Your Church Is Too Safe: Why Following Christ Turns the World Upside-Down

Mark Buchanan

Zondervan Books, 2012 - Religion - 240 pages

'These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also.' -- Acts 17:6 That was the startled cry, circa 50 AD, from a hastily assembled mob in Thessalonica. Paul and Silas had been arrested for preaching the gospel. They were viewed as revolutionaries, dangerous men who were upsetting the status quo and inciting riots. But they were just two ordinary men, walking in the power of God, sharing a simple message of his love and grace. It's been a while since we've seen the likes of this. If you ever find church boring or you believe something is missing from our churches today, you aren't alone. Mark Buchanan believes there is a visible gap between the life Jesus offered to us and the life we're living, between the church Jesus envisioned and the church we see today. When Jesus announced that the Kingdom was at hand, this can't be what he meant. Instead of counting everything loss to be found in Christ, we've made it our priority to be safe instead of dangerous, nice instead of holy. Author and pastor Mark Buchanan believes that we need to recover a simple idea: that God meant his church to be both good news and bad news, an aroma and a stench -- a disruptive force to whoever or whatever opposes the Kingdom of God and a healing, liberating power to those who seek it.

What people are saying

Review: Your Church Is Too Safe: Why Following Christ Turns the World Upside-Down

User Review  - Laura - Goodreads

Your Church is Too Safe: Why Following Christ Turns the World Upside Down, by Canadian author Mark Buchanan is a call to churches everywhere to return to their roots - I think. I read this on a Kindle ...

Review: Your Church Is Too Safe: Why Following Christ Turns the World Upside-Down

User Review  - David - Goodreads

I came into possession of this book as a church I infrequently attend decided to do a series of sermons based on its content. I assumed that this book would attempt to overturn some of the concepts ...

About the author

Mark Buchanan, pastor and award-winning author, has been published in numerous periodicals, including Christianity Today, Books and Culture, Leadership Journal, and Discipleship Magazine. Educated at the University of British Columbia and Regent College, he is the author of six books, all of which have been selections of the Crossings Book Club. His books include Your God Is Too Safe, Things Unseen, The Holy Wild, The Rest of God, Hidden in Plain Sight, and, most recently, Spiritual Rhythm. Mark resides on the west coast of Canada with his wife, Cheryl, and his three children.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Your Church Is Too Safe: Why Following Christ Turns the World Upside-Down
• Author: Mark Buchanan
• Publisher: Zondervan Books, 2012
• ISBN: 0310331234, 9780310331230
• Length: 240 pages
• Subjects: Religion / Christian Church / Growth; Religion / Christian Life / Spiritual Warfare