The Life of the Church: The Table, Pulpit, and Square

by Joe Thorn

What should a church do? Look at your church’s calendar and you will learn something of its mission. But how do you know it’s the mission Jesus gave? In The Life of the Church, Joe Thorn explains the mission of the church and the three rhythms for fulfilling it. The result is a simple, memorable model for church life and ministry, grounded in Scripture and aligned with historic practices. Useful for training in membership class, discipleship groups, and elder boards—and even for devotional reading— The Life of the Church is at once theological, practical, and experiential. Readers will not simply be informed, but led to a deeper conviction about their role in the body of Christ. Pastors will be equipped to refocus their ministries, and Christians to fulfill their be and make disciples. If you wonder what it means to be saved into a body of believers, why the various parts of a worship service matter, and how to engage in the world as a citizen of heaven, then The Life of the Church is for you. It answers this critical “Why does the church exist, and how does it shape my life?”

Genres: Theology, Ecclesiology, Church, Discipleship, Christian Living, Christian, Nonfiction

112 pages, Paperback

Published March 7, 2017

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Joe is the founding and Lead Pastor of Redeemer Fellowship in St. Charles, IL, and the author of Note to Self: The Discipline of Preaching to Yourself (Crossway/ReLit). He was a contributor to The Story ESV Bible and The Mission of God Study Bible. Joe is a graduate of Moody Bible Inst. (BA) and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (MDiv).

Reviews

[Jeanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The life of the church is experienced in three environments: the table, pulpit, and square. How we utilize these three environments help us answer the question: What does a church do? Until we see how the local church can be faithful to the Lord in these three environments, we will struggle to fulfill Christ's call. The more organized and focused a church is in these three environments, the more fruitful, steady and healthy it becomes.

These short text reflects what the heart of the church should be. I feel very fortunate that the church I attend reflects all three environments and how all three environments are not separate but easily feed off each other. One is not better than the other but the church leadership understands the importance of each one for the health of the church and the body.

The table reflects relationships within small groups and what this should look like. The table is doing life without trying to do life. It takes a commitment from all parties and really the starting point of a healthy church.

The pulpit is the liturgy and the teaching. How liturgy engages the body in scripture, confession, the sacraments and the good news of the Gospel. Words and deeds are from the same coin and it is from the pulpit that our motivation and reason grip our hearts.

The Square represents the community the church is placed in. Our square can be different depending the culture of the community and the church must be diligent in seeking the needs of their community. Whether it be for back to school, single moms, or the food pantry for the needy, we have many opportunities to meet the needs without selling the gospel. I loved this point because it can seem to some (and I am sure I am guilty of this) that we are selling something. Christians need to be set apart from doing good without expecting anything back. And to do good to those that don't deserve it. That is how we are more like Christ. Just as we did not deserve his mercy and grace, when we offer the same mercy and grace, we experience Christ and the community experiences the church.

I highly recommend this book and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

A Special Thank You to Moody Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

[Luke Schmeltzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book! Joe Thorn expresses his sharp theological mind and tender pastoral heart in this short book on the life of the church. The book centers on three concepts that define his ministry: the table, pulpit, and square. The table represents the interpersonal fellowship of church members that fosters a community of discipleship and Christian love. The Pulpit refers to the worship of the church as a whole- its singing, praying, and preaching. The Square represents the church's duty in the public square- its responsibility to love they neighbor and share the Gospel far and wide. I would heartily recommend this trilogy to all pastors and any church members who want to dig deeper into the life and purpose of the Church.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joe Thorn has written three very short but very helpful books.

The Heart of the Church: The Gospel's History, Message, and Meaning

The Character of the Church: The Marks of God's Obedient People

The Life of the Church: The Table, Pulpit, and Square

Each one is a joy to read. But I would rate them as follows: Good, Better, Best.

Good - The Heart of the Church

Better - The Life of the Church

Best - The Character of the Church

These ratings are not based on agreement or disagreement with the doctrinal content as much as the depth of insight and practical value each book provided.

[Andrew Gates · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short book and very readable. Good thoughts on the need for friendships with members of the church (the table) in order to obey all of God's commands and to do the Christian life. Also, some helpful ideas for evangelism (though the corporate church probably would not be able to do all that he suggests).

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just an amazing read.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good. Didn’t finish with the strength of 4/5 of the rest of the book. But a worthy, clarifying short read on church life.

[Dave Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Joe Thorn's third book in his series on the Church. Nicely written and to the point. All three books are well worth the read. Enjoy!

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joe Thorn has written a set of resources that the Church desperately needs and from which it will benefit greatly. These are short, approachable books that manage to cover complex and touchy topics with a degree of depth and clarity not often found together. Being able to distill these sorts of issues to a few pages while still presenting them in a thorough manner that even a novice will not struggle through too much is a gift, and Thorn (plus editors!) certainly has that gift.

The first book in the series is The Heart of the Church: The Gospel’s History, Meaning, and Message. Thorn covers the Gospel at its most basic level and dives into some more complex doctrines associated with the Gospel (e.g. justification, sanctification, the role of good works, the atonement, calling, etc.). Again, he does so in a way that will not leave the new believer behind, but he does not shy away from issues that will lead to questions and greater conversation.

The second book is The Character of the Church: The Marks of God’s Obedient People, and Thorn deals here with some more of the day-in, day-out aspects of a local church. Thorn examines what aspects must be present in a local church for the church to be healthy and biblical (Gospel preaching, sacraments, discipline, elders, deacons, evangelism, and discipleship). This volume will prove immensely helpful, especially for Baptists. Some sections may limit its ability to be a resource for non-Baptist churches, but if you just sprint over the baptism section as quickly as possible you won’t get too wet and should make it to the other side relatively unscathed. If you’re familiar with Thorn at all, you know he is firmly convicted of his beliefs and exceptionally gracious and loving with those whom he disagrees. That Spirit-led maturity is on display in this volume especially and makes the set that much more of an asset to the Church.

The final volume of this set is The Life of the Church: The Table, Pulpit, and Square. Thorn dives into some more thorny (huh?, huh? :-D) issues in this book and, again, does so quite well. Thorn looks at fellowship, how we worship as a corporate body, and how we engage the world around us. As if he wasn’t asking for it enough in his previous volume by dropping words like sacrament and excommunicate, this time around he has an entire chapter devoted to liturgy…and a good one at that! The section on how the church can engage the public square through participation, restoration, conversation, and multiplication is especially helpful. The fact that Thorn does not present multiplication as a method of creating a series of spin-off churches but rather as engaging in the process of aiding other bodies of believers in seeking to grow into a biblical and healthy existence is encouraging as well.

But, in fairness, most every line of these three books is encouraging. The topics addressed and the manner in which they are covered make this series a must have, especially for Baptist ministers welcoming new believers and new members into their local bodies. I am praying that plenty of churches will see the benefit of these books and utilize them accordingly. The Church around the world will be blessed for it.

ARCs provided for review

[Kyle Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this final installment, Thorn builds on the foundation principles laid out in the first two installments to show how the church should carry out the responsibilities it is entrusted with. He defines a local church as "an assembly of believers in Jesus who are united together by a common confession, are gathered in one localized body, are ruled by Scripture, and work together for the mission given to them by their Lord." There is an excellent discussion on the importance of discipleship, and then he moves into the three environments that encompass church life:

1) The Table - the smaller gatherings of the local church that bring church members together for mutual edification and fellowship. Hospitality is a key element in this section.

2) The Pulpit - the environment of corporate worship. This is the church’s central and largest gathering where God’s people meet together to receive the Word and ordinances. Important biblical principles of corporate worship are stressed.

3) The Square - the public square, the larger environment in which the church has been established. The square is the church sent into the world as salt and light. This section talks about conversation and multiplication.

A healthy church will live in all three environments intentionally, strategically, and passionately. As in the previous installments in this series, Thorn strictly adhered to biblical principles and admonishes that everything we do should be done for the glory of God!

I highly recommend this book to all Christians as we seek to fulfill the Great Commission and the Great Commandment. I received this as a free ARC from Moody Publishers on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've now read all three of Joe Thorn's books about the church: The Heart of the Church, The Character of the Church, and the Life of the Church. All three books are great, are necessary. In the Heart of the Church, the focus was on the gospel. In The Character of the Church, the focus was on shaping the church by the Word of God. In The Life of the Church, the focus is on the church--the people, not the building--in action. The first part is "The Table," and it is about the family of believers loving and serving one another in community. The second part is "The Pulpit," and it is about worship services. The third part is "The Square," and it is in this final section that Thorn tackles the question of the church's place in the larger community, the world.

[Peter Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Life of the Church: The Table, Pulpit, and Square by Joe Thorn is the third book in his series also containing, The Heart of the Church and The Character of the Church. In this book, he seeks to answer the question, “What should a church do?”

He begins by explaining that “a local church is an assembly of believers in Jesus who are united together by a common confession, are gathered in one localized body, are ruled by Scripture, and work together for the mission given them by the Lord” (9). What is that mission – “the primary responsibility given to the church” (10)? Thorn argues it is making disciples (10).

This occurs in three arenas:

First, the table. Here Thorn emphasizes the need for believers to practice hospitality and meet in small groups to study the Word and get to know each other and care for each other.

Second, the pulpit. Thorn explains that every Christian is to meet and sit under the Word read and preached and see it affect every part of the worship service, such that it is totally Word-centered. This is done because we exist to glorify God.

Third, the square. This means we are Christians, as well as the church, are to be “present, engaged, and known” in our community (79). We are to be known by the community for our doctrine and good works (80).

This is a particularly good primer on what it means to be the church. It is a book that is very accessible and can be used individually or in small group study – perhaps even given to every church member and explains through a sermon series, small group study, newsletter, or other means.

I would have preferred he start with glorifying God as being the primary work of the church and then find the three areas flowing out of it, but he does pick it up as the purpose we are to be aiming at, so it is there.

This is a valuable book in a time when people think the church is a babysitting organization.

[This review appears on my blog, my YouTube channel, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com.]

[Nathan White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thorn concludes this little 3 book series on a high note: I think this was the best of the trilogy. Here, he details the life of the church as focused on the table (hospitality, small groups, etc.), pulpit (corporate worship), and square (evangelism, outreach, loving our community, etc.). A solid overview - I'm going to get a box of these to hand out to people in our church.

Positives here: his handling of corporate worship is really good, and his treatment of the square (mission of the church, outreach, etc.), was fair and balanced given the strong opinions on social justice and the church's mission in the cultural realm these days. I wrote a lot of 'amens' in the margins.

Qualms: 'small groups' is such a broad term, and can and has caused a lot of confusion and error in the church today. He leaves this a bit too open-ended in his treatment. I believe intentional, personal relationships fulfill the 'table' aspect of our calling; small groups as they're traditional practiced too often de-emphasize corporate worship, exalt small group leaders as de-facto pastors, create separate churches within the church, in addition to a tendency to create cliques and factions as people tend to congregate toward small groups full of people just like them. So I'd balance Thorn's treatment with an emphasis on personal relationships with people, one on one bible study and prayer, hospitality, etc. Another qualm is that Thorn presents the table and the square as if these are on equal plane with the pulpit (see the drawing on page 13.) While all three are important and vital (hence the thesis of the book, which I whole-heartedly agree with), the pulpit is the center and most foundational, upon which the other two flow and derive their sustenance. So perhaps beginning with the pulpit (rather than the table), and making it central so that the other two are proper implications of it, would be a more accurate approach, IMO.

Regardless, I recommend this book, and this series. It's a solid intro into the life and doctrine of the church.

[Wesley and Fernie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As this is one book in a series of three companion books, I'm going to have a more concise review for each book.

I think what stands out the most about this book is how practical it is in regards to how we participate in the church. One of the points that sticks with me is when he said that we need to make sure we get proper rest before church so that we are fresh and engaged, able to participate and fellowship with others. This struck me because it's not something you normally hear, but makes total sense. I routinely see people coming into church tired and weary, guzzling down cup after cup of coffee and barely being able to stay awake during the service.

Certainly some people have no choice but to come in tired due to life and work circumstances, but it's practical advice like this that we should think about. We don't want to go into work tired and we always stress how important sleep is for children; we should be willing to follow our own advice, especially when it comes to worshipping the God of the universe and fellowshipping with His people.

I look forward to going through the other two books in this series. Joe Thorn is a great writer and really knows how to engage the reader.

[Chris Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The final book in this series from Joe Thorn follows the simplicity and usefulness of the first two offerings. Balanced between biblical faithfulness and helpful examples, The Life of the Church is a needed book in many churches. I say this thinking primarily of church planters like myself. However, it’s useful for all churches regardless of size to use as a diagnostic tool.

Moving through three ministry areas (Table, Pulpit, & Square) Thorn helps provide a way to think through the necessity of each as necessary for a healthy and thriving church. For church planters like myself it helps simplify the way to build a church calendar and learn to say no to a lot of things that seem like good ideas in the moment. I also feel like this is where it comes in handy as a diagnostic tool for established churches to revisit what ministries they have going and ask the all important question of, “Why?”

Like the previous two works, I cannot recommend this enough for pastors, leaders, and church members who want to understand how they can help lead, encourage, and bring about a healthy thriving church that exists for the glory of God!

[Angela Colson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joe Thorn has written three books entitled “The Heart of the Church”, “The Character of the Church “, and “The Life of the Church”. In this book Thorn presents 3 environments within the life of the church - the table, the pulpit, and the square. Thorn covers these three environments in an easy to understand way. Whether you’re a 30 year Christian or a new babe in Christ this book helps one to understand how a church should function as a whole and as individuals. This would be a great book for small groups, a discipleship class, or even for leaders within the church. I highly recommend all three books. Short, concise, and always pointing to our Savior, Thorn leads the reader to understand that we are to be disciples and make disciples.

[Josh Broccolo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great little book by Joe Thorn on the church, this time tackling what the practical outworkings of the Christian life should look like.

I found myself both challenged and encouraged by this short book; Thorn's model of the 3 spheres of Christian life is a helpful way of looking at life and taking stock of your priorities, and on a personal note the model we use at my home church is pretty similar so I was familiar with a lot of the categories used.

As with the second book in the series, I found this to be a great reference book that I'll probably be returning to often; the beauty of its length is that it's inviting be read multiple times as life changes.

[Troy Nevitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with the last two, absolutely excellent read.

This final book in the trilogy rounds out the first two. While the first was evangelistic, and the second was building foundations, the orthodoxy of the first two books prepare for the orthopraxy in this book.

I mentioned the first book could be an evangelistic tool. This book prepares people to evangelize, using Thorn's analogy of the Christian life through the table, pulipt, and square.

The books make sense to read in order (Heart, Character, Life) because they build on church essentials in a way that works so well together.

As with the other two, I highly recommend this for a church to share with their congregation members.

[Jason Kolar · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Disciples are made when the people of God following the Son of God are instructed and transformed by the Word of God. . . . Discipleship requires the church"

Joe Thorn is a great communicator. Most of his books are so concise, so to the point, that you cannot fail to see his main point. This book is no different, and for such a tiny book I think it's packed with enough scripture and meat to be a worthwhile read. I wouldn't agree with all of his conclusions but they were thought out and backed up enough for me to be challenged.

[Dylan Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joe Thorn is a pastor in St. Charles, IL, and has written a valuable three volume series on the church. While these books are not long, do not misinterpret that to mean they lack depth. Length does not always mean good, and short does not always mean bad. I am greatly encouraged by this third volume, “The Life of the Church,” because it presents a clear vision that is applicable to the local church for whatever season we are in. I finished this as we approach 2022, and I cannot wait to introduce my congregation to a number of ideas, principles, and practices for implementation.

[Kenneth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good thoughts, right ideas, but repetitive and lacking in supporting arguments and explanation.

Two questionable descriptions caught my attention in the Table section: small groups appear to be prioritized above the gatherings of the whole church, and individualized western culture seems to be accepted as a foregone conclusion that requires external church programs to overcome rather than the power of the read, preached, sung, prayed, and seen Word of God to transform Christians.

[Gary Hinkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe that this book is a much needed reminder for the church today. Joe gives us a simple, yet profound way of thinking about how the church should look and act. Simple and easy terms to read are key to this book. He doesn't hit you with Theological terms and phrases that will make you lose interest fast in reading this short book.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved the brevity and clarity of this short introduction to the life of the church. The images that Thorn uses of table, pulpit, and square are helpful in framing the life of the church relationally with each other, corporately in worship, and communally in mission. I would strongly recommend it as a good primer on life together as a church.

[Dr. David Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid writing, biblical philosophy of ministry, a must read for pastors.

[Joshua Goetz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short little book, simply written. Straightforward and to the point. Thanks, Jared for lending it to me.

[Jesse Benack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really short, but super helpful in focusing the mission of the church

[John Rakshith Prabhakar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short guide to the life of a local church!

[Joel Gass · Rating 4 out of 5]

great simple way to understand the things that really make the church tick.

[Juliana Mulbery · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciate how simply the book defines discipleship, fellowship, and the liturgy of the local church, especially in a Biblical perspective.

[Gavin Cashmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book for churches who want to be intentional about glorifying God, practicing hospitality and evangelism in their communities.

[Create With Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Life Of The Church is the final book in a three-part series of books by Joe Thorn that explores essential questions about church doctrines such as:

* What makes a church a church?
* What essentials should a church believe?
* What is a church really supposed to do?

This book focuses on the church’s primary mission: to live as disciples and create disciples of Jesus Christ. In the book, he focuses on how we should grow and function as disciples inside the church during corporate worship, within smaller groups meeting throughout the church, and outside of the church impacting the world at large.

Throughout this series, which I believe would greatly benefit both church leaders and church members alike to read, the author states that:

Disciples are made when the people of God following the Son of God are instructed and transformed by the Word of God. Apart from the ministry of the Word among the people of God, disciples cannot be made. To put it plainly, discipleship requires the church.

I highly recommend both this book and series to you!

This review is an excerpt from the original review that is published on my blog. To read my review in its entirety, please visit Create With Joy.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own, based on my assessment of this book.