They Like Jesus But Not the Church…a Great Resource from Dan Kimball
Looking for resources that will help your group members begin to understand the culture in which we live? You may want to take a look at Dan Kimball’s 6 session study, They Like Jesus But Not the Church. Published by Zondervan in 2008, it is nowhere near out of date. Extremely relevant and very much in line with the discoveries in David Kinnaman’s unChristian and You Lost Me, as well as Gabe Lyon’s The Next Christians, this is a very good resource.
If you’re unfamiliar, Dan Kimball has been a leading voice in the emerging church movement as well as a sought after speaker and communicator. He is also the primary teaching pastor and has oversight of the missional aspects of Vintage Faith Church, founded in 2004 as a church plant of Santa Cruz Bible Church.
A number of components make this a great study. First, it is a DVD-Driven study and features 6 DVD segments that are a combination of Dan Kimball’s compelling narration and an engaging set of interviews. Each of the sessions is presented in a two-part format. First, a narrative description of a root issue that grows into one of the objections to Christianity. Second, a kind of look back at the statements from the interview coupled with Kimball’s grace-filled and compelling teaching.
The subjects covered include:
- The Danger of the Christian Bubble
- Is the Church Negative Judgmental, and Political?
- Does the Church Restrict and Oppress Women?
- Is the Church Homophobic?
- Do Christians Arrogantly Think All Other Religions Are Wrong?
- Are Christians Fundamentalists Who Take the Whole Bible Literally?
The Participant’s Guide provides a note-taking section for the DVD segments, a set of discussion questions that pull in response to the ideas presented on the DVD along with an informative set of scripture passages that are designed to build a solid biblical foundation. Each session also includes activities and opportunities for reflection designed to enhance between session development. Finally, the “for further study” section provides additional resources that will enhance new understanding.
In addition to a basic leader’s guide, an appendix provides a very detailed set of suggested answers to cross-referenced questions in each section.
In addition to the small group sessions, They Like Jesus But Not the Church is also designed to be used as a church-wide campaign. You’ll find sermon outlines, powerpoint presentations and promotional materials at www.theylikejesus.com and the DVD a includes a set of six video clips to be used in connection with the six message outlines.
