Welcome to the serialized edition of my book, Unless God Builds It: A Proposal to Radically Rethink the Church!
Over the coming weeks and months, I am publishing the entirety of my book right here on Substack, completely for free. You’ll receive bite-sized emails every few days taking you through each section of the book (Table of Contents are below).
(Note: If you have already read the book and do not wish to receive these weekly installments in your inbox, simply click ‘Unsubscribe’ at the very bottom of this email. It will only unsubscribe you from this Book section, and you will still receive my normal newsletter emails!)
Here’s the description of what you’ll be reading:
Are we missing God’s design for Church?
There’s a quiet but growing hunger among believers for something deeper, something more authentic than the systems many have inherited. Unless God Builds It speaks directly to that longing.
In this bold and thought-provoking work, pastor Jacob Hotchkiss draws from years in traditional church settings and his current experience within a network of home churches to challenge conventional models of church life and leadership.
He invites readers to rediscover a Spirit-led, organic expression of the Body of Christ. With biblical conviction and lived experience, he explores what it truly means to make disciples, equip the saints, and build a thriving Christian community, not through human effort, but through complete dependence on God.
This book is not merely a critique of modern church structures; it is a compelling vision for renewal. With clarity and conviction, Hotchkiss addresses key aspects of Christian growth, leadership, discipleship, and unity, offering a path forward that is both deeply scriptural and refreshingly practical.
For those seeking a more meaningful walk with Christ, or wrestling with the limitations of traditional church systems, this book offers both challenge and hope. It dares to ask: What might the Church look like if God alone were truly the One building it?
If you are ready to let God reshape your vision of the Church, hang tight. As I publish each new section, you’ll be able to access them all from the the table of contents below.
Table of Contents
Click on any published section below to start reading! If it’s not hyperlinked yet, then I haven’t posted it yet.
Enjoying it too much? You don't have to wait for the next post. You can read the entire book right now in paperback, ebook, or audiobook format on Amazon, by clicking HERE.
Chapter 1: Waiting on the Lord
Kill the Engines and Catch the Wind
How God Gets the Glory
Ishmael and Isaac
Just Let Him Cook
Preaching in Vain
At Odds With the System
Chapter 2: Equipping the Saints
Living Out Your True Calling
Your Purpose on Earth
Our Shared Calling
What It Means to be Equipped
Optional Relationship, Optional Discipleship
It’s Time to Take Ownership
Chapter 3: The Open Meeting
Why Your Church Isn’t Church
The Biblical Precedent for Open Participation
The Historical Trajectory of Church Meetings
Chapter 4: Submission
It’s Not What You Think
Submitting to One Another
Making Church Decisions Together
The Spirit is the Guardrail
Your Desires Are Sometimes Your Gifts
Women Speaking in Church
Chapter 5: The Gospel
It’s Better Than You Think
Our Present Union With Christ
Faith is Always the Application
Equipped with the Truth
We Need Revelation
Chapter 6: Church Discipline
The Missing Ingredient for Growth
Community Demands Conformity
Identity Affirmation
Escalation and Submission
Withholding Forgiveness
The Destruction of the Flesh
Institutional Measures Will Always Fail
What’s at Stake
Chapter 7: Loving One Another
Like Christ Loved the Twelve
Putting on Love
Divine Appointments
Chapter 8: Evangelism
Some Must Evangelize, and Some May Evangelize
Staying and Praying
The Most Evangelistic Endeavor
Chapter 9: Unity
Visible vs. Invisible Unity
Names and Denominations
Unity of Mind
What God is Saying and Doing
Macro vs. Micro Unity
Chapter 10: Leadership
A Return to Biblical Standards
Elders, Overseers, Shepherds, and Leaders
Fruit vs. Gifts: The Qualifications for Overseers
People to Imitate
Let Them Be Tested
Office vs. Function
The Organic Path to Ministry
Chapter 11: Moving Forward
With Wisdom, Love, and Lots of Faith
Starting a House Church
Final Remarks