Finding Church Alive and Well (#449)

Wayne reads the new first chapter of the book he is just completing, Finding Church: What If There Really Is Something More? This is very different from the one he read last November that was going to be the starting chapter. When you are frustrated at the difference between the picture Scripture paints of Jesus' church and the one we see after 2000 years of church history, you are ready for an incredible journey beyond the canvas of human effort to behold the masterpiece Jesus is creating. Here you'll discover the church that Jesus has been building since the Day of Pentecost, and that she is alive and well and reaches around the globe.

Podcast Links:
Finding Church Cover Wars! Over 300 responses on Facebook and no clear consensus, which I wasn't looking for anyway.
Kenya Update for the Outreach in West Pokot
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21 Comments

  1. Just finished listening to your podcast. Chapter One, Finding Church.
    Wow. I am so inspired and excited to read the rest!! As Tom and I are beginning to walk in this Truth of community and Church, I am in awe of the guidance He provides. (I am literally just shaking my head as I type this because His LOVE for His people is so profound and experiencing it overwhelms me at times!!)
    The irony of all this is that I have a speaking engagement TONIGHT at the Caney Creek Cowboy Church, as I have been asked to be the headliner for a women’s retreat. Oh, how so much has changed in my perspective of True Life and True Love and True community since I last agreed to a speaking engagement over six months ago. I trust the Spirit to guide in Love as I walk tenderly in His guidance. PRAYERS APPRECIATED : )
    BTW, praying for you and your family as you have MUCH on your plate. You are a gift beyond words!~

  2. Just fantastic Wayne, I was having a conversation with a friend last week who I hadn’t spoken to for many years and is still part of the institutional church, and a lovely guy, but only knows and “see’s” what the institutional church has given him. Amongst many other questions, he asked me why do I think that so many of our generation, in our Christian experience, are tired, worn out and dissolusioned, and that it shouldn’t be like that!! We got talking about our different journeys and covered a lot of ground. As I listened to you reading chapter 1 it was so exciting, as so much of what you shared was what we were talking about. We agreed that we needed to organise a cup of coffee and continue the conversation some time soon. If the other 20’chapters are anything like this first one then it is just going to be incredible!! Can’t wait!! You have always said that “He Loves Me” is the most important book that you will ever write, and I understand that view, but this one will be right up there. GREAT JOB!! and I have only heard one chapter..send me 6 to start with 🙂

  3. Thanks so much Wayne, great content and beautifully read! Can’t wait to get into the rest, the chapters are sounding so relevant, so in touch with what we really need to be thinking about.
    I’m truly greatful to our Father for the gift he has given you and the heart you have to share it with others. You have such an ability to put into words what our Father is building into our hearts and make sense of it all. It’s soooo helpful!! I find myself saying constantly – YES thank God somebody is saying these things!
    Would be great if you read the whole book, gives a great expression to it!
    blessings

  4. Wayne, how generous of you to offer this in buy one get one. My head was spinning thinking of all those I want to share this with. I stumble over my words. They never seem to express what’s in my heart correctly. Hopefully my life expresses it better. You have such a gift, your word express so well what I’m experiencing on this wonderful journey. BTW, can we preorder copis of your new book? Thank you for taking the time to leave us with the first amazing chapter before you left town to be with your family at this difficult time. Praying for you and your family.

  5. Awesome start to the book. You seemed to cover it all in the first chapter… and there is still more to come. Wow.

    Thank you.

  6. I like the geese cover.. if that is the one you decide to run with. It is a bit more mysterious. I like the wildness of it. Sometimes mystery is helpful to attract readers to the content. I also like the implied reference back to “So you don’t want to go to Church Anymore”… or as the Germans translated… “The Call of the Wild Goose.”

    The geese analogy works both ways.. Some may see it as a break away from conformity.. but a goose doesn’t get to far by himself. Geese still need to fly together.. but in doing so, they work together to get somewhere. People can do this.. we were created to be a part of community… just like the geese.

  7. Wayne, Thank you so much for sharing the new Chapter One. Moreover, thank you for blowing up the first version! I found the new first chapter more engaging, drawing me directly into the story, and wanting to know more. I like the chapter headings too–they bring up thoughts and questions I’ve had along this God Journey. Blessings to you as you begin to wrap this up!

  8. I like the geese too. Not sure why, but if this book were in a shop, the geese cover would catch my eye. A little more mystical perhaps. Suggests the book contents might not be just a list of “to do”s. Look forward to reading the whole thing.

  9. Wayne, awesome chapter!
    Besides having a gift to express the ideas that so many of us still find foreign and struggle to express, you are also an extremely generous man; always looking for ways to share. Just a simple “Thanks” is truly not enough.
    Robert

  10. I LOVE the first chapter!!! I can hardly wait for the rest! Thank-You Wayne! My heart soars to keep finding out that God is so much better than I could have possibly imagined, and that His church is truly ALIVE AND WELL!!!

  11. Thanks for the thread of conversation!! Love reading other “e-voices and thoughts”. Just adding a small thought, I love the cover with the different faces of a group of people. Hope this is helpful while making a decision on which cover best fits.

  12. Wayne, I have loved so much of your writing, but this book sounds like a huge step, and I can’t wait to read it. Loved the first chapter, and I will listen to chapter two! God bless you brother!

  13. Not sure if I want to thank you for tempting us like that… How long till we get to read the whole thing? I am so excited to read the book, and I love the first chapter. How I yearn to share it with this one particular couple in my life, yet I cannot make them see what I see. We interpret according to where we are in our journey, which is why the struggle is important.

    Thank you so much for the expression of life you relay to us all. The only reason I continued reading He Loves Me was because it wasn’t predictable like most books, and the content resonated deep within me. I so often wondered if I was crazy and I simply didn’t care what God thought about me anymore because according to other more mature Christians I was way out of line. And since then I’ve only wandered farther away from the views held by them. It is exhilarating to walk on this path that is yet uncharted by other humans, though it can be extremely painful. But truly as I learn to trust Father I sense his presence even in the turmoil.

    I can hardly wait to get the book in my hands. I am pretty sure I’ll stay up all night to devour it in one sitting. Every chapter title is so inviting. Thank you for sharing, and thank you for your generosity in distributing what you have learned on your journey to the rest of us.

  14. You’re no different than the mega-pastors who brand themselves to attract lemmings and get rich selling swill. Just another circus side show… you have no answers… all you have is your opinions and grandiose dreams about what life could be like. Granted, you’re good salesmen… I guess you have to be in order to get enough people to buy your material. I wonder what your conversion rate is? How many of the people who bought “He Loves Me” continue to buy your other swill? Freely you have been given…. ha ha… but you’ve got to mark it up. Why don’t you give your material away and trust God to bring in your finances? What’s it feel like to know you’re emotionally raping people? Selling impossible notions of what life could be like in order to build a captive audience so you can continue to sell your swill to in order to finance your lifestyle? You’re every bit the whore you criticize. Why don’t you take your lies about what life can be like over to Iraq or Africa or China and see how it works for those people.

    • James, I hear you. But please really listen. I have been sickened by the “porn” out there. People selling their message. Just be still and listen…

  15. Hello James:
    Your post caught my eye: I don’t know you and what you have been through or pretend to…. 5 years ago I would have written a very similar comment . I trusted no one!!!! I was so disillusioned with Christianity, God, Any kind of church or religion…… And especially anyone who spoke on TV, radio, podcasts, or realy anywhere on a stage. I would have rather ate thumb tacks than listen to Another one Go on about this fluffy unrealistic grandiose life you will get if I do what they say…….
    In that state even this podcast would have been useless to me. I would just shut down and zone out And pity the poor people buying into another hoax.
    This disillusionment brought me to an idea. What if there realy was a Loving God? What if He could reach me without any persons help? If He was real and as all powerful as people claim he is….could he not make himself known to me without any human help?
    So I said within myself God I am going to make it hard on you. I am cutting off all your ways of reaching me that includes Man. I even refused to read the bible or anything religious . Basically I said “make yourself known to Me.” If you are real You will have to find me…. It took about two years before I could no longer resist Him ! I fell head over heals into his arms that had been open to me the whole time! I am finding Him to be way better than I imagined Him to be. So please don’t take Wayne’s word for it .. Or my word for it .. You can find out for yourself make it as Hard on God as you want . Being disillusioned is not a bad thing but it is painful! I see it now as one of the best things to happen to me. It sent me on The best journey of my life! I did not come across this site until after He found me…. This site has only confirmed what I had already found to be true for myself. I am excited for you!

  16. Finally got to listen to this podcast and need to put in for a mega order. Also wondering if you need an epilogue in the book describing the Bride who has wrapped you guys up with Love during this time of mourning over your mom.
    So excited about this book!!!

  17. Thanks for the idea, Joni, but that would take another book, not a chapter, and it is probably my dad’s to write, not mine! but getting him to write is like getting me into a dentist’s office! 😉

  18. I like the first cover with the geese. I love the freedom in it, the feel of flying.
    Im sure you will choose the right one. I think it’s courageous to write a book and share your thoughts with the world. Goodluck and God bless, Olga

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