In this book John Weaver argues for a radical reversal in thinking about the church and the world. He urges us to stop looking from the ‘inside-out,’ and to let God’s activity in society and human lives outside the church make an impact upon worship and Christian teaching. The direction must be ‘outside-in.’ He believes that it is ‘time for the church to stop playing games’ and aims to provide ways in which church members can relate their faith to their actual daily work and to the tough and sometimes brutal world in which they spend their lives.

In this guide for congregational leaders he thus sets out a method for exploring experience, and for moving through reflection to action. Through the use of small-group discussion which follows an ‘action-reflection’ model, he believes that people will see the relevance of the stories in the Bible to the stories of their own lives, and make their own connections. As each person’s experience is expressed and valued, and is placed alongside an understanding of scripture, church tradition and sociological analysis, it becomes possible for all church members to make a practical response.