- 2011 Golden Canon Leadership Book Award winner

Everybody wants to be spiritual. But nobody wants to be religious. Everybody is looking for a rich spiritual life. But nobody is looking to church.As a pastor, Todd Hunter found himself disillusioned, burned out and needing to drop out of traditional forms of church. He experimented with house churches and other options but was still dissatisfied. Eventually he found himself sneaking off to worship services on Sunday mornings with surprising results.What did the historic spiritual practices of church do for him? How did they lead to a life of centered peace, chart a path to simplicity and cause him to reach out to others while focusing on the gloryof God?Walk with Hunter on this journey to find spiritual riches in a surprising place. You might just give church another chance.



Bishop Todd D. Hunter leads Churches for the Sake of Others (C4SO), a diocese of the Anglican Church in North America. He is a past president of Alpha USA and former national director for the Association of Vineyard Churches. His books include Christianity Beyond Belief, The Accidental Anglican, and Deep Peace. Recently, he established The Center for Formation, Justice and Peace. Todd and his wife, Debbie, live in Franklin, Tennessee.







Scot McKnight (PhD, University of Nottingham) is professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary in Lisle, Illinois. He is the author of many books, including Reading Romans Backwards, Pastor Paul, The King Jesus Gospel, and commentarieson James, Galatians, and Colossians. He is also a general editor of the IVP Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, second edition.



Foreword by Scott McKnight

Preface: From Churched to Dechurched to Rechurched

Acknowledgments

Introduction: Doing the Faith for the Sake of Others

1 Going to Church: Being Sent as Ambassadors of the Kingdom

2 QuietPrelude: A Life of Centered Peace

3 Singing the Doxology: Radiating the Glory of God

4 Scripture Reading: Embodying the Story

5 Hearing Sermons: An Easy-Yoke Life of Obedience

6 Following Liturgy: A Lifestyle of the Work of the People

7 Giving an Offering: Simplicity of Life

8 Taking Communion: A Life of Thankfulness

9 Receiving the Benediction: Blessing Others

Conclusion: Putting the Spiritual Practices of Church to Use

Group Exercises

Notes