A tov church is one where God ’ s goodness permeates the institution , empowering its members — by God ’ s grace — to become people shaped by God ’ s design , which is Christlikeness . Tov people are characterized by empathy , grace , putting other people first , truth telling , justice , and service . But how do we move toward tov ? In some churches , this will mean forming pockets of tov that resist , quietly but effectively , what is toxic .
Let ’ s begin with six clear assumptions :
1 . You are not in power , nor even close to having power . 2 . You have seen and become concerned about toxic powers at work . 3 . You have made an accurate assessment . 4 . You want to do something about shifting your church culture toward tov . 5 . You have spoken with someone in power and met strong pushback .
Pause .
6 . You need to remind yourself that no church is perfect .
Let ’ s clarify what we mean by “ no church is perfect .” Some church folks have what Dietrich Bonhoeffer called a “ wishful image of pious community .” Many have unrealistic expectations of leaders , of other Christians , and of what the church is . Churches are hospitals for sinners more than they are allinclusive beach resorts for saints . We do not understand the church until we grapple with the truth that we are sinners , among other
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