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Building the Body: 12 Characteristics of a Fit Church
Just as a physically healthy person--at an ideal weight and with good blood pressure and cholesterol numbers--might not actually be fit enough to run a 5k, so churches can appear healthy--with no obvious issues, maintaining a healthy size--and yet not exhibit fitness. A fit church is one that is not satisfied with merely coasting along with no problems. A fit church is actively making disciples, maturing in faith, developing strong leaders, reaching out to the community, and more.Building the Body offers pastors and church leaders twelve characteristics of fit churches and shows them how they can move their church through five levels of fitness, from beginner all the way to elite--just as an athlete, through training and practice, can become the top in his or her class. Includes comparison charts at the end of each chapter so readers can clearly see where their church currently falls and concluding "Complete the Progress Chart" so that they can see what their goals should be for the future.
232 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 2, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 9, 2018
I like the authors' emphasis on a fit church as opposed to a healthy church. They draw the parallel to a healthy human, with low blood pressure and cholesterol levels, who is unfit and can't do physical activity. They identify five fitness levels of churches: beginner, novice, intermediate, advanced, and elite. Fit churches must be strong, able to endure, be flexible, and eat right (from the Word). Being a fit church requires being intentional and having discipline.
The authors go through the twelve characteristics of a fit church, including a Plan of Action for each fitness level of churches. They also include guidelines for developing ministry, such as effective evangelism. They give many church success stories and some enlightening stories of churches not being successful.
I liked some of their insights. For example, some churches assume, in error, that having building in the community makes them present in the community. (Loc 671/3396) They also note that some churches learn to function well with their dysfunctions, their dysfunctions becoming the norm. (Loc 244/3396)
I did not like the emphasis on the paid staff. Paid staff is to be the financial priority in the church's budget. (Loc 1108/3396) The pastor is described as the SEO (spiritual executive officer) of the church. He is responsible for hearing from God and setting the vision for the church. (Loc 2025/3396) Lay people, I guess, are not invited to be part of the discerning process. I think that emphasis sends the wrong message to lay people who often minister several times a week in addition to their 9 to 5 job. This especially hurts when the pastor's salary and benefits are far above the average income of the lay people. Lay people are quick to conclude that they are not important. The authors had previously written, “Becoming a fit church is directly proportional to the degree the people of God are active in ministry.” (Loc 879/3396) Pastors and their visions come and go. It is ultimately the lay people who keep the church moving toward fitness.
Another area of the book puzzled me. When the authors write about worship, they include lots of characteristics and strategies. They recommend development by a team, evaluation, planning, paying attention to things like pace and flow, being culturally relevant, being Christ exalting, and more. The authors never mention intentionally seeking what pleases God in worship nor praying to God to ask the Spirit to lead the worship planning process.
The authors have left the importance of prayer to the last quarter of the book. I would rather have had prayer emphasized at the beginning of the book, as an initial foundation, not near the end. But then, this book is pretty much a facts and figures kind of book. For example, the authors describe the baseline of the health of a church as the number of salvations, baptisms, and funds invested in disciple-making initiatives. (Loc 1920/3396)
For a book on the church to be really effective, I think it needs to be meaningful in all nations and cultures. It seems like this book concentrates on American churches. A fit Chinese underground church probably would not consider hiring a sound technician as part of their worship ministry, let alone even have a building that required sound. A pastor in Africa probably would not be able to plan out his sermons a year in advance nor think about hiring a paid worship staff person.
I did realize a couple of truths in reading this book. I found out that being a fit church takes a great deal of intentionality and work. It is not going to happen by accident. Just the development of lay ministry, including mentoring and encouraging, would be a full time volunteer job. I also understand that my discomfort with some churches has been because they were not fit.
I do recommend this book to lay people and paid church staff to get a good idea of what a fit church is like. There is a great deal of informative material in this book. Potential readers need to realize, however, that “fit church leaders” (Loc 1117/3396) may be few in number and not a reasonable expectation for your church. It may be up to you as a lay person to initiate the movement of your church to fitness. This book will give you a good start on that journey. I would recommend that you read this book along with another one that emphasizes the spiritual nature of a healthy or fit church.
This is a critical review from a lay person who has been active in churches for fifty years, on church boards, director of adult education, teaching adults classes (often twice a week), all while working full time at the small Christian bookstore I owned. My criticism of the emphasis on paid staff arises from the year our church was without pastoral staff. I was on the church board during that year, chair of the deacons. We had more people involved in ministry that year than I had ever seen. People stepped up and volunteered to preach, to lead worship, to lead ministries. People later told us they had never seen the church function so smoothly. It can be done if the lay people are well informed and included in every aspect of decision making, including seeking God for vision and direction.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.
The authors go through the twelve characteristics of a fit church, including a Plan of Action for each fitness level of churches. They also include guidelines for developing ministry, such as effective evangelism. They give many church success stories and some enlightening stories of churches not being successful.
I liked some of their insights. For example, some churches assume, in error, that having building in the community makes them present in the community. (Loc 671/3396) They also note that some churches learn to function well with their dysfunctions, their dysfunctions becoming the norm. (Loc 244/3396)
I did not like the emphasis on the paid staff. Paid staff is to be the financial priority in the church's budget. (Loc 1108/3396) The pastor is described as the SEO (spiritual executive officer) of the church. He is responsible for hearing from God and setting the vision for the church. (Loc 2025/3396) Lay people, I guess, are not invited to be part of the discerning process. I think that emphasis sends the wrong message to lay people who often minister several times a week in addition to their 9 to 5 job. This especially hurts when the pastor's salary and benefits are far above the average income of the lay people. Lay people are quick to conclude that they are not important. The authors had previously written, “Becoming a fit church is directly proportional to the degree the people of God are active in ministry.” (Loc 879/3396) Pastors and their visions come and go. It is ultimately the lay people who keep the church moving toward fitness.
Another area of the book puzzled me. When the authors write about worship, they include lots of characteristics and strategies. They recommend development by a team, evaluation, planning, paying attention to things like pace and flow, being culturally relevant, being Christ exalting, and more. The authors never mention intentionally seeking what pleases God in worship nor praying to God to ask the Spirit to lead the worship planning process.
The authors have left the importance of prayer to the last quarter of the book. I would rather have had prayer emphasized at the beginning of the book, as an initial foundation, not near the end. But then, this book is pretty much a facts and figures kind of book. For example, the authors describe the baseline of the health of a church as the number of salvations, baptisms, and funds invested in disciple-making initiatives. (Loc 1920/3396)
For a book on the church to be really effective, I think it needs to be meaningful in all nations and cultures. It seems like this book concentrates on American churches. A fit Chinese underground church probably would not consider hiring a sound technician as part of their worship ministry, let alone even have a building that required sound. A pastor in Africa probably would not be able to plan out his sermons a year in advance nor think about hiring a paid worship staff person.
I did realize a couple of truths in reading this book. I found out that being a fit church takes a great deal of intentionality and work. It is not going to happen by accident. Just the development of lay ministry, including mentoring and encouraging, would be a full time volunteer job. I also understand that my discomfort with some churches has been because they were not fit.
I do recommend this book to lay people and paid church staff to get a good idea of what a fit church is like. There is a great deal of informative material in this book. Potential readers need to realize, however, that “fit church leaders” (Loc 1117/3396) may be few in number and not a reasonable expectation for your church. It may be up to you as a lay person to initiate the movement of your church to fitness. This book will give you a good start on that journey. I would recommend that you read this book along with another one that emphasizes the spiritual nature of a healthy or fit church.
This is a critical review from a lay person who has been active in churches for fifty years, on church boards, director of adult education, teaching adults classes (often twice a week), all while working full time at the small Christian bookstore I owned. My criticism of the emphasis on paid staff arises from the year our church was without pastoral staff. I was on the church board during that year, chair of the deacons. We had more people involved in ministry that year than I had ever seen. People stepped up and volunteered to preach, to lead worship, to lead ministries. People later told us they had never seen the church function so smoothly. It can be done if the lay people are well informed and included in every aspect of decision making, including seeking God for vision and direction.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.
January 25, 2018
Originally posted at growthingrace.org/2018/01/24/review-b...
Gary L. McIntosh and Phil Stevenson, Building the Body: 12 Characteristics of a Fit Church. (Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing, 2018). pp. 219, $15.99.
In Building the Body, Gary McIntosh and Phil Stevenson hope the reader sees the difference between being healthy and being fit. The introduction provides the framework from which the authors write. They state there are “five core beliefs” which “guide the move toward church fitness” (19). Of these beliefs, the first two are philosophically oriented, and last three are experiential. The authors want churches not to be merely healthy, but fit and prepared for service and action.
Their emphasis on being fit over being healthy involves an understanding of ‘healthy’ which not all may ascribe to. While their analogy can be helpful, it breaks down when we understand that a Biblically dis-obedient church may be fit by their external standards, but are leading people astray. A person may be fit but suffer from clogged arteries or be diagnosed with a disease. Externals do not always paint an accurate picture of the inside. Ultimately, I understand what they are trying to communicate, but their analogy fails won’t stand up to a few minutes of pondering.
Churches will find themselves at different points of fitness. For each of the twelve characteristics, the authors utilize a “Plan of Action” for each level of fitness. The flow between their argument to application was well crafted.
Some of the things McIntosh and Stevenson say are both helpful and encouraging. At the beginning of the first chapter on “Outreach” the authors state, “An outward focus is the beginning point for outreach.” This flies in the face of many churches who suffer from contentment and are melancholy. Being a “fit” church requires intention, it requires purpose and vision. In their chapter on ‘Community Engagement,’ they provide excellent ideas for any leadership group to engage in, such as asking to identify better who they need to reach out to, their needs, and the best course of action.
There are many things I wish this book would have addressed, but I know this book is not meant to contain an entire theology of the church. However, I cannot help but point out the shortcoming in placing prayer in the last of the characteristics (meaning in the back of the book). By this I do not mean to condemn the authors as neglecting prayer; the content of the chapter is good. But it is my opinion that they would have done well to place it at the very beginning. We accomplish nothing without the work of the Spirit and ‘Divine Empowerment.’ No amount of outreach will “save” a soul if it is not the will of God. The very essence of the Christian life is dependence upon God, and the characteristics of a fit church are to be considered prayerfully.
In conclusion, I would recommend picking up a copy of Building the Body. While I have ecclesiastical differences with the authors, they encourage the reader to take an honest look at their church. This is something many churches fail to do. When churches (and church members) get comfortable, it can be incredibly difficult to get started again, especially when we face such opposition in our postmodern, largely post-Christian culture. If we take a break from exercising and observing the calories in food, we can quickly be addicted to unwholesome food. We are then in a poor position to get ‘fit.’ American Christianity is in the same condition. Addicted to poor food and slothful. The church needs to get ‘fit.’
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes. My comments are independent and my own.
Gary L. McIntosh and Phil Stevenson, Building the Body: 12 Characteristics of a Fit Church. (Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing, 2018). pp. 219, $15.99.
In Building the Body, Gary McIntosh and Phil Stevenson hope the reader sees the difference between being healthy and being fit. The introduction provides the framework from which the authors write. They state there are “five core beliefs” which “guide the move toward church fitness” (19). Of these beliefs, the first two are philosophically oriented, and last three are experiential. The authors want churches not to be merely healthy, but fit and prepared for service and action.
Their emphasis on being fit over being healthy involves an understanding of ‘healthy’ which not all may ascribe to. While their analogy can be helpful, it breaks down when we understand that a Biblically dis-obedient church may be fit by their external standards, but are leading people astray. A person may be fit but suffer from clogged arteries or be diagnosed with a disease. Externals do not always paint an accurate picture of the inside. Ultimately, I understand what they are trying to communicate, but their analogy fails won’t stand up to a few minutes of pondering.
Churches will find themselves at different points of fitness. For each of the twelve characteristics, the authors utilize a “Plan of Action” for each level of fitness. The flow between their argument to application was well crafted.
Some of the things McIntosh and Stevenson say are both helpful and encouraging. At the beginning of the first chapter on “Outreach” the authors state, “An outward focus is the beginning point for outreach.” This flies in the face of many churches who suffer from contentment and are melancholy. Being a “fit” church requires intention, it requires purpose and vision. In their chapter on ‘Community Engagement,’ they provide excellent ideas for any leadership group to engage in, such as asking to identify better who they need to reach out to, their needs, and the best course of action.
There are many things I wish this book would have addressed, but I know this book is not meant to contain an entire theology of the church. However, I cannot help but point out the shortcoming in placing prayer in the last of the characteristics (meaning in the back of the book). By this I do not mean to condemn the authors as neglecting prayer; the content of the chapter is good. But it is my opinion that they would have done well to place it at the very beginning. We accomplish nothing without the work of the Spirit and ‘Divine Empowerment.’ No amount of outreach will “save” a soul if it is not the will of God. The very essence of the Christian life is dependence upon God, and the characteristics of a fit church are to be considered prayerfully.
In conclusion, I would recommend picking up a copy of Building the Body. While I have ecclesiastical differences with the authors, they encourage the reader to take an honest look at their church. This is something many churches fail to do. When churches (and church members) get comfortable, it can be incredibly difficult to get started again, especially when we face such opposition in our postmodern, largely post-Christian culture. If we take a break from exercising and observing the calories in food, we can quickly be addicted to unwholesome food. We are then in a poor position to get ‘fit.’ American Christianity is in the same condition. Addicted to poor food and slothful. The church needs to get ‘fit.’
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes. My comments are independent and my own.
January 13, 2018
We live in a culture that says it values health. We all want to be healthy, but there is a sizable portion of the population that isn’t interested in doing the things that it takes to get and stay fit. It seems like it’s just a lot easier to visit the doctor, see how our choices have affected our health, and head to the pharmacy for the latest in a long list of prescriptions. Yes it would healthier to quit smoking, change the diet, cut back on the drinking, get more sleep, and go to the gym. But who has the time, energy, interest to do all that? (as a side not, after I started reading this book, even though it’s not about our physical health and fitness, I went and signed up at a Fitness place opening near my house.) That means convicting. I pay them money, and they didn’t even give me a tee-shirt (or a speedo, because I’m mostly interested in the pool). Ask me in 6 months how it’s working out.
I started reading this book and posted this on social media: “Wow! And I’m only on page 27. XXX I think you might like this book. XXX you might get some ideas too.” And no I didn’t recommend to my friends because of any health issues they may or may not have. You see they’re both interested in the main topic of Building the Body: 12 Characteristics of a Fit Church” by Gary McIntosh and Phil Stevenson (Baker Books, 2018).And that topic is not just the health, but the fitness of the local church.
Since as a society and culture we’re obsessed with fitness, the authors use a physical fitness model to talk about the church. (They attribute their model to the American College of Sports Medicine.) Fitness has 5 components: cardiovascular endurance, muscle strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition. They break each of these categories in sub-categories to define the 12 characteristics. Things like outreach, effective evangelism, strategies for making disciples, vision, worship, stewardship, and several other key elements.
And to further the sports analogy, the physical fitness part, they turn to one of America’s favorite fitness activities (no, not watching football on the TV-chips in one hand, beer in the other). They talk about runners, and break them into 5 categories. 1) Beginner: no experience, philosophical-they like the idea of running, but haven’t really engaged in the activity. 2) Novice: some background in running, can perhaps run up to 3 miles—actively learning. 3) Intermediate: making progress in both running time and pace, and demonstrate knowledge of running well. 4) Advanced: familiar with necessary training, they push themselves and look for others to challenge them. They also share their expertise. The final category, 5) is the Elite runner. They compete at higher levels. Olympic class athletes.
So what does this have to do with church growth, one of Dr. McIntosh’ area of expertise? He applies it to the church. Gary and Phil put churches into this 5 categories, and provide helpful ways to evaluate where your church is. And they offer a disclaimer: rejoice where you are doing the right stuff, and identify areas for improvement—then push your church to the next level. After all we all want to make a difference for the Kingdom, and just as in physical fitness, being healthy is good, but being truly fit is better!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my review
5/5
I started reading this book and posted this on social media: “Wow! And I’m only on page 27. XXX I think you might like this book. XXX you might get some ideas too.” And no I didn’t recommend to my friends because of any health issues they may or may not have. You see they’re both interested in the main topic of Building the Body: 12 Characteristics of a Fit Church” by Gary McIntosh and Phil Stevenson (Baker Books, 2018).And that topic is not just the health, but the fitness of the local church.
Since as a society and culture we’re obsessed with fitness, the authors use a physical fitness model to talk about the church. (They attribute their model to the American College of Sports Medicine.) Fitness has 5 components: cardiovascular endurance, muscle strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition. They break each of these categories in sub-categories to define the 12 characteristics. Things like outreach, effective evangelism, strategies for making disciples, vision, worship, stewardship, and several other key elements.
And to further the sports analogy, the physical fitness part, they turn to one of America’s favorite fitness activities (no, not watching football on the TV-chips in one hand, beer in the other). They talk about runners, and break them into 5 categories. 1) Beginner: no experience, philosophical-they like the idea of running, but haven’t really engaged in the activity. 2) Novice: some background in running, can perhaps run up to 3 miles—actively learning. 3) Intermediate: making progress in both running time and pace, and demonstrate knowledge of running well. 4) Advanced: familiar with necessary training, they push themselves and look for others to challenge them. They also share their expertise. The final category, 5) is the Elite runner. They compete at higher levels. Olympic class athletes.
So what does this have to do with church growth, one of Dr. McIntosh’ area of expertise? He applies it to the church. Gary and Phil put churches into this 5 categories, and provide helpful ways to evaluate where your church is. And they offer a disclaimer: rejoice where you are doing the right stuff, and identify areas for improvement—then push your church to the next level. After all we all want to make a difference for the Kingdom, and just as in physical fitness, being healthy is good, but being truly fit is better!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my review
5/5
January 26, 2018
"Building the Body" by Gary L. McIntosh and Phil Stevenson offered a great many insights into how to be a fit church. Being a runner, I was able to grasp unto the metaphors used throughout the text to speak of fitness. I can identify with the five points of fitness readily: Cardiovascular Endurance, Muscular Strength, Muscular Endurance, Flexibility and Body Composition are certainly necessary for the runner. I train the athletes on my Jr. High Track team to appreciate and excel in all these areas as much as their different bodies allow. Knowing much about this, grasping the application to the church was easy.
McIntosh and Stevenson take these five areas and divide them among twelve necessities for church fitness: Outreach, Effective Evangelism, Community Engagement, Personal Ministry, God-Honoring Stewardship, Leadership Development, Christ Exalting Worship, Disciple Making Strategies, Pastoral Leadership, Loving Community, Vision Directed Systems, and Divine Empowerment (Prayer). Each section was explored with expertise and gives great insight to how the church can thrive in today's culture. Particularly enlightening are the various sub-points they make for each category of fitness. For example, under evangelism they offer four insights that can assist a church in declaring the goal for evangelism-leading others to Christ-without being dependent on a particular method. These parts of the book were helpful.
Unfortunately, throughout the book, I felt McIntosh and Stevenson were addressing a particular type of church or a particular model that every church should become -- that of the large, multi-staff, multi-site church. Not every church is called to become this type of church; in fact many are not. The church I serve does not fit this paradigm and does not dream to. The church I serve is in a rural environment. It is also a very traditional church founded in the late 1800s. Could we aspire to this model, sure. Yet, this is not where our church is called. It would have been beneficial for the authors to consider how their idea of a fit church applies to different structures outside of that which they envision for the church--the multi-site/multi-staff church is a fairly recent phenomenon in church history and it is also very mired in the culture of the United States. This is not the only model for a fit church.
I received this book for review from Baker Book Bloggers
McIntosh and Stevenson take these five areas and divide them among twelve necessities for church fitness: Outreach, Effective Evangelism, Community Engagement, Personal Ministry, God-Honoring Stewardship, Leadership Development, Christ Exalting Worship, Disciple Making Strategies, Pastoral Leadership, Loving Community, Vision Directed Systems, and Divine Empowerment (Prayer). Each section was explored with expertise and gives great insight to how the church can thrive in today's culture. Particularly enlightening are the various sub-points they make for each category of fitness. For example, under evangelism they offer four insights that can assist a church in declaring the goal for evangelism-leading others to Christ-without being dependent on a particular method. These parts of the book were helpful.
Unfortunately, throughout the book, I felt McIntosh and Stevenson were addressing a particular type of church or a particular model that every church should become -- that of the large, multi-staff, multi-site church. Not every church is called to become this type of church; in fact many are not. The church I serve does not fit this paradigm and does not dream to. The church I serve is in a rural environment. It is also a very traditional church founded in the late 1800s. Could we aspire to this model, sure. Yet, this is not where our church is called. It would have been beneficial for the authors to consider how their idea of a fit church applies to different structures outside of that which they envision for the church--the multi-site/multi-staff church is a fairly recent phenomenon in church history and it is also very mired in the culture of the United States. This is not the only model for a fit church.
I received this book for review from Baker Book Bloggers
February 27, 2018
Every January the gyms fill up with people who made the New Year’s resolution to get fit. It is a time that the year round gym rats do not enjoy, but what gets them through this season of the year is the fact that it will be short lived. Before long they have their space once again as one by one people step out of their routines. They do so because fitness is tough and it takes great effort.
In much the same way church fitness requires the same tenacity and effort. In Building the Body: 12 Characteristics of a Fit Church, Gary L. McIntosh and Phil Stevenson attempt to show what it is going to take to build a fit church. Realizing that not every church is at the same place, they have divided each chapter into a section of teaching about that particular characteristic, followed by practical advice on how to improve in that characteristic according to where your church was in the process.
Likening the church to a body that is getting healthy through cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition, this book, published by Baker Books, takes you through a list of 12 characteristics that are needed for each section.
I found the teaching section with each characteristic to be rich with nuggets of truth. I really thought that part of the book was well done. Where the chapters lost me just a bit was when the authors attempted to give practical application on how to improve. Because I do not pastor a church that they would describe as elite, advanced, or even intermediate I found myself feeling that this was not written to me. I found myself struggling through those sections.
All in all I feel that this will be a book that I will refer back to at some point as I seek to build the church that I pastor. In short I have read better written books on church health but I certainly would not discount this read either.
I was given a copy of this book for an honest review.
In much the same way church fitness requires the same tenacity and effort. In Building the Body: 12 Characteristics of a Fit Church, Gary L. McIntosh and Phil Stevenson attempt to show what it is going to take to build a fit church. Realizing that not every church is at the same place, they have divided each chapter into a section of teaching about that particular characteristic, followed by practical advice on how to improve in that characteristic according to where your church was in the process.
Likening the church to a body that is getting healthy through cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition, this book, published by Baker Books, takes you through a list of 12 characteristics that are needed for each section.
I found the teaching section with each characteristic to be rich with nuggets of truth. I really thought that part of the book was well done. Where the chapters lost me just a bit was when the authors attempted to give practical application on how to improve. Because I do not pastor a church that they would describe as elite, advanced, or even intermediate I found myself feeling that this was not written to me. I found myself struggling through those sections.
All in all I feel that this will be a book that I will refer back to at some point as I seek to build the church that I pastor. In short I have read better written books on church health but I certainly would not discount this read either.
I was given a copy of this book for an honest review.
May 14, 2020
What does it mean to be physically “healthy”? What about “fit”? Is there a difference between the two? These are the questions Gary L. McIntosh and Phil Stevenson explore in their book Building the Body (subtitled 12 Characteristics of a Fit Church). “Just as physically healthy people might not actually be fit enough to run a 5k,” the book proposes, “so the church can appear healthy…but not exhibit fitness.” McIntosh and Stevenson guide readers through the five stages of fitness: cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition. These five sections are then explained further into things a church striving for “fitness” should work on. These things include Christ centered worship, community outreach, and personal ministry.
Throughout the book, the illustration of a runner is used. This illustration not only helps readers to remember the qualities of a fit church, but they also provide a good picture for readers to assess their own church. This illustration of running is even biblical. Paul compares a faith journey to a long-distance run: “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” – Hebrews 12:1 (NIV).
Throughout the book, the illustration of a runner is used. This illustration not only helps readers to remember the qualities of a fit church, but they also provide a good picture for readers to assess their own church. This illustration of running is even biblical. Paul compares a faith journey to a long-distance run: “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” – Hebrews 12:1 (NIV).
February 6, 2018
Building the Body: 12 Characteristics of a Fit Church by Gary L. McIntosh and Phil Stevenson is a book that explores how to keep a church healthy and thriving. The authors discuss the topics of outreach, effective evangelism, community engagement, personal ministry, God-honoring stewardship, leadership development, Christ-exalting worship, disciple-making strategies, pastoral leadership, loving community, vision-directed systems, divine empowerment, and tracking church progress.
My favorite chapter was “Christ-Exalting Worship,” especially the passages that defined worship and talked about the variances in worship styles. I also really enjoyed reading about the elements of a disciple-making strategy and five types of churches in the chapter “Disciple-Making Strategies.” Not only is Building the Body a good book for church leaders, but it is also helpful for laypeople; the book provides a good way for those in the congregation to examine the time and effort that church leaders often put into maintaining a healthy church.
*I received this book for review*
My favorite chapter was “Christ-Exalting Worship,” especially the passages that defined worship and talked about the variances in worship styles. I also really enjoyed reading about the elements of a disciple-making strategy and five types of churches in the chapter “Disciple-Making Strategies.” Not only is Building the Body a good book for church leaders, but it is also helpful for laypeople; the book provides a good way for those in the congregation to examine the time and effort that church leaders often put into maintaining a healthy church.
*I received this book for review*
January 18, 2018
This book was very encouraging and compelling to read with also had a lot of tool
Combined more than eight years experiences in church leadership from the author to share their knowledge and experience to assist others in developing their own running skills to increase their level of church fit with their community. I highly recommend to everyone must to read this book. “ I received complimentary a copy of this book from Baker Books Bloggers for this review”.
Combined more than eight years experiences in church leadership from the author to share their knowledge and experience to assist others in developing their own running skills to increase their level of church fit with their community. I highly recommend to everyone must to read this book. “ I received complimentary a copy of this book from Baker Books Bloggers for this review”.
January 10, 2018
Building the Body: 12 Characteristics of a Fit Church is an informative and practical resource for leaders within the church. This step by step approach is an easy to follow guide with useful tips and helpful ideas along the way. You will find scripture throughout helping you to focus on God’s word.
July 22, 2018
A very good book on the 12 areas that a church (of any size) should be investing itself.
September 13, 2023
A lot of detail but it adds up to a book with many great ideas for growth.
April 10, 2021
Book Review: Building the Body (12 Characteristics od a Fit Church)
By: Gary L. McIntosh and Phil Stevenson
Building the Body was a great read. As a pastor I thought there was a lot of insightful information. By using his personal story of weight loss and personal health Phil was able to really tie the levels of churches together with real life application.
My biggest complaint about this book is that is definitely written with the assumption that “Fit” churches are large churches. I don’t disagree that most “fit” churches are growing, and likely are or will be large in number, but I don’t think size is always a good indicator of health. They never explicitly say a fit church is a larger church, but based on many of the action steps to take as you increase in levels the assumption is you’re pastoring a larger church. The action steps start to call for more staff and a much larger budget. Some of this would happen naturally, but I’d say the target audience is more urban/suburban oriented. As a country church pastor you may have to adjust things accordingly. But no book is a one size fits all for every church.
That being said, I love the action steps. This book is so practical and you can tell it’s written from years of combined experience between Gary and Phil. This book is written in a way that a lead pastor could easily take his board/leadership team through it and begin applying the principles immediately.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. There were some brief moments I found my mind wandering, and I don’t think it is a book for everyone. But, if you’re in a church that is struggling to move forward from whatever stage you’re in this is a must read!
By: Gary L. McIntosh and Phil Stevenson
Building the Body was a great read. As a pastor I thought there was a lot of insightful information. By using his personal story of weight loss and personal health Phil was able to really tie the levels of churches together with real life application.
My biggest complaint about this book is that is definitely written with the assumption that “Fit” churches are large churches. I don’t disagree that most “fit” churches are growing, and likely are or will be large in number, but I don’t think size is always a good indicator of health. They never explicitly say a fit church is a larger church, but based on many of the action steps to take as you increase in levels the assumption is you’re pastoring a larger church. The action steps start to call for more staff and a much larger budget. Some of this would happen naturally, but I’d say the target audience is more urban/suburban oriented. As a country church pastor you may have to adjust things accordingly. But no book is a one size fits all for every church.
That being said, I love the action steps. This book is so practical and you can tell it’s written from years of combined experience between Gary and Phil. This book is written in a way that a lead pastor could easily take his board/leadership team through it and begin applying the principles immediately.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. There were some brief moments I found my mind wandering, and I don’t think it is a book for everyone. But, if you’re in a church that is struggling to move forward from whatever stage you’re in this is a must read!
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January 16, 2018I got one thing out of this book that will help me. It was in chapter 5 and gave the rough percentage of each item in a yearly budget of 6 basic categories. That was helpful for me.
The rest of the book was good, and there were some things I will steal to use in sermons. The discipleship section was very good. Especially the definition of a disciple: a disciple follows Jesus, a disciple is changed by Jesus, a disciple is on a mission with Jesus.
Glad to read this book.
The rest of the book was good, and there were some things I will steal to use in sermons. The discipleship section was very good. Especially the definition of a disciple: a disciple follows Jesus, a disciple is changed by Jesus, a disciple is on a mission with Jesus.
Glad to read this book.
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