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Jesus Burgers - True Stories of Love, Redemption & Miracles in a College Town
Jesus Burgers has remained the same since 2001 when a small group of people grilled, flipped,and served the ministry's first burger, with a ketchup heart and a mustard cross.
The story of Jesus Burgers is told through the stories of over twenty people whose lives were transformed through this ministry in Isla Vista, California, an infamous party town adjacent to the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Sharing the love and hope of Jesus through a simple hamburger is what Jesus Burgers is all about. Isla Vista Church, a family of believers (mostly college students and young adults), have gathered weekly to serve burgers to the hundreds of partiers walking down a street full of house parties for over a decade now. The city has come to know and appreciate not only this ministry, but also the many lives this ministry has transformed.
The success of Jesus Burgers is spreading, inspiring other college campus ministries across the country to launch their own Jesus Burgers outreach ministries. This book records only a few of the thousands of inspirational stories that have emerged from Jesus Burgers' ministry of service. This is the Jesus Burgers story.
The story of Jesus Burgers is told through the stories of over twenty people whose lives were transformed through this ministry in Isla Vista, California, an infamous party town adjacent to the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Sharing the love and hope of Jesus through a simple hamburger is what Jesus Burgers is all about. Isla Vista Church, a family of believers (mostly college students and young adults), have gathered weekly to serve burgers to the hundreds of partiers walking down a street full of house parties for over a decade now. The city has come to know and appreciate not only this ministry, but also the many lives this ministry has transformed.
The success of Jesus Burgers is spreading, inspiring other college campus ministries across the country to launch their own Jesus Burgers outreach ministries. This book records only a few of the thousands of inspirational stories that have emerged from Jesus Burgers' ministry of service. This is the Jesus Burgers story.
192 pages, Paperback
First published September 27, 2012
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14 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 14, 2014
This book was not what I thought it would be. On one level, yes, it was about the experiences of a group of Christians who took a novel approach to sharing the message of Jesus: They handed out hamburgers on Friday and Saturday nights to partying college students. But it’s the nature of the experiences that I did not anticipate.
*** Possible spoiler alert***
There is a subset of Christianity, referred by some as Charismatic, which is in actuality crosses many Christian denominations but has in common the belief that miracles, wonders, and other supernatural events can and do occur in our present day (as opposed to confined to the “Biblical” times). It’s been a long time since I’ve stepped foot in a Charismatic church, and so getting a book because showcased by Barnes & Noble on one of their new release tables that is so Charismatic wasn’t on my radar.
The book is a collection of 25 or so stories told by various students and pastors who are or have been part of this ministry. It shares the expected accounts of people who are moved by the offer of the hamburger. But it gets more “hard core,” sharing experiences of prophesying and physical healing. Interestingly, this is done in a very matter of fact, unapologetic manner, which (for me at least) worked.
For a bit, in the middle, the stories became a bit tedious and repetitive. But then I got the point: These “supernatural” events were not so beyond the norm for them; the recounting felt repetitive because it was the usual for them and as such occurred with regular frequency. Which got me wondering: We have our ideas of what the normal should be. But is our normal what other people believe as their normal? Is this still going on? Can I go see this for myself? Are those hamburgers any good (they sounded kind of skimpy)?
This book was an interesting journey for me. It took me over 20 years back to when I was in college and peripherally seeing the Charismatic Movement occur. And it’s making me reconsider what it is that I believe and don’t believe. This book isn’t for everyone. But for shaking up my worldview, I give it 5 stars.
*** Possible spoiler alert***
There is a subset of Christianity, referred by some as Charismatic, which is in actuality crosses many Christian denominations but has in common the belief that miracles, wonders, and other supernatural events can and do occur in our present day (as opposed to confined to the “Biblical” times). It’s been a long time since I’ve stepped foot in a Charismatic church, and so getting a book because showcased by Barnes & Noble on one of their new release tables that is so Charismatic wasn’t on my radar.
The book is a collection of 25 or so stories told by various students and pastors who are or have been part of this ministry. It shares the expected accounts of people who are moved by the offer of the hamburger. But it gets more “hard core,” sharing experiences of prophesying and physical healing. Interestingly, this is done in a very matter of fact, unapologetic manner, which (for me at least) worked.
For a bit, in the middle, the stories became a bit tedious and repetitive. But then I got the point: These “supernatural” events were not so beyond the norm for them; the recounting felt repetitive because it was the usual for them and as such occurred with regular frequency. Which got me wondering: We have our ideas of what the normal should be. But is our normal what other people believe as their normal? Is this still going on? Can I go see this for myself? Are those hamburgers any good (they sounded kind of skimpy)?
This book was an interesting journey for me. It took me over 20 years back to when I was in college and peripherally seeing the Charismatic Movement occur. And it’s making me reconsider what it is that I believe and don’t believe. This book isn’t for everyone. But for shaking up my worldview, I give it 5 stars.
March 20, 2025
A sweet collection of stories that encouraged my faith right where it’s at; to be persistent, curious, strong, and seeking. A sweet testimony of how God’s love can change the world in just a tiny 1 square mile radius. Much needed. :)
May 5, 2020
Absolutely amazing set of stories from the Jesus Burgers ministry in the Isla Vista neighborhood of Santa Barbara. One of the most inspiring books I've read in a long time about the love of God and our opportunity to participate in it.
October 1, 2012
This book is filled with stories of how a little church of believers in a one square mile college beach town - Isla Vista - are loving people into the Kingdom of God. Isla Vista Church loves people well, and through that love they allow God to use them to transform college student's lives as well as a city.
Reading this book will open your eyes to the way God is moving and changing a city that is infamously known as one of the best party schools in the nation. But you know what, where darkness is great, God's light shines greater. I hope that you will enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoyed experiencing Jesus Burgers first hand during my two years at UC Santa Barbara. Be prepared to hear raw stories of how God's love met people where they were and changed them into new men and women... this is a book you won't regret purchasing and reading. so go ahead - grab a copy and take a bite out of it :)
Reading this book will open your eyes to the way God is moving and changing a city that is infamously known as one of the best party schools in the nation. But you know what, where darkness is great, God's light shines greater. I hope that you will enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoyed experiencing Jesus Burgers first hand during my two years at UC Santa Barbara. Be prepared to hear raw stories of how God's love met people where they were and changed them into new men and women... this is a book you won't regret purchasing and reading. so go ahead - grab a copy and take a bite out of it :)
October 1, 2012
The idea of the book itself is fresh and original. It is a collection of 25 different true accounts that have taken place in the college town of Isla Vista in Santa Barbara. There are different sections of the book that bind the stories together in a powerful testimony of the amazing events that have happened over the last 10 years. It is inspiring and all the while enjoyable. For anyone interested in college ministries or Christian life, or a fresh look at spirituality, this is certainly a must-read.
December 27, 2014
Great book full of testimonies from a fantastic Church and ministry. Definitely a faith booster! Glad to call IVC my family, and I'm looking forward to seeing where the Holy Spirit takes us!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews