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Church in Hard Places

How the Local Church Brings Life to the Poor and Needy

by Mez McConnell, Mike McKinley

Publication

Publisher
Crossway
Date published
2016

The Physical Book

Binding
Paperback
Total pages
210 pages
ISBN-13
9781433549045
LCCN
2015018978

Reference

Notes
McConnell writes from Niddrie, one of Edinburgh's poorest housing schemes, and the argument is deliberately against the grain of most poverty ministry: that what the very poor need is an ordinary local church with membership and discipline, not a parachurch programme. Published in the 9Marks line, though not in the Building Healthy Churches set. Compare Corbett and Fikkert's When Helping Hurts, also held here.

Contents

  • Part 1: The Gospel in Hard Places
    • 1. What Is Poverty?
    • 2. What Gospel Do They Need?
    • 3. Does Doctrine Matter There?
  • Part 2: The Church in Hard Places
    • 4. The Parachurch Problem
    • 5. The Local Church Solution
    • 6. The Work of Evangelism
    • 7. The Role of Preaching
    • 8. The Importance of Membership and Discipline
  • Part 3: The Work in Hard Places
    • 9. Prepare Yourself
    • 10. Prepare the Work
    • 11. Prepare Your Leaders
    • 12. Prepare for Mercy Ministry?
  • Part 4: The Cost of Hard Places
    • 13. Count the Cost... and Reward