Being Church in a Liminal Time

"Dave Fredrickson and Jeff Jones have written an insightful book about the church in America today. This is a backdrop for my story and that of many others I meet. I left a church that had nurtured me and prepared me to walk out the door, a church where I had served as a Sunday school teacher, youth group leader, and lay leader. I crossed the road, not far, but a world away from my small suburban church, a church more ""Remembering"" what had once been. I went to the inner city and became part of an Urban Youth Ministry in one of the poorest and most violent cities in America. I call it my church today, twenty years later, no longer angry at the Church, I now meet the most amazing people who serve alongside me and most all come from the Church ""Resurrecting.""--Jim Cummings, director of experiential learning at UrbanPromise Ministries Reading motivational books can make a huge difference in how one sees him or herself and the world around them. I was struck by the personal inner focus on the three images of remembering, letting go, and resurrecting. The imagery of a loved one journeying through hospice care and the church's strategic planning response through its membership decline stage helped me to appreciate the relevancy of this book. It draws you toward proactive assimilation and forces the reader to examine how to do Christ's commission inwardly and outwardly, with precision, at the same time. I strongly encourage this book for ecumenical and Christian small group discussion.--Lois B. Wilkins, African American Cultural Resource Center (AACRC) chair I'm deeply grateful for the deep and balanced wisdom Jeffrey Jones brings to all his work in helping church leaders navigate in challenging times. If you're an ordained or lay Christian leader, you can count on Jeff and Dave's guidance to be both practically relevant and spiritually rich.--Brian McLaren, author and core faculty at Center for Action and Contemplation Remarkable!! Jones and Fredrickson have fashioned a work that profoundly declares positive alternatives to the continued decline of the church in this liminal time. It brilliantly holds discordance within the faithfulness of God, reminding us that God is still alive, moving among the people and communities, offering resources and horizons sufficient for our needs. The book is off the charts.--Dorsey O. Blake, presiding minister of The Church for The Fellowship of All Peoples In and through this book Jeffrey Jones and David Fredrickson offer the Christian churches a bountiful gift. Certainly, it is my hope that it will be seen and received in this way for what they put forward here is nothing less than a careful and honest assessment of the current Church landscape and the presentation of three guiding images and a new model of leadership that could redirect congregational life in bold new ways in this seemingly liminal time. I highly recommend this book to all who still care about the present state and potential future of the Christian churches.--Benjamin Valentin, professor of theology and Latinx studies, Boston College School of Theology and Ministry The Church's need to embrace brave change is clear - but how? Technical changes called forth by the pandemic have not addressed the deeper transformation required. The authors do not offer us a book full of strategies; rather, as in the parables of Jesus, we are presented with stories and fundamental images, deep reflection upon which can offer us a path forward towards the resurrection which is our hope.--The Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates, bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts To lead a faith community through uncertainty, especially in settings unready to accept that something is dying, requires updated skills and knowledge. Jones and Fredrickson provide guidance through both instruction and modeling. They look that which is over straight in the face and address what some find too scary to imagine. They do so while never losing hope that, through God's resurrecting love, something new is seeking to be born.--Sarah B. Drummond, founding dean, Andover Newton Seminary Deeply rooted in biblical references, this new book for religious leaders in this post-modern world could serve as a catalyst in a church to face a new future. One strong feature is inviting the reader to reflect on one's own blind spots and biases that contribute to the resistance for change. Besides bravely acknowledging today's challenges, Jones and Fredrickson in the end offer ways to become more aware of reality such as the Examen Prayer, spiritual direction and the Quaker clearness. For the Christian faith to continue, trusting in God's plan along with a new model of leaders who are ""inwardly directed and outwardly focused"" may give us hope.--Don Ng, former president of American Baptirst Churches, USA Where is the primary focus of your congregation? Is it in the past, present, or future? Being Church in Liminal Time guides congregations through a discernment process, providing provocative questions to assess their capacity for, ""Remembering, Letting Go, and Resurrecting."" This is a question that every congregation in the U.S. should be asking themselves.--C. Jeff Woods, general secretary, American Baptist Churches, USA"