A church called Tov : forming a goodness culture that resists abuses of power and promotes healing / Scot McKnight, Laura Barringer.

"Foreword by Tish Harrison Warren" -- book jacket.

Includes bibliographical references.

Foreword by Tish Harrison Warren -- Introduction: Where we find ourselves -- Part 1: Forming and deforming a church's culture. Every church is a culture -- Early warning signs of a toxic culture -- How toxic church cultures respond to criticism -- False narratives -- Part 2: The circle of Tov. Creating a goodness culture -- Tov churches nurture empathy -- Tov churches nurture grace -- Tov churches nurture a people-first culture -- Tov churches nurture truth -- Tov churches nurture justice -- Tov churches nurture service -- Tov churches nurture christlikeness.

"Tragically, in recent years, Christians have gotten used to revelations of abuses of many kinds in our most respected churches-from Willow Creek to Harvest, from Southern Baptist pastors to Sovereign Grace churches. Respected author and theologian Scot McKnight and former Willow Creek member Laura Barringer wrote this book to paint a pathway forward for the church. We need a better way. The sad truth is that churches of all shapes and sizes are susceptible to abuses of power, sexual abuse, and spiritual abuse. Abuses occur most frequently when Christians neglect to create a culture that resists abuse and promotes healing, safety, and spiritual growth. How do we keep these devastating events from repeating themselves? We need a map to get us from where we are today to where we ought to be as the body of Christ. That map is in a mysterious and beautiful little Hebrew word in Scripture that we translate "good," the word tov. In this book, McKnight and Barringer explore the concept of tov-unpacking its richness and how it can help Christians and churches rise up to fulfill their true calling as imitators of Jesus"--