Ordinary Church: A Long and Loving Look

by Joseph S. Beach, Brian Zahnd (Foreword)

Part Memoir, Part Tribute (to Eugene Peterson), Part Pastoral Theology, this book is a beautiful portrait of the Ordinary Church and a passionate plea: belonging to a church family is an essential part of what it means to follow Christ.

310 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 5, 2019

Reviews

[Justin Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book that stoked my love for the non-sensational, non-flashy, often boring, long-obedience-in-the-same-direction church.

[Danny Lamonte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ordinary is Food for the Soul

As a young pastor overwhelmed by the privilege & responsibility of serving my church, this book is a guidepost that I will return to often to be reminded of my role, God’s care for me, and for my people.

[Karl Forehand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joe loves the church! Joe longs for the church to be restored! Joe writes a great book about it!

[Brian Tolle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every pastor should read this book. It’s clear that Joe is picking up right where Eugene Peterson left off. This was soul nourishing.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated the authors love of the church as ordinary, though sometimes it felt overly reactionary to mega churches and church growth strategies, and therefore less thought through. His writing style is pretty lose and conversational, but o think he sets that tone at the beginning, like we should get ready for a rant.
That said, the book does bring corrective to the modern growth movement, and helps nurture a passion for a more ordinary, real ecclesiology. A few sections were worth the read.
The post script by Brad J was a wonderful finale, summary, and challenge.