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Becoming a True Spiritual Community: A Profound Vision of What the Church Can Be
In today's frenetic society, people rarely develop intimate friendships. Instead, they spend their lives essentially disconnected from others, rushing through life content with brief visits and casual conversations. But what if one were to develop a community, a spiritual community, of people who walked with and supported each other through life's journey? A community of real friends who listened to each other's personal tragedies without merely trying to fix the problems, who encouraged and nurtured each other's strengths, and who accepted people for who they really are, instead of the image they try to portray. In Becoming a True Spiritual Community (formerly titled The Safest Place on Earth ), Larry Crabb explores such a place, where God can heal disconnected people and allow them to reconnect with each other and, ultimately, with Him.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
59 people are currently reading
261 people want to read
About the author
Larry Crabb
113 books237 followersLawrence J. Crabb Jr.
Larry Crabb is a well-known Christian psychologist, conference and seminar speaker, Bible teacher, and author of more than 25 books—including his most recent, When God’s Ways Make No Sense and two Gold Medallion award-winners Inside Out and Understanding People. He is also the founder/director of NewWay Ministries & most recently his "legacy ministry", LargerStory.com. In addition to various other speaking and teaching opportunities, Crabb offers a week-long School of Spiritual Direction held each year here at The Cove and the Glen Eyrie in CO. He currently is scholar-in-residence at Colorado Christian University. Larry and his wife of 50 years, Rachael, reside near Charlotte, N.C.
Larry Crabb is a well-known Christian psychologist, conference and seminar speaker, Bible teacher, and author of more than 25 books—including his most recent, When God’s Ways Make No Sense and two Gold Medallion award-winners Inside Out and Understanding People. He is also the founder/director of NewWay Ministries & most recently his "legacy ministry", LargerStory.com. In addition to various other speaking and teaching opportunities, Crabb offers a week-long School of Spiritual Direction held each year here at The Cove and the Glen Eyrie in CO. He currently is scholar-in-residence at Colorado Christian University. Larry and his wife of 50 years, Rachael, reside near Charlotte, N.C.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
June 21, 2024
Some highlights:
⭐️ I loved Crabb’s insistence that “honoring the reality of desire is the pathway to God.”
⭐️ True spiritual community is something that has to spring from an overflow of the Spirit’s work in and through broken people - it is not something we can ever manage or control.
⭐️ Frequent Henri Nouwen quotes!
⭐️ I loved Crabb’s insistence that “honoring the reality of desire is the pathway to God.”
⭐️ True spiritual community is something that has to spring from an overflow of the Spirit’s work in and through broken people - it is not something we can ever manage or control.
⭐️ Frequent Henri Nouwen quotes!
March 27, 2021
I believe this book can be helpful to those with some experience in ministry. He puts his finger on many heart tendencies that need to change because they are born out of insecurity and not from faith. Several of his ideas gave me pause to reflect on my own experience of community.
However, there is some language (“spiritual forces, energy of Christ, etc”) that made me squirm a little. If you can get past that, there is a lot of wisdom. I wouldn’t recommend this to new believers. His writing is definitely confusing at times.
Crabb is also particular in that he did not believe in mental illnesses nor in any distinction between the spiritual and the psychological. He seemed to be the type of guy you cannot agree with on everything, but with whom you could have had a good conversation.
However, there is some language (“spiritual forces, energy of Christ, etc”) that made me squirm a little. If you can get past that, there is a lot of wisdom. I wouldn’t recommend this to new believers. His writing is definitely confusing at times.
Crabb is also particular in that he did not believe in mental illnesses nor in any distinction between the spiritual and the psychological. He seemed to be the type of guy you cannot agree with on everything, but with whom you could have had a good conversation.
December 22, 2014
I am working my way through a series of books by Larry Crabb. The most recent one I read was entitled The Pressure's Off, which was a really good book. Becoming a True Spiritual Community (1999) was the next on the list. I figured it would not be much different from other books I have read recently and that I would likely enjoy it. Having said that, I was profoundly moved by this book. The message contained in this book was exciting and fear provoking. Crabb discusses his vision for what he thinks true spiritual community (i.e., church) could look like. It is exciting because I can taste his vision for community where it is safe to be broken and to remind one another of Christ's forgiveness on a deep spiritual level. Its fear provoking because I have a hard time imagining how to get into this type of community. As a typically proud, independent American male, I am less inclined to open myself to others for true spiritual friendship, laying my thoughts and emotions out to be seen. But as I said, I can taste it, and I would like to see it work.
As a psychologist, I think one of the things I most appreciated about this book was his vision for what Christian psychology, or soul care, may look like. He believes that the community of the church should be the primary place for healing to take place and I think he is exactly right.
On page 178, he wrote, "In the middle of the wild ocean of shattered dreams and broken lives, the community of Christ celebrates God's forgiveness: they believe in what each other could become, they never minimize sin but they love to maximize grace. They are carriers of Christ to each other. That's what spiritual friends do when they act together to journey to God."
I would highly recommend this book. I know that there are those who have had negative reviews of this book, but I have a hard time seeing why. If you are one of those people, I would hope that you would be able to dialog about it in spiritual community.
As a psychologist, I think one of the things I most appreciated about this book was his vision for what Christian psychology, or soul care, may look like. He believes that the community of the church should be the primary place for healing to take place and I think he is exactly right.
On page 178, he wrote, "In the middle of the wild ocean of shattered dreams and broken lives, the community of Christ celebrates God's forgiveness: they believe in what each other could become, they never minimize sin but they love to maximize grace. They are carriers of Christ to each other. That's what spiritual friends do when they act together to journey to God."
I would highly recommend this book. I know that there are those who have had negative reviews of this book, but I have a hard time seeing why. If you are one of those people, I would hope that you would be able to dialog about it in spiritual community.
October 26, 2018
Crabb paints an extremely attractive picture of what a spiritual community could be and what "church" should be. Not church the institution, but church, the gathering of people in fellowship with one another. This book gets to the heart issues which are critical for effective community, but is a bit weak when it comes to describing how to practically build such a community. This is the only book I have found which talks explicitly about how we as a community encourage others to be walking in the Spirit. I would recommend following this book up with Members of One Another by Dennis McCallum.
October 8, 2016
This book has some great stuff to say about spiritual community, but I found there was a lot of dreck to wade through. At one point I wrote in the margins, "Larry, you've lost me. I don't like your content or style or manner." The book is divided into three sections. Section One was good, I was excited. Section Two was meh, and Section Three was even more meh.
January 16, 2011
I liked the book. But I found Dr Crabb's terminology awkward.
May 22, 2013
The content of the book is good, although I didn't find it as easy to read as many of Crabb's books. If I hadn't done the Soul Care course, I would have found it rather confusing.
Read
January 29, 2025Got this book from guy I met on a plane from Wisconsin, we started a conversation and at the end he handed me the book and said he wanted me to have it.
This is a good book. I learned that spiritual community is hard, it takes a lot of work but it's worth it. The idea of brokenness is central to this book, how brokenness is an essetial aspect of spiritual community, and in that sense spiritual community is a place where you can feel safe to hit the bottom. This book also talks a lot about what makes an unspiritual community. Larry Crabb is a conselour, so he discusses the role of psychology and counseling in a Christian community, mainly that it can be unspiritual and worldly if it is not biblical and led by the Spirit (exceptions are biological disoders which require trained doctors attention). He explains that personal character and holiness is more important in inspiring and helping people than training. One part of the book I didn't like is the contrasts he makes: that spiritual community is a certain 'level' that can be reached, and that most people never experience true spiritual community. In reality, spiritual community can be anywhere on a continuum somewhere between worldly and Godly. That was one overall feeling I got.
The basic idea of the whole book is that spiritual community is people journeying towards God and helping each other in that journey. This book gives a lot of ideas and inspiration, but it doesn't give any practicals. So I suggest it to people as such. It does not cite scriptures. Overall this is a great book and it changed the way I think about relationships with people. I suggest it not to anyone, but only to people who really care about church and building a spiritual community. I suggest it to people who are pursuing a career in the full time ministry or counseling.
This is a good book. I learned that spiritual community is hard, it takes a lot of work but it's worth it. The idea of brokenness is central to this book, how brokenness is an essetial aspect of spiritual community, and in that sense spiritual community is a place where you can feel safe to hit the bottom. This book also talks a lot about what makes an unspiritual community. Larry Crabb is a conselour, so he discusses the role of psychology and counseling in a Christian community, mainly that it can be unspiritual and worldly if it is not biblical and led by the Spirit (exceptions are biological disoders which require trained doctors attention). He explains that personal character and holiness is more important in inspiring and helping people than training. One part of the book I didn't like is the contrasts he makes: that spiritual community is a certain 'level' that can be reached, and that most people never experience true spiritual community. In reality, spiritual community can be anywhere on a continuum somewhere between worldly and Godly. That was one overall feeling I got.
The basic idea of the whole book is that spiritual community is people journeying towards God and helping each other in that journey. This book gives a lot of ideas and inspiration, but it doesn't give any practicals. So I suggest it to people as such. It does not cite scriptures. Overall this is a great book and it changed the way I think about relationships with people. I suggest it not to anyone, but only to people who really care about church and building a spiritual community. I suggest it to people who are pursuing a career in the full time ministry or counseling.
January 9, 2025
Reading this book, I found myself overwhelmed, challenged, thrilled, and on occasion heartbroken by the vision of community that Crabb presents in his book. It reflected the underlying, yet often ignored, expectation of a much deeper, more pervasive experience of fellowship with my Christian brothers and sisters than I’ve seen so far, or only had fleetingly over my lifetime, and left me with a sadness for the shallow friendships we’ve settled for. The problem, Crabb says, is not with everyone else however, but starts with us. You’ll find it difficult to not discover an increasing need for change in yourself as a result of his beautiful picture of full redemption God dreams of for his people, that paves the way for the relationships we truly desire.
April 28, 2022
This should be mandatory reading for every church leader. God created us for relationship and sent His Son to restore that relationship and thereby restore healthy relationships with one another. Unfortunately, the church has become an entertainment-based, concert-style, and teacher-centric format that distracts from God's highest priority - Koinonia with God and one another. (1John 1:1-4)
July 15, 2024
This book is not formulaic like many spiritual community books can be, but is helpful in leading the reader to assess their own heart before the Lord and people, and paints a picture of what beautiful spiritual community can be - with the constant reminder that it is only possible through the Spirit of God.
January 26, 2025
I would have liked more of the how to but his focus enables flexibility in the how which probably was the intention. I wish there was more of a back ground in the context of the early churches but once again his focus was on providing the focus the mindset and the rest is up to the readers to partake in this journey. I can’t believe this was published back in 1999! Where has it been?!
July 5, 2025
Ive been WAY off marking things as read. Finished this one a while ago. I felt like I kept referencing it to friends or quoting it in different conversations. The idea of having friends that know you so deeply and see all of the dirt in your “lower room” but still accept you and point you towards the way God is alive and working in you through your “upper room” is awesome.
December 20, 2018
An excellent overview of what living in community is really about
March 29, 2020
It’s meaty and a bit dense (so make sure you’ve got a pencil handy) but it’s inspiring and soul-turning. Definitely worth the read to develop a greater community mindset!
March 15, 2023
One of my favorite Crabb books. If only the Church would live up to its potentials! This book is a practical, achievable challenge to the church, asking it to become what it truly SHOULD be!
September 20, 2024
Wow, thought provoking book on spiritual community. I want to write more of my thoughts on this eventually. Really good read.
December 9, 2024
2.5 - don't remember anything of value that was said in this book. Basically, make sure to talk to the Christians around you.
I love fellowship, and was excited to read this book but it was a bit of a let down.
Also, Crabb is apparently a psychologist/counsellor who doesn't believe in therapy?
I love fellowship, and was excited to read this book but it was a bit of a let down.
Also, Crabb is apparently a psychologist/counsellor who doesn't believe in therapy?
November 4, 2013
May not catch on...
but it would certainly be worth the effort. The thing is, it would require quite a bit of effort; and I haven't met a lot of people who would be willing to do the work to make this happen.
The good news is that there are some people who are willing and that's enough to start. The truth is, that it's just too easy to keep doing things the way they've always been done. Perhaps that's not entirely true. Church is work no matter how you do it, so why not do it right? And what Dr. Crabb provides here, is indeed the framework to do it right.
The only thing necessary is hungry hearts. So if you have one of those, get this book and read it.
By the way, this is exactly the same book as "The Safest Place On Earth" with a different cover. I do think this is a better title and more clearly reflects what this book is about. I have both books and even the page numbers are the same.
but it would certainly be worth the effort. The thing is, it would require quite a bit of effort; and I haven't met a lot of people who would be willing to do the work to make this happen.
The good news is that there are some people who are willing and that's enough to start. The truth is, that it's just too easy to keep doing things the way they've always been done. Perhaps that's not entirely true. Church is work no matter how you do it, so why not do it right? And what Dr. Crabb provides here, is indeed the framework to do it right.
The only thing necessary is hungry hearts. So if you have one of those, get this book and read it.
By the way, this is exactly the same book as "The Safest Place On Earth" with a different cover. I do think this is a better title and more clearly reflects what this book is about. I have both books and even the page numbers are the same.
July 30, 2014
This is a book that not only articulates a common and profound spiritual longing, but begins to point us to how to find the fulfillment of our longings - through our own brokenness and vulnerability. Deeply powerful. Incredibly challenging.
This is among the first half-dozen books I have just finished reading on my new Kindle. It may however set an all-time record for highlighted passages of any Kindle book! I highlighted 135 passages as there's just so much here I want and need to remember and meditate on.
I read this through quickly the first time, but this is one that I intend to ponder and reflect on much more deeply in the coming weeks and months.
This is among the first half-dozen books I have just finished reading on my new Kindle. It may however set an all-time record for highlighted passages of any Kindle book! I highlighted 135 passages as there's just so much here I want and need to remember and meditate on.
I read this through quickly the first time, but this is one that I intend to ponder and reflect on much more deeply in the coming weeks and months.
January 6, 2013
Good book. Recommending it to my wife. This book has some key points in it and is foundational for caring for others both in the church and outside of it. However, some of the presuppositions could not be used if coming alongside an unbeliever (that is not Crabb's intention, however).
January 6, 2013
Good book. Recommending it to my wife. This book has some key points in it and is foundational for caring for others both in the church and outside of it. However, some of the presuppositions could not be used if coming alongside an unbeliever (that is not Crabb's intention, however).
January 20, 2019
Simply the best book I have ever read about the beauty of true spiritual community. Having this level of intimacy will cost you time and energy but the rewards are huge! This book will allow the Holy Spirit to change you from the inside out if you surrender yourself fully!
Read
August 2, 2011Awesome book for a synopsis on working towards healthy Christian Community.
February 2, 2016
Read for Launch 2013/2014
Read for Launch 2014/2015
Read for Launch 2014/2015
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews