"In a world seemingly convinced that our fragmented, lonely, isolated existences are not only inevitable but good, Becoming God's Family offers a refreshing and hopeful description of the meaning and significance of the family of God. Carmen Joy Imes has given the church the gift of a rousing call to take seriously our belonging to one another. Even those skeptical of the church will find in these pages a compelling vision of Christian faith that not only teaches us right doctrine but envelops us into a family."

-Kaitlyn Schiess, author of The Ballot and the Bible

"Carmen Joy Imes' Becoming God's Family is a breath of clean and hopeful air! She shows us why God, in his sheer brilliance, would do much of his work in our life through a broken, slow, imperfect, cumbersome, and at times frustrating community of people called the church. Indeed, as the author shows, the church still matters—perhaps more than ever before. This book will bring waves of healing to God's people."

-A. J. Swoboda, associate professor of Bible and theology at Bushnell University and author of The Gift of Thorns

"This is a stirring book, beautifully written and rich on every page. Bringing the Scriptures and our lives together, this book has been needed for a long time. Many of us have longed for a book that explores the family inside the biblical tradition. This book is a gift to ministers, practical theologians, and biblical scholars."

-Andrew Root, professor and Carrie Olson Baalson Chair of Youth and Family Ministry at Luther Seminary and author of the Ministry in A Secular Age series

"In this volume, all the obvious passion Carmen Joy Imes has for the church is wrapped up together with all her academic rigor to produce a stunningly good study of our roots. By helping us better understand how we began, Carmen shows us what we can become and how we can best belong. This book is for everyone who loves the church . . . or wants to."

-Carolyn Moore, bishop for the Global Methodist Church

"One of the longest studies ever conducted on human life—the Harvard Study of Adult Development—found the top factor in living a long, happy life is deep relationships in a healthy community. As believers we know this is near to the heart of God, who gave us the church as a spiritual family. Carmen Joy Imes gives a strong and needed call to this community in our land marked today by individualism and division."

-Ed Stetzer, dean of the Talbot School of Theology

"Becoming God's Family weaves together God's design for the redeemed community. This biblical tapestry holds together beautifully, even if a thread or two may be a bit stretched. This well-informed and practical book issues a compelling and challenging call to embrace God's love for the church."

-Daniel J. Treier, Gunther H. Knoedler Professor of Theology and PhD program director at Wheaton College

"Carmen Joy Imes masterfully communicates the contours of the Creator's grand narrative to fashion a family of humans who live out their vocation as God's image to a world that desperately needs the author of life. Becoming God's Family does not shy away from hard-to-swallow stories within the Scriptures while simultaneously pointing towards the promised future of a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural family of God. Imes offers graceful reminders and truthful challenges, emphasizing that while God's family awaits the renewal of all things, we testify to what God has already accomplished."

-Mike Chu, academic director at AWKNG School of Theology

"When first starting our church, I was told that learning to be the church would be our biggest challenge. More than gathering unchurched people, starting ministries, or leading Sunday worship, growing into our identity as God's people had to be our priority. I needed this book back then! Expertly working her way through the Old Testament into the Gospels and Epistles, Carmen Joy Imes reveals that it has always been God's desire to form disparate and diverse people into a family who reflect his glory. Accessible and inspiring, Becoming God's Family is a beautiful vision for being the church."

-David W. Swanson, pastor and author of Plundered

"I loved her first two books, but this one is my favorite by far. For a culture infected with a nigh pathological commitment to polarization, Becoming God's Family offers the antidote. The church is still the most beautiful thing out there. Thank you, Carmen Joy Imes, for reminding us of this."

-Evan Wickham, lead pastor of Park Hill Church

"In Becoming God's Family, Carmen Joy Imes holds out hope for the church, a vision for a safe and healthy church, and a reason to stay. As an expert scholar, Imes skillfully walks us through the Old Testament, combining analysis of the biblical text with compelling personal stories. She shows us that churches are not predestined to repeat the harm that they have done. Rather, together, we can embody the diversity, justice, and healing of the kingdom of God. A must-read!"

-Mark Glanville, author of Preaching in a New Key and Improvising Church

"Becoming God's Family is one of the great and necessary works of our time. To know the community of God is to know the purpose of God's creation. As a self-proclaimed church girl, I so value Carmen Joy Imes' insight and instruction as well as her outstanding biblical scholarship to help us see that, as the people of God, our hyper-individualistic culture is damaging more than just ourselves. We need one another, and we need the community of God for our complete flourishing. The entire trilogy of Carmen's work is required reading for lay people and church leaders alike."

-Joy E. A. Qualls, professor and associate dean at Biola University