"They like Jesus But Not The Church"

I think this quote by Henri Nouwen summarizes what Dan Kimball is trying to get across in this book:
"When we say, "I love Jesus but I hate the Church" we end up losing not only the Church but Jesus too. The challenge is to forgive the Church."
We live in a time when so many people are disillusioned with the Church. In this book Dan Kimball addresses the issues that have kept many people from connecting to the church. So many of us are stuck in our little bubbles not knowing how to reach out to non Christians..many of those who fall in the 18 to 30 age group. Many of them see churches based on what they hear in the media..and what little contact they may have had may be a negative view
Some of the content he deals with very well in his chapters"

1 The church is an organized religion with a political agenda

2 The church is judgmental and negative

3 The church is dominated by males and oppresses females

4 The church is homophobic

5 The church arrogantly claims all other religions are wrong

6 The church is full of fundamentalists who take the Bible literally

He ends the book with how the Church can respond... I love the visual pictures he includes using the well-known Bridge illustration..showing man on one side and God on the other and Jesus as the bridge. Unfortunately there is another gap and that is "the Christian subculture and the mis perceptions of Christianity" You're not going to bridge that gap without building relationships and trust.

I think what I liked the most in this book is the many interviews/quotes from the people he has met and the honesty in their views of Christianity.

This book definitely made me look at my own life and where I can do a better job reaching out and bridging friendships with those who "like Jesus" but don't really know Him.