The Great Evangelical Recession: 6 Factors That Will Crash the American Church...and How to Prepare

by John S. Dickerson

Overview

In 2006, few Americans were expecting the economy to collapse. Today the American church is in a similar position, on the precipice of a great spiritual recession. While we focus on a few large churches and dynamic leaders that are successful, the church's overall membership is shrinking. Young Christians are fleeing. Our donations are drying up. Political fervor is dividing us. Even as these crises eat at the church internally, our once friendly host culture is quickly turning hostile and antagonistic. How can we avoid a devastating collapse?

In The Great Evangelical Recession, award-winning journalist and pastor John Dickerson identifies six factors that are radically eroding the American church and offers biblical solutions to prepare evangelicals for spiritual success, even in the face of alarming trends. This book is a heartfelt plea and call to the American church combining quality research, genuine hope, and practical application with the purpose of igniting the church toward a better future.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780801014833
Publisher:	Baker Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/15/2013
Pages:	250
Sales rank:	1,140,449
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

John S. Dickerson is a respected journalist, a millennial, and a bestselling author. His writing has appeared in the New York Times and USA Today and has earned dozens of honors, including the Livingston Award for Young Journalists, given by Tom Brokaw of NBC News and Christiane Amanpour of CNN and ABC News. Now convinced that Jesus launched the greatest movement for social good, John has given his life to join the cause. Today he serves as lead pastor at Connection Pointe Christian Church in Indianapolis. Learn more at JohnSDickerson.com.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Great Recession 11

Part 1 Six Trends of Decline

1 Inflated 21

2 Hated 37

3 Dividing 63

4 Bankrupt 81

5 Bleeding 97

6 Sputtering 109

Part 2 Six Solutions for Recovery

7 Re-Valuing 123

8 Good 133

9 Uniting 151

10 Solvent 167

11 Healing 181

12 Re-Igniting 201

Conclusion: The Moment of Decision 217

Appendix A "Is the Author's Church Declining? Maybe That's Why He's Pessimistic" 225

Appendix B "Aren't There Positive Things Happening in Evangelicalism, Too?" 227

Appendix C Defining "Evangelical" 229

Notes 233

Acknowledgments 247

Editorial Reviews

An investigative journalist and evangelical pastor, Dickerson is acerbic in his first book, identifying six alarming aspects of evangelical Christian decline in the United States. He asserts that the greater evangelical bloc has inflated its statistics, is going bankrupt, attracting hatred from society, dividing internally, losing young members, and sputtering in making new followers of Jesus. After addressing these pressing problems, he identifies six counter-measures to resurrect the movement. He suggests that re-valuing ministry for the 21st century; making churches financially solvent in a changing economy; doing good; uniting diverse streams of evangelicalism; and healing wounds by re-igniting individual discipleship will transform the current bleak landscape. While his facts may be accurate, he relies too heavily on only one or two research organizations. He takes a myopic view of Christianity in the U.S., equating Christianity as a whole with evangelicalism and neglecting minorities in favor of statistics on white evangelicals. Additionally, he makes too much of homosexuality, framing it as the cultural issue that evangelicals must address. While the latter half of the book is prudent and he has some good observations, it lacks even-handed ministerial insight. Agent: Wes Yoder (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly