Your Church Is Too Small: Why Unity in Christ's Mission Is Vital to the Future of the Church [Hardcover]

John H. Armstrong (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 16, 2010

'I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.' Too often, these words of Jesus from John 17:20-21 seem like an unreachable ideal. But in Your Church Is Too Small, John Armstrong shows that Jesus' vision of Christian unity is for all God's people across social, cultural, racial, and denominational lines. 'With attention to his own pilgrimage and growth in ecclesial awareness, John Armstrong explores here the evangelical heart and ecumenical breadth of churchly Christianity. I am encouraged by his explorations and commend this study to all believers who pray and labor for the unity for which our Savior prayed.' -- Timothy George, senior editor, Christianity Today. 'Dr. Armstrong's irenic approach should make it easy for Christians---whether Catholic, Orthodox, or Protestant---to engage the challenging thesis of the book, while recognizing that there remain points of doctrine between them which will require further clarification. Anyone concerned about either evangelism or Christian unity should read this book, and take seriously its call for both mission and ecumenism.' -- Fr. Thomas A. Baima, Provost, University of Saint Mary of the Lake John Armstrong is one of those Evangelical theologians---may their tribe increase and the valley abound with their tents---who know that full obedience to Christ embraces the historical transmission through which we know him. This book refuses to scale down the bearer of that tradition---the historical church, that is---or reduce the authority of its voice. -- Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon, senior editor, Touchstone 'It's a must for anyone who has grown weary with Christian divisiveness and schism and longs to discover ways of strengthening the bonds that unite us in the Spirit of Christ.' -- Chuck Colson

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Every once in a while I read a book I wish every Christian I know would read. This is that kind of book. Your Church is too Small is clear, prophetic, practical... and true. If you pray for reformation, renewal and revival in America and the world (and I do daily) this book is the place to put legs on those prayers. You will be shocked, irritated and stirred deeply... and then you'll rise up and call John Armstrong blessed for having had the courage and call to write it and for me for having the wisdom to commend it to you.' -- Steve Brown, President and teacher, Key Life Network, Inc

About the Author

John H. Armstrong is president of ACT 3 in Carol Stream, Illinois and served as a pastor for more than twenty years. He is an adjunct professor of evangelism at Wheaton College Graduate School. His online commentaries regularly appear at www.Act3online.com. He holds degrees from Wheaton College, Wheaton Graduate School, and Luther Rice Seminary. He is the author or editor of a number of books including The Catholic Mystery, Five Great Evangelists, Understanding Four Views on the Lord's Supper, and Understanding Four Views on Baptism

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (March 16, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031032114X
• ISBN-13: 978-0310321149
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #785,115 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John H. Armstrong is founder and president of ACT 3, a ministry for equipping leaders for unity in Christ's mission. He is former pastor and church-planter, of more than twenty years, and the author/editor of 12 books. He has also authored thousands of magazine, journal, and Web based articles. Besides his writing ministry Dr. Armstrong is an adjunct professor of evangelism at Wheaton College Graduate School, teaches in various seminaries and colleges as a guest lecturer, and is a seminar and conference speaker throughout the United States and abroad. John and Anita, his wife of thirty-nine years, have two adult married children. Anita assists John as an editorial associate and uses her gifts widely to help the ministry. Their son Matthew is engaged in a ministry of evangelism and discipleship and is a church planter in Streamwood, Illinois. Their daughter Stacy is an administrative assistant for ACT 3 and assists her husband in teaching the martial arts. John and Anita have two grandchildren, Gracie (12) and Abbie (8).

John was born in Lebanon, Tennessee (March 1, 1949). He is the youngest of two sons of Dr. Thomas H. and Marie F. Armstrong. John's dad was a dentist and the editor of the Tennessee State Dental Journal. He also served on the faculty of the University of Tennessee Dental School in Memphis for nearly fifteen years. John's mom, deceased in November 2008, was his most important influence in hearing God's call upon his life and in learning how to teach the Scriptures. His brother Thomas is a family physician in Huntsville, Alabama. John attended Castle Heights Military Academy in Lebanon, Tennessee, where he was an ROTC cadet officer and graduated cum honore in 1967. He attended the University of Alabama from 1967-1969, studying journalism and history. In 1969 he transferred to Wheaton College, were he received the B. A. in history (1971) and the M. A. in theology and missions (1973). He did further study at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, Illinois, and Northern Baptist Seminary, Lombard, Illinois. He earned the D. Min degree (1979) at Luther Rice Seminary, Atlanta, Georgia. John is an ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Reformed Church in America.

John is the author of Your Church is Too Small: Why Unity in Christ's Mission Is Vital to the Future of the Church (Zondervan, 2010), Five Great Evangelists (Christian Focus Publications, 1997), The Catholic Mystery (Harvest House, 1999), True Revival: What Happens When God's Spirit Moves (Harvest House, 2000), and The Stain That Stays: The Church's Response to the Sexual Misconduct of It's Leaders (Christian Focus, 2000). He is the general editor of Understanding Four Views of the Lord's Supper (Zondervan, 2007), Understanding Four Views on Baptism (Zondervan, 2007), Roman Catholicism: Evangelical Protestants Analyze What Unites and Divides Us (Moody Press, 1994), The Coming Evangelical Crisis (Moody Press, 1996), Reforming Pastoral Ministry (Crossway, 2001), The Glory of Christ (Crossway, 2002). He has contributed single chapters, theological and historical introductions, and forewords to more than two dozen volumes, and has been published in Christianity Today, Christian History and other Christian periodicals.


John is a member of several professional societies including the John Calvin Society, the Karl Barth Society and the Abraham Lincoln Forum.

John's hobbies include baseball, with a love for the Atlanta Braves that goes back to the 1957 Milwaukee Braves who won the World Series. He is also a hometown fan of the Chicago White Sox (World Series Champions 2005) and an avid book collector who enjoys reading great literature, watching film and walking/biking. He remains an avid college football fan, following his beloved Crimson Tide of the University of Alabama. John and Anita have a special place in their home for Neo, the Armstrong's miniature dachshund. John and Anita's grandchildren, Gracie and Abbie, also bring very special joy to their busy lives through regular visits.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A unity that cannot remain a concept, March 23, 2010

By 

R. A. Knox "Alan Knox" (Wake Forest, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Your Church Is Too Small: Why Unity in Christ's Mission Is Vital to the Future of the Church (Hardcover)

Last month, I received a review copy of Your Church is Too Small by John H. Armstrong (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009). From the buzz that I heard about this book, I was very excited to read and review this book.

When Armstrong says, "Your church is too small," he does not refer to the size of a church building or to the number of people who meet together. Instead, Armstrong refers to "our all too common penchant for placing limits on Christ's church - limits that equate the one church with our own narrow views of Christ's body." He has two purposes in writing this book: 1) for the reader to understand his/her own spiritual identity and 2) to better understand the mission of the church. Armstrong believes, and convincingly argues, that the two (unity and mission) are interrelated.

The book is a combination of exegesis (primarily of Jesus' prayer in John 17), historical study, personal experience, and theological reflection. The argument is based primarily on the conclusion that the unity for which Jesus prays in John 17 is not only a spiritual or eschatological unity, but a relational unity that all believers should strive to maintain.

Armstrong's book is divided into three parts: past, present, and future. In the first section, the author traces his own journey from sectarianism toward unity. He also reviews the perspective of the early church on unity given the four classical marks of the church: one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.

Next, in his section on the present, considers how the church can restore unity today. Armstrong suggests that the cause of disunity in the church today is sectarianism based on intellectual certitude. Instead, the church should be recognized as local, city-wide, and universal, with a focus on the kingdom instead of the local congregation.

Finally, in his section on the future, Armstrong recommends missional-ecumenism as a way forward toward unity. By "missional-ecumenism," the author means that believers should have relational unity with God and one another, including unity in our mission as God's "sent ones."

Throughout the book, Armstrong demonstrates that unity is more than a good idea. Instead, it is our primary apologetic. He says, "How we act and treat one another really matters, because our actions represent the nature and identity of God to those who do not know him."

Furthermore, Armstrong encourages the respect and consideration of different Christian traditions. All believers have traditions, and Christianity has a basic tradition that was handed down throughout the ages (often called the "Rule of Faith"). Problems arise when our traditions teach us that we are part of the one, true church while all other traditions are in error.

Instead of asking who is in and who is out when it comes to the church, the author recommends that we encourage active faith of all who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ.

This is an important book. I recommend it highly. However, I do not want this to be a book that I just read and encourage others to read. Armstrong describes a unity that cannot remain a concept; it must be lived. This is the direction that I've been moving, and a reality that I want to continue to seek.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Contribution on an Important Topic, April 10, 2010

By 

John M. Frame (Orlando, FL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Your Church Is Too Small: Why Unity in Christ's Mission Is Vital to the Future of the Church (Hardcover)

John Armstrong's book is a fine contribution to a subject that few evangelical writers are open to considering: the fragmentation of the church and its effects on our witness today. I addressed this issue back in 1991 in a little noted nor long remembered volume called Evangelical Reunion. John's book has brought these issues back before us again, and this time they will be harder to ignore. It's a touchy subject, for most Christian communions devote huge energies to showing that they are better than all other communions, that the reasons for their distinct existence are absolutely valid, and that that distinct existence must be maintainedx at all costs. But is that attitude biblical? According to Scripture, Jesus founded one church and prayed in John 17 that it would remain one, even as the Trinity is one. Fragmentation not only weakens the church's ministry; it makes the church to be less than it should be. I won't vouch for every statement John makes in this book, but his position is far better than that of the polemicists who support and enlarge the fragmentation. John makes it clear that this issue is about loyalty to Christ, and I hope it gets a wide readership.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Too small a book for too big a topic, January 3, 2011

By 

James A. Lee "Bookworm professional" (Detroit, MI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Your Church Is Too Small: Why Unity in Christ's Mission Is Vital to the Future of the Church (Hardcover)

John Armstrong's subtitle, "Why Unity In Christ's Mission Is Vital To The Future Of The Church" helps bring in to perspective just what he means by the statement, "your church is too small." I wish that I had more time to be a little more thorough with this review, but am confident that the following will provide as much of my thoughts regarding the read as possible.

Admittedly, the reading began with a reservation of Armstrong's perspectives regarding catholicity and the call to a missional ecumenism. Don't know what those words are? That's okay, Armstrong has provided a handy glossary at the end of the book to help clarify terms that most of us may not use in conversation regularly. However, I believe the audience that will be reading this book will be acutely aware of the buzzwords missional, catholicity, and ecumenism that generally raise the heresy antennae for the majority of us. It is indeed nice to see someone being thoughtful enough to consider that most believers may be completely unaware of this terminology.

John Armstrong takes a narrative approach and introduces us to his journey from what I would call close-mindedness to open-dialogue with the historic Christian powerhouses of Protestantism, Catholicism, and The Orthodox Church. His agenda is simple, promoting a desire within Christian congregations to accept the idea that the Christian Church is much larger than their local assembly. Armstrong does not stop there, he goes on to implore with his readers that there is a need to assess their own position in the current state of dialog occurring with members of different denominations and faith backgrounds in the Christian context.

Armstrong addresses several different spectrum's concerning the Church today. Where I resonate with him is his desire to see the restoration of what he calls an "Ancient-Future" faith. It is essential for the Christian to understand the roots and heritage of their faith in order to approach the future and their place in the mission of the Church. While Armstrong does not appear to be calling for a new reformation, he does infer that reformation will occur when the Church at large, the universal, Catholic Church of the Apostle's Creed realizes it's true place in history, its present need for mobilization, and the removal of a handicap that inhibits the actions of believers. The Church must wake up from its slumber and take note of those who may belong to other historic schools of faith but yet love Jesus.

By reading this book you will be challenged to think outside of the closed mind perspective that is often bred by our local assemblies. You will find yourself challenged to consider your own position in the theater of Christianity. You will have to evaluate your own membership of the Church of Christ that inherits, proclaims, and trusts in the Kingdom of God. I do not affirm all of Armstrong's perspectives regarding Catholicity with faiths that historically embrace doctrines long accepted as heresy, but do sympathize with the need to interact with those who believe they are trusting in Jesus and loving them because we are required to do so. If you know the Apostle's creed, and often wonder why you recite affirmation of the 'Catholic Church' this book will help you understand the implications that these words have.

Armstrong appeals to the unity of Ephesians 4 as a guiding premise for his thoughts and assessments. I accept that sectarianism and denominationalism have shattered and polarized many assemblies in the whole of Christian history and believe that a true embrace of Ephesians 4 will impact the believers life in more than just an ecumenical approach to modern ministry. Although I believe the continuity of this book redeems the uneasiness first felt in the beginning, I still have one last question for John Armstrong to answer.

Is the unity proposed by a missional ecumenism a unity that promotes an agreement to disagree for the sake of unity, or is for the purpose of believers being lead by the Holy Spirit in to unity of the faith, which then precedes an opportunity that allows us to fellowship in more than macro-ministry, but in the breaking of bread and drinking of the cup?