Church Forsaken – Practicing Presence in Neglected Neighborhoods

""I don't know a more faithful, committed, and compassionate person when it comes to caring for one's neighborhood and truly living the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jonathan is for the people—for the hearts and souls that make up a community. He calls all of us good church folk to fall in love with our neighborhoods and join in with the work of renewal that God is up to in communities. Church Forsaken is a call to remember who we are for and what's at stake when we forget each other."" -- Rozella Haydée White, owner of Restoring Hearts to Wholeness LLC ""Jonathan Brooks is a phenomenal pastor. In Church Forsaken, he weaves his story of deep pastoring experience with very practical and theological truths through his church and community ministry. Jonathan's personal story is powerful and has helped me be a better pastor. I loved reading this book and so will you."" -- Wayne Gordon, founding pastor of Lawndale Community Church, chairman of CCDA ""Jonathan Brooks's voice and leadership are rooted in Scripture and grounded in his community. In Church Forsaken, the story of Jonathan's Englewood community in Chicago unfolds alongside the story of Jeremiah. Jonathan explores the connections between calling and community, activism and service, and the power in partnership. Let the words here convict you, challenge you, and call you home."" -- Amena Brown, spoken-word poet, author of How to Fix a Broken Record ""Nobody—and I mean nobody—tells it like Jonathan Brooks! How is it even possible to live in a neighborhood with church buildings on every main street corner and not be able to find the real presence of the church itself in the community? Our neighborhoods are not God forsaken—they are church forsaken. Get your people together and go deep into these chapters. It's time to start praying and plotting the return of the local church. Church Forsaken is the wake-up call we have needed. But beware—the ringtone is jacked into hip-hop beats, street preaching, and some of the most binge-worthy front porch storytelling you can find. I'm giving it to everyone."" -- Paul Sparks, cofounding director of the Parish Collective, coauthor of The New Parish: How Neighborhood Churches Are Transforming Mission, Discipleship, and Community ""Jonathan Brooks has the tender heart of a pastor. He's got a fire in his bones like a prophet. He's got a voice that makes angels jealous. He's one of the most dynamic leaders in the North American church. In this new book, Church Forsaken, Pastah J reminds us that there is no place in the world that is God forsaken, but there are some places that are church forsaken. It is a much-needed wake-up call to the church, a reminder that God dwells in the places we've often neglected and resides in the neighborhoods we've moved out of. It's an invitation not just to worship Jesus but to follow Jesus into the most troubled corners of our world with the confidence that God is already there waiting for us."" -- Shane Claiborne, author, activist, founder of Red Letter Christians ""In Church Forsaken, pastor Jonathan Brooks courageously offers us an inspired and compelling vision of a relevant church that radically engages urban landscapes and contexts everywhere the gospel's transformative power is needed. As a thoughtful, servant leader of a local church serving a neighborhood where violence and poverty can steal the innocence of children and tear at the fabric of families—Pastah J's compelling vision of a relevant church continues in the best prophetic traditions of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Dietrich Bonhoeffer."" -- Vance T. Henry, chief of Faith-Based Partnerships and Initiatives, city of Chicago, Office of the Mayor ""I have known Pastor Jonathan Brooks for over two decades and I have been humbled to serve alongside him and observe his never-wavering tenacity to live, function, and totally embody his prophetic voice for this generation. Pastah J is not writing out of some studied theory but truly personifies the theology of place outlined in Church Forsaken: Practicing Presence in Neglected Neighborhoods. If half the churches in the United States took to heart the words from this book, we would truly see revival and true transformation. The beloved community would no longer be just words on paper—it would be present with us."" -- Phil Jackson, pastor of The House, founder and executive director of The Firehouse Community Arts Center ""With the help of Jay-Z, Jeremiah, and Chance the Rapper, my brother Jonathan Brooks offers a prophetic and pragmatic vision that has us doing backflips. Pastah J reminds us that redemption requires putting down roots, that love requires listening, that loving our neighbor requires serving our neighborhoods, and that the gospel is not just interested in your soul but creation as a whole."" -- Jarrod McKenna, pastor, peace award–winning social change educator, host of InVerse and Perisson ""In Church Forsaken, Pastor Jonathan Brooks issues a clarion call to his readers by inviting us to release the idol of comfort in exchange for the ministry of practicing presence. The way of Jesus is the way of unconditional and sacrificial love; Pastah J takes us by the hand and shows us how our welfare is bound up in the welfare of our neighbors, neighborhood, and city."" -- Ekemini Uwan, public theologian, cohost of Truth's Table podcast