Developing Communities with Redefined Honor & Shame

Mark Baker’s new book, Centered-Set Church: Discipleship and Community without Judgementalism, will be helpful for anyone interested in developing healthy church communities. The problem is that many churches are really good at drawing lines. As a result, some people learn how to be “good Christians” by just following the rules, while others experience shame for not meeting expectations.

As a solution to such habitual legalism and self-fabricated righteousness, Mark deploys the concept of “centered set” so that communities can become defined and shaped by Christ instead of boundary lines. This approach fosters a new way to create identity, community, and status within the church, which helps move people toward a healthy, biblical sense of honor and shame. 

Mark Baker has spent decades practicing and teaching about center-set churches. That means the book is filled with biblical insights and practical insights. Mark and I co-authored Ministering in Honor-Shame Cultures, and this new book expands upon the final chapters about discipleship and community.

For more of a taste, Jackson Wu has published some helpful posts on the book as it relates to honor and shame.