One voice that has helped me since 2005 has been Dan Kimball. Dan is a caring, thoughtful voice for change, in my opinion. I first heard him speak at Youth Specialties' National Youth Workers Convention on how odd a lot of "Christian" paraphernalia ("Jesus bars," "Testa-mints" etc.) looks to non-Christians, and how it un-helps us. Very refreshing. He doesn't mock anyone; he's genuinely concerned that we pay attention to those we're sent here for. (Even more refreshing!)
When he wrote the book They Like Jesus but Not the Church: Insights from Emerging Generations
, I knew it was a "buy" for me. He's writing primarily to church leaders, so this book may not be for everyone, although it's a good read for someone who wants to hear a full-on encourager. He basically interviewed friends who fit the title, and asked them "why." (The fact that he has friends who aren't churchgoing Christians should be a clue; he's a pastor who spends a lot of time in coffee bars. On purpose.)If you'd like to hear the vantage point of some people who love Jesus but not the churches they see (or, often, the Christians they see), I encourage you to consider this book. For me, Dan let me know that I'm not the only crazy one out here who thinks Jesus band-aids are silly, that "churches" are too much like ecclesiastical bowling clubs, and that my time is best invested in Jesus and the ones he came to save.
Here's hoping you find blessing in the book.
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