Why Church Matters is a reprint of Joshua Harris’s 2004 book formerly known as Stop Dating the Church. I understand the title change. As a pastor, if I were to recommend this book to someone or go through it in a small group setting on a Wednesday night, I’m not sure a book so negatively entitled Stop Dating the Church would place church members in the most receiving of dispositions. It would be difficult to get past the fact that their pastor may have just passive aggressively called them all church-daters.
Why Church Matters is framed more positively and sets up the book to paint a compelling picture of the importance of the church and encourages Christians to find value in what God has established for his glory and their good, the body of Christ. Harris certainly does this, and he does it in a straight forward and engaging manner that even the newest of Christians is capable of understanding. This is certainly the strength of the book. Clearly, articulately, pointedly and repetitively, Harris holds the church up high and asks believers to commit to it.
You will not find in this book a detailed biblical theology of the church. Such a study is beyond its scope and intent. However, you will find introductory answers to important questions about the church. For example, why do we need the local church? What are the responsibilities of the local church? What does church membership mean? What does church membership look like? How do I choose a church?
However, the main question the book intends to answer is found in its title, why does the church matter? It matters, according to Harris, because “it is the place where our new life in Christ is lived out and proven (47).” It matters also because the “church down the street” puts on display to non-Christians the truth that new-life in Christ is the foundation for a new society (37). Furthermore, it matters because if we are disenchanted with the local church, we are at best inconsistent, claiming to be followers of Christ while refusing to love those for whom he poured out his blood (47).
I would recommend this book. Harris offers a good introduction to the significance of the local church. It may be just what someone needs in order to make the move from worn-out church dater to fulfilled church member, a move that is a matter of life and death, a matter of persevering or faltering. The topic is a crucial one.
Read the first chapter here.
*FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION DISCLAIMER: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for the purposes of this review with no obligation to write a positive review.
