Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
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Loving Your Community, by Stephen Viars, is a thought-provoking book that challenges churches to love their communities instead of only serving the needs of their members. This book presents stories of how meeting a community’s physical and practical needs can serve as a pathway to meeting people’s spiritual needs. Viars is a pastor at Faith Church in Indiana. This book draws from the steps that Faith Church took to reach out to their immediate community and show them God’s love. The ways Faith Church stepped out in faith are truly inspiring. For example, they bought a piece of dilapidated property and built a community center, started an annual Passion Play that serves as an outreach to thousands, and started rehabilitation centers that provide counseling and shelter.
Such projects may seem overwhelming to smaller congregations. However, Viars encourages churches to dream big, but to not be afraid to start small. He makes a good point that many churches sit vacant six days out of the week. If your church has a building with a place to meet, that could be a valuable space for those in the surrounding community. The church that I am a member of recently built a gymnasium and there has been a lot of talk about how we can use it as an outreach ministry. Loving Your Community illustrates what is possible when the Church opens it doors to their community and how God can be glorified in the process.