Church in Hard Places: How the Local Church Brings Life to the Poor and Needy

by Mez McConnell, Mike McKinley, Brian Fikkert (Foreword)

It is impossible to alleviate poverty―in its fullest sense―apart from the local church. In recent years, Christians have shown an increased commitment to helping the poor. But this renewed interest in poverty alleviation is doomed to fail if it is not rooted in the local church―God’s established means of drawing downtrodden people into a transformative relationship with himself. Emphasizing the priority of the gospel, Mez McConnell and Mike McKinley, both pastors with fruitful ministries among the poor, offer biblical guidelines and practical strategies for planting, revitalizing, and growing faithful churches in hard places―in our own communities and around the world.

Genres: Church, Christian, Ecclesiology, Theology, Evangelism, Faith, Nonfiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 31, 2016

Reviews

[Jethro Wall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this at a time of my life when I’ve been wrestling with a bunch of the concepts presented in the book - and in some pretty tangible ways. It totally resonated with me, and helped me. On the whole (while there are some tiny nuances I might differ on), I believe having a high theology of the local church like this book advocates is so utterly unquestionable. Fully respect and recommend.

“The one unique thing that a local church has to offer to people mired in poverty is the gospel of Jesus Christ… the gospel comes to a poor person with news of a loving God who did not withhold his own Son but gave him up freely for the salvation of sinners… It is our conviction that the one thing the poor need most is the gospel message.”

[Todd Miles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be my favorite of the 9Marks books. McConnell and McKinley provide solid ecclesiology while answering the deeply practical questions surrounding helping those who are truly hurting. Their call for church planting as a necessary part of the solution to helping those in impoverished, drug-affected, and high crime areas of cities is clear. Throughout, their commitment to the full-orbed gospel is clear.

[Jon Surrette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summer Delta Reading 1/3: Overall has been a great resource for the Delta and in general. Crazy to see the overlaps with so many impoverished places. If you’re looking for insight on how spiritual transformation creates cultural transformation, this is a great place to look. Great book, real straightforward authors.

[Zach Brandt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid, but not overwhelmingly new.

Most of the book is a defense of Gospel-centered, church-based ministry among the poor. Typical 9Marks stuff. If you’re familiar with 9Marks, there’s not much new. If you’re not familiar, this is a great way to explore their model related to ministry in difficult places.

There's a great section on raising up leaders from the population you are working with.

The conclusion has 4 principles to help distinguish between wise and unwise service opportunities. For the most part those principles are helpful.

[Harriet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great book!! Highly recommend to anyone who goes to church in a “hard place” e.g. council estate. So many good things to reflect on like ensuring discipleship opportunities are available, how to preach to people from non-academic backgrounds, getting people serving quickly (what Jesus did!) and why membership is important in these contexts (beyond it being biblical which is rightly pointed out as a good enough reason). Will definitely return to this in the future.

[John Pawlik · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book! Essentially a church planting book that focused on planting among poorer and impoverished communities. There’s some good reflection on inner city ministry in general apart from church planting specifically as well. Overall pretty helpful.

[Ainsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super special book for me in two ways:
1. It speaks pretty directly to the situation of my local church and its location
2. This is the first book I’ve read that combines what I’m studying in school with my faith which was such a wonderful and inspiring and encouraging thing to have!

[Ricardo Daglio · Rating 5 out of 5]

INTRODUCCIÓN

Puede que al momento que lees el título de este libro inmediatamente te hagas la pregunta sobre lo que es “un lugar difícil”. Todo este mundo es difícil para la iglesia porque ella posee su ciudadanía en los cielos. Pero lo que Mez y Mike tratan de comunicarnos es otra cosa. Este no es un libro de doctrina, y sin embargo ésta abunda en sus páginas. No es un libro de teología, pero al leerlo puedes darte cuenta que está sostenido por ella. No trata acerca de la eclesiología, pero es imposible ignorarla o pasarla por alto. Ahora bien, ¿qué es entonces lo que los autores quieren decirnos acerca de lo que significa “un lugar difícil”? ¿La iglesia entre gente sin trabajo? ¿La iglesia entre gente ignorante? ¿Eso es difícil?

¿QUÉ ES UN LUGAR DIFÍCIL?
Los autores reconocen que consideran algo difícil más bien trabajar entre gente de buen pasar económico, gente que aparente no precisar nada, “¿Cómo le hablas a un tipo que no siente necesidad de Cristo porque está distraído con su materialismo? ¿Cómo tener éxito en un área llena de ciudadanos agradables, respetuosos de la ley, que no engañan a sus esposas ni golpean a sus hijos, y que pasan las noches cómodamente en el sofá viendo reality shows? Eso sí que es difícil.” (p. 21) Entonces ¿qué es lo que realmente significa? Es que el concepto tiene que entenderse desde la expresión “la iglesia” y no simplemente el evangelismo en lugares difíciles. Lamentablemente se ha hecho solamente hincapié en evangelizar, pero eso no constituye una iglesia. “La parte más difícil del ministerio se encuentra en el discipulado y la disciplina. En efecto, podríamos decir que es más fácil hacer que la gente entre por la puerta principal. El verdadero problema es mantener la casa ordenada una vez que todo el mundo está dentro. La conclusión de todo esto es que, sí, estamos llamando a este libro La iglesia en lugares difíciles porque comunica rápidamente la idea de que estamos hablando de plantar, revitalizar y hacer crecer iglesias que alcanzan a los oprimidos económica y socialmente.” (p. 22) Eso es un trabajo difícil.
Un lugar de pobreza no tiene que ver únicamente con ausencia de recursos económicos sino también de “la impotencia, la desesperanza, la pérdida de significado en la vida y la vergüenza.” (p. 30)

ORGANIZACIÓN DEL LIBRO
Mez y Mike organizaron del libro de manera sabia y adecuada. Tres partes bien definidas que ayudan al lector a no perder el hilo conductor:

Parte 1: El Evangelio en Lugares Difíciles
Parte 2: La Iglesia en Lugares Difíciles
Parte 3: La Obra en Lugares Difíciles

Parte 1: El Evangelio en Lugares Difíciles
En la sección introductoria del libro se da por sentado, y como cimientos inamovibles, que el evangelio debe propagarse, que eso debe ocurrir también entre los pobres; y que debe suceder a través de la iglesia local porque ella esta en “el centro de los propósitos de Dios, entonces la congregación local tiene que estar en el centro de la práctica de la misión” (p. 34)
En este punto el libro se adentra para explicar una lamentable realidad y que tiene que ver con la necesidad de tener mucho cuidado con entender que no todo evangelio que hoy se predica es un evangelio bíblico. Así nos presentan ejemplos de esta realidad: “Muchos jóvenes (que hacen trabajo misionero a corto plazo) hablan como si las buenas nuevas trataran acerca de ellos y su sentido de la autoestima. Pueden captar elementos como el amor de Jesús o el hecho de que murió en la cruz, pero es raro encontrar a alguien que pueda dar una declaración completa e integral del mensaje del evangelio. Es como si hubiéramos convertido la mayor noticia de la historia del mundo en un sistema terapéutico de autoayuda, envuelto en una jerga eclesial y una psicología popular barata." (p. 42) Y que en la Iglesia de Niddrie Community, “tenemos que impartir clases tituladas «¿Qué es el evangelio?» y «Cómo dar tu testimonio», ¡a los equipos misioneros que nos visitan! Es irónico y un poco triste que las personas se gasten tanto dinero y viajen distancias tan largas para ayudarnos a compartir un mensaje que no pueden explicar.” (p. 42) Luego de esto y con suficiente información bíblica y ejemplos concretos, los autores nos muestran como DIOS - HOMBRE - CRISTO - RESPUESTA, es el desarrollo óptimo del mensaje de salvación también a las personas de lugares difíciles. Y junto con esto, se enfatiza la importancia de la doctrina de una iglesia que “determina el carácter y la calidad de su testimonio. Su teología configura sus objetivos y su forma de intentar alcanzar esos objetivos.” (p. 68) Para la clase de libro que tenemos delante, se nos presenta una satisfactoria razón por enfatizar la necesidad de la doctrina puesto que “La Salvación requiere doctrina” (p. 70); la Santificación requiere doctrina” (p. 72); el Liderazgo requiere doctrina (p. 77); y la Evangelización requiere doctrina “ (p. 78)

Parte 2: La Iglesia en Lugares Difíciles
Este es un capítulo que de alguna manera deberíamos mirar como el punto de inflexión de libro. Para valorar la importancia de la iglesia, Mez y Mike nos hablan del problema “paraeclesiástico”, es decir, cuando no es la iglesia sino diversas instituciones y organizaciones las que se encargan supuestamente de manera especializada en hacer el trabajo que le corresponde a la iglesia de Cristo de manera local. Los ministerios paraeclesiásticos se transforman en un problema y un obstáculo ya que sustituyen a la familia de la iglesia en su trabajo y ministerio lo cual es espiritualmente peligroso porque la sustitución que hacen no es otra cosa que un maquillaje para cubrir una falencia que atenta contra el plan original de Dios para la iglesia. Los ministerios paraeclesiásticos finalmente compiten con la iglesia local y la debilitan, pero no la apoyan en absoluto no importa lo que sea que digan al respecto. “A pesar del oropel y el glamour que rodean a muchos de estos ministerios no han sido ordenados por Dios de la misma manera que la iglesia local. A pesar de los errores y las debilidades de las iglesias, estas siguen siendo las únicas instituciones en la tierra establecidas y autorizadas por Dios para obrar explícitamente en el ministerio del evangelio, tanto en los lugares difíciles, como en cualquier otro.” (p. 94)
Para remarcar la importancia de la iglesia local el libro nos recuerda seis cosas que son prerrogativas de la iglesia:
1. La iglesia local es la manera en la que Dios lleva a cabo su misión en el mundo.
2. La iglesia local debería importarnos porque es importante para Dios.
3. La iglesia local es donde el creyente crece.
4. La iglesia local es el lugar donde los creyentes deben someterse a la autoridad espiritual.
5. La iglesia local es el lugar idóneo para la rendición de cuentas espiritual.
6. La iglesia local es el lugar en el que la disciplina es administrada bíblicamente.
Seguidamente aprendemos sobre la labor de la evangelización de la iglesia donde claramente se descarta que la tarea pueda ser definida como simplemente hablar o vivir el evangelio, sino más bien hacerlo entendiendo que “El evangelio es un mensaje con un contenido objetivo, y la gente debe comprender ese contenido si quiere acudir a Cristo para salvación.” (p. 113) El evangelio es algo que se enseña. Pero también al pensar en los pecadores es necesario “persuadirles de las verdades del evangelio tal y como están reveladas en la Biblia.” (p. 115). Así, con estas pautas, el evangelio se debe asentar sobre el fundamento de la elección ya que esta doctrina “no solo alimenta el fuego de la evangelización, sino que además la mantiene ardiendo indefinidamente.” (p. 116) y también llevarse a cabo en el contexto de la iglesia, ya que “La iglesia equipa a los creyentes, asegurándose de que entienden el evangelio y de que tienen motivaciones bíblicas. Es el lugar en el que los creyentes oran por la difusión del evangelio, y donde reciben, bautizan y discipulan a los nuevos creyentes.” (p. 119). También se nos recuerda que la evangelización debe llevarse a cabo en la vida cotidiana.
Dos aspectos muy relevantes cierran esta segunda parte del libro: La importancia de la predicación bíblica, donde toda la Biblia bien predicada es clave para una iglesia sana. El segundo aspecto que se destaca es la necesidad de enfatizar la membresía y la disciplina en la iglesia local donde Mez y Mike adhieren a esta enseñanza bíblica que conocemos bien y en detalle en otros libros de 9Marks.

Parte 3: La Obra en Lugares Difíciles
La palabra que describe esta sección en general es la palabra “Preparación”, que abarca desde la necesidad de reconocer la dura realidad que se va a enfrentar, tener en claro la motivación que no será otra que el amor a Jesús. Escucha a Mez “¿Cuál sería una buena motivación para este tipo de obra [entre los Drogadictos y los Pobres] ? Confieso que un drogadicto maloliente y mentiroso no me inspira a entregar mi vida por él. Solo mi amor por Jesús me permite amar a esas ratas. Solo una verdadera comprensión de la gracia de Dios en Jesús y el hecho de que Cristo muriera por una rata como yo, junto con una buena comprensión del evangelio, me permite servir alegremente a personas como estas, a pesar de su indiferencia y hostilidad hacia mi ayuda. Al final, no lo hago para complacerlos a ellos sino para servir amorosamente al Salvador que me ha redimido a mí de la misma fosa." (p. 161)
Luego, y creo que es un aspecto fundamental de la preparación, es importante considerar cómo el ministerio en lugares difíciles afectará nuestro entorno más íntimo, que incluye que tu familia y tu iglesia estén a bordo de esta misión en oración y con una diáfana comprensión de la comunidad a la que ministrarás con el evangelio.
Finalmente la última sección del libro nos concede abundante material sobre la preparación de personas para este ministerio, la manera de enfrentar fracasos, y la no negociable necesidad de calcular el costo para trabajar como iglesia en lugares difíciles.

CONCLUSIÓN
“La Iglesia en Lugares Difíciles” no contiene fórmulas nuevas sino un metódica orientación bíblica para aplicar los principios del Nuevo Testamento en doctrina y práctica para la vida de una iglesia local. No hay duda que los parámetros circunstanciales varían notablemente donde la necesidad es más abundante desde el punto de vista moral, emocional y social; pero no es menos cierto que el Evangelio de Jesucristo suple con creces cada una de estas limitaciones. Un libro desafiante y lleno de exhortaciones para las iglesias locales y sus liderazgos. Confío en que cualquier lector sea pastor o no, encontrará mucha información para meditar, evaluar y llevar a la práctica en oración y desafiado por la verdad.

[Aardvark · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book addressed an issue that i rarely spend much time thinking about, and so i was intrigued at first. however, i found it a little general, basic, and too sweeping, thus resulting in it being only 2/5 stars. examples of this included multiple gospel presentations and reminders of the necessity of preaching, which are not bad intrinsically, but i felt were unnecessary and included simply for the sake of including them.

with that said, i was fairly challenged by a few points and was given some food for thought. here are some of them:
1.) "so let's put it all together: if it is God's will that the poor and marginalized should be the recipients of his love and salvation, and if the normal way that poor people will hear of that love and salvation is through the witness of a local church, then it seems that Christians churches should invest themselves in establishing churches that will reach the places where poor people live."
2.) the poor, abused, and marginalized need to understand that they are not good people who have been in tough circumstances, but that they are sinners. i was challenged to question whether i would really try and communicate (sensitively of course) that victims of abuse are sinners. "just because my stepmother used my kidneys as a punching bag for most of my early childhood does mean that i am any less culpable for my sinful, wicked rebellion against God."
3.) repentance looks different for different people. we cannot expect people to change in a day. drug abusers or the sexually promiscuous may take time to completely change the way they live. just because they continue to struggle or occasionally fall back into sin does not automatically disprove their repentance.
4.) poor people can understand and need doctrine. "poor people are poor, but they are not stupid. they are just as capable of understanding the character and ways of God as anyone else."
5.) yes the gospel can change people in a day, and people are justified instantaneously. but on the surface, evangelism requires patience, persistence, and repetition of truths.
6.) we must view the poor and marginalized with grace and hope. "this dirty, aggressive, biblically illiterate young man might potentially be a future pastor and leader in the church. the question is: does your church have a clear discipleship pathway for these kinds of young men and women? or are these kinds of people tolerated until they drift back to their old life, and then everyone breathes a secret sigh of relief?" ouch.
7.) discern your gifts and seek to serve and sacrifice more strategically. it is not prideful to do what you think you are good at. it is strategic and sensible.

[Caleb Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

If what is said in this book is statistically true, it’s heartbreaking to know the disproportionate amount of churches planted in high- middle class communities compared to the poor. Based on my observations as well as what’s surveyed in this book, poor communities are left to liberal, prosperity preaching wolves and have a lack of genuine gospel preaching churches evangelizing and discipling the people out of a local church plant . The response to this issue is simple though not easy. It’s not through parachurch organizations or mercy ministry outreaches that serve the poor once a month. It’s only when you plant healthy, biblical local churches and pursue biblical discipleship in these poor areas can you ever solve the much deeper issues at work in the communities. This solution is a long game, but worth the work to seek and save that which Christ died for.

[Jake Auton · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I am seeking to discover what ministry will look like in the Bronx, this book has been incredibly helpful! This book is full of Gospel-centered truth and helpful information for anyone seeking wisdom on how churches in how places should function, from the schemes of Scotland to the immigrant communities on the eastern coast of America.

[Felipe Bezerra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um bom livro, confrontador. Gostei principalmente pelo fato dos conceitos serem sempre seguidos de base bíblica e exemplos das vivências dos autores em diferentes contextos. Um bom livro para compreender a missão da igreja local em meio a lugares pobres, economicamente falando.

[Gustavo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excelente libro!

El libro muestra un buen balance entre la doctrina y la práctica, dándole la importancia adecuada al evangelio sin dejar de lado los temas de labor, planificación, contexto, cultura y justicia social.

[Isaiah Dunk · Rating 2 out of 5]

challenging book.
certain doctrines and rhetoric around hell i don't really jive with but nonetheless, valuable encouragement in here around investing sacrificially in the communities we find ourselves in

[Jared Segerstrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a thought-provoking book on ministry to those in poverty and challenging situations. I liked the collaboration between the two authors, one who was working in a hard place (Scotland schemes) and one who was in the suburban U.S. Together they brought a robust theology to the topic.

[Josh Mccracken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic vision for what the church should be and is

[Syd Sawyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal read. Ministry in difficult places is hard and discouraging— but so necessary. This book really put it into a tangible perspective. Hard places are worth fighting for!!

[Chase Calkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good. I’d consider this a must read on two fronts 1.) the priority and importance of the local church and 2.) how to spread the gospel in “hard” places

[Shihong Zu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book for free at TGC, and didn't think much of it when I got it.
But after reading the Intro and chp 1, I was proven wrong and the authors did not disappoint.
An incredible book on ministry, I know I will go back to these principles in the future.

[Abbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book surprised me! I’m not sure what I expected, but it’s not just a book about better mercy ministries. It’s about how God calls the local church to share the gospel in words (and actions). It’s about the hard, longterm work of loving others, walking with them, and becoming like Jesus together.

Some favorite quotes:

“Healthy, gospel-centered, local churches are the God-ordained way to do ministry in hard places.” (87)

“How does Christianity thrive when doing good has replaced speaking gospel truth?” (97)

Evangelism “takes more than an event or a piece of literature; it requires actually engaging with people and getting involved in the mess of their lives… Evangelism doesn’t start with doing something; it starts with who we are and how we live.” (104)

“The bottom line is that churches in hard places, like all places, must cultivate cultures of discipleship and ministry, where the members, leaders, and would-be leaders learn to disciple one another and understand such activity to be an ordinary part of being a Christian. This way they learn to serve, to fail, to forgive, to encourage, and to learn from one another.” (157)

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a bit of a curve ball, but I found it more helpful than I expected.

It's really not a book about hard places as much as it is a book about the church, and how parachurch or specialized efforts to help the poor apart from the biblical local church routinely fail. It's an encouraging read from some guys who love the biblical model of church membership, preaching, discipline, etc. and the positive results they've seen in doing ministry in hard places.

[Abigail Scanlon · Rating 4 out of 5]

not a huge fan of the writing style, but the content was superb! really just talking about what the church should be doing, regardless of location — but location is important to how the church lives out its calling.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first, I assumed this was going to be rather superficial, and I was pretty sure I would end up disliking it because I dislike so much about what churches look like when they decide to modernize. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the authors called for a sound, Biblical approach to ministry among disadvantaged populations, including emphasis on the local church, making sure people understand the cost of following Christ, and disadvantages associated with parachurch organizations, "handout" ministries, and short-term missions. This would be a good read for those involved in church planting and community outreach.

[Eleazar Maduka · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good read!
Mez and Mike simply show us that the greatest need of the poor and needy is the gospel. While I am in a different context from the authors, I could easily understand the stories drawn from their experiences, and I found most of their arguments to be biblically sound.
As someone who does ministry in a hard place, this book has both encouraged and challenged me.

[Walt Walkowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this can be a valuable book for churches and pastors who are considering a ministry specifically to the poor. Both Mez McConnell and Mike McKinley speak with insight into the work, and offer valid cautions and encouragements. So I believe this is a worthwhile read. That said, I think the book has some shortcomings. First, while both authors speak in principals and generalities about working with the poor, the reader doesn't necessarily come away with a full understanding of how either of the authors' churches is involved, and how that informs the counsel they provide. (McConnell provides the most information about his ministry, which he describes as essentially a church plant in a poor neighborhood, while McKinley's church is apparently outside the neighborhood it seeks to serve.) So, it is somewhat difficult to envision how the principles being offered are actually lived out. Second, in encouraging the church to be the vehicle for missions, the authors seem to argue that parachurch ministries targeted specifically to serving the poor are extraneous and ultimately unhelpful. The authors' critique of parachurch organizations is that they obscure the gospel through their service, lack (or shirk) the ability to disciple, and intentionally (or otherwise) reinforce impoverished people's dependency on outside agencies and groups for subsistence. This characterization of parachurch organizations is a gross overgeneralization. Moreover, in what little the reader can glean about McConnell's ministry--McConnell is the harshest critic of parachurch organizations--there appear to be some of the same issues present. McConnell admits to relying on a number of "outsiders" (people who are not from the neighborhood he serves) who are funded by those who are "outsiders" (in the same way a missionary would raise support) without there necessarily being a great deal of oversight or accountability. Additionally, McConnell admits to hiring new converts out of the neighborhood he serves to part-time paid church staff positions to evangelize the neighborhood--a task the Bible indicates is the duty of all believers, and not one requiring a paid position. All-in-all, one gets the idea that while McConnell's ministry holds a service on Sunday and has elders, in all other respects it operates very much like the parachurch organizations he criticizes. This leads to my third complaint, which is that the book fails to address why local churches (with local American churches probably being the target audience) struggle with ministry to the poor, or even refuse to do it outright. That unwillingness of the local church to be involved in ministry to the poor may be the very reason why McConnell has adopted such an unorthodox church structure (at least from what can be delved from the book). But without addressing this (glaring) issue, and suggesting solutions to it, the call of the authors for local churches to be (solely) responsible for the care of the poor rings a bit hollow. This review is lengthy and probably seems harsh; I don't mean it to be. I believe the authors have started to address an important topic for the church, but the key word is "started." There are other questions to consider, especially related to how to begin the process of assessing whether a church should be involved in a poor community and how it should be involved. I also think that the authors should be more open to exploring church-parachurch partnerships that put the right people in the best places to serve the poor, while local churches do more to invest themselves in the work beyond writing a check. Again, I think this book is a worthwhile read, but I also think it's only the starting point of a longer, more involved discussion on this topic.

[Daniel Calle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Los autores Mez McConnell y Mike McKinley vienen de dos contextos muy diferentes, pero ambos tienen pasión por el evangelio, la centralidad de la iglesia local y el ministerio a los pobres. Este es un libro que trata acerca de cómo alcanzar a las comunidades pobres con el evangelio de Jesucristo. La respuesta es por medio de la plantación y fortalecimiento de iglesias locales sanas en esas comunidades.

La pobreza no tiene que ver solo con la falta de recursos económicos o bienes materiales, sino con la falta de esperanza y propósito en la vida. La necesidad principal de los pobres de la sociedad es el perdón de sus pecados en Cristo. No podemos olvidar esta verdad. De otra manera, confundiremos nuestra misión y la iglesia se convertirá en una organización benéfica con programas de ayuda social y nada más. Según los autores, los ministerios de misericordia solo son buenos para la iglesia y para la comunidad cuando cumplen con el propósito de evangelizar. Es interesante que, más allá de ciertas estrategias y consejos acerca de lo que debemos o no debemos hacer, la esencia del libro se centra en fundar iglesias sanas, tener un entendimiento correcto del evangelismo y discipulado. y una estructura bíblica con ancianos, membresía y disciplina en la iglesia local.

"Church in hard places" es un libro que nos anima a salir de nuestra comodidad y buscar aliviar la pobreza por medio del ministerio de la iglesia local. Más iglesias necesitan tomar este desafío.

[Ethan McCarter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one of those books that I seriously contemplated rating higher than 3, and there were some chapters that were excellent with great counsel. Then there were some where I was scratching my head too. Mez and I would come at church in hard places differently of course due to some different ecclesiology making things obviously different. I appreciate the two author's commitment to ministering in difficult situations to people who need a lot of time and attention. I especially appreciate their understanding of repentance and how untangling sin in some folks lives is like hacking through the Gordian knot. That being said I disagreed on certain aspects too such as using the church as a community hub without actively pointing to the Gospel. Of course I'm for building relationships with the folks of the parish I minister in, but Christian witness is what the church is called to do as a part of her worship and commission. Many things are means to an end and are useful as such. It's a helpful book in many ways, and one of the better in the 9Marks series, with many useful bits and some less helpful. I minister in a similar place to Mez though on another island so I do feel where he's coming from in a lot of ways.

[Ben Shore · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book touches an area that I am very passionate about and even though I don't agree with the approaches to everything, it highlights important questions that the church needs to ask. How does the church effectively bring life to poorer areas and how do we address pitfalls that it has encountered before?

I do agree with the authors that mercy ministries and parachurches can only be taken so far, but insofar as they fill the gaps left by the church, I do still think there is a good place for them to function in a way that brings people to Christ. The latter chapter on things to be culturally sensitive to in order to not 'middle class and westernize' to be the most helpful. I would have also appreciated more focus on this topic in general as a foundation prior to speaking about things like eldership and church discipline. The doctrine piece I particularly shy away from, as churches focused on this area often do so in an unhealthy or unbiblical way. This book highlights too many things that I would deem to be unessential. Though this book excels at reinforcing that there is no short term solution. If you are called into this area, you should do so for the long haul.

[Robert King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential read for anyone questioning the necessity of the church to grow biblically sound followers of Christ, defend the purity of the historic gospel, and maintaining a redemptive purpose in all outreach ministries.
The authors do an excellent job of explaining, and defending, the foundational role of the church in championing a biblically faithful, historically grounded gospel message as the only means of all redemptive ministries, especially among the poor. In fact, they argue that any ministry to the poor that is not rooted in the redemption proclaimed in the gospel, spread by, and through, the church cannot be called ministry, but rather is simply social welfare which has no power to save or transform a life, much less a community. They do not argue against parachurch organizations working to alleviate suffering, but rather, contend that such organizations be connected to, and linked with a local congregation to maintain redemption as the ultimate goal of all outreach. This was the heart of Christ’s ministry to the poor on earth; redemption!

[Christopher Good · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eight out of ten.

McConnell and McKinley are concise and direct, and both have a tongue-in-cheek humour that livens their arguments. The book is clean and well-organized, and the prose is shockingly readable without being simplistic.

The kind of ministry in which the authors are involved is close to my own heart, and many of their perspectives resonate with me. There are plenty of practical applications I feel I can make from this book. Also, I agree with them that the local church is an intensely important part of the Christian experience, and their argument that the church is central to evangelism was pleasantly surprising.

I don't necessarily agree with the Calvinist understanding of evangelism, but it wasn't a big enough part of this book to really get under my skin.

Definitely recommend this for church people and for church leaders and church planters, especially those considering work in "hard places".