Essential Reading: The Church in an Age of Crisis

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church in an age of crisisHad a chance this weekend to devour The Church in an Age of Crisis; the newest book from James Emery White.  White, the founder and senior pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, is the former president of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and the blogger behind the Church & Culture blog (a must-read for anyone interested in life at crowd’s edge).

The Church in an Age of Crisis: 25 New Realities Facing Christianity is a fascinating, gut-wrenching, and terrifying read.  Anything but a page-turner…but only because every other paragraph contains a wait…what?  Can that be true? moment.  Definitely in the category of The Next Christians as essential reading for anyone attempting ministry in the 21st century.

I was both rocked and intrigued by what I discovered in this book.  Rocked at the thought of how different life is for the Church in 21st century western culture.  Intrigued (and challenged) by the thoughts of what it will take to change the trajectory.  I have no doubt that you will all feel the same way.

As the subtitle declares, The Church in an Age of Crisis dives into 25 new realities facing Christianity.  Ranging from issues of faith and mindset, to marriage and family, and then on to media, technology and mission…the book is literally packed with cultural references that will both leave you scratching your head, wondering how did this happen, and shaking your head, thinking how can we change course?

Setting the tone for the whole book is White’s brief acknowledgement of the enigmatic biblical references to the “men of Issachar,” who “understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take.”  Friends, we must be like the men of Issachar.  We must understand the times and the best course to take.  If you want to play a part in a trajectory change…The Church in an Age of Crisis is a must read.

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