NASHVILLE, July 19, 2011 /
Christian Newswire/ -- Many Christians live with the tension between what they know the Scriptures promise, and what they are actually experiencing in their lives. God seems distant, and the life described in Scriptures seems more like a series of rumors than reality. From the contrasting perspectives of a large suburban mega church in Chicago and a church planter in New York City, these two friends share a passion to help people break free of the spiritual ruts they are trapped within, and perhaps for the first time, come to life. In Rumors of God (Thomas Nelson), fellow Aussies Darren Whitehead and Jon Tyson lay out the spiritual obstacles they see the North American church facing, and provide insightful ways to overcome them.
Believers and non-believers have said that a lot of Christians cynically feel the greatest days of the church are in the past. The authors disagree. This book is their small rebellion against that notion. Rumors of God is a rally cry for the church in which Whitehead and Tyson share compelling stories, cultural observations, and illuminating Scriptural insights about the work and activity of God today. They believe that if you listen to the rumors of God you will hear that God is doing something new in the church, and they desire to confirm these rumors with their own lives. Whitehead and Tyson believe God is writing an epic, global, redemptive story in which every single person has been invited to participate.
Key points of Rumors of God:
· Our attention has drifted from God and rested on the trappings of the world. All the while, our Father has something better awaiting us if we simply ask.
· Rather than trusting God to supply our needs, we get caught in the frenzy of accumulation. In contrast to this mind-set, Jesus says life is more important than material pursuits.
· When we forget the wonder of our identity and position in Christ, we end up relegating the church to a mere organization, while our union with God falls to the theoretical.
· If we are going to transform rumors of grace into powerful encounters with its reality, we need to reexamine our approach to sin, judgment, the gospel, and truth.
· Deep in the believer's soul is a longing to see the fame and deeds of God renewed and known in our time, and a belief that we were all created for a radical pursuit of Jesus and His kingdom.
In his forward, Bill Hybels, founding and senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Ill., and chairman of the board for the Willow Creek Association says, "In Rumors of God, Darren and Jon have somehow succeeded in slipping 3D glasses over our eyes. The results are that passages from scripture come alive in ways that will impact readers for a long time."
Originally from Australia, Darren Whitehead has been on staff at Willow Creek Community Church for seven years. As Teaching Pastor, Darren and Senior Pastor Bill Hybels share the weekend service responsibilities to provide teaching for all five campuses. He also leads the Next Gen Ministries and Creative Arts Departments. Prior to Willow Creek, Darren served as Teaching Pastor and Director of Student Ministries at The People's Church in Nashville, TN.
Jon Tyson is the Lead Pastor of Trinity Grace Church with five parish churches in New York City. Originally from Australia, Jon moved to the United States 14 years ago. He worked in nextgen ministry at several churches before moving to New York five years ago to plant TGC.
