An innovative, evangelistic pastor guides local church leaders to rethink their ministry's unique purpose and mission within the community.

The contributors consider how Canada's religious experience is distinctive in the modern world, somewhere between the largely secularized Europe and the relatively religious United States.

Eight years ago the popular and outspoken priest Tony Flannery was withdrawn from his ministry by his religious congregation, the Redemptorists, under orders from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in the Vatican. The CDF took issue with some of his writings, saying they were heretical. He was forbidden to perform priestly duties, or to write any articles or give interviews. Refusing to submit to this sentence, the intervening eight years have given him a greater degree of freedom of thought and action than he had ever experienced during his life as a priest in ministry. From the Outside is a product of what he has ascertained and come to believe during those years. The Church is facing many challenges. A great many people are leaving or have left; priest numbers are declining; clerical sex abuse still festers; women are excluded from ministry and decision-making, and that is becoming more and more of an anomaly as time goes by. Leadership in the Church seems incapable of dealing with these challenges, leaving the Church with a serious credibility issue. Along with these issues, From the Outside also deals with a much more fundamental and intractable problem, namely the problem of Church doctrine. Many of what are regarded as fundamental doctrines in the Church date from the early centuries of Christianity. To hold that what was defined about God over fifteen hundred years ago must be accepted without question in the twenty-first century is no longer credible. Flannery outlines what needs to be changed, both in the content and language of doctrine, and in the images and metaphors used. Challenging and controversial, From the Outside asks the Church leadership to look again at some of its basic doctrines. Change is needed. Tony Flannery is a Redemptorist priest, well known for his writings on a variety of Church issues. His previous books include A Question of Conscience (2013), From the Inside: A Priest’s View of the Catholic Church (1999), Keeping the Faith (2005), and Death of Religious Life? (1997).

Close to 60 percent of young people who went to church as teens drop out after high school. Now the bestselling author of unChristian trains his researcher's eye on these young believers. Where Kinnaman's first book unChristian showed the world what outsiders aged 16-29 think of Christianity, You Lost Me shows why younger Christians aged 16-29 are leaving the church and rethinking their faith. Based on new research, You Lost Me shows pastors, church leaders, and parents how we have failed to equip young people to live "in but not of" the world and how this has serious long-term consequences. More importantly, Kinnaman offers ideas on how to help young people develop and maintain a vibrant faith that they embrace over a lifetime.

For years Christians have been asking, "If you died tonight, do you know where you would go?" It turns out that many believers have been giving the wrong answer. It is not heaven. Award-winning author N. T. Wright outlines the present confusion about a Christian's future hope and shows how it is deeply intertwined with how we live today. Wright, who is one of today's premier Bible scholars, asserts that Christianity's most distinctive idea is bodily resurrection. He provides a magisterial defense for a literal resurrection of Jesus and shows how this became the cornerstone for the Christian community's hope in the bodily resurrection of all people at the end of the age. Wright then explores our expectation of "new heavens and a new earth," revealing what happens to the dead until then and what will happen with the "second coming" of Jesus. For many, including many Christians, all this will come as a great surprise. Wright convincingly argues that what we believe about life after death directly affects what we believe about life before death. For if God intends to renew the whole creation—and if this has already begun in Jesus's resurrection—the church cannot stop at "saving souls" but must anticipate the eventual renewal by working for God's kingdom in the wider world, bringing healing and hope in the present life. Lively and accessible, this book will surprise and excite all who are interested in the meaning of life, not only after death but before it.

Why is it important to rethink the church? Today many leaders focus on how their ministries can be run more efficiently. But the foundational question, according to James Emery White, should be Why do we have this ministry? and then, Why do we do this ministry the way we do? Is it effective? Rethinking the Church helps pastors and lay leaders work through questions that must be answered if a church is to rethink evangelism, discipleship, ministry, worship, community, and the structure of the church. Break old molds, check assumptions, and be sensitive, says White. He uses the language and aims of "seeker-targeted" churches but urges readers not to tie themselves to any model without understanding the individual purpose of their church. Now thoroughly revised and expanded, Rethinking the Church contains more emphasis and key material on how to move from rethinking to transition. White blends biblical reflection and hands-on experience and uses the early church as described in the Book of Acts as the ultimate example.

In Rethinking Church, veteran church leader, theologian, and professor Ron Highfield tells the story of how he came to the conclusions that most institutions we call "churches" are really parachurch organizations, much of the "church work" we do focuses on making something happen on Sunday mornings, and much of the money we give goes to pay staff to keep the parachurch functions running. Highfield writes for older believers who feel burned out and disillusioned by years of institutional maintenance. He addresses young people who have never seen the relevance of institutional churches to their lives. To all who view institutional churches as self-serving, hypocritical, money grubbing, growth obsessed, clergy dominated, and backward, Highfield offers a different vision of church life. This church is simple, small, requires no money, needs no clergy, and possesses no property. It does not run like a business, is not organized like a corporation, and does not feel like a theater. It feels like a family, meets around a table, and focuses on the Lord. Highfield invites you to join him in Rethinking Church for your life. "The vibrancy of "church" envisioned in the Bible tends to happen in smaller settings, while traditional church is hamstrung by numerous programs and other commitments. Truth be told, for many who seek authentic and transformative fellowship, going to church is discouraging. Yet there is hope. Rethinking Church is a compelling and biblically refreshing read, penned by the clearest thinker (and most concise writer) I know. " -Douglas Jacoby, Lincoln Christian University "The widespread frustration with, and apparent social demise of, the institutional church is of grave concern. And if you share such frustrations, it may be important to know that there are creative and faithful and compelling options for "being church." Ron Highfield's description of "simple church" is one of those options which takes church seriously without off-putting dogmatism. Realistic and practical, while also hopeful, this is a genuinely helpful resource for those who are looking for something different before they give up on "church" altogether. " -Lee C. Camp, host of Tokens Show (www.TokensShow.com) " With thoughtfulness and discernment, Ron Highfield deconstructs our expectations of what church must be, inviting us to expand our thinking by thinking smaller. In doing so he offers us a needed moment to take a step back and catch our breath. He beckons us to sit down and sort through our heavy suitcases and consider that traveling light might be a possibility for the family of God. " -Amy Wilson Kendall, College Minister, Boulder Colorado

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it." But it's no secret that the Christian church is "broke," and does need fixing. Despite great effort, things are going badly for us. We've tried trendy and tech-savvy, entrepreneurial and coffee-house gritty. They're not helping. Our problem is deeper than that. Our problem is our instincts--instincts informed by our story. There was a time when the Christian church was a powerfully transformative presence in society. It can be again--but it will require radical rethinking of the story that informs our instincts. And it's time! It's been five hundred years since the Reformation, our last major update. Today is a pivotal moment in history. With our worldview upended by quantum physics, history is demanding we renew the Christian story for our times. Rethinking Our Story reframes the elements of the Christian narrative for the new era. It explores "quantum" ways of thinking about God, human nature, Jesus, salvation, and the afterlife. The future of the church and the health of our society depend on our willingness to rethink, retell, and live out a better story. We will either update our instincts and contribute to the earth's well-being--or disappear into oblivion.

The United States has more people locked up in jails, prisons, and detention centers than any other country in the history of the world. Exploring the history and foundations of mass incarceration, Dominique Gilliard examines Christianity’s role in its evolution and expansion, assessing justice in light of Scripture, and showing how Christians can pursue justice that restores and reconciles.