouraging growth in the right direction. It’s a way of living intentionally—of making a commitment to spiritual disciplines that are too important to leave up to our day-to-day whims. And the best way to take on a rule of life? Doing it with others.
Practicing Life Together invites emerging adults to consider participating in a common rule that will guide their growth and cultivate genuine community. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer discerned, Christian community is “not an ideal which we must realize; it is rather a reality created by God in Christ in which we may participate.” Christians don’t have to go it alone during the formative years after college—it’s possible to practice life together. Paul Gutacker introduces practices we can take up with others—communal prayer, weekly dinners, studying together, and Sabbath—in the hope that these can become life-shaping habits.
224 pages, Paperback
Published September 2, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 23, 2025
This book is clearly written, with tangible suggestions on how to implement what the author is arguing. It leant a picture of the Brazos program that I desired. What great ideas. Especially keen to utilise the reading list in the appendix!
November 29, 2025
How can your small group grow? In Practicing Life Together, Paul J. Gutacker presents a common rule for Christian growth.
Christian Fellowship
As the executive director of Brazos Fellows, Gutacker offers his reasons and rationale for Christian fellowship—a framework for theological study, spiritual disciplines, vocational discernment, and life together. He weaves early church history and personal experience into a convincing and encouraging vision of community.
As a small group leader, I was both encouraged and challenged. I see many of the things we do aligning with this book, as well as ways our church can enhance our fellowship.
Christian Community
I was especially interested in how Gutacker presents discernment not as deciphering but as listening. It’s a way of life in which we make use of the ability to hear and respond to God’s call, remaining open to his answer. We can seek spiritual direction from the Spirit and from fellow believers. This is something I want to leverage as we lead our small group.
Practicing Life Together is an inspiring book that will strengthen your spiritual disciplines and challenge the way you seek and experience Christian community.
I received a media copy of Practicing Life Together and this is my honest review. @diveindigdeep
Christian Fellowship
As the executive director of Brazos Fellows, Gutacker offers his reasons and rationale for Christian fellowship—a framework for theological study, spiritual disciplines, vocational discernment, and life together. He weaves early church history and personal experience into a convincing and encouraging vision of community.
As a small group leader, I was both encouraged and challenged. I see many of the things we do aligning with this book, as well as ways our church can enhance our fellowship.
Christian Community
I was especially interested in how Gutacker presents discernment not as deciphering but as listening. It’s a way of life in which we make use of the ability to hear and respond to God’s call, remaining open to his answer. We can seek spiritual direction from the Spirit and from fellow believers. This is something I want to leverage as we lead our small group.
Practicing Life Together is an inspiring book that will strengthen your spiritual disciplines and challenge the way you seek and experience Christian community.
I received a media copy of Practicing Life Together and this is my honest review. @diveindigdeep
October 22, 2025
We read this for a small group, and I think that is the perfect forum for this book. I don't know that I would have garnered much from reading it alone (except for the excellent reading list in the appendix and many quotes from philosophers and theologians throughout), but Gutacker writes in a way predisposed to productive conversation in a group environment. Appreciated the sections on study and discernment specifically, as I feel these are not as common in modern conversations on "life together"...led to good conversations.
January 13, 2026
Every Christian should read this book. It's a rich, multi-tradition, practical guide to engaging in the practices that Christians have built their lives around for centuries. Eating together, praying, studying, discerning vocation, Sabbath. If you want a clear guide to commit to a rule of life with other Christians, please use this book! Gutacker has led Brazos Fellows for years and has a wealth of both practical and historical knowledge on the subjects presented. Highly recommend!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews