The New Parish

<P><B><I>Christianity Today</I> Award of Merit</B></P><P><B>Readers' Choice Awards Honorable Mention</B></P><P><B>Best Books About the Church from Byron Borger Hearts and Minds Bookstore</B></P><P>When . . . faith communities begin connecting together in and for the neighborhood they learn to depend on God for strength to love forgive and show grace like never before. . . . The gospel becomes so much more tangible and compelling when the local church is actually a part of the community connected to the struggles of the people and even the land itself.</P><P>Paul Sparks Tim Soerens and Dwight J. Friesen have seen-in cities suburbs and small towns all over North America-how powerful the gospel can be when it takes root in the context of a place at the intersection of geography demography economy and culture. This is not a new idea-the concept of a parish is as old as Paul's letters to the various communities of the ancient church. But in an age of dislocation and disengagement the notion of a church that knows its place and gives itself to where it finds itself is like a breath of fresh air like a sign of new life.</P>