Finally, a strength to any book is for the author to complete the goal he or she sets to complete. Hammett writes in his introduction that he has written this book in order (1) "to show that the church is God's creation," (2) to show that "the idea/belief of the church is especially important to modern North Americans" who are focused on being clearly connected or related and growing number-basely, (3) to show that "even in our after religious group age, there is a need for a book on the belief of the church from a Baptist (way of seeing things of what is and is not important" that can be helpful to Baptists as well as non-Baptists (11). He completes each of these introductory goals through faithful (Bible-related) analysis of something written…show more content… Most of the book discusses every aspect of Baptist ecclesiology, which makes the book read like a well-thought-out study of God. However, there are those chapters that are more focused on modern problems in the church. Chapter five for example discusses modern errors in many Baptist churches. Hammett takes his description and argument for growth again church membership to a call for Baptists to return to this (Bible-related) truth and mark of the…show more content… As the world keeps pushing itself into the church at ever-increasing rates, Hammett's book is much-needed bullets that better prepares Christians to combat cultural influences with (Bible-related) truth. This book calls the church to return to faithfulness to the Word of God. Whether one agrees with Hammett's Baptist way of seeing things of what is and is not important or not is not most pressing. However, what all Christians and all churches can gain from Hammett is not only his loyalty to (Bible-related) analysis of something written, but his faithful promise to centering all of church life and ministry on the glory of God in his Word. In the end, Hammett forces us to ask ourselves not "What can we do to attract more people in our churches?" but rather "What can we do to honor and praise God in our churches?" In an American church culture where every church is tempted to change the next big, cool, or clearly connected related thing, while ignoring the Word, this book is a refreshing call back to the basics as it provides the necessary foundations for churches to see exactly who they are and what God has called them
