Grassroots Kingdom Reading Guide

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During our Grassroots Kingdom series, all of our LifeGroups are reading through the book we've published, and discussing its content together as a group.

Below is our reading guide to help you make sure you know when to read what, and to help get your LifeGroup all on the same page. Feel free to use email or social media to easily share this guide with your LifeGroup:

Week of January 12 – 18

Read + Discuss Chapter 1: A Broken World & a Grassroots Kingdom (pp. 11-23)

Week of January 19 – 25

Read + Discuss Chapter 2: Communities that Change the World (pp. 24-34)

Week of January 26 – February 1

Read + Discuss Chapter 3: Communities that Believe Good News (pp. 37-63)

Week of February 2 – February 8

Read + Discuss Chapter 4: Communities that Tell a Better Story (pp.64-73)

Week of February 9 – February 15

Read + Discuss Chapter 5: Communities that Love Jesus Most (pp. 74-94)

Week of February 16 – February 22

Read + Discuss Chapter 6: Communities that Look Like Family (pp. 95-117)

Week of February 23 – March 1

Read + Discuss Chapter 7: Communities that Live on Mission (pp. 118-138)

Week of March 2 – March 8

Read + Discuss Chapter 8: Communities that Fight for One Another (pp. 139-159)

Week of March 9 – March 15

Read + Discuss Chapter 9: Communities that Refuse to Quit (pp. 160-179)

Week of March 16 – March 22

Read + Discuss Chapter 10: Communities that Multiply (pp. 180-193)

Week of March 23 – March 29

Read + Discuss Chapter 11: Putting it All Together (pp. 194-199), Begin writing LifeGroup covenant (pp. 200)

Grassroots Kingdom Book

This Sunday, we launched our new series, Grassroots Kingdom. To accompany the series, we've written and published a study guide. Physical copies of the book are available at any of our Gatherings. In case you prefer a digital format, you can get the PDF by clicking the link below.

Recommended Reading for Grassroots Kingdom

On Sunday, we began our new sermon series called

Grassroots Kingdom

. In the series, we'll be discussing God's plan to change the world through his people, the church. We also know that some of you may be interested in studying further on the subject. To help out, we thought we'd provide a list of books that have been instrumental in helping us plan the series, in hopes that they'll be helpful to you too:

totalchurch

Total ChurchTim Chester & Steve Timmis "Church is not a meeting you attend or a place you enter," write pastors Tim Chester and Steve Timmis. "It's an identity that is ours in Christ. An identity that shapes the whole of life so that life and mission become 'total church.'" With that as their premise, they emphasize two overarching principles to govern the practice of church and mission: being gospel-centered and being community-centered. When these principles take precedence, say the authors, the truth of the Word is upheld, the mission of the gospel is carried out, and the priority of relationships is practiced in radical ways.

everydaychurch

Everyday Church Tim Chester & Steve Timmis We live in an increasingly post-Christian culture. More and more we find ourselves on the margins as less and less people have any intention of ever attending church. What used to work doesn’t work anymore and we need to adapt. Helping us to see the way forward, this book offers practical ideas and personal stories for engaging with Western society. Find out how to effectively reach people in the context of everyday life and take hold of the opportunity to develop missional communities focused on Jesus.

community

Community Brad House Pastor Brad House helps us to re-imagine what gospel-centered community looks like and shares from his experience leading and reproducing healthy small groups. With wisdom and candor, House challenges us to think carefully about our own groups and to take steps toward cultivating communities that are able to glorify Jesus, bless one another, and participate in the mission of God.

lifetogether

Life Together Dietrich Bonhoeffer In Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, renowned Christian minister, professor, and author of The Cost of Discipleship recounts his unique fellowship in an underground seminary during the Nazi years in Germany. Giving practical advice on how life together in Christ can be sustained in families and groups, Life Together is bread for all who are hungry for the real life of Christian fellowship.

masterplan

The Master Plan of Evangelism Robert E.  Coleman For more than forty years this classic study has shown Christians how to minister to the people God brings into their lives. Instead of drawing on the latest popular fad or the newest selling technique, Dr. Robert E. Coleman looks to the Bible to find the answer to the question: What was Christ's strategy for evangelism? This convenient, portable format has an updated look for a new generation of readers.

mealwithjesus

A Meal with Jesus Tim Chester The meals of Jesus represent something bigger. They represent a new world, a new kingdom, a new outlook.Tim Chester brings to light God’s purposes in the seemingly ordinary act of sharing a meal—how this everyday experience is really an opportunity for grace, community, and mission. Chester challenges contemporary understandings of hospitality as he urges us to evaluate why and who we invite to our table. Learn how you can foster grace and bless others through the rich fare being served in A Meal with Jesus.

the-big-story

The Big Story Justin Buzzard When strangers meet today they often ask not, "What do you do?," but "What is your story?" Everybody has a story. And everybody on the planet believes some larger story in order to make sense of the smaller story of their life. We want our lives to fit within a larger plot-complete with a sense of history, conflict resolution, forward movement, and future. So, the better question to ask is, "What sort of story are you in?"