Product Description

What would you do if you met someone you thought just might be one of Jesus original disciples still living in the 21st Century? That's Jake's dilemma as he meets a man who talks of Jesus as if he had known him, and whose way of living challenges everything Jake had previously known. So You Don t Want to Go To Church Anymore is Jake s compelling journal that chronicles thirteen conversations with his newfound friend over a four-year period and how those exchanges turn Jake's world upside-down. With his help, Jake faces his darkest fears, struggles through brutal circumstances and comes out on the other side in the joy and freedom he always dreamed was possible. If you're tired of just going through the motions of Christianity and want to mine the depths of what it really means to live deeply in Christ, you ll find Jake s story will give you hope for your own. This book probes the difficult questions and offers some far-reaching answers. It just might turn your world upside-down as well!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #197 in Books
• Published on: 2006-03-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 191 pages

Review
I left my church after 12 years and felt I needed to be in a church until I read your book and discovered it was not about going to church but being the church. And that is to be done everywhere I go and in everything I do. I am now fellowshipping in a small house group and feel at home. This book will definitely inspire you to be the church and not just go to church. Ronda, Mother and care-giver, Canby, Oregon --Lifestream.org

This is an exceptional story that will make you laugh, cry and be in awe of the love that Father has for all his children! It will challenge you to rethink what church is all about! Chris, Student, East Tennessee State University --Lifestream.org

About the Author
Jake Colsen is a pseudonym for the combined work of two long-time friends, colleagues and fellow-travelers. Wayne Jacobsen is an author whose books and articles can be found at lifestream.org. He was a Contributing Editor to Leadership Journal for more than 20 years and also co-hosts a weekly podcast at thegodjourney.com for those thinking outside the box of organized religion. Dave Coleman has been a pastor and hospice chaplain but has most effectively lived his life as a brother helping others sort out the journey of life in Jesus.

Customer Reviews

A Mixed Bag
There is much in this book that I admire. Any book that teaches that we should focus on a strong, abiding faith and trust in God cannot be a very bad book. I was very moved by some of the passages in this book, and I believe many other Christians will be moved as well.
As a corrective to the word-faith gospel this book is excellent. It clearly teaches that God does not answer to us, we answer to Him. I greatly admire anyone who is willing to tell people that God has not chosen to make all Christians wealthy.
My first problem with the book is that it portrays a church that is full of spiritually immature people. The Pastor, the elders, the assistant Pastor, and all of the parishioners seem to be a group of self centered louts. Are there no people who attend a church who actually love their neighbors?
The reason that I cannot give a higher rating than 3 stars is that I have grave reservations about the overarching message of the book, that the church should be avoided. This book seems to advocate Christianity as a religion best practiced alone, or in small groups. Of course that is an aspect of the faith, but the New Testament is full of instructions for the running of the local church as a body of believers. Acts 20:28 tells those who were made "overseers" of the flock that they were apointed by the Holy Spirit. This book seem to take the view that there should not be overseers at all. Read the whole of the Bible, particularly the New Testament before agreeing to the premises of any book.
The biggest problem that I have with this book is that it seems to be teaching that becuase the church is full of hypocrites that we should abandon it. How are the spiritually immature supposed to learn from the "spiritually elite" that are separating from the church?
A good, but flawed book.

Draw close to Jesus-YES! Apart from the body of Christ-NO!
This book was recommended to me by a new acquaintance. The title threw me at first. I really was expecting a book that was presenting some new church model or method, of which I had no desire to embrace. After a few chapters, I was pleasantly surprised. The author describes with accuracy what takes place in many churches. Though not greatly polished in writing style, the author does paint a picture that is painfully true in many cases.

The character in the book named John, does a good job of reminding Jake of the primacy of following Jesus, not some man-made method. The intimacy with God that John describes is refreshing. His emphasis on patience and trust in a sovereign God (my words not his) is a good lesson for all Christians.

But I would caution any reader of this book. The character of John is a fascinating man, and is rarely, if ever, offensive. But he does lead Jake (and the reader) to think less of the local church. The reader is left to think that our individual lives with God is far superior than any corporate gathering. If there are occasions to interact with other believers, then that is a bonus, certainly not something to seek out. I would suggest that our individual lives will never reach its full spiritual potential UNTIL it loves in the fellowship of a local church, where you can know and be known!

My struggle with this concept is that is appears to miss the beauty of the Bride of Christ. I'm not convinced you can love the bride-groom without loving the bride. The church universal is wonderful, but obviously Christ desired believers to be connected to a local body as well. I read the book of Acts (and the rest of the epistles) and see the body worshiping together, sharing together, and even experiencing church discipline together for those need correction.

I admit that the church is full of hypocrites, sinners, and those who do not demonstrate genuine faith. For that, the church will be held accountable, especially leadership. Also, most local churches are guilty for over-programming everything and getting little result for the money and effort put in. The church ought to embrace relationships with each other and God far more than it does. But to say the church is simply a man-made institution that is unnecessary (my interpretation of the book) is going way to far.

I would rather see the church as a place that we come together to worship our God, which is the overflow of our individual and family worship that we have encountered all week. And together we will accomplish all that God desires. It takes the whole body to accurately display the glory of God in our world. Christ didn't just die for individuals, He died for the church. And each individual ought to be eager to join with fellow believers to evangelize, establish, and equip each other and the world.

Let this book be a stimulus to embrace God, but do not let it deter you from His Body in a local church!

Excellant book for those confused
Religion and church nowadays are becoming more and more confusing. For me, this book helped sort out somethings I was wrestling with in relation to church.