Is the concept of the Church damaged beyond salvaging? Some debate whether the concept of the church as we know it is damaged beyond salvage. My experience and common sense, indicate that everybody, both inside and out of the system, knows the church is meant to be and meant to do. Nearly everyone, both inside and out, also now realize the current organizational form has failed to deliver. Books from the past forty years mostly agree with the public on what is wrong and what it should be based on gospel and apostolic teaching. This is a very valuable common starting point. Yet, none go beyond this point to answer the question, How to we get from here to there? It has only been a brief speck of time since the first real reformation with the central concept the church is not the state moved from ideal to our common practice (350 years in Rhode Island, and Providence Plantations colony). It is because this one pillar is in place that now allows us to explore elements and ideals such as believer baptism is membership, personal soul accountability, all priests/nation of priests which will, in God’s time, replace old central authority structure. Many subgroup leaders like to claim what they do is disciple making because they know making disciples is required. To be fair, when all were required to belong to official church unit, disciple making appeared to be a done deal. In this new environment, I am very interested to see what form the power God’s life-giving Holy Spirit of Truth will take. Every effort has been made to make this book far from the common abstract academic exercise. To avoid churchy words and theories and to instead, pack a lot of practical points into a small package. The forty-day format is based on the forty-day preparation Jesus had to begin His great ministry. It also allows readers to focus a small chunk at a time. Please do not just read about it. I hope you will own it, experience it, and live it. - R.E. Chamberlin R.E Chamberlin is a father of four, grandfather of nine so far. Raised Catholic, Confirmation name: Paul. Served ten years as lector and Eucharistic minister. Has served over ten years on varied American Baptist boards in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. He serves Thursdays in the Emergency Food Pantry. Since 2009, R.E. Chamberlin online ministries have included the website, Radical Christ Life, which is focused on personal partnership with God’s Holy Spirit. He has since added sites for a vision of future church form, the experience of church within, and vision of the impact such revolution of the mind will have on a new Spirit-led Age.
