The Other Half of Church
Here's the problem this book tackles head-on: Why does real spiritual transformation feel so hard to find in our churches?
”The authors discovered we've been operating with only half our brain— focusing on the ‘rational half’ (doctrine, beliefs, willpower) while completely missing the ‘relational half’ that actually changes who we are.” Amazon By bringing together neuroscience and biblical theology, they show us how engaging our whole brain creates spaces where transformation actually sticks. Isn’t that something we need now more than ever?
Inside the book you will find:
The Four Essential Ingredients for healthy community soil:
Joy - What your brain feels when someone's face lights up because you walked in the room
Hesed (Loving Attachment) - Those deep, secure relationships that actually shape who we're becoming in Christ
Group Identity - A shared sense of "this is who we are and how we live" as God's people
Healthy Correction - Helping each other get back on track through gentle restoration, not shame
If we aren’t spending energy in our churches nurturing this kind of soil, I think we might be off track. This book can encourage you in the right direction.
Why Does This Matter for Missionary Communities
If you're crafting brave communities of missionary disciples, this book can be a game-changer and it just might help your marriage, as well. For communities, it guides us to build mission teams that thrive on joy and genuine connection, develop an authentic DNA rooted in Jesus' character, and avoid the toxic shame and leadership that happens when we ignore relational development. It makes the case for why face-to-face presence, celebration, and whole being practices really matter.
The revolutionary insight of "The Other Half of Church" is that lasting spiritual transformation requires more than correct doctrine and disciplined practice; it requires communities that engage our God-designed relational brain systems through joy, attachment, identity, and gentle correction. For brave communities seeking to form resilient, reproducing disciples in challenging contexts, these insights provide both theological grounding and practical pathways toward the vibrant, transformational community life that Jesus envisioned.
