NOTE: This book has now been published and you can purchase it on Amazon.
The book is titled Finding Church, and it recounts the journeys people have experienced within church.
Below is a current list of our contributors, though it is possible that not all of these contributions will be in the final draft.
If you wish you would have submitted your story, there is still time! Find out more at the bottom of this post.
Changing Church
These are stories of people who, for numerous different reasons, left one church to join another.
- Eric Hatfield – Blogs at http://theway21stcentury.wordpress.com/
- Felisa Reed – Part of http://www.therefugeonline.org/
- Jessica Bowman – Blogs at http://bohemianbowmans.com/ and is the author of Parenting Wild Things
- Judith Huang – Blogs at http://www.graceground.com/
- Kellen Freeman – Blogs at http://www.kellenfreeman.net/
- Kimberly Parker – Blogs at http://www.simplycreativewriting.com/ and is the author of Radical Love…Forever Changed
- Laura Davis – Mother, wife, and advocate to the brokenhearted
- Sam Riviera – Blogs at http://www.graceground.com/
Leaving Church
These are stories of people who felt that “going to church” was inhibiting their walk with Jesus, and so left the institutional church to follow and serve Jesus in other ways.
- Brian Swan – Brian Swan is the author of a blog called “Allergic to BS“
- Genevieve Thul – Writes at http://turquoisegates.com and http://incourage.me
- Glenn Hager – Blogs at http://www.glennhager.com/
- Lew Ayotte – Blogs at http://lewayotte.com
- Mike Donahoe – Author and writer.
- Mike Keffer – Works in the financial services industry
- Tara Pohlkotte – Blogs at www.pohlkottepress.blogspot.com
- Tyson Phillips – Follower of Jesus and writer.
- Wayne Hobson – Author of Suffer The Little Children: Understanding and Overcoming Spiritual Abuse
- Will Rochow – Blogs at www.Rochow.ca
Reforming Church
Though many people have painful experiences in church, some people choose to stay at their church and try to work through them, reforming the church from the inside, and being the change they want to see. These are their stories.
- Aubry Smith – Freelance writer and stay-at-home mother
- Bill Reichart – Blogs at http://www.ministrybestpractices.com/
- Dan King – Author of The Unlikely Missionary: From Pew-Warmer to Poverty-Fighter
and blogger at http://bibledude.net/
- Daniel Darling – Blogs at http://www.danieldarling.com/ and author of Real: Owning Your Christian Faith
- John Walker – Husband, gardener, and chef
- Markus Watson – Author and Pastor
- Ryan Peter – Blogger and author of When Twins War
- Sonny Lemmons – Contributing author to The Myth of Mr. Mom
and Not Afraid: Stories of Finding Significance (forthcoming)
- Travis Mamone – Blogs at www.travismamone.net and contributor to Not Alone: Stories Of Living With Depression
and Not Afraid: Stories of Finding Significance (forthcoming)
Returning to Church
These are stories of people who returned to church after years of being away.
- Cara Sexton – Writes at http://www.whimsysmitten.com/
- Judith Huang – Blogs at http://www.graceground.com/
- Mary C. M. Phillips – Blogs at http://caffeineepiphanies.wordpress.com
- Wayne Hobson – Author of Suffer The Little Children: Understanding and Overcoming Spiritual Abuse
Not Yet Sent in the Story (but said they will!!!)
Let me know you want to contribute, and I will add your name to the list.
- Aaron Armstrong – Author at http://www.bloggingtheologically.com/
- Alan Brisco – Author and writer at http://www.alanbrisco.com/
- Alan Knox – Blogs at The Assembling of the Church
- Alastair McCollum – Pastor and blogger at http://www.graceground.com/
- Anthony Ehrhardt – Blogs at http://antwrites.com/
- Carey Crawford – Blogs at http://www.leavingchurchinc.wordpress.com
- Casey Pick – Writer and author
- Dave Winter – Writer and author
- Jason Schmidt – Writer and author
- Jenny Simmons – Blogs at http://www.jennysimmons.com/ and lead singer with Addison Road
- John Martinez – Pastor at http://thedistillerychurch.org/
- Kathy Pickett – Pastor at Homeswood Baptist Church
- Kevin Martineau – http://kevinmartineau.ca/
- Mark Lamprecht – Blogs at http://hereiblog.com/
- Melody Hanson – Blogs at www.logicandimagination.com
- Nick Thacker – Blogger at http://www.livehacked.com/
- Rowland Croucher – Writer at http://jmm.aaa.net.au/
- Travis Klassen – Blog at www.churchburned.com
Get Published in 2012
Want to get published in 2012, or add to your already existing publishing portfolio?
One quick and easy way is to participate in a community project where various authors contribute individual chapters to a full-length book. I have done this a couple times myself already with The Practice Of Love
You are invited to contribute.
Let me remind you about another community project that is in the works and is looking for more contributors.
This book is called Finding Church. It will tell the stories of people and their evolving relationship with church.
There will be four main types of stories within the book, and if you fit into one of these categories (and nearly everyone fits into one or more category), you are invited to submit your story.
But don’t delay. The submission deadline is April 30th!
Click here for the Finding Church Submission Guidelines (MS Word)
[Read more…]
Why do You Love Your Church?
Are you part of a church, and although it isn’t perfect, you love it anyway?
Do you have some stories that show why? Were there some things that happened in the church in the past that you weren’t happy with, but you stuck with the church through thick and thin? Maybe during that time, some people left the church, but you stayed around and are glad you did?
If so, we would love for you to write about your experiences in a book called Finding Church.
This book is about seeking understanding and unity between the different journeys that all of us are on regarding church.
Right now, we are looking for submissions from people who have stuck with their church through thick and thin, through the messiness, through the pain, and are glad they did.
If you have such a story to tell. Check out these submission guidelines, and send in your story!
Finding Church Project Submission Guidelines (MS Word)
A Call for Book Submissions!
There are only two months left to send in your submission for the book, Finding Church!
The book already has numerous contributions from various authors and bloggers, but there is still room to include your story, so write it up and send it in! Download the Submission Guidelines here.
You Can Write for Publication
In case you are new around here, and haven’t heard about this writing opportunity before, let me fill you in.
Civitas Press is publishing a book called Finding Church which contains the stories of people and their experiences with church. As we all know, the church is in a period of great upheaval. People are seeking to understand what the church is, and more specifically, their unique role and purpose within the church.
This is where you come in. If you have been a follower of Jesus for any length of time, you have probably experienced some difficult and painful situations in church. You may have been deeply hurt, misrepresented, or maligned. But as you continued to follow Jesus, He may have led you to a new church, shown you a new way of practicing church, or simply taught you how to live with grace and forgiveness toward those who hurt you.
[Read more…]
Help Write a Book about Church
Note: This book has already been published. You can find it here: Finding Church
I am working with a publisher to write a book about people and their experiences with church. If you have a story to tell, and would like to get your story into print, you are invited to participate.
The rest of the post contains more information, but here are the submission guidelines if you just want to start writing:
Finding Church Project Submission Guidelines (MS Word)
Finding Church
The working title of the book is Finding Church.
The project is currently broken up into four categories. These categories may change as the project develops. We encourage you to shape your submission to fit within one of these categories.
Leaving Church
Stories about personal life adjustments, theological changes, or church moral failures which led people to leave church for good.
Returning to Church
Stories about people who used to attend church years ago, but stopped for a while, and have now decided to start attending again. These stories explain why they left, and what caused them to return.
Reforming Church
Though many people are leaving the church and criticizing how church is done, some people want to stay within their church and be part of the solution. These stories relate what problems exist in the church, and how the person is seeking to reform and renew the church from within.
Changing Church
Many people leave one church to attend another. Sometimes they attend a similar church across town; other times the new church is a completely different denomination, or form of church, such as going from a mega-church to a house-church. These stories reveal what moves the person made, and why they changed churches.
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