Book Description

“Many people are longing for a greater cause. They are no longer content with 'church as usual.' They read of the church in the New Testament, and their curiosity is piqued. The New Testament accounts are far removed from their experience every week. They hear contemporary stories of the church expanding rapidly in parts of China and India, and their hearts soar.” - Neil ColeHave you ever read the Bible and wondered why the early church is so far removed from the one we experience today? Have you ever wondered why a church so thrilling, real, authentic and powerful in the pages of the New Testament seems to have been rendered so dull, fake, hypocritical and weak by our contemporary formulas? Are you tiring of a stale, weekly ritual that doesn't seem to be making any discernible difference?The truth is that the church we have come to know looks very little like the one Jesus intended. The simple, informal community characterised by love that we read about in Acts has become a formalized ritual driven by apathy, fear, comfort, market forces and man-made tradition. Over time, the vibrant community of Jewish believers who fearlessly spread the gospel, healed the sick and cast out demons has became a broken, empty institution and an irrelevance to the world around it. And now, provoked by the Holy Spirit, the church is getting restless. We're beginning to question the rituals, the churchianity and the Sunday show routine, and starting to ask what it might be like to go back to genuine New Testament Christianity. There's a longing to be a part of that vibrant, loving, informal, powerful, raw and life-changing community once again. In "The Restless Church", we deconstruct what the church has become, show what a genuine New Testament church might look like today and invite you to become part of the worldwide movement for change.