I love my church. I love the people in my church. I love gathering together with those who attend my church. One thing many of us learnt through the pandemic was how much we missed meeting together on Sundays with our churches. We missed hearing from God’s word together. We missed the chat after the service over coffee. We missed seeing all the different people who make up our church family. 

But if I am painfully honest, there were times when watching church online from the ease of my own home was comfortable. I would wear what I wanted, make a really nice coffee and I didn’t have to have awkward conversations with anyone else. In those times I need reminded of the goodness of the church and a bigger vision of what the New Testament shows us about Christ’s church.  

I found 'Love your Church' by Tony Merida the reminder I needed. In the book Tony Merida unpacks eight “glorious privileges of being part of the church.” I love the fact he calls each of these characteristics a privilege. So often we think of attending church, serving in church and the roles we have at church as a duty or something we tick of a list. Instead, this book helps us see what a joy it is that we get to do these things as part of the local church family we are part of. Tony Merida writes so that we’ll “be thrilled about being a part of local community of believers.” 

This would be a great book to use in the context of a one to one. The chapters are readable, short, and full of practical tips to discuss. There is section of questions at the end of the book which would be excellent to use to stimulate conversation after reading the chapters.  

Above all, 'Love your Church' is a very timely and helpfully practical book for all of us. Whether we have embraced being back at church or we are struggling to know how best to love our church, this book will help us see why we should invest our time and lives in our local body of believers.

Rachel Sloan, Charlotte Chapel, Edinburgh & FIEC