Giving Church Another Chance: Finding New Meaning in Spiritual Practices [Hardcover]

Todd D. Hunter (Author), Scot McKnight (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 16, 2010

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 glory of God? Walk with Hunter on this journey to find spiritual riches in a surprising place. You might just give church another chance.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Hunter (Christianity Beyond Belief) sought God in many churches, from the United Methodist Church of his youth through contemporary fundamentalism to Vineyard, then emerging churches, and finally the Anglican Church. He discovered that the genuine Christian spirituality you've been dreaming of is possible by repracticing the spiritual routines of church. Hunter investigates nine church practices—attendance, prelude, doxology, scripture reading, sermons, liturgy, offering, communion, benediction—as a launching pad to life. He avoids lengthy theological dissection of each practice, instead sharing how each can point to real and lasting life in Jesus. His words ring true for those tired of church as usual, who want to take Jesus outside the doors but aren't sure why or how. Hunter advocates church for spiritual nourishment, but he's also about applying church practices to the heart, then flinging open the church doors to help the world. Hunter describes repracticing communion as changing Eucharist as a noun to Eucharist as a verb. That linguistic transformation exactly conveys his exciting premise for all church practices. (Mar.)
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Review

"Readers of Richard Foster, Dallas Willard and Eugene Peterson will appreciate Hunter's contribution to how spiritual disciplines fit within the context of communities and bodies of believers. In the midst of our frenzied culture and harried pace of life, Hunter reminds us that speed is not the greatest good. Instead, seep, lasting change and transformation is the goal, with church the springboard to that end." (C. Brian Smith, Christian Retailing, March 2010 )

"Hunter's words ring true for those tired of church as usual, who want to take Jesus outside the doors but aren't sure why or how." (Publisher's Weekly, January 11, 2010 )

"What you are holding should carry a government health warning: the reading of this book is good for your soul. But beware: it may cause you to fall in love with the church again, and the romance of 'repracticing' your faith may be habit-forming." (Leonard Sweet, author of So Beautiful: Divine Design for Life and the Church )

"I am thrilled about this book because in it, Todd is bringing hope to the church. It is a theological impossibility to not be part of the church if you are a follower of Jesus. Todd brings that reality into tangible ways of living as the church. It is easy to dismiss the church and think we can be okay on our own, but that is not what the Scriptures teach nor is it healthy for us. We need the church and each other. This is a refreshing perspective on being church together." (Dan Kimball, author of They Like Jesus but Not the Church )

"Spiritual journeys are interesting things, and Todd's is one of the more interesting--from leader of the Vineyard churches, to house church pastor, to head of Alpha USA, and now an Anglican bishop. I've known Todd through many of these incarnations and we have not always agreed, but I have always been impressed with his passion for God and heart for others. In this book, you will find both--and my guess is that you will be challenged to think more deeply about your own spiritual walk. Todd reminds us that the church is not a place to go to, simply another meeting, but the way God has chosen to make himself known in our world." (Ed Stetzer, president, LifeWay Research )

"As both a participant and leader, Todd has been at the heart of the evangelical world over the past thirty years. He has seen its strengths and weaknesses and at times has been profoundly disillusioned. But through it all he has never stopped loving the church. In Giving Church Another Chance, Todd is calling Christians to something better, something profoundly deeper and more exciting--a fresh vision of spiritual formation that is rooted in worship, life together and the kingdom of God. I think he has hit the nail on the head. After reading this book, you will never think about worship and spiritual practices the same way." (Jim Belcher, author of Deep Church )

"If you have lost your way regarding church, Todd Hunter can show you the way back. His candor, theological nuance, grasp of history and willingness to name names (including his own) make this book unlike most you will read on this topic. Todd is one of the most Jesus-centric leaders speaking to the church today. Read this book to regain an appreciation for church as well as a deeper love for the One for whom the church exists." (Jim Henderson, executive director, Off the Map )

"Most of those who criticize the church today have no idea what it is. Todd Hunter can help you find out, as he takes you along on his own pilgrimage of discovery--on the inside. The church is a unique stream of spiritual life--life 'from above'--flowing through a brief period of human history and into an eternal 'beyond.' Jesus Christ is the only one in charge of it, and we are the ones who today need a second chance. If you listen carefully to Hunter, you might begin to find The Church--perhaps without benefit of edifice, but then there too. If you do, your heart will sing with joy." (Dallas Willard, author of The Divine Conspiracy )

"With a self-revealing and down-to-earth style, the author asks readers to see all the church stuff--all the aspects of what happens in worship--as team exercises that get Christians ready for the real game in the world. Giving Church Another Chance is a challenging and refreshing invitation to understand again what Sunday morning is meant to be in the context of the whole week." (The Most Rev'd Robert Duncan, Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America )

"What this book does is something I've longed for: instead of casting all of spiritual disciplines as something we do as individuals, Todd suggests in this book that there are 'ecclesial,' or church-shaped or group-shaped, disciplines that are gifts from God for the church." (From the foreword by Scot McKnight )

"Candid and evangelical, autobiographical and confessional, Giving Church Another Chance positions Christian practices right where they belong: at the life-shaping core of Christian life and Christian community." (Phyllis Tickle, author of The Great Emergence and The Divine Hours )

Product Details

• Hardcover: 190 pages
• Publisher: IVP Books; First Edition edition (February 16, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830837485
• ISBN-13: 978-0830837489
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #872,971 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If You're Tired of Church, Read This Book, April 20, 2010

By 

George P. Wood (Springfield, MO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Giving Church Another Chance: Finding New Meaning in Spiritual Practices (Hardcover)

I have been going to church my entire life. I am a pastor, my father was a pastor, and his father a pastor before him. The weekly rhythm of Sunday worship and midweek Bible study is the only rhythm I have ever known.

And, truth be told, I'm a bit tired of it. Perhaps you are too. If so, take a look at Todd Hunter's new book, Giving Church Another Chance.

Todd Hunter grew up Methodist, converted at Calvary Chapel, was in on the startup of Vineyard Fellowship, spent a few years doing alternative church, and is now a priest of the Anglican Mission in America. He's seen and done a lot of different styles of church. The experience hasn't made him cynical, however; but it has highlighted his felt need for Christians to rethink what they're getting out of church.

As I read Giving Church Another Chance, three things stood out as most relevant for me.

First, the need to connect church with the real world: What does going to church have to do with the rest of my life? For many years, I was an associate pastor. For three years, I was a senior pastor. Now, I work for my denomination and just attend church. But in all three cases, there were (are) sometimes when I leave a Sunday morning worship service and have no idea how to answer the question of relevance. I have been immersed in an experience of divine transcendence, but I have no idea how it applies to the other six days of my week. Hunter shows the relevance of the church's spiritual practices to life.

Second, the need to move from beliefs to behaviors. I am an intellectual type of guy. I love to read, write, and argue. And so, my constant temptation is to live in my head. But knowing the Bible is not the same thing as doing what it says, and if the Apostle James is to be believed, doing it is what counts most. Hunter focuses on practices, showing us how can live out what we learn on Sunday mornings: doxology, Scripture, sermons, offering, communion, and benediction.

Third, the need to move from consumption toward mission. This is similar to the point above, but it has an angle toward the evangelization and discipleship of others. Hunter calls this "doing faith for the sake of others."

Truth be told, I had a hard time reading this book. Hunter's writing style is simple and clear, but it wasn't jibing with me. I can't really explain why not. But as he wrote, I kept identifying myself in the story he was telling - especially regarding the points mentioned above - so I kept reading.

And I'm glad I did. Attending church is a way of constantly reminding yourself that it (life, etc.) is not about you, that you don't know everything, and that you can learn from the practices of the faithful who have gone before you. It is, in other words, a discipline of God's grace.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Danger: One Sit Read, March 29, 2010

By 

JR Siever "Randy" (USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Giving Church Another Chance: Finding New Meaning in Spiritual Practices (Hardcover)

I was firmly committed to watching the Final Four emerge on Saturday, having planted myself on the family room couch in front of the TV. Somewhere late in the first period of the first game, my wife came in and dropped a package on my lap. It was the book I'd ordered (because Todd, my dear friend and mentor, never gives me a free copy of his books...ahem, ahem). I opened the box at the half and began to read the cover material, the preface, the introduction...chapter one, chapter two, and so on, until I'd finished the entire book. I just couldn't put it down, despite two really good playoff games in front of me (I did read and watch through them both, I admit). This has only happened twice in my life, where I sort of accidently started a book and then didn't move from my seat until it was done.

I am in the midst of giving Church another chance in my own spiritual journey. That's not why I bought the book, mind you, but it most certainly played a role in my captivation by it. Todd's personal journey reads like he has read my journals, like he stole my story (even down to sneaking into an Episcopal Church for a while...sheesh!). He tells his story with a refreshing honesty and in his (now) usual gracious and self-deprecating way. With intentional kindness toward those who made his journey what it was, good and bad, he takes his readers down the road that has led him to embrace a form of church that he'd never really appreciated in his past. And in doing so, he teaches us all to consider a life lived in community with fellow travelers, for the sake of others. Church, and it's traditions, revisited for the sake of others. Huh...and here I thought it was supposed to be all about ME.

I won't go into all the content here (just read it yourself), but generally Todd examines several elements of a more liturgical church gathering (things like the prelude, the doxology, scripture reading, the offering, the sermon, communion, the benediction, and liturgy as a concept itself), but does so by explaining how these practices can be lived out, day to day, in ways that serve others and is for the good of others. This is way more interesting than it might sound, and far more compelling than I anticipated.

Todd's journey has led him to become a Bishop in the Anglican Mission in the Americas (a mission "order" of the Anglican Church in Rwanda) in recent years. But you'll not hear any invitation to join him there in the high church he has felt called to. There is, however, an invitation to join him in a life and community that is lived out for the sake of others. A life of cooperative friendship with Jesus in the Kingdom of God at hand. And an invitation to those of us who have walked away from "church" as we've known it for a lot of really good reasons, too many to list. An invitation to see church and it's various forms of liturgy differently, through new eyes. Not to reorganize, or retool or restructure church services so as to make them more palatable to the mind and heart that has been crushed by it, but to give Church another chance. I, for one, found the invitation beautifully compelling.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More of a confession than a book review, May 18, 2010

By 

Chad Estes (Boise, Idaho, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Giving Church Another Chance: Finding New Meaning in Spiritual Practices (Hardcover)

This will be different style of book review than I normally write; it's more of a confession.

I've had the privilege of following Todd Hunter's spiritual journey closer than most people. I was a part of the Vineyard Church movement when Todd became the National Director after John Wimber's passing. From my perspective Todd was at his best when he was given an opportunity to share about the Kingdom and mentor younger leaders. I was personally disappointed when he resigned as I was hoping to be mentored by him while he was in this role.

Todd's next couple of jobs actually brought him physically closer. He and his family moved to Eagle, Idaho, a bedroom community right outside of my hometown of Boise. He soon went to work for Alpha Ministries, leasing out office space right across the road from our church. On many days I'd see Todd pacing up and down the sidewalk, talking on a phone headset and gesturing with his hands like the young leader on the other end of the line was right in front of him.

Many times I desired to walk across the street and have lunch with Todd. I didn't, mostly out of judgment. I had been convinced that Todd was a quitter, that he had settled, that he was suffering a mid-life crisis and that he had taken his hands off the plow. I had bought into the idea that the para-church ministry he was involved in was of less value to the Kingdom than the building we worked in on the other side of the street. (Do you know how sad I am to have to admit this?)

Fast forward a few years and now Todd and I have practically switched places--I am outside of the institutional church and Todd is an Anglican Bishop. Go figure.

Recently I've had a chance to sit down with Todd as he shared his journey with a group of us over dinner. It answered some questions I had for him, but found I still had several more. When I heard that he had penned a new book titled, Giving Church Another Chance: Finding New Meaning in Spiritual Practices, I was interested. Though I was resistant to read a "Do Not Forsake The Assembling Of Yourselves Together" commentary, knowing Todd, I doubted that was what he had written. I assumed, having let go of of those previous judgments, that Todd was in a healthy place to write a book of this nature, and I was in a healthy place to listen. I was correct in my assumption. Here is what he shares of this journey:

"I did not intend any of this history. Neither did I approach any of it with premeditation. It just unfolded before me. And I feel in no way victimized by it. I have no complaints, I hold no grudges, and there are no chips-at least that I can see-on my shoulder. At this point in my life, I essentially have positive memories and appreciation for everything each tradition and each group gave me. The message here is not that everything and everyone in my past was wrong, and now I have found the right church."

With that expression of healthiness and humility, I was glad to pick up this book.

Ultimately, Giving Church Another Chance, is much more about the subtitle "Finding New Meaning in Spiritual Practices" than it is about joining a traditional congregation. Todd's observations about life in the Kingdom truly come from a Big C church perspective, not just a local church viewpoint. I appreciate his observations, his passion, and his candor. He discusses the value and purpose behind many of the spiritual disciplines. Great food for thought and practice.

My local church life does differ in form that Todd's does these days, but with his mission I have no qualms.

"We are not trying to get people to follow a certain form of church but are trying to help them follow Jesus for the sake of others. The goal of leadership and the goal of our churches is that people discover the spiritual practices of church as a way of learning to follow Jesus."

It's nuggets like that quote that make me glad to still have Todd's influence in my life. This chapter of his journey, and his reflections on the ones he has already finished, are definitely worth processing.