A note from Brian: whether or not you agree with this book, it raises important questions that need to be discussed. So leave a comment to this post and join the discussion.

A heart-felt “thank you” to all of you who have written me such encouraging emails and letters regarding the new book, “Pagan Christianity.” I’m so glad it’s having such an impact on so many people.If you’re following the Blogosphere, you are aware that many are writing great reviews on Pagan Christianity while others are doing their dead-level best to prevent people from reading it. (Some of which are by people who haven’t even read the book.)
Right now, some people are saying ( rather loudly) that they want this book to “go away” and “disappear.” And they are working hard at persuading people NOT to buy the book. There are even rumors about book-burnings afoot. George and I have been called a few names, including “anti-Christs” by some who hate the book.

***A Very Important Request***

Those of you who support the book and its message can help off-set the movement to discredit the book by doing something very simple. Tyndale House has suggested the following and we are asking for your help on it:

1. ORDER THE BOOK FROM AMAZON.COM on TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12th. Please mark this down on your calendar so you won’t forget. (If I don’t write something down on my calendar, I’m prone to forget. Perhaps you’re like me.) Here’s the direct link to the book at Amazon.com (or go to Amazon.com and type in “Pagan Christianity”) If you don’t want to order online, order the book from a Borders or a Walden Books near you on that day. It’s important that you order only from these bookstores if you can’t order from Amazon.

We ask that even if you have a copy of the book (the new OR old edition), that you buy a copy from Amazon.com or Borders/Walden during this week. Why? Because this will help the Revolution tremendously. Orders will be counted that week. And the more orders, the more the publisher will support the book. That means, more people will read it and hear its message.

If you can’t order the book from Amazon, Borders, or Walden on February 12th (if you didn’t get this email in time for instance), then please order it from one of these stores between Wednesday, February 13th to Sunday February 16th. Again: That’s Wednesday, Feb. 13 to Sunday, Feb. 16th.

We want to see the Amazon.com rating get below a #100. The more people who order it on Feb. 12th, the better the chances are for that. If the book drops below #100, then the book will gain much more support by the publisher and from bookstores everywhere, which is what we want.

Click here for the direct link to the book at Amazon.com (or go to Amazon.com and type in “Pagan Christianity”) Our goal is to have 5,000 people order the book on TUESDAY, February 12th. And 10,000 orders from February 12th to the 16th. So please join us in this effort.

2. Encourage all your friends via phone and email to buy the book from Amazon.com on Tuesday, February 12th. If not, then have them order it Wednesday, February 13th to Sunday, February 16th.

I’ve been told by detractors that those who agree with the book are “a tiny number of disgruntled souls who have been hurt by some pastor. This book will not do well at all.”

What would happen if thousands of people bought the book from Amazon or Borders/Walden between Feb. 12th and Feb. 16th? For one thing, such statements could no longer be made. And the Revolution would pick up major momentum. We wrote “Pagan Christianity” for this very reason. To help foment a Christ-centered Revolution in the Christian faith.

Finally, if you’ve read the new version already, please send your feedback to Jeanette at PTMIN@aol.com. We’d love to hear how the book is impacting those who read it. And if you write a review for your web site or blog, please let us know.

Thanks for your help and support in the Revolution. I’m deeply appreciative. And I look forward to seeing what the Lord will do in February. I shall keep you posted!

Your brother in the forgotten quest,

Frank

Popular Reviews and Audio Interviews

To read editor reviews and hear audio and print interviews on PAGAN CHRISTIANITY, go to www.ptmin.org/answers.htm

Pagan Christianity Discussion Guide

**New*** Download the free discussion guide at www.paganchristianity.org/pcguide.pdf

Ex-Pastors Web Page

If you are a former or struggling pastor, visit the new Ex-Pastor’s web page. The site contains stories from ex-pastors who have written about their journey of leaving the pastor-system. These stories include the challenge of following their conscience at the expense of losing friends and the struggle to find new employment. It also includes an “Ex-Pastor’s Survival Guide” to helps pastors who have little to no employable skills to find work outside of paid ministry positions.

Come one, come all to the next Colorado House Gathering!

Some background…
House church network leaders from around Colorado gathered this week to share what God is doing in our lives and our churches. We rejoiced at a variety of stories from the revolution, stories of the kingdom of God at work here in Colorado. It was truly breathtaking.

We also marveled at the amazing encouragement and fellowship in our last gathering. It seemed good to us and to the Spirit to get another such gathering on the Calendar!

As always, we seek to keep the Head of the Church (Jesus) at the head of our gatherings, but are the general details

5pm: Sharing a meal around the tables. Bring your own meal.

5:45pm: a few songs from the worship team

6pm: “World Cafe” We will have some key questions prepared about what God is doing in your house church, obstacles for growing healthy churches, and more. Around our tables, we will share with each other from our hearts and experience. Call it eavesdropping on the Spirit of God, it is going to be an awesome time of sharing.

7:30pm: worship through some amazing music. If you were there last time, you will remember how wonderful it was to be in the midst of 100′s of brothers and sisters praising the Lord. We are going to sing until people don’t want to sing anymore. So stay as long or as short as you want!

The location is the same: Hillside Community Church, 103 N Ford St, Golden, CO
However, we will be in the big room this time to avoid standing room only like last time!

***Have suggestions of questions you want us to discuss? Leave a comment to this post with your ideas!

Look forward to seeing you there!

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13:34-35

Jesus message was startlingly simple. Despite our attempts over the past 2,000 years to complicate and obfuscate his words, they remain revolutionary. These simple words from a middle eastern itinerant preacher slice through time to remind us of a powerful truth: the world will know we are His by our love for each other.

Simple…Powerful.

In the house church, or “simple church” movement, we carry this spirit of powerful simplicity into our ecclesiology (what church is).

As my mentor in organic church, Neil Cole, used to say, complexity is not always good. As a certified techie and owner of a web design company, this is most certainly the case in my field. There are literally dozens of available technologies for every client we work with. We select the tool that not only has the features they need, but is simple enough for them to use effectively. Regardless of the features a tool possesses, if it is too complicated for our clients to operate it has become useless to them.

The same is true in how we do church. I recognize the usefulness and blessing of a variety of church styles and expressions. However, for too long we have required a particularly high level of complexity in our church expressions. It requires an almost “professional” class of highly trained Christians, which is neither biblically required nor practical.

“The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.”
Acts 4:13

Jesus disciples were anything but trained, professional, clergy. If we desire a worldwide movement of Christ, it will require lowering the bar of what it means to do church and raising the bar of what it means to be a disciple (from “Organic Church” by Neil Cole).

In closing…apologies for my incredibly cheesy article title. What can I say, I’m a cheesy guy