Looking for Resources on Body Life?
God designed the Body of Christ to function as members of one another with Jesus Christ as the Head. Here are resources to help you aim toward being the Church God intends for you to be.
Click on a tab below to view a list of resources about Body Life in general or specifics about God's design for the Church, the one another commands of Scripture and the practical outworking of Body Life.
While seeking to choose doctrinally sound resources, we make no claim to total endorsement of any listing. Where possible, links go to merchants with whom we have an affiliate relationship, such as being an Amazon Associate from whom we earn from qualifying purchases. These sites may use cookies to track activity to ensure that Ministry Tools Resource Center gets commissions from any sales. Links open in new pages to keep the list available.
General
General Helps Related to Body Life
Articles:
- Overview of Body Life
- Fostering Body Life: Whose Responsibility is It?
- God's Design for Body Life Revisited
- God's Goals for Body Life in His Church
- Results of Body Life
Books:
- Body Life by Ray Stedman
- Body Life Ministry Manual by Ministry Tools Resource Center
- Community 101 by Gilbert Bilezikian
- Connecting by Larry Crabb
- Everybody's Normal 'Til You Get to Know Them by John Ortberg
- Made to Belong: Five Practices for Cultivating Community in a Disconnected World by David Kim
- No Perfect People Allowed: Creating a Come-as-You-Are Culture in the Church by John Burke
- Show Up: Step Out Of Your Story And Into Someone Else's by David Staal
- Steering the Church Toward Body Life Leadership Guide by Ministry Tools Resource Center
- The Connecting Church 2.0: Beyond Small Groups to Authentic Community by Randy Frazee
- True Community: The Biblical Practice of Koinonia by Jerry Bridges
The Early Church in the New Testament
Articles:
- Biblical Example of the Early Church
- The Early Church Example of Balance in Body Life
- The Early Church Example of Benevolence
- The Early Church Example of Boldness
- The Early Church Example of Breadth of Focus
State of the Body - Church Life Today
Articles:
- 3 Points to Remember in an Age of Digital Church Life
- 3 Ways to Navigate Tumultuous Times for the Church
- A Changing Church Still Follows God's Design
- A Church That is Holy -- Really?
- Church Characterized as Holy & Full of Truth?
- Church Characterized as Loving & Unified?
- Difficult Times for the Church
- Difficult Times for the Church, Doctrinally
- Difficult Times for the Church, Financially
- Difficult Times for the Church, Morally
- Difficult Times for the Church, Societally
- Does True Fellowship Need to be Restored in the Church?
- Feel Like the Church is Compromising?
- Feel Like the Church is Compromising & Want to Do Something About It?
- Not Everything Changes in a Changing World
- The Effects of Busyness in the Life of the Church
- What Qualities Characterize Your Church?
- Where's the Power?
- Where Should We Be As a Church?
Books:
- Why Nobody Wants to Go to Church Anymore: How 4 Acts of Love Will Make Your Church Irresistible by Thom & Joani Schultz
Design
Biblical Overview of God's Design for Body Life
Articles:
- Connected to One Another
- Connected for a Purpose
- The Effects of Being Connected to One Another
- Foundational to Following God's Design for Body Life
- Functioning According to God's Design for Body Life
- God's Blueprint Design for Building the Church
- God's Word Essential to Christian Community
- Is God's Blueprint for Church Growth & Ministry Still Relevant?
- One Verse Says It All
- Teaching About the Church
Dignity & Worth of All Members of the Body
- Failure to Show Value of All by Sense of Superiority
- Failure to Show Value of All through Selectivity
- Failure to Show Value of All by Lack of Affirmation
Interdependence in the Body of Christ
- Interdependence Blocked by Leaders Doing Too Much
- Interdependence Blocked by Leaders with Trust Issues
- Interdependence Blocked by Blind Trust
- The Church is a Community
Unity Out of Diversity in the Body
- Cookie Cutter Approaches Minimize Unity
- Keys to Unity
- Let All Be Harmonious - Really?
- Let All Be Harmonious - What's that mean?
- Let All Be Harmonious - How's that going to happen?
- Let All Be Harmonious - What's Stopping You?
- Unity Prohibited by the Need for Control
- Unity Prohibited by Defensiveness
- Grieving in Divisive Church Situations
One Anothers
General Info about the One Another Commands of Scripture
- Relating to One Another: The One Another Commands of Scripture
- Building Up One Another by Gene A. Getz
Accept & Honor One Another
Bear One Another's Burdens
Bear with & Forgive One Another
- Attitude Toward Those Who Do Us Wrong
- Everybody makes mistakes. - How about a little grace?
- Restarts in Relationships: The Steps
Build up, Admonish, Encourage, & Spur on One Another
- Encouragement Needed: Why
- Encouragement Needed: Who
- Encouragement Needed: How
- True Body Life Results in Church Growth
- True Body Life Results in Motivation
Care for, Comfort, & Be Kind to One Another
- Comforting & Helping People Through Their Loss
- Listening Skills
- Putting Yourself in Someone Else's Shoes - Why?
- Putting Yourself in Someone Else's Shoes - How?
- Resources for Comforting Others
Fellowship with One Another
- Does True Fellowship Need to be Restored in the Church?
- Fellowship Defined
- Ideas for Getting Busy People to Engage in True Fellowship
- More Resources on Fellowship
Forgiving One Another
- Forgive Why Should I and How Can I? by Timothy Keller
- Forgiving What You Can't Forget: Discover How to Move On, Make Peace with Painful Memories, and Create a Life That’s Beautiful Again by Lysa TerKeurst
- The Freedom and Power of Forgiveness by John MacArthur
Honest with & Confess Faults to One Another
- True Body Life Results in Accountability
- Benefits of Being Accountable to One Another
- The Accountable Man: Pursuing Integrity Through Trust and Friendship by Tom L. Eisenman
Hospitable to & Greet One Another
Love one another
Members of & Devoted to One Another
Pray for one another
Same Mind with & Submit to One Another
Serve One Another
Outworking
God's design for the Body should be reflected in all aspects of church life.
May people be built up and God glorified as you seek to follow His design for the Church. These Body Life resources can help fuel a desire toward it but He is the One who enables it to become a reality as you align with His intent.