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Finding Our Voice: Searching for Renewal in the Mainline Church
208 pages, Paperback
Published April 30, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 9, 2024
Wow! I finished this book so much more quickly than anticipated. There is something for everyone in this book. Learning about the current state of the church and where it can be taken. How we respond to each other as human beings, not just Christians. To work together and to love doing it. For me, the two best chapters are "Stillness" and "Community." Two subjects in which everyone needs a little help and are close to home. Read this book! Look forward to further publications.
July 1, 2024
Stories, lessons, and perspectives designed to open the reader's mind. I found myself hugely interested in the contents of a book I wouldn't have sought out had I not known Neil (this, and the fact that I appear as a character have indeed swayed my rating) and I would confidently recommend the book to any churchgoer in Scotland.
June 28, 2025
This is one of those books that you need to read, pause, ponder and digest before moving on to the next chapter. Neil is an incredibly knowledgeable, wise, honest and articulate author and his passion for Jesus and his desire to see the mainline church in Scotland light up with the fire of the Holy Spirit shines from the pages. He digs deep into church history, Bible translation, more recent church events as well as his own experiences to bring a compelling and personal call for those of us in the mainline church to really engage on a deeper level with what it means to be the feet and hands of Jesus in our communities and from there experience renewal.
It is at heart a deeply practical book with lots of examples of things churches, communities and individuals have done to see transformation with everything routed in Scripture.
I am not a native to Scotland and found the nuggets of Scottish Christian history fascinating and illuminating; putting into context where the mainline Scottish church finds itself today. The book starts by looking at the challenges that face the church today including secularisation, exactly what this means and how the church can harness this for its own renewal, the struggles between traditional and progressive interpretations of Scripture and how the mainline church navigates the constrictions of its own structures.
Neil devotes a whole chapter ('Middle') to the topic of gender and sexuality, handling it in a way that shines a light of love and non-judgementalism on an issue that has divided congregations (including Neil's own). You come away thinking - surely this is exactly what Jesus would be doing if he were in our communities today.
The second part of the book looks at the gifts that God has given the mainline church; some of these require a deeply personal response from us (such as song, justice and stillness), others have both a corporate and individual flavour and others are part of our community calling. All are compelling and left me reflecting on what I need to do to be a part of living out my faith in my community.
You certainly do not have to be part of a mainline Scottish church to find this book engaging and inspiring but as a Church of Scotland Minister of twenty years, this is Neil's unique voice and passion. Yes, you come away with a long wish list of things you'd like to engage with but in a way that inspires you to action; it is a book full of hope, grace and the honesty and gentleness of how I believe Jesus wants us to engage with each other and our neighbours.
It is at heart a deeply practical book with lots of examples of things churches, communities and individuals have done to see transformation with everything routed in Scripture.
I am not a native to Scotland and found the nuggets of Scottish Christian history fascinating and illuminating; putting into context where the mainline Scottish church finds itself today. The book starts by looking at the challenges that face the church today including secularisation, exactly what this means and how the church can harness this for its own renewal, the struggles between traditional and progressive interpretations of Scripture and how the mainline church navigates the constrictions of its own structures.
Neil devotes a whole chapter ('Middle') to the topic of gender and sexuality, handling it in a way that shines a light of love and non-judgementalism on an issue that has divided congregations (including Neil's own). You come away thinking - surely this is exactly what Jesus would be doing if he were in our communities today.
The second part of the book looks at the gifts that God has given the mainline church; some of these require a deeply personal response from us (such as song, justice and stillness), others have both a corporate and individual flavour and others are part of our community calling. All are compelling and left me reflecting on what I need to do to be a part of living out my faith in my community.
You certainly do not have to be part of a mainline Scottish church to find this book engaging and inspiring but as a Church of Scotland Minister of twenty years, this is Neil's unique voice and passion. Yes, you come away with a long wish list of things you'd like to engage with but in a way that inspires you to action; it is a book full of hope, grace and the honesty and gentleness of how I believe Jesus wants us to engage with each other and our neighbours.
October 6, 2025
The state of the 'mainline' church from a Church of Scotland minister, taking us through history, tradition, seeking to explain how we got where we are, and ideas for the future, looking at examples from around Scotland and beyond. A good book for discussion.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews