Challenging Western views of the local church

WHAT JESUS STARTED:
The World-changing Power of the
Local Church
By Ellen Vaughn
The Good Book Co. 224 pages. £14.99
ISBN 978 1 802 544 442

A surprising and refreshing read that challenges Western views of the local church. Prepare to go on an exciting and uncomfortable journey East and South, as Vaughn shares real and powerful stories of how the local church really is “God’s designed, ordained, and blood-bought instrument of transformation in this dark world” (p.26). This book is all about “God’s design and plan for the healthy local church, replicated around the world” (p.64).

Vaughn is an experienced and engaging author who has worked alongside ICM (International Cooperating Ministries). ICM is dedicated to developing the global church by equipping indigenous leaders to establish healthy churches worldwide. Vaughn’s purpose, in what she describes as a “cultural moment of great weariness, dullness, and complacency among many … in the West” is that “we can be refreshed and reminded of what is true and good by our brothers and sisters in the East and Global South” (p24).