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Displaying items 6-10 of 16
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  1. Jimmy Reagan
    Leesville, SC
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: male
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Outstanding
    February 23, 2012
    Jimmy Reagan
    Leesville, SC
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: male
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Stephen Mansfield has given us a winner. It was with apprehension that I opened this book with the subtitle "What to do when you still love God but have been wounded by his people." I thought, O no, a book to help people wallow in their hurts whether real or only perceived. The local church gets such bad press these days, perhaps I was preconditioned to think this way. Well, did I ever get a pleasant surprise.

    Never was church itself criticized. He painted, however, the realistic portrait that the Christian life is rarely lived without some church issues. This is not broad strokes really, but, I suppose, to be expected with all those imperfect people being involved who make up every church. He admitted that some church members are truly hurt at church. We pastors like to live in the cloud that says it doesn't really happen, but it does. With equal force he revealed that pastors, too, often get hurt by folks at church. I'm sure that was a shocking revelation to many church members. Then, with the greatest candor he confessed that many of our supposed hurts are petty and unbecoming of what we make of them. He did all this in just a few pages and I was hooked. I was ready to hear what he had to say.

    Then the balance of the book is simply this--You are hurt in church. Whether it was real or imagined is not the issue. An analysis of the fiends who treated you so is pointless. What are you, the hurt one, going to do? You can't change it. You can't rewrite history with you being treated more justly. You really can't give your enemies their due, especially in line with your being a Christian. So, what are we going to do?

    He goes through that dark process that is so easy for any of us to go through that includes hard feelings, bitterness, and finally, even things far worse. How did Mr. Mansfield effectively show us this process? He surveyed the wreckage of his own church hurt. He was a successful pastor of a growing, thriving church and one day it all blew up in his face. When he first broached the subject, I wondered if he was going to use his position as a popular writer to get his revenge. I assure you that was not the case. He never called his enemies by name, and I felt he never told us more than was necessary about them to get the picture of what was going on in his heart. No, the one he exposed with all the gory details was himself.

    He went far out on the limb and started cutting. He told us what he did, how he really felt, and the thoughts that came gushing out of his mind. They were grotesque. They overshadowed what his enemies, who I imagine truly were guilty, did. Such is the cherishing of bitterness for a Christian. Our Lord has simply not designed us to be able to function fueled by hate. It's like trying to put milk in your car's gas tank. You won't be going anywhere. He risked our disliking him. He opened himself up to the critical spirit of our age. You and I have probably been here, but we haven't told anyone like he does in this book. I think his motive was to help us.

    He took us through the process of his coming out of this darkness. He gratefully acknowledged some strong friends who pushed and prodded him. He spoke of false steps and false starts and clear failures. He explained that his bitterness was a multi-layered thing where he had to dig deeper and deeper to unroot it. What he said reminded me of the oft discussed concept of "pit dwelling" that I think came from Southern Baptists and has been popularized by authors like Beth Moore. In any event, the discussion is thoroughly biblical and worthy of our consideration. In the end, he showed us that it was worth whatever it cost him to leave his unreal world of bitterness. And the answer was old--forgiveness. Real forgiveness.

    I give this book the highest possible recommendation with a prayer that it help many of us with a real, yet critical issue in our lives.

    I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
  2. Doreen renewing strength
    Tampa Fl
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    AN EXCELLENT RESOURCE BOOK
    February 17, 2012
    Doreen renewing strength
    Tampa Fl
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    I received this book free from Barna-an imprint of Tyndale House Publishers for the purpose of review.

    Mr. Mansfield has struck a HOME RUN on this book

    "What to do when you still love God but have been wounded by His people?" Mr. Mansfield asks the question and reminds us that churches are places where real people meet to learn of God and how to make their life fulfilling. But also, churches are full of sinners, of which I am one, who can choose whether we do right or wrong.

    "When it works, when it all comes together and there is peace, finding the joy of a good church feels like finding the meaning of life", Stephen Mansfield. This book takes a very gracious look at the people of God, our relationship to God and the people around us. He comes to one heartfelt conclusion that relationships are hard but then doing right is never easy. He does an outstanding job creating and explaining perspective so there can eventually be healing.

    Conclusion, "You have a destiny, but your destiny is fulfilled by investing in the destinies of others."

    I encourage everyone to read this book whether you have been hurt or you are investing in the life of one who has been hurt by the church.
  3. SingingPilgrim
    Moore, SC
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    A Great Book To Help You Heal
    February 15, 2012
    SingingPilgrim
    Moore, SC
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 4
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Healing Your Church Hurt was very good. It's written especially for those who have been severely hurt by church in the past to the point of leaving. I had a church hurt when I was young, which God healed in me several years ago, so I could relate, but I never had something the extent of the target group. Despite that I actually found that much of the advice given was applicable even to me. I think it is a book that does address the topic well, but also would be helpful to a broader audience.

    Mansfield describes himself as being a "coach" and proclaims he's being very tough on the readers, but in reality I thought he had a perfect touch; delicate enough to not scar itself, but real enough to get to the root of the problems. And, of course, at the root of the problem there is something that has caused pain in the reader, so facing that can be quite painful. But Mansfield himself is as gentle as a skilled surgeon; he only "cuts" where it is necessary to correct the damage.

    The reason for the "church hurt" is not made important by Mansfield. It's not that he claims it's irrelevant, but he wrote the book to help everyone from those who left a church because of deep, raw betrayal (like sabotage or abuse) to those who left because they just felt their voice wasn't hurt on issues important to them. He doesn't do the work of healing for them, but instead just guides them through recognizing and confessing their pain and acknowledges real healing is between them and God. His goal is to bring these wounded believers not just back to the church, but to bring them through this trial with stronger faith and as those who have overcome.

    In the end reconciling hurt believers is an issue for all Christians, whether we've been hurt or not, because the Bible is not vague in the slightest that we need each other. There is a large percent of the Body of Christ which is alienated from their brethren and need to be re-embraced. Whether you need this book or know someone who needs this or not, if you are a Christian you should join me in prayer for those who do! (Oh, and apparently this had been previously published under the name ReChurch).

    I received this book free from the publisher, Tyndale, in exchange for my unbiased review.
  4. in wonder
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    love God, but wounded by his people?
    February 2, 2012
    in wonder
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    What to do when you still love God

    but have been wounded by his people.

    "In my case, bitterness and rage kidnapped my gifts and nearly drove me insane. You see, I am a writer and a speaker: a man who works with words and crafts them for maximum impact. When I felt myself wronged and then descended into my own bitter spiral, I began spending hours preparing to set the record straight. I was going to blow everyone away, put my words together in just the right way so that they would realize how they had wronged me and cry out for forgiveness...Oh, I reached Shakespearean heights. Man was I good. My words would make a hardened jury weep. But one afternoon I realized that I had spent all day telling off an empty room. It was just me in my pajamas, telling men I would never see again why they were wrong. And I realized how pitiful I was. I felt ashamed..." p. 72-73

    Been there? I have. The most "cruel and unusual" pain I have experienced in life has come from inside the church. From people who say that they "love" Jesus, yet are willing to throw anyone under the bus to cover their sin, leaving trails of wounded people flattened in the mud tracks on the ground, wondering exactly what kind of God expects us "to not forsake the assembling together"??? I say this and offer the above quote to show how painfully honest author Stephen Mansfield is in this book. I have not read anything else by this author. I don't know if I would agree with anything else he has written. What I did find is that Healing Your Church Hurt is not just another bunch of "spiritual" bologna. (bunch of bologna? well, you get the point!) It is a well-written, helpful and honest coaching through the pain. I had a hard time putting the book down, and that doesn't happen often. SO...

    "Why would an author of books on popes, presidents, and prime ministers write a book about getting over your church hurt?" Mansfield goes on to say "that the poisoning of souls through church hurt is killing us. That the cause of Christ is hindered because the body of Christ is bruised."

    Intrigued?!

    Would you like to read this book or share it with someone who might be encouraged by the honest "coaching" Mansfield offers?

    I'm happy to say that Tyndale has provided a product certificate for me to give away ☺.

    Comment if you are interested!

    The give-away ends 2/13
  5. GospelUnity
    Vancouver, Canada
    Gender: male
    4 Stars Out Of 5
    This Book is a Great Resource
    April 2, 2012
    GospelUnity
    Vancouver, Canada
    Gender: male
    Quality: 4
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 4
    "Healing your Church Hurt" was written by Stephen Mansfeld and deals with the modern epidemic of people leaving the church due to "church hurt". This book is much needed and an answer to pray for many. I received a copy of this book to review from Tyndale House Publishers.

    Personally I have found this book to be an incredible resource, knowing people who have left the church due to "church hurt". The author takes the approach of a coach, helping provide counsel on how to acknowledge hurt, heal and get back into to fellowship. If you are looking for a book that will provide sympathy and coddle readers, this is not the book for you. Stephen provides tough love and avoids pity in this book. It is very clear in scripture that we need to be in fellowship and to avoid the Body of Christ is simply not an option. This book provides very practical steps as to how to overcome church hurt. The author handles this well in not sugar coating the issue, it is sin to not walk in fellowship with believers and gather for worship.

    I would highly recommend this book to anyone who knows a person struggle with church hurt or who has left the church. I highly recommend this book for all believers to read as we nearly all will encounter church hurt or others who have faced it.
Displaying items 6-10 of 16
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