Jim is a 50-something pastoral ministry-veteran and Casper is a 30-something proclaimed atheist. Jim hired Casper to attend 12 of our Nation’s churches with him and to dialog together about their experience. Some of the churches they attended: Saddleback (Rick Warren), Willow Creek (Bill Hybels), and Lakewood (Joel Osteen).

The book was nearly impossible for me to put down. I would’ve read it in one sitting if I had the time!

I couldn’t help but wish that I would’ve kept my notes from my semester of church-hopping while at IWU! Reading through these conversations brought back some interesting memories and an overwhelming renewal to my own heart’s passion to love God and love my neighbor as myself.

It should be obvious to each of us by simply pausing for a moment of thought to realize that we are doing “church” a whole lot different than Jesus ever probably intended. Sure a couple thousand years have passed and culture is strikingly more-modern than in Jesus’ time, but the message hasn’t changed and the urgency of that message hasn’t either.

Why is it, then, that we have clouded our churches with so much “other”? Sure we’re doing church fairly well by our own standards, but why isn’t “the church” known as an organization that loves God first and loves our neighbors as much as we do ourselves? Aren’t THOSE the things Christ told us to be about?

Why the focus on music? Why the focus on nice buildings? Why the focus on being “post-modern”?

Shouldn’t those things be further down the line AFTER loving God and loving people?

I’m challenged. ( )

Christian Jim hires atheist Matt to attend a variety of different churches and describe his impressions. VERY interesting read that comes up with some very 'harsh' conclusions about some of the largest mega churches in the US. ( )

"His desire is to reach “the people Jesus misses the most” (formerly known as “lost”) with the love that Jesus offers. To this end, he has paid people to go to church. Enter Matt Casper, atheist without an agenda."
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