Stephen Viars: Loving Your Community

Loving Your Community: Proven Practices for Community-Based Outreach Ministry
(Baker Books, 2020)

WHO: Stephen Viars, a pastor and biblical counselor at Faith Church and Faith Biblical Counseling Ministries in Lafayette, Indiana.

HE SAYS: “Finding ways to relate to your community with Christlike love could result in a harvest of amazing spiritual fruit.”

THE BIG IDEA: This guidebook is written to equip individuals and churches to meet their communities’ practical needs.

THE PROGRESSION:
Part 1, “The Biblical Foundation of Community-Based Ministry,” establishes the importance of loving people in the name of Christ. Part 2, “The Practice of Community-Based Ministry,” gives practical examples of different ways outreaches have impacted their communities. Part 3, “The Challenges of Community-Based Ministries,” provides potential questions and objections that might be raised and offers steps the local church can take.

“I am absolutely convinced that Christians and churches becoming more involved in community-based outreach ministry is essential to accomplishing God’s plan for his world.”

Order this book from Amazon.com »
Read an excerpt from this book »

Stephen Viars
Stephen Viars

Stephen Viars has served as a pastor and biblical counselor at Faith Church and Faith Biblical Counseling Ministries in Lafayette, Indiana, since 1987.

How Much Tech Do You Actually Need?

Because you cannot do this alone, you are going to have to trust the right individuals who know more about tech than you do. Your calling is to shepherd. Do that.

Gene Appel: Do Less Ministry; Reach More People

None of the programs at our church were bad in and of themselves. The volume of it just prevented us from being focused on building relationships with those who are far from God. So, we had to do less ministry to reach more people. It sounds funny, but people had to be trained in how to do life with nonbelievers or people spiritually disinterested.

When Familiar Becomes Careless

God wants to be in a relationship with his people that’s not marked by fear but love. Not apprehension, but an appreciation of his great grace and compassion.