Healing Your Church Hurt

Anyone who has ever been part of a church has most likely gone through a church hurt. If you haven't, you probably know someone who has had a bitter experience.  New York Times bestselling author Stephen Mansfield suffered with his own church pain when he was a pastor; In the pages of  Healing Your Church Hurt ( previously published as ReChurch), he walks us through, not only his own pain, but gives examples of others who have experienced this.

Whether you were in a position of leadership, or an attendee who chose to not be involved with other church activities, or somewhere in between, the chances of being hurt are present, and can make a powerful impact. Hurts do not have to be a permanent wedge between you and the church or your relationship with God. It also does not matter whether you were wronged, or the one who caused the problem; the point is to seek out the place where you are serving God for His pleasure. We too often set our expectations on what feels right to us, and then blame the church when others fail to reach our standards and wants. I especially liked the chapter that discussed what attitude you should have if it does become necessary for you to find another community of believers to join. The pastor, the building, the music, the opportunities, etc---each may make for your happiness, but, what happens when circumstances change? What are you looking for when you seek another church? More importantly, are you working through your pain and using this as growth and maturity? Stephen looks at church hurts from a variety of angles and offers comfort and constructive criticism in order to facilitate healing.

This book is great whether it is you going through the hurt and healing process, or to give to another who needs it. Make sure you check out the following:
Stephen Mansfield's website and blog
Stephen Mansfield on Facebook
Read the 1st chapter of healing Your Church Hurt

GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment if you would like the chance to win a copy of this book for your personal library, or to donate to your pastor or church library. It is certainly a good one to have on hand when someone is dealing with this painful issue. I will do a random drawing to select the winner on Wed., April 4, 2012 at 9pm (CDT).

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Tyndale in exchange for my review. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are my own.