How Catholic churches are being sapped of their spiritual vitality and what you can do about it The problem with new-style churches isn't just that they're ugly they actually distort the Faith and lead Catholics away from Catholicism. So argues Michel S. Rose in these eye-opening pages, which banish forever the notion that lovers of traditional-style churches are motivated simply by taste or nostalgia. In terms that non-architects can understand (and modern architects can't dismiss!), Rose shows that far more is at stake: modern churches actually violate the three natural laws of church architecture and lead Catholics to worship, quite simply, a false god.

Excerpts from Ugly Church: "An ugly church can meet in a cathedral, a multi-million dollar facility, a '60s era church building resembling an upside-down ark, a storefront, or under a highway overpass. It is not defined by where it meets, nor the size of its building or bank account. They can be found in the grittiest urban core, the remotest Native American village, the wealthiest beach-side community and the most common suburb. It is not defined by its appearance or its location. It is defined by its adherence to the mission and message of Christ. It is defined by closely following the steps of its scandalous Savior. Simply put, the Church should be found where one would expect to find Jesus if He were walking the earth here and now, and filled with the people for whom His heart broke.""Where are the churches for the outsiders and the outcasts? For the least, the last, and the lost? I'm not suggesting there aren't ugly churches in existence doing great things for the Kingdom of God, but I do believe there are far too few of them. Certainly there are too few of them in a world filled with people who would consider themselves "ugly" if you had an honest conversation with them.""The world needs the real Jesus. Not self-help Jesus. Not prosperity Jesus. Not social club Jesus. Not a sanitized, safe, or diluted Jesus. The world needs the radical, audacious, and revolutionary Son of God, full of grace and compassion for the least of us, willing to die for the worst of us, and offering real and abundant life to all of us."

Discovering The Power of Ugly will cost you your pride. You will learn to take off your religious masks and stand naked before God. Ugly will liberate you from a false spirituality which pretends that being spiritual means that you stop being a real, flawed human being. Ugly is a celebration of the beauty of God's grace reflected through our weaknesses, not our strengths.

At just twelve years of age, Kathy met Kris, age fifteen, and it was love at first sight. Before her lay the journey of engagement and marriage to a man who would become an influential leader at Bethel Church; raising children while being part of one of the most influential Spirit-filled networks on the globe; and her own involvement in leadership--sparking a movement with her husband that has impacted much of the world. In this unfiltered, messy, and exciting narrative, Bethel Church matriarch Kathy Vallotton traces her life with Kris as she recounts their early married life, his heart-wrenching nervous breakdown, troubling financial setbacks, the jarring experience of living with a prophet, learning to develop a healthy kingdom culture at home--and how she grew to trust God in the midst of it all.

How Christians Can Rediscover the Beauty and Glory of the Church Dear. Precious. Lovely. The Bible describes the church in extraordinary ways, even using beautiful poetry and metaphors. How does this compare to how Christians today describe the church? Unfortunately, many believers focus more on its mission, structure, or specific programs than on its inherent beauty. It's time to spark a renewed affection for the church. In The Loveliest Place, Dustin Benge urges Christians to see the holy assembly of God's redeemed people in all its eternal beauty. He explains what makes the church lovely, including the Trinitarian relationship, worship, service, and gospel proclamation. For those who have never learned to view the church as God sees it, or have become disillusioned by its flaws, this book is a reminder that the corporate gathering of believers is a reflection of God's indescribable beauty. This is the third book in the Union series, which invites readers to experience deeper enjoyment of God through four interconnected values: delighting in God, growing in Christ, serving the church, and blessing the world. Part of the Union Series: Inviting readers to experience deeper enjoyment of God; other volumes include Rejoice and Tremble and Deeper Concise Version Also Available: The Loveliest Place is the full version of Why Should We Love the Local Church? Looks Beyond Methodology: Focuses on the beauty, not just the biblical function, of the church

Catholic lore, American tales, and Sicilian superstition blend in this “clever, funny, heartbreaking, and heartwarming” novel (Publishers Weekly). Born with unruly red hair, a sharp tongue, and wine-colored marks all over her body—marks that oddly mimick a map of the world and make her subject to endless ridicule—Garnet Ferrari would hardly consider herself blessed. So when an emissary from the Vatican shows up at her door, convinced that her seeming ability to cure the skin ailments of others qualifies her for sainthood, she’s not quite convinced—or pleased. Garnet sets off on a quest to better understand who she is and where she and her unusual gifts came from. Tracing a twisted path that leads from Sicily to West Virginia, poverty to riches, romance to loss, reality to mythology, Garnet uncovers a truth far more powerful than any dermatological miracle: that the things of which we are most ashamed often become our greatest strengths. “A cleareyed, touching fable of a girl learning the hard truths about herself and others.” —Kirkus Reviews

Illustrated with 180 photographs, paintings, and illustrations, Dark History of the Catholic Church reveals the corruption, scandals, murder and dark deeds behind the world’s oldest Christian faith.

My purpose for writing this book is to encourage teenagers, young ladies, and women not to make the mistakes I made. I realize that "self-experience" is the best teacher, but sometimes one can learn from another's experiences. I pray this is one of those cases. I hope this book will be an inspiration in some "small" way! Read and Enjoy. May God bless each of you,