A Future That's Bigger Than The Past: Towards the renewal of the Church

by Samuel Wells

A Future that’s Bigger than the Past sets out a vision for renewing the local church that is energising, realistic and practical for small and large congregations alike.In response to prevailing narratives of decline, it reimagines how the church can live its vocation of receiving the abundance God gives us, and sharing that abundance far and wide. It recognises the surprising, exuberant and plentiful things that the Holy Spirit is doing in the world and calls the church to celebrate creation, enjoy culture and share in their flourishing.With a rich theological foundation and borne out in the practical experience of a growing number of local church communities, this groundbreaking book will enable churches to discover fresh ways in which they can become a blessing to the communities they serve.

Genres: Nonfiction

198 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 30, 2019

About the author

Samuel Wells (PhD, University of Durham) is vicar of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Anglican Church at Trafalgar Square in London. He previously served as dean of the chapel and research professor of Christian ethics at Duke University. Wells is the author of several books, including Be Not Afraid, Improvisation: The Drama of Christian Ethics, and Transforming Fate into Destiny: The Theological Ethics of Stanley Hauerwas. He also coedited, with Stanley Hauerwas, The Blackwell Companion to Christian Ethics.

Reviews

[James Tetley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Bold Reimagining of Church Renewal: Moving from Scarcity to Abundance

In A Future That’s Bigger Than the Past, Samuel Wells (Vicar of St Martin-in-the-Fields) offers a refreshing and intellectually stimulating antidote to the "narrative of decline" currently haunting the Western church. Unlike many manuals that focus on doing more work to fix the pews, Wells asks the church to rethink its entire orientation toward the community.

The Core Philosophy: "Being With" vs. "Working For"
Wells distinguishes his approach by moving away from "problem-solving" models. He identifies four ways the church engages with its neighbors, arguing that the most powerful—and most like the ministry of Jesus—is "Being With."
• Working For: The church acts as a benefactor, providing services to a "needy" community (a model that often creates distance and power imbalances).
• Working With: Collaborative effort where the church and community use their combined skills to solve problems.
• Being For: Advocacy and standing up for the community's interests.
• Being With: The primary goal. It’s about relationship, presence, and recognizing that we have "everything we need" in one another, rather than seeing the community as a mission field to be fixed.

The 4 Cs: A Holistic Mission Model
Wells presents a unique framework—the 4 Cs—which allows a church to sustain its mission while deeply integrating with the secular world:
1. Congregation: The internal life of worship and community.
2. Compassion: Partnering with others to serve local needs without being patronizing.
3. Culture: Using the church as an "estuary" where creative energy (music, art, ideas) flows between the sacred and the secular.
4. Commerce: Generating income through social enterprise and commercial activities to make mission financially sustainable.

The Building as Mission
One of the book's standout sections is how it treats the physical church building. Rather than seeing it as a drain on resources (a "white elephant"), Wells argues it should be a "public parable." He suggests that by opening the building for commerce and culture, the church demonstrates God’s abundance. It moves from being a private club for members to a dynamic center of flourishing life for the entire neighborhood.
Final Verdict: This isn't a book about "working harder" to save an institution. It’s a book about opening our eyes to the abundance already present in our communities. If you are tired of "nickels and noses" metrics and want a vision that celebrates the secular community as a gift rather than a problem, this is a vital read.

[Adam Metz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The chapters of this book are from Wells' lectures at the 2019 Chalmers Lectures in Edinburgh. I found some of the lectures to be especially poignant and relevant for what I expected when I heard about the book (chapter one, in particular, greatly helped push my thinking regarding the relationship between business, money, and the church), while others were a bit more theoretical and connected less to me. His context of England occasionally brings contextual variants that make some of the conversation less relevant than others. I loved how he couches his work in the language of "a future that's bigger than the past" and he does a admirable job of taking Christian leaders beyond the box of traditional practices and beliefs of church looking ahead to what that future might look like. Overall, I think this conversation may be a bit premature for many churches in the United States, but I found his insights prophetic, challenging, and an important consideration for current ecclesial conversations taking place in the US. Of particular note is a detailed alternative metric in the appendix that helps churches wrestle with measurables in churches beyond the traditional obsessions with "nickels and noses." This book is worth the read for any minister or ministry leader searching for the way forward in a culture less and less amenable to traditional Christianity.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

The vicar of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Anglican Church in London's Trafalgar Square gave six talks for the 2019 Chalmers Lectures in Edinburgh which form the backbone of this book. Wells considers the renewal of the church through commerce, culture, congregation, and compassion. This is the vision of the church network, HeartEdge, that his congregation established.

There is much to reflect on here about how congregations can bless their communities that transcend any given location, yet much of what makes St. Martin in the Fields unique is that it sits on the edge of a vital public square in central London. It would probably translate better to historic village churches in England than to many congregations scattered across the United States. The author served for seven years as a professor of Christian ethics at Duke University and the dean of its chapel, so he does know this context as well and I do see how he seeks to broaden the reach of the ideas shared in this thoughtful book.

His helpful analysis of different means of assessing "success" that matches the desired impact is something that will have me diving deeper into the tools he references.

[Jeffrey Tooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exploration and evaluation of mission and congregation

Samuel Wells explores alternative ways to consider the mission of the Church and its congregations. He explains additional considerations beyond the usual faith-based mission objectives and looks at wats to evaluation the healthiness of one's congregation or Church. Wells' objective is to emphasize that, with such an approach, the Church and one's congregation can experience vibrant, healthy growth rather than decline and deterioration.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A helpful and thought provoking read exploring how the themes of commerce, compassion and culture can offer possibilities for congregations to embrace a bigger Kingdom vision. A book I will probably dip in and out of in the future depending on the context I find myself in.

[John MOREHOUSE · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is Hope

This passionate reflection on what is possible for the church could save it. The church has a opportunity to connect helping people in need with staying relevant. This is one way how.

[Andy Sheppard · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting book with many insights which will stay with me.