Passed Thru Fire

by Rick Bundschuh

It takes more than birthdays for boys to become men. Without the right guidance, boys can grow older without growing up. Often turned off by typical church services and activities, strong, active boys may conclude that church is for girls and "sissies." When that happens, they look elsewhere for role models and ideas about what it means to be a man - frequently, with destructive results.
In Passed Thru Fire, pastor and youth expert Rick Bundschuh offers keen insights on the role of the church - and especially Christian men - in guiding boys to healthy manhood. With energy and humor, Rick offers fresh ideas and practical instructions for making the church a place where boys want to be - and where they can learn how to be come strong, godly men.
Included in the book are pointers for establishing a Christian rite of passage that will challenge boys to find their manhood in the context of the church.

160 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 30, 2003

About the author

Rick Bundschuh serves as a teaching pastor at Kauai Christian Fellowship, and he also continues to write and illustrate material for various publishers. He lives with his beautiful wife, Lauren, their kids, a weenie dog, and a quiver of surfboards in Poipu, Hawaii.

Reviews

[RANGER · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rick Bundschuh has written an excellent analysis of a major social problem facing the church. Truth is, much of what goes on in the modern and post-modern church world is geared toward pleasing female congregants. And the epidemic of divorce, casual sex, and empowered single-motherhood has produced a huge population of boys without fathers... with single-mothers who have no clue how to turn their little boy into a real man.
Let's face it, muscular Christianity has been pushed out of the church. Young men and boys have few examples of strong Christian manhood to pattern their life after. An entire generation has been taught that the innate wildness, physical vitality, and aggressive competitive nature of men is somehow "un-Christian" or at least has no place in the church... and yet they wonder why so few men want to get on the team and get involved. Truly this is an issue many in the church prefer to avoid. They probably don't want their wife getting mad at them for suggesting such a problem even exists.
But Pastor Bundschuh drew his conclusions from decades of ministry and his own experience of being raised by a single mother. He isn't anti-women or anti-anything, he simply sees the need in the church to address this problem and consider ways boys and young men can be introduced to male examples and male activities that can help them define themselves as MEN of God.
This book is a light read that presents its case well. Pastor Bundschuh offers many suggests to help pastors develop ministry that targets young men and puts them in the presence of strong Christian role models.
I do think Pastor Bundschuh offers some fairly simplistic examples of ways to reverse this curse in the church. These might be a good start for a youth pastor who has no clue where to begin in addressing this need. But having regular Men's Discipleship Classes and bringing in strong male role models to testify to youth groups are two other approaches that can also help. Only men can speak to men in a way that will challenge them to be real Men of God.
Most of the critics of this book seem to have a problem with Pastor Bundschuh's excellent analysis of the problem. This leads me to wonder what kind of Church they attend that they don't see the very need addressed so clearly in this book. Truth is, Christianity in America has fallen very far from its muscular roots.
The Church needs men to get involved again. But for that to happen, the church needs to embrace the reality that strong, smart aggressive men are best challenged and led by strong, smart aggressive men.
It's what the church needs.
And sadly, those are exactly the kind of leaders the feminized church world is most fearful to embrace.
This book is recommended reading for those who want to see Christian manhood restored in the Body of Christ.

[Kameron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Josh and I both enjoyed this book, written by the teaching pastor at the church we are currently attending, Kauai Christian Fellowship. He is right on about the Church's need for strong, godly men to help lead young boys into manhood. He gives great insight into boys' need for a transition...something they can mark in their lives as a change from boyhood to becoming a man. He's put this into action by creating a Passed Thru Fire experience which we will hopefully send Josh and Jake to, since Jake is turning 13 this year.

There are a few things I disagree with - namely his push for the church to take up the role families should be having in the spiritual development of their sons and the need for churches to make their youth groups more fun with rock walls and Playstations or whatever. Kids get that stuff all the time. I don't think it is necessary to dress up Christ with entertaining things. (See my review of Rick's other book "Don't Rock the Boat, Capsize It")

[Go2therock · Rating 3 out of 5]

I definitely felt that this was a book for men, and conscious of the fact that I am not one. I gave it a personal three stars, but on a man-rating it might get four. Rick's heart for boys beats strongly through the book, and I found myself trusting what he had to offer.