{"product_id":"a-church-called-tov-forming-a-goodness-culture-that-resists-abuses-of-power-and-promotes-healing-by-scott-mcknight-and-laura-barringer","title":"A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing by Scott McKnight and Laura Barringer","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Scot and Laura do an amazing job of teaching us what a good church looks like.\" --Beth Moore\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhat is the way forward for the church?\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003eTragically, in recent years, Christians have gotten used to revelations of abuses of many kinds in our most respected churches--from Willow Creek to Harvest, from Southern Baptist pastors to Sovereign Grace churches. Respected author and theologian Scot McKnight and former Willow Creek member Laura Barringer wrote this book to paint a pathway forward for the church. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe need a better way. The sad truth is that churches of all shapes and sizes are susceptible to abuses of power, sexual abuse, and spiritual abuse. Abuses occur most frequently when Christians neglect to create a culture that resists abuse and promotes healing, safety for victims, and spiritual growth. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHow do we keep these devastating events from repeating themselves? We need a map to get us from where we are today to where we ought to be as the body of Christ. That map is in a mysterious and beautiful little Hebrew word in Scripture that we translate \"good,\" the word \u003ci\u003etov\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this book, McKnight and Barringer explore:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe concept of \u003ci\u003etov\u003c\/i\u003e--and how it can help Christians and churches fulfill their true calling as imitators of Jesus\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHow to identify toxic patterns and the warning signs of abuse within church leadership and their congregations\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA path toward creating a safe and healthy community marked by justice, truth, and grace\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eA Church Called Tov\u003c\/i\u003e helps us move forward together and reminds us church \u003ci\u003ecan\u003c\/i\u003e be a place of goodness and healing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the questions I'm frequently asked is how to find a good church. I appreciate the inquiry every time because I believe strongly in the church. I'm so grateful to God for Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer because they do an amazing job of teaching us what a good one looks like in \u003ci\u003eA Church Called Tov.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e--Beth Moore, bestselling author and speaker\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIf the church is going to become what she was designed to be, women must be at equal places of responsibility, authority, and influence in all spaces. If there has ever been a time to write a better story--a \u003ci\u003etov\u003c\/i\u003e story--it is now! The broken stories in this book offer a beautiful transformational pathway forward. I wish this book weren't necessary, but it is imperative for leaders committed to integrity and creating a better future.\u003cstrong\u003e--April L. Diaz, founder, Ezer + Co.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat a theologically savvy and empathy-embracing book for today's church! Reading \u003ci\u003eA Church Called Tov\u003c\/i\u003e reminded me of why I love the church, and how that affection can also mean telling the truth about her missteps and broken pieces. In a world of high profile failures and scandals, this book offers a prophetic reimagining of the Acts 2 church. It is hopeful, relevant, and encouraging.\u003cstrong\u003e--Mary DeMuth, author of We Too: How the Church Can Respond Redemptively to the Sexual Abuse Crisis\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn a time when scores of people who grew up in the church are walking away wounded, disillusioned, and understandably cynical about a culture that seldom reflects the Jesus it claims to love and follow, Scot McKnight brings us much-needed hope. He does this by helping the reader diagnose and explain what creates and fosters the toxicity that is so pervasive within our modern Christian culture. Fortunately, Scot doesn't stop there. He follows up his diagnosis with an informed and practical wisdom that empowers and equips us cynics to understand how the church can actually become what it was created to be . . . the community of true health, safe refuge, and genuine hope for the weary and the wounded. In other words, the reflection of the Jesus. I'm grateful that \u003ci\u003eA Church Called Tov\u003c\/i\u003e helped me begin deconstructing my own cynicism about the church. Baby steps forward. Thanks, Scot!\u003cstrong\u003e--Boz Tchividjian, victim rights attorney and founder of GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eA Church Called Tov\u003c\/i\u003e is a desperately needed book, full of eye-opening truths. The church is supposed to be, and \u003ci\u003ecan\u003c\/i\u003e be, a place of goodness, not toxicity. Scot and Laura help us discern the difference. It is clear they have seen and understand both sides and therefore can serve as guides to help us see what is good and avoid what is evil. I hope this work spreads through every church.\u003cstrong\u003e--Wade Mullen, author of Something's Not Right\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt is tragic that a book like this has to be written. However, if good can come of tragedy, this book is a testimony to that. In this volume, Scot and Laura have given the church a way of identifying, naming, and addressing toxic church cultures with a view to retraining our thinking to create cultures of goodness and healthy churches. It is full of wisdom, insight, and truthful exegesis which brings its own light. It is a gift to leaders, pastors in training, and importantly, victims of abuse who desperately need champions. In my view, this should be essential reading for anyone who has any leadership responsibility in a church.\u003cstrong\u003e--Lucy Peppiatt, principal, Westminster Theological Centre, Cheltenham, UK\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis profoundly important book addresses the problem of toxic church culture and shows how we change it. It is brave, thoughtful, and transformational. The answers it offers are woven around the key Hebrew word \u003ci\u003etov\u003c\/i\u003e, which means good--and so much more. If you have been wounded by your experience of church, you should read this book. If you cannot imagine how church wounds people, you should read this book. It is profound, compassionate, and--sadly--timely.-\u003cstrong\u003e-Paula Gooder, New Testament scholar and Canon Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral in London\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTyndale Elevate\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePub Date: October 6, 2020\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eISBN: \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e9781496446008\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1.2\" H x 8.3\" L x 5.9\" W\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e256 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHardcover\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tyndale","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44692839432378,"sku":"9781496446008","price":22.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0444\/2213\/5968\/files\/711d-7sJF5L._SL1500.jpg?v=1740862501","url":"https:\/\/naturenurture.shop\/products\/a-church-called-tov-forming-a-goodness-culture-that-resists-abuses-of-power-and-promotes-healing-by-scott-mcknight-and-laura-barringer","provider":"nature+nurture","version":"1.0","type":"link"}