Gospel Next Door: Following Jesus Right Where You Are

by Marty Troyer

As Christians, we pray for God's kingdom to come "on earth as it in heaven." But what does that even mean? Would we recognize God's kingdom if it moved in next door?
Learn to see God's work in your neighborhood, city, and the worldand learn how to join it. With stories from his own city of Houston, Texas, author Marty Troyer introduces a theology of place that empowers us to truly see the work of God where we live, work, and play. The Gospel Next Door unpacks the gospel through the lenses of following Jesus, making peace, and overcoming injustice. Those seeking to connect more deeply with the world that God so loved will find compelling stories and practical ideas for healing brokenness and imagining new life. Start living out the kingdom of God here and now.

Genres: Nonfiction

250 pages, Paperback

Published June 20, 2016

Reviews

[Kyle Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about living in a missional community, following Jesus wherever he leads you. It should come as no surprise that our location greatly affects and shapes our mission. Being on mission is not for special people called missionaries doing special things called missions in special places far away. We are called to do the kind of things Jesus would do if he were living our lives. The mission of the church is born where the Gospel and culture intersect. This book seeks to help us become a gospel-formed church culture that enters the gaps where we are needed most.

The author of this book is Marty Troyer. Marty is the pastor at Houston Mennonite Church: The Church of the Sermon on the Mount, in Houston, TX. Unlike other books about missional living and incarnational community, this is not a book that says "This is my church and this is what we do in the community". Instead, the author is saying "These are the people of our community and these are the stories of how they make it a better place". Troyer tells stories of ordinary people in Houston that make a difference while living like Christ. He also tells stories of the homeless and less fortunate in and around Houston.

This book is not a checklist to being more like Jesus. The author identified four core habits that he says may lead you to new ways of following Jesus right where you are. Likewise, the book is divided into four parts:

Part 1 - The Gospel as Lens - Our discipleship will be energized when we cultivate spiritual imagination in our local community

Part 2 - The Gospel Gift of Jesus - Christians will experience greater levels of personal transformation with a new disciple-making culture

Part 3 - The Gospel Gift of Peace - Our eyes will be more closely aligned with God's when we read the Bible with voices that are not in the mainstream

Part 4 - The Gospel Gift of Restoring Justice - Foundational to the call to follow Jesus in our neighborhoods is orienting ourselves over and over again in worship to the God of mission and justice

I would highly recommend this book to all Christians looking to start, refine, or enrich their missional life. I received this as a free ARC from Herald Press on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Gospel Next Door is filled with wonderful stories, many pulled from the everyday life of author Marty Troyer's beloved hometown: Houston, TX. Each story illustrates a different facet of how living the gospel of justice, truth, and peace right where we are can transform the places we live, and restore wholeness to people, places, and systems that are broken.

Even though so many of the stories focus on Houston, you'll see your own town, city, or neighborhood in these stories too. Some of the stories will make you uncomfortable; some will inspire you; others will surprise you. But woven through them all is the theme of the 'gospel lens' - seeing our cities and neighborhoods with the eyes of God and joining him in his transforming work. And as we move through the stories, we end with celebration - celebrating "God’s gift of restoring justice and our role as partners in bringing God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven."

Another reviewer here, Kyle Robertson, stated that "Unlike other books about missional living and incarnational community, this is not a book that says 'This is my church and this is what we do in the community'. Instead, the author is saying 'These are the people of our community and these are the stories of how they make it a better place'. " I find Kyle's definition of what the book is NOT to be very helpful! The Gospel Next Door is unlike other books I have read on similar topics and I find this one both more approachable and more challenging because it's so honest and practical.

Full disclosure: I know the author and have read this book a number of times throughout the editing process. However, the above is still my honest and unbiased review; having seen earlier versions I think the final edition is exceptional. I highly recommend this book to anyone who would like to see traditional views of 'discipleship' shaken up, and those who yearn for justice and transformation for EVERYONE in our communities.

[Linda Washburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is Jesus doing now, and what could he be doing in your community? Troyer answers these questions through local examples, personal testimony, and Scripture. The Gospel Next Door is a motivation and challenge to Christians who strive to see Jesus’ words and their beliefs lived out in our own environments. For spiritual seekers, the book is a hopeful vision of how Biblical teaching should ideally be transforming our communities.

[Carolyn Lind · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Has too much information ever slowed down your desire to put faith in action? It certainly can happen, with committees spinning their wheels, churches waiting for more information, and small groups getting all their ducks in a row before moving forward."

"....here's what I'm coming to believe about becoming disciples...We're trying to do something on our own that was always intended to be lived in community:And not just any community, but a community that exists for others and demonstrates God's alternative to the famine of dominant culture." -p. 100

"...when people get out of their churches and into action, it gives their neighbors hope." -127

"It reminded me of the night the first Gulf War began with 'smart' bombs and Tomahawk missiles raining down on Iraq in 1991. I watched the war unfold with no media mention of Iraqi families like Mahmoud's, who were undoubtedly collateral damage. That night I felt hollow, and promised I'd never again pledge my allegiance to any flag or anyone other than God." -129

""God loves the whole world and that encompasses loving us individually. he doesn't love us individually until he ends up loving everyone. The difference is significant because the second order shows the influence of our individualistic American subculture instead of the God who made heaven and earth.'" -Mark Labberton p. 134

"...justice is the quality of right relationships that are healthy, flourishing, life-giving, working as designed, committed in covenant and joy, with shared resources aplenty."-p. 169

[Frodo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learning to see the Gospel of Christ at work in one’s neighborhood, and choosing to be part of that journey is the adventure our local church is embracing. Troyer’s book is inspirational and challenging. How do we step away from obvious comforts and embrace the discomfort of the unknown? What about asking a new person to join us in our home? How about going to a neighborhood meeting for the first time with the willingness to see new opportunities to experience the Gospel of Christ.

[Wintermote · Rating 5 out of 5]

This here’s one that I will want to go back to. Although a lot of the books apply specifically to larger cities, there is much that could be applied to smaller communities as well. Troyer present a beautiful case for reframing our very definition of the gospel and missions to a truly Anabaptist one of shalom grounded in justice for all.

[Joe McFadden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read my full review/summary here:https://joemcfadden.org/2016/06/13/th...

First let me start by stating I would give this book 5 stars and would recommend it to others. Here are a few reasons why:

Marty Troyer has done well at helping the reader redefine and reimagine what it means to join God in His mission of being formed by the Gospel message of Jesus and living this out in the world around us. Troyer uses many personal examples to illustrate how to do this in practical yet tangible ways. The reader is invited to imagine things differently: God, the gospel, the places we live, and our part in God’s restoration process. Troyer does well pointing to the life of Jesus as an example of the things God is passionate about. We often find that the things we value and hold dear are far off course from what God values. This requires a reorientation and re-imagining our lives to be shaped and conformed by Jesus’ life.

Troyer does well to give the reader a broader understanding and definition of love and peace (Shalom) and how these words are far more encompassing than what our modern cultural understanding of them are. For instance Troyer states: Shalom is what the world would look like if we were healthy spiritually, relationally, and in our interactions with creation. Troyer also writes about a “missional form of worship” and how this takes place with an overarching redefining of “worship” from the pictures our mind usually conjures up upon hearing this word.

I also enjoyed Troyer’s understanding of spiritual formation presented in his book. We tend to reduce spiritual formation to primarily a come and learn type of environment that focuses more on education than anything else. Missional Christians must resist the cultural inertia of learning about. Our new faith formation practices will center on learning to. Learning to love, learning to act for justice, learning to see our world as it is and can be. Troyer calls this type of learning environment “Faithwalking”: Faithwalking is based on the belief that personal transformation happens through the integration of action and reflection, and almost always with others. Through a series of retreats, cohorts, and coaching, Faithwalking uses this same cycle of practice and reflection to form disciples in three core competencies of missional engagement— liberation, learning, and living.

Sometimes when we contemplate how to help others we can become overwhelmed by the enormity of the task. It becomes easy to get discouraged and ignore the mission we feel called to. Troyer does well to reinforce how steps in doing what we can in a situation can have an impact. In essence focusing on what God has called us to do to impact those around us and being faithful in doing so. Troyer also challenges the readers understanding of justice in a positive way to get the reader thinking beyond traditional forms of justice to restorative justice.

NOTE: I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

[Wesley Rostoll · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up with what I assume to be a pretty standard understanding of the gospel story. Jesus died for our sins so that one day when we die we can go to heaven. Our time on earth could be thought of as a doctors waiting room where we simply hang around running down the clock, staying vigilant lest we don’t hear our name called out when it’s our time to move on to the great physician in the sky.

This is not the story of The Gospel Next Door though. Marty Troyer has delivered a message to us that the gospel is good news right now. This Jesus who brought good news to the poor, who healed the broken hearted, set the captives free and gave sight to the blind is very much alive today in you and me and His heart has not changed. We are all missionaries’ right where we live, not in the traditional sense of the word but rather as Gods children with the ability to impact our communities right where we live.

This book is full of stories from the authors own life as well as the people around him which connects the gospel to who God is and what it looks like when His people start to practically demonstrate the life and love they find in Him to others. The stories that are shared are really what make this read so powerful; it’s not just a neat little doctrine we can jot down in a notebook and forget about but a challenge to the church to recognize where God is at work and to join in with Him. To quote Marty himself, “Love is possible. Hope is possible. Joy is possible. Taking risks, overcoming fears, dealing with negative emotions and anxiety, moving beyond habitual disobedience – are all now possible. The welcome and integration of strangers, extravagant generosity and simple living, serving the marginalized, working for the common good: these, too, are possible. I believe if God brought Jesus back to life, then even I can change!”


The Gospel Next Door moves beyond simple statements about loving and serving others. Whole chapters are devoted to exploring the devastation of war, to exposing modern day slavery and how our lifestyles unwittingly support it. One of the chapters explores the Black Lives Matter movement. All three topics revealed a degree of ignorance in my own heart toward the injustices in this world which I often simply never saw. Marty’s pastoral skills must have been at work here though because rather than shame, I felt encouraged to move forward from where I am. I am excited about the prospect of growing more and more into the role of seeking the shalom of my own city. Whether it is in paying attention to the things I consume and how they affect the people and environment to how I directly interact with those around me.

By the conclusion of this book I felt like an Esther, called to a time and place such as this. The gospel is about more than just sin management and the afterlife. Participating in restorative justice is a powerful way to prophetically claim the kingdom of God. This book reveals that far better than I can, I hope the Gospel Next Door falls into as many hands as possible.

[Ethan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Anabaptist view of evangelism and promotion of the Gospel in a local area.

The book is divided into sections, focusing on how the Gospel exposes and illuminates what is going on in society, how Christians are to look like Jesus, promote what He promoted, and participate in effective discipleship, seeking peace and the common good, and work in social justice.

The Anabaptist tradition is big on pacifism and justice, and has taken well to modern social justice causes, and so that emphasis is not terribly surprising. The author works and lives in Houston and tells many stories about the work done there.

The author's primary audience is Evangelical Christianity, and attempts in many ways to cause discomfort among the comfortable, and for good reason. Thankfully, whereas the author thinks highly of social justice causes, and believes they are to be incorporated into the work of the promotion of the Gospel, he recognizes that social justice on its own does not inherently save. He points out the incongruity between the thirst for violence in culture and how the Gospel treats violence. He does well to show that concern about souls without concern for real-world situational difficulties is insufficient. Even though he works within systems he recognizes the value of individual interaction and individual effort in reaching people.

But the social justice emphasis is quite strong. It is easy to get very taken in by such causes and neglect the greater spiritual issues. Nevertheless, a book that will challenge your thinking.

**galley received as part of early review program.

[Alan Stucky · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me a bit to figure it out, but what I realized was that what Marty does in this book is two really important things.

1) He helps us read our neighborhoods through the lens of the Bible. He give a lot good examples of what it looks like to apply Biblical concepts of justice and peace and love in real and practical ways. He shows what it looks like for neighborhoods to be transformed by the work of the Spirit.

2) He helps us read the Bible through the lens of our neighborhood. What I mean by this is that Biblical principles take on specific names and places when you read this book. Resisting principalities and powers isn't just an abstract idea. Marty gives stories and examples of how resisting principalities and powers is about restoring trailer parks to communities and creating places that build up the common good. Yes he brings in things from his particular location, but it's a very easy jump to see similar places in my own community.

This book is great and it'll be on my churches require reading list at some point in the near future. It should be on yours as well.

[Donald Clymer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Throughout this important work, Troyer challenges Christians to learn to see people and institutions as Jesus sees them. We have become blinded by a “spirituality of adjustment;” adjustment to a theology of empire which is replete with injustice, adjustment to materialism, adjustment to retributive justice, adjustment to militarism, adjustment to racism and adjustment to individualism over community. These adjustments blind us to the real message of Jesus, “because seeing the world through the eyes of God [only happens] when we see the world from where Jesus lived— on the margins.” The weakening of the Gospel with these adjustments are pursuing “cultural assimilation” rather than “revolutionary liberation.” Through stories of his pastoral ministry in Houston, Texas, Troyer challenges us to imagine “closing the gap between the way it is and the way it could be.” “Who do you see when you step outside your front door?” Troyer asks. “Is there anyone there you’ve been blind to? Is there anything in God’s Word you’ve been blind to?”

[April Yamasaki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve come to appreciate author Marty Troyer as “The Peace Pastor,” who lives, works, and writes in Houston, Texas. His regular columns in the Houston Chronicle are Jesus-centred, thoughtful, and provocative, and so is his new book. The Gospel Next Door communicates in a personal, accessible, and inviting way as it clarifies what it means to follow Jesus in daily life. Real-life examples and practical questions throughout help me to imagine and re-imagine the possibilities in my own community. For my full review, see 5 Ways to be Inspired by The Gospel Next Door.

[Russell Threet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a strong resource for those seeking to impact their community for those who do not know Jesus Christ. The author really makes the strongest of cases for the necessity of being aware of your surroundings in Gospel ministry. What works in Houston may not work in New England or Seattle. This awareness, when paired with universal biblical truth allows the Gospel to be received more readily by the community around us. Reading this book gives some solid concepts to the church or minister that has a heart for the lost person next door.

[Twila Wiens · Rating 5 out of 5]

The stories in this book are shining examples of living the teachings of Jesus in our daily lives.
Troyer encourages us to apply those teachings every day as we relate to our own communities. When we absorb the teachings of Jesus into our lives, we can see the Divine in those around us. Then we can better meet the needs in our communities. The Gospel Next Door is an exciting, positive book that challenges us to think of our Christian faith in a new way.

[Tikri /Letitia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Won this book as a Goodreads Giveaway. My lucky day. Gave it 5 stars, excellently written. My personal comment is that he gathered splintered dry sticks, struck a match, and God spoke to my heart in the fire.