Stop Dating the Church!: Fall in Love with the Family of God Hardcover – Sep 23 2004

Josh Harris is all grown up. The man who brought us I Kissed Dating Goodbye when he was just twenty-one, and who is best known for bringing courtship to a whole new generation, is now senior pastor of a large and growing church and no longer speaks at conferences. Stop Dating The Church is his first book targetted at an audience wider than merely teens and parents of teens.

Harris believes that many, and perhaps even the majority of Christians, have a fear of committment to the church. Rather than committing to a local body of believers, most Christians "date the church," refusing to commit to a long-term relationship. He says, "This is my third book on relationships, but it's unlike any of my previous books...this book is about how you should relate to the family of God" (page 12). In Failing to commit to the church, we cheat ourselves, we cheat our church community and we cheat the world.

Over the next six chapters, Harris explains the beauty of the church, our need for the church, what committment to a church involves, what to look for in a church, and how to make Sunday the best day of the week. He draws liberally from the books and teachings of Charles Spurgeon, Don Whitney and John Piper, and builds convincing, biblical arguments. Chapters five and six are particularly engaging. The fifth chapter lays out ten criteria by which to choose a church. The sixth chapter provides some suggestions for redeeming Sunday and restoring it to a place of distinction whereby we use it deliberately as a day to refuel our spiritual batteries.

I must admit that this is the first of Harris' books that I have read, and I was thoroughly impressed by his committment to Scripture, to expository preaching, and to the historic tenets of Protestantism. The men under whose influence he has grown seem to be theologically-sound, showing that he has a true committment to biblical doctrine.

There is not much in this book that has not been said elsewhere more thoroughly and perhaps even more convincingly. But what this book adds to the discussion is accessibility. It should appeal to many young people who already know and appreciate Harris' ministry, and will engage young people who may shy away from longer treatments of the subject. Weighing in at only 129 pages (and small pages at that) this is a book that can be read and digested in a couple of hours. It will undoubtedly benefit all who read it and I give it my recommendation, especially to young people who are disillusioned by the church and may be turning their backs on her.

Think the church is just a nice place? A kind of optional thing? An idea whose time has passed?

Buy this book and let Joshua Harris redefine the church for you in light of scripture. It doesn't matter whether you've been attending church for a month or a lifetime, we all too quickly forget why the church is so important. Using engaging illustrations and an easy writing style, Josh uses scripture as pencil to sketch out God's plan and design for the church. An absolutely outstanding resource!

The church is central to God's plan to evangelize the world and build his people up in the faith--after all, it is called the body of Christ, the bride of Christ, and the temple of God! But somehow American Christians have come to think that the church is optional or even irrelevant to their Christian lives. Joshua Harris has written this book to show that we are social animals, saved by God to live our Christian lives in the context of a local church. Not only is this essential for our own spiritual well-being, it is the primary way in which we are called to minister to other believers, and to evangelize unbelievers.

Josh Harris (now Pastor Joshua Harris) has written a real gem of a book with "Stop Dating the Church." This is an excellent volume for people who have never "committed" themselves to the membership of a local church. He covers some very important points, and uses illustrations with which many people can easily (and embarrassingly) relate. His passion for Christ, for the people of God, and for the purpose of the Church is readily apparrent in this volume.

For those of us who have been part of "a church" for the greater majority of our lives, it was a bit "thin" in places. I would love to see a follow-up volume about the "church's" commitment to the individual believers, and how it all works together.

This is an easy read. I finished it in less than two hours.

This is a classic by Joshua Harris. If you are familiar with his books then you will appreciate what he has to say about the church. Many struggle today with the purpose of the church because there are so many false teachers who are only after your money. It's no wonder that many have nothing to do with the church. In Stop Dating the Church, Joshua Harris challenges you to change your thinking about the church and see its importance. Because this book has presented such a challenge to our leadership, we use it for prospective new members. A must read for current members or prospective and by those who have flat given up on the local church!