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Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? 7 False Churches
For churches - like people - looks can be deceiving.
It may be easy to be enticed by what's on the surface, by churches that may be wrongly focused on worldly things apart from Scripture.
In this highly anticipated follow-up to his first book (Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up?; CPH, 2017), author Matthew Richard presents the story of a fictionalized family searching for a new congregation, a new place for the family to worship. At each of seven churches, they find something they like, but come away feeling that something is missing.
Readers will learn how to identify those falsehoods, and how to identify how the real Church presents Christ and His gifts of Word and Sacrament.
It may be easy to be enticed by what's on the surface, by churches that may be wrongly focused on worldly things apart from Scripture.
In this highly anticipated follow-up to his first book (Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up?; CPH, 2017), author Matthew Richard presents the story of a fictionalized family searching for a new congregation, a new place for the family to worship. At each of seven churches, they find something they like, but come away feeling that something is missing.
Readers will learn how to identify those falsehoods, and how to identify how the real Church presents Christ and His gifts of Word and Sacrament.
192 pages, Paperback
Published October 8, 2024
6 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 5, 2025
Such a great book, very straightforward and easy to understand. I think it could be made shorter for its intended audience, but I appreciate that Richard did not specifically pick on any one denomination or church type.
May 14, 2025
So I am giving it a 3, but I don't hate it and do recommend it for what it is, but there is a fair bit of nuance to consider. To start with the positives. It does point out the problem with some churches, when they lose focus and some people there are in a popularity contest and are not focused on Christ. He does justly criticize separating the children form the adults during church, and I like the term he uses "age based segregation" and there could be a larger statement related to the American education system in general. He avoids mentioning specific denominations for each church and I see why he did. Of course it was obvious what the last church was, since he is a Lutheran Pastor, you an guess what type of church it is an there are a tons of hints without stating it directly.
Now to some of the criticism. He focuses a whole lot on architecture. So much so I bet he would hate my church even though he would agree with the doctrine. When someone goes to design a church yes, there should be things in mind, but sometimes you have to work with what you have. You could even turn an auditorium style church into a faithful confessional church. He criticizes at one point the setup of a church where you have seats set up in a U shape so from the side you can see people on the other side. He says this distracts form the altar and your focus is drawn to those people across from you. I couldn't disagree more, I have been in churches, especially those with cross configurations, where you have pews on the side facing inward and there was no distraction in that. I do get his point that aspects of architecture can tell you about the focus of the church, but certain things you can't help and I think he focuses too much on it. He does criticize church that focus so much on their denomination and put it and its bureaucrats on a pedestal and idolizing too much the founders and leaders. This criticism is legitimate. However, at the end of the book he makes the opposite mistake. With the church that is obviously meant to be Lutheran, he praises them for never advertising it. However, I am always skeptical of churches that don't advertise their denomination. It makes me think they are hiding something. Denominations are an important way to say what you believe (even though in a perfect world they would not exist, but the fact that there are schisms, they are necessary and it is important to know what you are getting into).
Now to some of the criticism. He focuses a whole lot on architecture. So much so I bet he would hate my church even though he would agree with the doctrine. When someone goes to design a church yes, there should be things in mind, but sometimes you have to work with what you have. You could even turn an auditorium style church into a faithful confessional church. He criticizes at one point the setup of a church where you have seats set up in a U shape so from the side you can see people on the other side. He says this distracts form the altar and your focus is drawn to those people across from you. I couldn't disagree more, I have been in churches, especially those with cross configurations, where you have pews on the side facing inward and there was no distraction in that. I do get his point that aspects of architecture can tell you about the focus of the church, but certain things you can't help and I think he focuses too much on it. He does criticize church that focus so much on their denomination and put it and its bureaucrats on a pedestal and idolizing too much the founders and leaders. This criticism is legitimate. However, at the end of the book he makes the opposite mistake. With the church that is obviously meant to be Lutheran, he praises them for never advertising it. However, I am always skeptical of churches that don't advertise their denomination. It makes me think they are hiding something. Denominations are an important way to say what you believe (even though in a perfect world they would not exist, but the fact that there are schisms, they are necessary and it is important to know what you are getting into).
September 27, 2024
Just as he did so well in his previous book, Rev. Dr. Matthew Richard helps orient people who may be wondering (and perhaps even worrying) about whether or not their church is doing this whole Word and Sacrament ministry situation correctly. His narrative following a fictional family of 4 as they search for a new church home is inviting to the reader and one can certainly find points in common with this family as they visit 8 churches. These churches range from a so-called "mega church" all the way to their final stopping point, a quaint country church. His key point is that a church is not truly a church unless believers are gathering around Christ's Word and Sacraments. Furthermore, true church/real church is not defined by purposes or unifying points he finds or depicts in these false churches such as: great customer service, personal improvements, cultural influence, and even denominational commitment. He gives good food for thought on the balance that can and ought to happen between the 3 estates of family, society, and church and how oftentimes when people struggle with one of these other areas they look for the church to act in place of of these other areas and that is when trouble can occur: ex. turning your church into a monastery type of setting in that you keep your parishonors so busy throughout the week it doesn't give your church a chance to reach out to the community/your activities are primarily for people who are attending already and thus is nurturing life in a sort of fish-bowl setting. On the surface this sounds good and having activities (Bible Studies, Youth Group meeting, etc.) throughout the week isn't bad, but churches ought to balance this with reaching out to the community as well. I would recommend this book to Church Boards and those in Leadership positions. I am a Deaconess in the LCMS and found this very worthwhile and will share this title with our Board of Elders/Pastor. Thank you to Concordia Publishing House for the ability to read this book!
February 10, 2026
A fun approach of detailing the journey of a family seeking a new church and the categories (based on that churches key ministry focus) of churches they discover. Though, a family might very well settle for any of the churches presented, the reader is taken through all of them and finally reaches an ideal church. The terms and categories are explained along the way, with small subsections that detail honest truths about church teachings and theology. The author avoids mentioning denominations which is very noble.
I read an earlier review that this book should be shorter… I actually think it’s rather short and could use far more analysis to appropriately explain the topics discussed. The author chose not to get into deep end of the pool and the book is lighter, more easily accessible for that!
Another reviewer mentioned the “over emphasis on architecture” or “possible contradiction” at the end for not praising the last church as denominationally proud. To that I say, the author had very little to expound on if the denominational angle is taken away from a theologically based book. Also, the contrast at the end was between a denominationally oriented church that may believe the denomination itself saves (author mentioned a possible denomination, but the theme could also be applied with Roman Catholicism or Eastern Orthodox Churches… though they were not described in the example).
It’s a matter of understanding where the line is and the last church does this well since it is very obvious to a Lutheran reader (or other confessional Christian reader) that denominational awareness and branding is evident at any Lutheran or confessional church, and encouraged. It’s a book trying to capture a wide audience while also knowing it’s primary audience is confessions Lutheran or the like.
A very nice Christmas gift from my wife.
I read an earlier review that this book should be shorter… I actually think it’s rather short and could use far more analysis to appropriately explain the topics discussed. The author chose not to get into deep end of the pool and the book is lighter, more easily accessible for that!
Another reviewer mentioned the “over emphasis on architecture” or “possible contradiction” at the end for not praising the last church as denominationally proud. To that I say, the author had very little to expound on if the denominational angle is taken away from a theologically based book. Also, the contrast at the end was between a denominationally oriented church that may believe the denomination itself saves (author mentioned a possible denomination, but the theme could also be applied with Roman Catholicism or Eastern Orthodox Churches… though they were not described in the example).
It’s a matter of understanding where the line is and the last church does this well since it is very obvious to a Lutheran reader (or other confessional Christian reader) that denominational awareness and branding is evident at any Lutheran or confessional church, and encouraged. It’s a book trying to capture a wide audience while also knowing it’s primary audience is confessions Lutheran or the like.
A very nice Christmas gift from my wife.
March 14, 2026
I guess somewhat predictable. I thought it might be about a real family, not a composite. It did make some good points about what some churches do or are. No mention of any particular denomination was made and I suppose many of the things described could be found at various churches within one denomination. The end, although I think we all know what is going to happen, does make a pretty good point.
August 29, 2025
An insightful journey through seven false churches and finally one real church, united by the true gifts of Christ.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews