Beyond The Broken Church

Beyond the Broken Church is a collection of heartfelt learnings from Sarah Cunningham, a young adult raised in the faith, about the church she's not always sure she wants to be part of. The book engages concerns of a disillusioned generation head on and offers hope and honest, practical ideas for moving beyond one’s frustrations. In the end Beyond the Broken Church tells a story that will be familiar to many: the journey of overcoming disillusionment and staying the course. This revised and expanded version of the popular book Dear Church revisits the existing book with additional chapters, fresh statistics, new insights into why people are leaving the church, and a resource guide for those who care about the disillusioned and want to understand them better. Beyond the Broken Church will be a breath of fresh air to others who have experienced frustration in church as well as an insider’s guide for those seeking to understand current trends in church attendance, particularly among the younger generation.

2024 Nautilus Book Awards Silver Winner in "Religion / Spirituality of Western Thought" CategoryWinner of the Living Now Book Award, Church of the Wild reminds us that once upon a time, humans lived in an intimate relationship with nature. Whether disillusioned by the dominant church or unfulfilled by traditional expressions of faith, many of us long for a deeper spirituality. Victoria Loorz certainly did. Coping with an unraveling vocation, identity, and planet, Loorz turned to the wanderings of spiritual leaders and the sanctuary of the natural world, eventually cofounding the Wild Church Network and Seminary of the Wild. With an ecospiritual lens on biblical narratives and a fresh look at a community larger than our own species, Church of the Wild uncovers the wild roots of faith and helps us deepen our commitment to a suffering earth by falling in love with it--and calling it church. Through mystical encounters with wild deer, whispers from a scrubby oak tree, wordless conversation with a cougar, and more, Loorz helps us connect to a love that literally holds the world together--a love that calls us into communion with all creatures.

In the first comprehensive treatment of the role of churches in the processes that led to the American Civil War, C.C. Goen suggests that when Presbyterian, Methodist, and Baptist churches divided along lines of North and South in the antebellum controversy over slavery, they severed an important bond of national union. The forebodings of church leaders and other contemporary observers about the probability of disastrous political consequences were well-founded. The denominational schisms, as irreversible steps along the nation's tortuous course to violence, were both portent and catalyst to the imminent national tragedy. Caught in a quagmire of conflicting purposes, church leadership failed and Christian community broke down, presaging in a scenario of secession and conflict the impending crisis of the Union. As the churches chose sides over the supremely transcendent moral issue of slavery, so did the nation. Professor Goen, an eminent historian of American religion, does not seek in these pages the "causes" of the Civil War. Rather, he establishes evangelical Christianity as "a major bond of national unity" in antebellum America. His careful analysis and critical interpretation demonstrate that antebellum American churches -- committed to institutional growth, swayed by sectional interests, and silent about racial prejudice -- could neither contain nor redirect the awesome forces of national dissension. Their failure sealed the nation's fate. - Publisher.

Through this series of letters from a former emergent church staffer to the global church she's not always sure she wants to be a part of, this volume invites every person to engage their own disappointments and journey through disillusionment and back again.

There is a lot of talk today regarding the brokenness of the church with very few offering hope as to how it can be any different. In this book, Pastor Mark Wargo not only identifies some of the problems of betrayal we face within the church, but he also offers solutions and hope to stop this cycle. We all experience betrayal in this life, but sadly, too many have experienced betrayal in the church. Some get stuck in it and some go beyond it. Through this book Mark helps us recognize who the potential betrayers are, the three main betrayers we may face, the three characteristics of betrayers. Most importantly, he helps those who are stuck in the pain and grip of betrayal to move Beyond Betrayal. An ABSOLUTE MUST READ if you have ever attended a church, lead a church or lead within the church. Mark's passion for the Church will spark yours once again - because it is so beautifully Jesus' heart. Get ready for incredible biblical insight - Hope for the betrayed, knowledge to not perish, wisdom to navigate the journey, and obtaining a right heart to move 'Beyond Betrayal' and join the anthem of 'No more broken churches'.

A comprehensive, objective, scholarly and yet easy-to-read presentation of the differences, both historical, theological and liturgical between Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. The ideal complement (or even antidote) to such books as Upon this Rock; Jesus, Peter and the Keys; Two Paths; The Primacy of Peter; etc. Discusses Peter's Primacy and Succession, Ecclesiology, Infallibility, the Filioque, Celibacy, etc.

Church should be a safe place, right? Then why do so many get hurt there? Ray Beeson and Chris Hayward combine their years of ministry experience to address head-on the elephant in the room: church members and church leaders hurt Christians. All the time. And the long-lasting effects—rejection, shame, despair, loneliness, fear—can be devastating. The authors have witnessed the rise of the “dones,” those who are just done with God thanks to scars from church. With first-person stories of hurt and loss, this book is a wake-up call for any who deny woundedness in the church but is also a redemptive message for any who hurt from church wounds. Leaders and laypeople alike will learn how to grieve over abuse, to leave unhealthy attitudes and patterns that cause pain, and to trust in God’s real, delivering work through churches that build up, not tear down. Thanks to the grace of God, there is always hope beyond the pain.

A young professor of religion and philosophy is called to a prophetic ministry on his campus. A prophet is someone who has a unique and distinct message, one who sees into a situation with startling clarity. One who suddenly and unmistakably knows the truth and its implications. One who must speak out in a way that will forever change the reality of the situation. One who speaks truth to power and pays the price. He is forced to make the most difficult decisions of his life. He is challenged to defend the values for which he stands that he has taught to generations of students.