Leaving Church

Leaving Church
Author: Barbara Brown Taylor
Publisher: Canterbury Press
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2013-01-25
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1848253575

Tells how a renowned preacher left her ministry to rediscover the authentic heart of her faith. A moving reflection on keeping faith amidst the relentless demands of modern life.

Leaving Church and Finding God

Leaving Church and Finding God
Author: Markus Nann
Publisher: BoD – Books on Demand
Total Pages: 254
Release: 2020-10-20
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 3752625643

The thief (Satan) comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I (Jesus) have come that they (followers of Jesus) may have life, and have it to the full (in abundance, fullness). (John 10:10) How can we experience this fullness Jesus spoke about in this life? How can we successfully and permanently prevent or combat this robbery, murder, and destruction by the enemy? How can injured, hopeless and disappointed people find salvation and freedom? The author chose to answer these and other important questions by writing an exciting non-fiction novel rather than a study guide. On the natural level, you will see how our main character, Romana Meier, discovers subconscious religious yokes and false teachings. With the help of God and her new friends, she is set free to experience a powerful, fulfilled life of freedom in Jesus Christ. The book sheds light on why there are so many problems in today's churches and congregations, and what distinguishes these organizations from the original early Christian community of believers. You will also find out how this relates to the flight of wild geese. On the supernatural level, two high-ranking representatives of the satanic realm meet on the way to the Success Conference of their Great Leader of Darkness. Coming from their assigned territorial earthly realm, they exchange ideas and boast about their achievements. Everything seems to go according to plan until they meet an invincible opponent.

Leaving the Church to Find God

Leaving the Church to Find God
Author: John Fenn
Publisher: Dog Ear Publishing
Total Pages: 222
Release: 2007-03
Genre: Christian life
ISBN: 1598583166

Motivated by a deep hunger for more of God, millions of Christians are leaving the traditional church to look for more freedom and fulfillment than the routine of five songs, announcements, a plea for money and a forty five minute sermon allow. They are looking for open ended, deep worship that flows with the Holy Spirit, relatable Bible study and discussion in which they may participate, and strong bonds of fellowship outside the four walls of organized church. Instead of leaving the church to fall away from God, they are leaving the church to find God. Leaving the Church to Find God offers scriptural, safe, and balanced answers tempered by real life experiences, on how to move from a traditional church structure into meetings that allow the Lord to set the agenda and where needs are met. John Fenn - I was a Christian who felt disconnected from church though I'd been actively involved nearly all my life. I was looking for answers to my desire and hunger for God to move freely, and came to realize I wasn't alone. From all walks of life and across the church spectrum people are searching for something deeper, but they don't quite know what. This is the story of how I found God moving outside the church structure that I had known, loved, and been a part of my whole Christian life. John and his wife Barbara were born in Kokomo, Indiana and began dating as teenagers when they met the Lord, and began ministering to their teenage friends. They've been in the ministry now for over thirty years, serving in various capacities including Campus Pastor, Associate Pastor, Senior Pastor, and advisor to churches and Bible schools all over the world. John also worked with Peter Wagner teaching at the Wagner Leadership Institute, serving as Canadian National Director and Education Advisor. He remains an adjunct instructor of Wagner Leadership Institute of Colorado Springs. In early 2002 John and his wife Barb, founded The Church Without Walls International of Tulsa, a house church network, emphasizing Relationship Based Christianity. He travels and teaches in all different streams of Christianity, helping churches and individuals find significance and fulfillment through Godly relationships and the discipleship process.

Church Refugees

Church Refugees
Author: Josh Packard
Publisher: Group Publishing, Inc.
Total Pages: 194
Release: 2015-06-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1470726777

They’re called The Dones. After devoting a lifetime to their churches, they’re walking away. Why? Sociologists Josh Packard and Ashleigh Hope reveal the results of a major study about the exodus from the American church. And what they’ve discovered may surprise you... -Church refugees aren’t who you’d expect. Among those scrambling for the exits are the church’s staunchest supporters and leaders. -Leaving the church doesn’t mean abandoning the faith. Some who are done with church report they’ve never felt spiritually stronger. -The door still remains open—a crack. Those who’ve left remain hungry for community and the chance to serve—and they’re finding both. Sifting through hundreds of hours of in-depth interviews, Packard and Hope provide illuminating insights into what has become a major shift in the American landscape. If you’re in the church, discover the major reasons your church may be in danger of losing its strongest members—and what you can do to keep them. If you’re among those done with church, look for your story to be echoed here. You’re not alone—and at last you’re understood. Share your story at TheDones.com

So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore

So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore
Author: Wayne Jacobsen
Publisher: Windblown Media
Total Pages: 154
Release: 2008-09-02
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1935170015

Jake Colsen, an overworked and disillusioned pastor, happens into a stranger who bears an uncanny resemblance (in manner) to the apostle John. A number of encounters with John as well as a family crisis lead Jake to a new understanding of what his life should be like: one filled with faith bolstered by a steady, close relationship with the God of the universe. Facing his own disappointment with Christianity, Jake must forsake the habits that have made his faith rote and rediscover the love that captured his heart when he first believed. Compelling and intensely personal, So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anything relates a man's rebirth from performance-based Christianity to a loving friendship with Christ that affects all he does, thinks, and says. As John tells Jake, "There is nothing the Father desires for you more than that you fall squarely in the lap of his love and never move from that place for the rest of your life."

The Ultimate Intention

The Ultimate Intention
Author: DeVern F. Fromke
Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing
Total Pages: 358
Release: 2016-10-21
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 178720121X

Scores of pastors and leaders testify: “THIS CHANGED MY LIFE AND MINISTRY.” The author considers these critical questions: In the beginning, before God created Adam (mankind), what was His original purpose and plan for him? What could have happened in the Garden of Eden if Adam had not sinned and God’s redemptive plan had not become necessary? We know that when God created Adam he received natural life, but how did God plan for Adam to receive Divine (uncreated life)? What is the difference between God’s creating and begetting work? It is evident that God has given the Cross a central place in His redemptive working; what is the difference between the work of the Cross and the way of the Cross? Since God, in the fullness of time, will put on display His Divine masterpiece before all the universe, how can we fully cooperate with him if we do not understand His Ultimate Intention?

At Your Best

At Your Best
Author: Carey Nieuwhof
Publisher: WaterBrook
Total Pages: 241
Release: 2021-09-14
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0735291365

“A perceptive and practical book about why our calendars so rarely reflect our priorities and what we can do to regain control.”—ADAM GRANT “Carey’s book will help you reorganize your life. And then you can share a copy with someone you care about.”—SETH GODIN You deserve to stop living at an unsustainable pace. An influential podcaster and thought leader shows you how. Overwhelmed. Overcommitted. Overworked. That’s the false script an inordinate number of people adopt to be successful. Does this sound familiar: ● Slammed is normal. ● Distractions are everywhere. ● Life gets reduced to going through the motions. Tired of living that way? At Your Best gives you the strategies you need to win at work and at home by living in a way today that will help you thrive tomorrow. Influential podcast host and thought leader Carey Nieuwhof understands the challenges of constant pressure. After a season of burnout almost took him out, he discovered how to get time, energy, and priorities working in his favor. This approach freed up more than one thousand productive hours a year for him and can do the same for you. At Your Best will help you ● replace chronic exhaustion with deep productivity ● break the pattern of overpromising and never accomplishing enough ● clarify what matters most by restructuring your day ● master the art of saying no, without losing friends or influence ● discover why vacations and sabbaticals don’t really solve your problems ● develop a personalized plan to recapture each day so you can break free from the trap of endless to-dos Start thriving at work and at home as you discover how to be at your best.

How to Be a Christian without Going to Church

How to Be a Christian without Going to Church
Author: Kelly Bean
Publisher: Baker Books
Total Pages: 249
Release: 2014-06-24
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1441246533

As many--young people especially--leave the traditional church in droves, they often still long for a genuine Christian community in which to practice their faith and share their spiritual journeys with others. They want to be faithful but struggle to find a place where they flourish. Whether they've already left the church behind or are merely considering it, readers will find here both heartfelt encouragement and practical steps for finding or creating a community of faith that honors God and offers rest, love, and communion with other believers. Author Kelly Bean broadens our definition of church to include many alternative forms of Christian community. With true stories of those who have given up on church and what they're doing now, this book is also helpful for pastors and churchgoers to help them understand why people leave the church--and what might be done to help them stay.

Why Men Hate Going to Church

Why Men Hate Going to Church
Author: David Murrow
Publisher: HarperChristian + ORM
Total Pages: 257
Release: 2011-10-31
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0849949815

“Church is boring.” “It’s irrelevant.” “It’s full of hypocrites.” You’ve heard the excuses—now learn the real reasons men and boys are fleeing churches of every kind, all over the world, and what we can do about it. Women comprise more than 60% of the adults in a typical worship service in America. Some overseas congregations report ten women for every man in attendance. Men are less likely to lead, volunteer, and give in the church. They pray less, share their faith less, and read the Bible less. In Why Men Hate Going to Church, David Murrow identifies the barriers keeping many men from going to church, explains why it’s so hard to motivate the men who do attend, and also takes you inside several fast-growing congregations that are winning the hearts of men and boys. In this completely revised, reorganized, and rewritten edition of the classic book, with more than 70 percent new content, explore topics like: The increase and decrease in male church attendance during the past 500 years Why Christian churches are more feminine even though men are often still the leaders The difference between the type of God men and women like to worship The lack of volunteering and ministry opportunities for men The benefits men get from attending church regularly Men need the church but, more importantly, the church needs men. The presence of enthusiastic men is one of the surest predictors of church health, growth, giving, and expansion. Why Men Hate Going to Church does not call men back to church—it calls the church back to men.

Bitten by a Camel

Bitten by a Camel
Author: Kent Dobson
Publisher: Fortress Press
Total Pages: 166
Release: 2017-08-15
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1506417752

Kent Dobson climbed Mount Sinai in search of the God who had eluded him. Instead he got bitten by a camel. Dobson was climbing the ladder of Christianity, too: a worship leader, teacher, and ultimately senior pastor of one of the largest and most prominent churches in America. But he was growing disillusioned with the faith, at least inside the shell of organized religion. One Sunday morning, he preached to his congregation, ÒI donÕt know what the word God even means anymore.Ó He soon left the church, but his quest for God became more intense than ever. In Bitten by a Camel, Dobson deconstructs much of what passes as Christianity, but on the foundation of Jesus and the Bible, he reconstructs a faith that is fulfilling, life-giving, and trueÑtrue to himself and true to God. DobsonÕs message is funny, poignant, and winsome. And it is ultimately, like the message of Jesus himself, hopeful.