Spiritual Disciplines within the Church: Participating Fully in the Body of Christ

by Donald S. Whitney, James Montgomery Boice (Foreword)

'You're worth it.' 'You deserve a break today.' 'Do something nice for yourself.' Commonly heard phrases in this society are committed to self-gratification and individual rights. Doing things for other people is a waste of precious time, and asking for help is weak. So how do we build the church described in the Scriptures' In this day and age, how can we be a genuine community based on self-sacrifice and mutual commitment' In Spiritual Disciplines Within the Church, seminary professor, author, and former pastor Don Whitney shows us how to build a sense of community and be active participants instead of passive attendees. Whitney looks at such frequently asked questions as: Why can't I get by on my own' Why should I go to church' Why should I give of myself to the church' Why do I need to worship in church' Couldn't I just worship in nature' Why does it matter whether I become a member of the church'Committed love must mark the local expression of the body of Christ. By putting spiritual disciplines into practice in the church, congregations can return to the depth of community present in the New Testament church, where they 'devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.'

Genres: Christian Living, Church, Nonfiction, Ecclesiology, Christian, Theology, Discipleship

216 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1996

About the author

DON WHITNEY has been Professor of Biblical spirituality and Associate Dean at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY, since 2005. Before that, he held a similar position (the first such position in the six Southern Baptist seminaries) at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, MO, for 10 years. He is the founder and president of The Center for Biblical Spirituality. Don is a frequent speaker in churches, retreats, and conferences in the U.S. and abroad.

Don grew up in Osceola, AR, where he came to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. After graduating from Arkansas State, Don planned to finish law school and pursue a career in sportscasting. While at the University of Arkansas School of Law, he sensed God's call to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. He then enrolled at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX, graduating with a Master of Divinity degree in 1979. In 1987, Don completed a Doctor of Ministry degree at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL. He earned a PhD in theology at the University of the Free State in Bloemfonteine, South Africa in 2013.

Prior to his ministry as a seminary professor, Don pastored Glenfield Baptist Church in Glen Ellyn, IL (a Chicago suburb), for almost 15 years. Altogether, he's served local churches in pastoral ministry for 24 years.

He is the author of Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, which has a companion Study Guide. He has also written How Can I Be Sure I'm a Christian?, Spiritual Disciplines Within the Church, Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health, Simplify Your Spiritual Life, and Family Worship. His hobby is restoring and using old fountain pens.

Don lives with his wife, Caffy, in their home near Louisville. She teaches classes for seminary wives and is an artist, muralist, and illustrator. The Whitneys are parents of Laurelen.

Don's website is www.BiblicalSpirituality.org. He's on Twitter @DonWhitney and on Facebook.

Reviews

[Stephen Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid book for its intended audience. If you are interested in discipleship and helping believers to understand what to expect/look for in a church and what the church expects from them, this is a great place to start.

[hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very insightful

[Randall Hartman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend of mine notes that just because you’re in a garage doesn’t make you a car. However, cars kept in a garage experience far greater benefit in maintaining their capacity to do that for which they were intended. Similarly, Donald Whitney shows that this analogy can be helpful when it comes to Christians and church: being in a church doesn’t make you a Christian, but Christians belong in a faithful local church for their good and God’s glory.

Fundamental to being a Christian is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sins, repentance of those sins, and a life of increasing conformity to the godliness of Jesus. Attending a church, “raising your hand,” praying a prayer, giving money, or any other religious ritual (corporate or personal) does nothing to make one an actual Christian - only the transformation of the heart by being born again by God’s Spirit does that.

Since becoming a Christian requires a personal response to God’s heart-prompting, some may infer that spiritual growth individually is all that’s necessary. This faulty conclusion deprives those people of the vast benefits God provides through the local church, producing a “spiritual hitchhiker” that loses out on worship, prayer, understanding of the Bible, fellowship, encouragement, service given and received, and obedience to the Bible’s command to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

Therefore, the book is directed toward those who claim saving faith in Jesus. To those for whom this is true, Whitney convincingly shows the vital importance of substantive church membership, attendance, and service. Despite the shortcomings of any individual church populated by saved sinners, it remains the only human institution that Christ Himself said He would build. Those who are His people should be part of His building!

The book’s 13 modest-length, well-organized chapters tackle a series of questions in the structure of “Why do ________ in/with the church?” Each is supported with Biblically sound commands, reasoning, encouragements, and warnings. The cumulative effect is that the conclusions are not opinion or tradition but grounded in God’s word.

Christians belong in church!

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book about Christian living. Spiritual Disciplines Within the Church is similar in structure and tone to Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. This book takes the same concept of spiritual discipline and applies it to a local church setting. Whitney stresses the importance of not just attending, but being involved in a local church. Topics covered include preaching, singing, sharing the gospel, serving, giving, and a few more. Like all Whitney's books, this one is saturated in both Bible and practical application.

[Neil Kruger · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid introduction to life in the church. This book will be suitable for new believers as they are introduced to the church and what the Bible says about participating in its ordinances and practices. It is therefore ideal for discipleship (even to remind mature believers of body life). It also serves to highlight the importance of the church. Although Whitney sets out to teach the basics of church life, this may become ground-breaking if the gathering of the church continues to be viewed as non-essential.

[Sephine Bondurant · Rating 1 out of 5]

I DNF’d this book after the first chapter. It was a profoundly exclusionary text that was way more judgmental than I could have imagined after reading the introduction and back of the book. It completely went off topic and basically said if you are not attending a church and don’t feel guilty about it you aren’t saved. That’s just not biblical and unhelpful for those going through the confusing time of spiritual upheaval in their lives.

[Esther · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rated with grace since it was written in 96 lol

[Alexandre · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is filled with biblical truths that remind us the importance of the ministry of the local church for our growth in the Christian life. It mainly addresses the problem of not attending and being a member of a local church, but, for those who are church members, it is also helpful to remind us biblical truths about the local church that makes us appreciate it despite its weaknesses. It encourages us to love the church as Christ love the church as his spouse because he is the one who builds it. As Christians we are called to be active members of his body, to love God and one another, by living the spiritual disciplines in the local church.

[Rob · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author makes some good points regarding spiritual disciplines within the Church. However, some of his claims are not biblically based, though he would have the reader believe that they are.