Author: Darla Hannah Melancon
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 1452064989
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 162
Book Description
This book is written for individuals that have felt alienated from God because the church failed. After our son was sexually molested by another member of our church, Richard and I looked to our pastors to help us navigate through trauma and pain that such an event produces. Not only were our pastors ill equipped to direct us toward healing, they were unable to express empathy or support. Their solution was a "don't talk" rule and "just forgive" directive. When these failed to satisfy us, the senior pastor stated he would "released us to find healing somewhere else." In other words, we were KICKED OUT OF CHURCH. Like so many people that have been wounded by the church or church people, our children were ready to just walk away from the church and the Lord. After all, how do you separate the two.' These were the only pastors our children had ever known. Our pastors had taught us to view the church as family. They had repeatedly reminded us, "We were in covenant relationship with the Lord and each other." Yet when life got ugly, they couldn't wait to get rid of us. How do you separate the truth from the lies after such rejection? Richard and I have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ that precedes our joining that church. We knew that Jesus had not treated us so coldly. We were not willing to walk away from Jesus. Yet we, too, needed to learn to separate Jesus from religious tradition and religious people. This is a recounting for that journey of learning to separate the God that loves us from the church that so often misrepresents Him. May it give you hope.
The Things I Learned After Being Kicked Out of Church
Author: Darla Hannah Melancon
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 1452064989
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 162
Book Description
This book is written for individuals that have felt alienated from God because the church failed. After our son was sexually molested by another member of our church, Richard and I looked to our pastors to help us navigate through trauma and pain that such an event produces. Not only were our pastors ill equipped to direct us toward healing, they were unable to express empathy or support. Their solution was a "don't talk" rule and "just forgive" directive. When these failed to satisfy us, the senior pastor stated he would "released us to find healing somewhere else." In other words, we were KICKED OUT OF CHURCH. Like so many people that have been wounded by the church or church people, our children were ready to just walk away from the church and the Lord. After all, how do you separate the two.' These were the only pastors our children had ever known. Our pastors had taught us to view the church as family. They had repeatedly reminded us, "We were in covenant relationship with the Lord and each other." Yet when life got ugly, they couldn't wait to get rid of us. How do you separate the truth from the lies after such rejection? Richard and I have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ that precedes our joining that church. We knew that Jesus had not treated us so coldly. We were not willing to walk away from Jesus. Yet we, too, needed to learn to separate Jesus from religious tradition and religious people. This is a recounting for that journey of learning to separate the God that loves us from the church that so often misrepresents Him. May it give you hope.
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 1452064989
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 162
Book Description
This book is written for individuals that have felt alienated from God because the church failed. After our son was sexually molested by another member of our church, Richard and I looked to our pastors to help us navigate through trauma and pain that such an event produces. Not only were our pastors ill equipped to direct us toward healing, they were unable to express empathy or support. Their solution was a "don't talk" rule and "just forgive" directive. When these failed to satisfy us, the senior pastor stated he would "released us to find healing somewhere else." In other words, we were KICKED OUT OF CHURCH. Like so many people that have been wounded by the church or church people, our children were ready to just walk away from the church and the Lord. After all, how do you separate the two.' These were the only pastors our children had ever known. Our pastors had taught us to view the church as family. They had repeatedly reminded us, "We were in covenant relationship with the Lord and each other." Yet when life got ugly, they couldn't wait to get rid of us. How do you separate the truth from the lies after such rejection? Richard and I have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ that precedes our joining that church. We knew that Jesus had not treated us so coldly. We were not willing to walk away from Jesus. Yet we, too, needed to learn to separate Jesus from religious tradition and religious people. This is a recounting for that journey of learning to separate the God that loves us from the church that so often misrepresents Him. May it give you hope.
Ten Things I Learned Wrong from a Conservative Church
Author: John Killinger
Publisher: Crossroad
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 240
Book Description
In this elegant memoir, the author reveals what he learned from his upbringing and how, with trust in God and compassion for others, his faith matured.
Publisher: Crossroad
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 240
Book Description
In this elegant memoir, the author reveals what he learned from his upbringing and how, with trust in God and compassion for others, his faith matured.
Crushing
Author: T. D. Jakes
Publisher: FaithWords
ISBN: 9781455595372
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 272
Book Description
Follow God's process for growth and learn how you can benefit from life's challenging experiences with this book by bestselling inspirational author T.D. Jakes. In this insightful book, #1 New York Times bestselling author T.D. Jakes wrestles with the age-old questions: Why do the righteous suffer? Where is God in all the injustice? In his most personal offering yet, Bishop Jakes tells crushing stories from his own journey-the painful experience of learning his young teenage daughter was pregnant, the agony of watching his mother succumb to Alzheimer's, and the shock and helplessness he felt when his son had a heart attack. Bishop Jakes wants to encourage you that God uses difficult, crushing experiences to prepare you for unexpected blessings. If you are faithful through suffering, you will be surprised by God's joy, comforted by His peace, and fulfilled with His purpose. Crushing will inspire you to have hope, even in your most difficult moments. If you trust in God and lean on Him during setbacks, He will lead you through.
Publisher: FaithWords
ISBN: 9781455595372
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 272
Book Description
Follow God's process for growth and learn how you can benefit from life's challenging experiences with this book by bestselling inspirational author T.D. Jakes. In this insightful book, #1 New York Times bestselling author T.D. Jakes wrestles with the age-old questions: Why do the righteous suffer? Where is God in all the injustice? In his most personal offering yet, Bishop Jakes tells crushing stories from his own journey-the painful experience of learning his young teenage daughter was pregnant, the agony of watching his mother succumb to Alzheimer's, and the shock and helplessness he felt when his son had a heart attack. Bishop Jakes wants to encourage you that God uses difficult, crushing experiences to prepare you for unexpected blessings. If you are faithful through suffering, you will be surprised by God's joy, comforted by His peace, and fulfilled with His purpose. Crushing will inspire you to have hope, even in your most difficult moments. If you trust in God and lean on Him during setbacks, He will lead you through.
Leaving Church
Author: Barbara Brown Taylor
Publisher: Canterbury Press
ISBN: 1848253575
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 256
Book Description
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.
Publisher: Canterbury Press
ISBN: 1848253575
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 256
Book Description
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.
How to Reach the West Again
Author: Timothy J Keller
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780578633756
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 60
Book Description
Christianity is declining in the West. Churches in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe are closing their doors at an accelerating rate. How will the church respond? In this short but sweeping manifesto, New York Times bestselling author and pastor Timothy Keller argues that this decline should prompt us to rethink evangelism from the ground up. Using the early church as our guide, churches and individual Christians must examine ourselves, our culture, and Scripture to work toward a new missionary encounter with Western culture that will make the gospel both attractive and credible to a new generation.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780578633756
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 60
Book Description
Christianity is declining in the West. Churches in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe are closing their doors at an accelerating rate. How will the church respond? In this short but sweeping manifesto, New York Times bestselling author and pastor Timothy Keller argues that this decline should prompt us to rethink evangelism from the ground up. Using the early church as our guide, churches and individual Christians must examine ourselves, our culture, and Scripture to work toward a new missionary encounter with Western culture that will make the gospel both attractive and credible to a new generation.
On Pastoring
Author: H.B. Charles Jr.
Publisher: Moody Publishers
ISBN: 080249451X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 229
Book Description
From one pastor to another... No one is ever fully prepared for the ministry. For pastors just starting out, those needing a little rebalancing, or those growing tired in the trenches, a short guide to the basics is a welcome relief. In On Pastoring, H. B. Charles gives 30 instructive reflections on the pastor’s heart, leadership, and public ministry, covering topics like: Cultivating personal godliness Prioritizing your family Guarding your ministry effectiveness Planning, preparing, and preaching sermons Balancing pastoral roles and duties Being a pastor means wearing many hats, weathering lots of pressure, and bearing great responsibility. Let H. B. Charles be a trusted advisor as you do the serious work of shepherding a flock of God.
Publisher: Moody Publishers
ISBN: 080249451X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 229
Book Description
From one pastor to another... No one is ever fully prepared for the ministry. For pastors just starting out, those needing a little rebalancing, or those growing tired in the trenches, a short guide to the basics is a welcome relief. In On Pastoring, H. B. Charles gives 30 instructive reflections on the pastor’s heart, leadership, and public ministry, covering topics like: Cultivating personal godliness Prioritizing your family Guarding your ministry effectiveness Planning, preparing, and preaching sermons Balancing pastoral roles and duties Being a pastor means wearing many hats, weathering lots of pressure, and bearing great responsibility. Let H. B. Charles be a trusted advisor as you do the serious work of shepherding a flock of God.
When Narcissism Comes to Church
Author: Chuck DeGroat
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
ISBN: 0830841997
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 205
Book Description
Chuck DeGroat has been counseling pastors with narcissistic personality disorder and those wounded by narcissistic leaders for over twenty years. Offering compassion and hope for both narcissists themselves and those affected by its destructive power, DeGroat imparts wise counsel for churches looking to heal from its systemic effects.
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
ISBN: 0830841997
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 205
Book Description
Chuck DeGroat has been counseling pastors with narcissistic personality disorder and those wounded by narcissistic leaders for over twenty years. Offering compassion and hope for both narcissists themselves and those affected by its destructive power, DeGroat imparts wise counsel for churches looking to heal from its systemic effects.
Is It Me? Making Sense of Your Confusing Marriage
Author: Natalie Hoffman
Publisher: Flying Free
ISBN: 9781732894303
Category : Marital conflict
Languages : en
Pages : 330
Book Description
One out of three married women sitting in an average conservative Christian church is in a confusing and painful marriage relationship. Those women believe they are alone. I want them to know they aren't. They believe they can't find peace. I want them to know they can. They believe they don't have choices. I want them to know they do.This book isn't for the parents who raised them. It's not for the pastors who condemn them. It's not for the friends who don't understand them. And it's not for the partner who dehumanizes them. This book is for the woman in the pew who somehow, by God's divine intervention, finds it in her hand and has to catch her breath because she suddenly feels like she's free falling.I wrote this book just for you. Let's dig in.
Publisher: Flying Free
ISBN: 9781732894303
Category : Marital conflict
Languages : en
Pages : 330
Book Description
One out of three married women sitting in an average conservative Christian church is in a confusing and painful marriage relationship. Those women believe they are alone. I want them to know they aren't. They believe they can't find peace. I want them to know they can. They believe they don't have choices. I want them to know they do.This book isn't for the parents who raised them. It's not for the pastors who condemn them. It's not for the friends who don't understand them. And it's not for the partner who dehumanizes them. This book is for the woman in the pew who somehow, by God's divine intervention, finds it in her hand and has to catch her breath because she suddenly feels like she's free falling.I wrote this book just for you. Let's dig in.
So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore
Author: Wayne Jacobsen
Publisher: Windblown Media
ISBN: 1935170015
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 157
Book Description
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."
Publisher: Windblown Media
ISBN: 1935170015
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 157
Book Description
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."
How God Hauled Me Kicking and Screaming Into the Catholic Church
Author: Kevin Lowry
Publisher: Our Sunday Visitor
ISBN: 1612788432
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 110
Book Description
A preacher kid’s at a Catholic university, Kevin Lowry settled into a “double major in beer and billiards” soon followed by uncomfortable run-ins with pious students, failing grades, increasing anxiety, a missing night—and the startling realization that some fellow students actually attended Mass the morning after a party instead of sleeping it off. After getting kicked out, Kevin got his act together, got the MBA, and also got the girl. Meanwhile God was working, drawing him to the inevitable conclusion that Catholicism was all true despite his objections. Kevin Lowry’s journey to Catholicism is fascinating, often funny, and demonstrates God’s unfailing, patient love for all of us.
Publisher: Our Sunday Visitor
ISBN: 1612788432
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 110
Book Description
A preacher kid’s at a Catholic university, Kevin Lowry settled into a “double major in beer and billiards” soon followed by uncomfortable run-ins with pious students, failing grades, increasing anxiety, a missing night—and the startling realization that some fellow students actually attended Mass the morning after a party instead of sleeping it off. After getting kicked out, Kevin got his act together, got the MBA, and also got the girl. Meanwhile God was working, drawing him to the inevitable conclusion that Catholicism was all true despite his objections. Kevin Lowry’s journey to Catholicism is fascinating, often funny, and demonstrates God’s unfailing, patient love for all of us.