Jim And Casper Go To Church

What does an atheist think about church? Jim Henderson decided that the best way to find out was to ask! So he recruited an atheist—Matt Casper—to visit twelve leading churches with him and give the “first impression” perspective of a non-believer. Week after week, this spiritual odd couple attended services at churches all over the country and documented their experiences at and reactions to each one. Along the way, they found the real value of their journey in the open and authentic friendship that developed as they talked, questioned, joked, and—most important—listened. Follow along with Jim and Casper on their visits, and eavesdrop as they discuss what they found. Their articulate, sometimes humorous, and always insightful dialogue offers Christians a new view of an environment where we’ve become overly comfortable: the church.

It is safe to say most Christians do not live like Jesus did, have the same influence on people he had, or draw even the slightest curiosity from the on-looking world. Jesus's ability to woo people to him and win their hearts was directly related to how he challenged their assumptions about religion. He not only gave them a unique, personal way to follow him but also showed them how to participate with him in his mission. Sacrilege helps readers rethink what it really means to become like Jesus. It exposes the patterns of thinking that have held the church hostage for years and inspires readers to rethink the way they understand Scripture, family, spiritual formation, conversion, church, sin, and more.

An exhilarating faith life is a tricky business. But ask anyone who's sought after it--from the founders and members of Scum of the Earth Church in Denver to the apostle Paul, from whose letters the church took its name--and they'll tell you it's worth it.In Pure Scum Mike Sares, pastor of Scum of the Earth, takes us along a faith journey, telling the story of how a pretty normal, middle-aged guy met and became friends with Reese Roper and other members of the band, Five Iron Frenzy, and got hoodwinked by FIF and the Holy Spirit into pastoring of a vibrant church full of artists and skater punks.For anyone--pastor, church leader or plain old Christian--who wants to share the amazing grace of God with the ""left-out"" and ""the right-brained,"" Mike's story will show you what this kind of exhilaration looks like, and more importantly, what it costs. It's a tricky business, but it's worth every step and misstep.

A spirited, spiritual pilgrimage to different Christian churches for a year of Sundays-from storefronts to mega-churches, from Massachusetts to Maui When Pope John Paul II died, Suzanne Strempek Shea, who had turned away from the Catholic Church of her childhood, recognized in his mourners a faith-filled passion that she wanted to recapture. She set out on a yearlong to visit a different church every Sunday for a year-a journey that would take her through the broad spectrum of contemporary Christianity lived in this country, from her New England home to the West Coast, the Deep South, the Midwest, and even to Hawaii. Beginning with a rousing Baptist Easter service in Harlem, including a sing-along at the Cowboy Church in Colorado's Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame and a multimedia experience at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church, the largest church in the country, Shea approaches each congregation with the curiosity of a newcomer and with respect for each unique expression of faith. Sundays in America weaves the threads of Christianity in America into a vibrant tapestry, an essential guide for those seeking a new house for their worship, as well as a colorful road trip for the armchair explorer.

What if “evangelism” meant just being yourself? If the gospel really is good news, why do most Christians avoid evangelism? Why is “witnessing” often a negative experience, for both the sender and receiver? Wouldn’t it be great if you could communicate the good news without having to become a spiritual salesperson? What if… •you didn’t have to make a speech in order to “witness”? •you could use everyday experiences to nudge others closer to Jesus? •the things you’re already doing counted as evangelism? Evangelism can be as normal as asking great questions and paying attention to the people Jesus misses most. It involves doing things you already do, but with a little more intentionality. Just by being yourself and becoming unusually interested in others, you can discover that people will ask you about Jesus. This isn’t another program or pitch. It’s a handbook on how to make real connections with the people formerly known as lost. Think of it as evangelism for the rest of us.

How do people come to Jesus in today's postmodern culture? Not by a mechanical, linear process of cookie cutter conversions. Nor by a nebulous spiritual wandering that never culminates in decision and commitment. Over the last decade, Don Everts and Doug Schaupp have listened to the stories of two thousand postmodern people who have come to follow Jesus. While their stories are diverse and varied, certain common themes emerge. Postmodern evangelism is a mysterious and organic process that nevertheless goes through discernible phases, as people cross thresholds from distrust to trust, from complacency to curiosity and from meandering to seeking. Everts and Schaupp describe the factors that influence how people shift in their perspectives and become open to the Gospel. They provide practical tools to help people enter the kingdom, as well as guidelines for how new believers can live out their Christian faith.

The authors of the popular Jim and Casper Go to Church are back! An unlikely friendship began when former pastor Jim Henderson brought atheist Matt Casper with him to visit a series of churches and give his honest feedback on the services. Since then, Casper has spent a lot of time deeply engaging with Jim and other Christians. And the burning question on everyone’s minds is whether Casper has been saved. In Saving Casper, Jim and Casper engage in a new conversation about that question. Most Christians have friends like Casper—people who’ve heard the gospel but still say no—so what happens next? Jim and Casper reveal the surprising answers to questions like: What can an atheist teach us about how to share God with those who don’t believe? What have well-meaning Christians said to Casper that has helped—or hurt—their cause? What, if anything, might bring Casper and other nonbelievers to faith . . . and why does Casper say he’s closer to God now than ever before? Saving Casper is a groundbreaking, game-changing look at evangelism and the “conversion conversation.”

"Free Range Faith" is a companion memoir for people who have left the institutional church, but not the faith. Glenn Hager addresses the question, "Is there is a more real and meaningful way to try to follow Jesus and express your faith without having to deal with all of the baggage of the institutional church?" He honestly admits, "I was trying to figure out what's next. I did not want to re-enter the institution that we call the church, but I never ceased being amazed by Jesus. I decided that however I expressed my faith, it needed to be real, personal, and a part of everyday life." The author suggests a potential path forward for irreligious friends of Jesus. He examines each of the practices generally believed to be important for nurturing spiritual formation by looking at the conventional way they are expressed, then digging deeper to uncover the foundational principle for the practice, and lastly, considering a more open, meaningful, and honest means of expression. He also devotes several pages to what he calls "lessons that I haven't mastered." These "lessons" are things that every honest person of faith struggles with, like the tension between trusting God and personal responsibility, our hunger for certainty and things that seem to be unanswerable, and the inner battle between grace and guilt. It is an invaluable resource for honest seekers, people who have questions, but haven't been finding answers in the institutional church, and for those who are re-examining their faith and are looking for meaningful avenues of expression. This book is about breaking out of the cage and flying free by forging a personal faith rather than outsourcing it an institution.