Adventures in Churchland Quotes

“When we think of church primarily as a place or an event we go to, we minimize the theologically rich identity of the church as the people of God. And this identity — of being the church — is more than a passive statement about who we are; it’s also a call to action. As representatives of Jesus, those called to communicate and live out his message and the message about him, we are on a mission.”
― Dan Kimball, Adventures in Churchland: Finding Jesus in the Mess of Organized Religion

“But when we understand that we are called to be the church, not just go to church, it changes our identity. No longer do we go to a building where religious activities happen and that is “church.” We now are the church all week long.”
― Dan Kimball, Adventures in Churchland: Finding Jesus in the Mess of Organized Religion

“God’s house is now in the people of God wherever they are, whether it’s in the parking lot, in a bowling alley, or in an office cubicle.”
― Dan Kimball, Adventures in Churchland: Finding Jesus in the Mess of Organized Religion

“As you have learned through my own story, it is real people just doing their best to follow Jesus who end up making the biggest impact on the world.”
― Dan Kimball, Adventures in Churchland: Finding Jesus in the Mess of Organized Religion

“I believe this is a major reason why for so many people the Christian faith ends up being defined by the extremes. Many of us have so few friendships with others outside the church that people see only the aggressive street evangelists or a pastor on the news who got caught in some scandal or who is being interviewed and saying some nutty things. If people don’t see normal, day-to-day examples of real-life Christianity, then we shouldn’t be surprised if the scandals and the extreme voices end up defining their view of the church.”
― Dan Kimball, Adventures in Churchland: Finding Jesus in the Mess of Organized Religion

“This might sound odd, but I believe that one of the biggest reasons there are so many negative perceptions of Christianity and the church is that Christians hang out with each other too much.”
― Dan Kimball, Adventures in Churchland: Finding Jesus in the Mess of Organized Religion

“I’d attend church meetings on Sunday and hang out with my Christian friends. I’d go to a Bible study on Tuesday night and hang out with my Christian friends — again. Then, I’d go out Friday night and hang out—once again—with my Christian friends. This new world of Churchland was sort of like a retreat into some sort of cozy Christian cocoon. We did good things for other people sometimes, like an annual trip to Mexico to build homes for needy families. A couple of times each year, we helped out at the local homeless shelter, serving meals and cleaning and painting the facility. We were also involved in getting help for local families each Christmas, providing meals and gifts for the parents to give to their children. But after we had finished these projects, we headed back to the suburbs to hang out with our Christian friends again. It happened so subtly, but the more I was immersed in Churchland, the more disconnected I felt from the world around me.”
― Dan Kimball, Adventures in Churchland: Finding Jesus in the Mess of Organized Religion

“When organized religion organizes around the things Jesus would be pleased with, amazing things can happen.”
― Dan Kimball, Adventures in Churchland: Finding Jesus in the Mess of Organized Religion

“We can organize the church for acts of goodness such as caring for the poor and helping those in need. We know that this type of organized religion actually pleases Jesus.111”
― Dan Kimball, Adventures in Churchland: Finding Jesus in the Mess of Organized Religion

“What makes the difference between healthy and destructive organization is what you are organizing for. When the church decides to organize around controlling people, politics, and self-preservation, it eventually leads to unhealthy and restrictive organization.”
― Dan Kimball, Adventures in Churchland: Finding Jesus in the Mess of Organized Religion

“Whatever the tradition is, if that tradition becomes more important than the mission of seeing people come to know Jesus, then it’s time for the whip.”
― Dan Kimball, Adventures in Churchland: Finding Jesus in the Mess of Organized Religion

“I can say pretty assuredly that most churches don’t set out to control or hurt people. And most don’t. But it does happen. Over time, churches can change and begin to place a higher value on their systems and programs than on the people they are called to serve.”
― Dan Kimball, Adventures in Churchland: Finding Jesus in the Mess of Organized Religion