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We Are Church

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Millions are satisfied to sit through hour-long, weekly religious services. Millions more have left the church, brokenhearted and cynical. But God is waking up His people—people who will risk everything and sacrifice anything to become the dynamic, powerful Church seen in Scripture.

We Are Church calls Christ-followers, young and old, to hold fast to their biblical roots while seeking radical change. Scripture promises an exuberant and unstoppable Church. That wondrous early church of Acts can be our reality today—but not until we devote ourselves to her original priorities.

Read this book and be challenged, guided, and encouraged to passionately pursue God’s magnificent and beautiful vision for His Church. Come and claim your part in this body of believers that is not just possible—it’s promised.

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2011

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About the author

Francis Chan

81 books2,839 followers
Francis Chan is an American pastor and teacher, who lives in California with his wife, Lisa, and their four children. He is the former pastor of Cornerstone Community Church in Simi Valley, CA, which he and his wife started in 1994.

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382 (71%)
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107 (20%)
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30 (5%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
Profile Image for Craig Turnbull.
119 reviews13 followers
October 17, 2018
[The copy of my version has a different title, Letters to the Church, and the cover resembles the hardcover version listed in Goodreads. Hereafter I'll be referring to the work as Letters to the Church]

I'm not sure at all what to make of Francis Chan's latest offering, Letters to the Church. Described by the author as "definitely the most difficult book" he has ever written, I can see this work being a polarizing word to be sure - received by some enthusiasts, and rejected by others.

Here's his thesis in his words:
"My goal is to get you dreaming, to keep you from settling, to affirm that nagging sense you can’t shake that God wants something more for His Church than what you’re experiencing.

To accomplish this Chan takes both a conventional approach and what I would call an odd approach. First, from the conventional end, he takes aim at American Christian consumerist approaches to church. Church should not be ninety minutes and then done, but a lifelong pursuit of oneness among the body of Christ. Just as New Testament believers did not just "do" or "go to church," so too our North American lives need to break away from self-centered, individual-driven event mentality. In large buildings stuffed with people and programs, the simple message and mission of the gospel is getting lost, and we are the worst for it.

In a thought experiment, Chan asks the reader the following:
Imagine you find yourself stranded on a deserted island with nothing but a copy of the Bible. You have no experience with Christianity whatsoever, and all you know about the Church will come from your reading of the Bible. How would you imagine a church to function? Seriously. Close your eyes for two minutes and try to picture “Church” as you would know it. Now think about your current church experience. Is it even close? Can you live with that?

As for the non-conventional or new critique, Chan offers his house-church model as a better fix and substitute for the vices of mega-church. This, he insists is more in keeping with what the New Testament writers had in mind. Peppering his own story of leaving behind his megachurch in Simi Valley, California, Chan has been renewed by the vibrant growth of the house-church model with its rapid multiplication, every member involvement, care and discipleship and not in the least its missional emphasis with the Bay Area.

As far as critiques go, I would commend Tim Challies' review: HERE.

In addition to his suggestions, I'll add a few of my own.

First, it's difficult to not LOVE Chan's enthusiasm for the Church and love for the Gospel. This is a man who loves Jesus and who genuinely wants to see him made known to the ends of the earth. His passion and burden for the growth of believers in the context of a healthy and vibrant church setting, and his experience in many different countries and types of churches has given him a unique perspective and voice into the state of things in America. It's a voice that, though often strong, is one that needs to be heard more than it doesn't.

However, it's equally difficult to not pick up a strong tone of "those guys in that country do it really well, and we here in America do it wrong." This geographical snobbery takes the vices of church here in our affluent setting and causes him to make broad, sweeping, and unfair generalizations like the following:
"But have you ever read the New Testament? Do you find anything in Scripture that is even remotely close to the pattern we have created?"

"But can you name a single church in our country that is known for the way its members love one another?"

"The Church is in dire need of a fresh wave of godly leadership. I pray all existing leaders would be renewed or replaced."

The end result is a book that sounds a whole lot less like a letter to a church, and a whole lot more like a warning to change into his version of church or face the condemnation of God. Even the adjusted title, to reflect the apostolic language of the New Testament, and his direct linking of the churches of Revelation, some of whom, "sound healthier than many [he has] visited in America" sound far more condemning than his other works.

Critiques given, at the end of the day, it's a Francis Chan book, and it's inspirational as we would expect. Though the book seems to forget its audience and lob hand grenades from a lofty "I get to see a lot of global churches and you don't" position, it may prove more prescient than we might imagine as the culture turns away from Christianity in increasing ways. Perhaps house churches will take off in North America not out of desire, but out of need. If that becomes true, I'd love to see a nation filled with churches as he describes.
Author 2 books
September 26, 2018
Excellent food for thought.

“Letters to the Church” forced me to do what every self-respecting American hates do: consider the fact that we may be wrong. In these pages, Chan challenges many of the cultural assumptions we make about church and forces us to consider God’s Word on the subject. He does so not from a place of spiritual pride, but from his own experience of falling short. This book should not be required reading for all believers (only the Bible should hold that honor), but if you’re dissatisfied with “Church, Inc.” and wondering if this was what God intended, I’d highly encourage you to take, and read, “Letters to the Church.”
Profile Image for Jessica Hampton.
1 review
September 25, 2018
Amazing

This book challenged my way of thinking from the first sentence. All the way to the end I tried to see my church and what we could do differently.
Profile Image for Justin.
12 reviews
April 16, 2019
I liked some things said early on in the book, but otherwise I have mixed thoughts about it. After the first few chapters, I had to set it down and go read something else. Chan seems to think the early church was way more awesome than the reality was by focusing on Acts 2-4 as the baseline to the exclusion of what was going wrong. Most people only notice the dysfunctional reality starting to hit the fan with Ananias and Saphira, and then the onset of persecution. Out of most commentators and Bible teachers, Dr. Bill Creasy is the only person I've ever heard point out that the pooling of resources by the church was because of all people that were visiting Jerusalem for Pentecost (when 3000 were added to their number) and were from foreign lands -- and after the upper room experience that led to their conversion, they didn't want to leave (i.e. go back to the far corners of the earth from which they had come), hence (perhaps providentially) the persecutions lit a fire under them to finally leave what otherwise seems to Chan and others like some idyllic church community that was "doing it right." Persecution may have done more to grow the church than bickering over whose needs were being so generously neglected and who was contributing most to the community's benevolence fund.
Profile Image for Jeremy Bloom.
2 reviews2 followers
September 6, 2018
Great insight on how to be the church

I would recommend this book to leaders in the church who find themselves discontent with the church in America's current condition. This book was written with experience, hope and humility.
I like how Francis Chan illustrates his points with stories and analogies. The result is a book that should be prayed through and not just read through.
Profile Image for Steven Robertson.
85 reviews2 followers
February 5, 2019
Chan's style is very hyperbolic, which lends him an air of energy and enthusiasm, but also tends toward painting with a broad brush.

The book is good for encouraging a healthy view of the church and a view of the importance of the Church. The more prescriptive (which he qualifies as the way they do it, but not necessarily the only way) elements of the book are more sketchy to me.

It's not a bad book. Especially toward the end, it's less compelling (and borderline condescending), but it's still a good challenge for Christians, especially American Christians.

Needs some pretty hefty filtering in places, but otherwise not bad.
Profile Image for Carrie.
21 reviews1 follower
June 26, 2013
A must for every Christian. This should be taught to new believers to help give a strong foundation.
Profile Image for Ray Zoller.
17 reviews4 followers
October 21, 2018
An Essential and Timely Message for me and, I Think, The Church

I read "Letters to the Church" and for some reason, Goodreads is referring to it as "We Are Church" - I suppose they'll sort that out but if you decide to read it, look for "Letters to the Church."

I attend a multi-campus megachurch. A couple of months ago, our local community campus closed and we've been trying to re-acclimate to a larger campus farther away. We're still called to this church but we're also still in community with those who attended our local campus. We're all sorting out what to do next. This book was a timely read and will help inform our next steps.

It will challenge your idea of Church, give you a fresh and Biblical perspective and call you to a deeper commitment to Jesus and His bride. I highly recommend it. Thanks to Francis for writing it.
Profile Image for Moises Godinez.
1 review
September 26, 2018
Compelling, Inspired & Challenging

Pastor Francis Chan does an excellent job of presenting his understandings about what the Church should be according to Scripture. He points out shortcomings in the Church in a loving and caring manner that should challenge us to reevaluate our current methods. He also challenges us as individuals within the body. Are we building up the body using our gifts or are we depending on the gifts of a few? Are we causing division or promoting unity in the church? Overall, its a call to humble ourselves and love one another in such a supernatural way through the power of the Holy Spirit that the world can’t help but notice God’s presence on earth through His Bride.
Profile Image for Jonathan Johnson.
381 reviews1 follower
July 18, 2019
Great book

This book is the gold standard
It is not about having a big or a small church, but about being fulfilled from the simple pillars of Christianity:
Fellowship, discipleship, bible reading, love of suffering, and prayer (I add fasting)
Unfortunately, it seems like human nature to become complacent
This is not a book to convert people to Christianity, but a book to challenge already Christians to live lives that are more simple but yet more fulfilled that are easily distinguishable from a happy non Christian
A joy and a happiness that feels supernatural to the outside world
I love it
I would recommend this book to any Christian trying to simplify yet grow their life
Profile Image for David.
61 reviews2 followers
October 2, 2019
Convicting and inspiring

Chan as usual writes with an infectious conviction. He loves to root all of his ideas in the Bible, and does not mince words where he sees himself or the church falling short. Some of the issues he discusses deserve more depth than he gave them. The ending of the book would be better if he had taken some time to discuss issues or challenges with his proposed church model. Several important questions occurred to me that were not even mentioned.

Still he is not pushy with his small home-based model and many of his ideas could be incorporated in a hybrid form of his ideas and a traditional church. Not quite 5 stars but certainly worth the read and consideration for churches.
5 reviews
November 13, 2018
A challenging and powerful personal read.

This book helps me come to terms with how I have wrestled with church and the Christian community. If you pick up this book I hope you see yourself as I saw myself. I read this book with the perspective of me being apart of the Church. With that perspective, I hear Francis writing to me, asking me to help and seek all that the Church can be, and in that help others by a means of example. Not by a voice from above but a voice from the trenches working with and through. If you decide to read this book you may very well never look at Church the same.
Profile Image for Jeff Whittum.
67 reviews2 followers
February 9, 2019
Great book. Parts of it are difficult to relate to if you are not currently operating as (or transitioning to) a house church. But I found all the challenges offered to the church in general to be good and godly ones. I have used this book as a template for a Sunday School series at the church I pastor and I think it has been very fruitful. I would like to give it 4.5 stars, but that's not an option and I just didn't think it was quite a 5. Still, another great offering to the church by a man that so obviously loves the Church and (more importantly) the head of that Church - Jesus. Francis Chan has done it again. I assume this will not be the last time I say this.
Profile Image for Mike Smith.
2 reviews2 followers
May 15, 2019
Letters to the Church. Two things I detest; change and the way things are! Leave the work of the Spirit to God. Work where he’s working. Be a humble Servant in a face of arrogance even

You’ve got to give this idea a great nome. Older people need to ask “is this (current church) want we want to pass on to the next generation? Really? Part of it perhaps, but not the whole. We’ve messed it up pretty badly over the past 500 years. Let the young innovate and bring energy. Let the old pass on wisdom. Strive for unity and diversity. Love one another as Christ loved us. Pray for the world.
1 review1 follower
October 2, 2018
Challenging, convicting, a breathe of fresh air.

The challenges in this book provoke the Christian to expect more from church, but not in what they consume from the church but what they live out as the church. We have settled into a sense of complacency and expect our time at church to be pleasing to us, when in fact our time as the church should be pleasing to God.
Praying that God uses these words to challenge us to be more Christ like and never settle for anything less than God's best for the church.
1 review
November 4, 2018
A must read, and one that I will immediately re-read.

Beyond that, this is one of those books that I believe will also demand great introspection- and action. The church needs this conversation. Not to use it as weapons to fire at one another or at leaders, but a place for us to humbly start with examining ourselves and then asking the Holy Spirit how He would have us change and respond personally. This is a book for the humble. For those open to change. For those who want to please God more than anyone else.
10 reviews1 follower
October 2, 2018
A must read for all believers

If you are beginning to feel restless or frustrated with church; if you find yourself questioning some of the things that go on in your church; if you feel stagnant or you have lost your zeal for church; perhaps you have become bored with church; or you have recently been saying 'God, surely there must be more to church than this!'; then this book will bring you the clarity you need.
3 reviews
October 21, 2018
Great read

This is a great read for the anyone finding themselves searching to more of God in the earth than what they are seeing in the buildings we label as “church”. We are the church and we should/must live our lives as such so that others can SEE God!
I recommend this book to every pastor over the age of thirty that is looking for ways of restoring the love of God in the heart of people.
Profile Image for Luis Jimenez.
2 reviews
October 24, 2018
Powerful and love-filled message

What should a church actually look like? This is a bold message that pastors and laypeople need to hear. It will challenge you to question your own motives for even attending church, but especially if you are a leader. At many points I felt convicted to stop reading and do something. Glad to say it didn’t stop with the conviction and actually led me to step out and do something about what I was reading.
Profile Image for Karrel Buck.
41 reviews1 follower
September 10, 2018
Convicting

This book is very good and maybe some day I will attend church like this. Right now I am where I belong. However, I long for Bible studies to be less videos and more Bible. I love that my pastor actually teaches from the Word. We need to devalue teaching from the “famous” and turn to the actual Word of God. It is enough!
Profile Image for James L. Bevins.
1 review
September 24, 2018
Letters to ME

Francis Chan is a wonderful communicator and this book is no exception. His in depth look at the early church model is sobering to me, and I found myself repenting after almost every chapter. My heart is encouraged and refreshed as I recommit myself to serving others as Christ has demonstrated for us. You need this book.
Profile Image for Wilfred Teo.
1 review
October 20, 2018
Christ-like

Such is the power of a christ-like and christ-centered man. Pastor Chan's book compassionately yet clearly cuts into the rut of modern churches and brings us back to the heart of God in scripture. He does it with the utmost patience and humility.

It's a page turner because he makes a God look really great in every page.
2 reviews
November 21, 2018
Hello!

This book is such a strong and needed word for the Church of America today. I wanted to stop reading a few times but am glad I didn’t. I want to get back to what God wants in the local church. Goodness gracious do we need an awakening and renewal in this country. Lord raise up bold leaders to fight for Your Kingdom agenda.
Profile Image for Tony Fraley.
19 reviews1 follower
November 26, 2018
Being the Church

My heart has been reflecting on the New Testament Church model for some time. This book has been a great reminder of the model that helped Christianity explode in the 1st Century. Chan has done a great job reflecting on what Scripture shows us. It’s given me much to consider and to pray about.
I’m probably going to read this again in the near future.
Profile Image for Mike Finton.
Author 2 books
November 28, 2018
This will change your view of church

Wow! Going back to the church to the way it started as described in the book of Acts. Does that seem radical or does that seem right? I have been in small groups that feel like places where there is more love and care and spirit like Chan talks about in this book. I think he is really into something, but leave my warm and fuzzy church?
Profile Image for Kimberly Van Diepen.
2 reviews
December 14, 2018
Whoa! Fantastic Book

There is so much goodness wrapped in this book. Francis Chan gets to the point concerning the struggles in the church backed with scripture throughout. I found myself belting out many “amen’s” as I read. Most important was recognizing my own sin throughout my reading.
3 reviews
December 25, 2018
Excellent to read and prayerfully apply

This book gets at the roots of where the church, the body of Christ, has lost its Biblical compass. It shows the path back. Just over three weeks ago I was with "house churches" in China and could see the pattern in practice. From my childhood I have been privileged to be part of that pattern in weakness but in truth.
19 reviews
January 17, 2019
Convicting and true

This book was a hard read. Very convicting. It would be hard for some to read and look at the changes that need to happen in the American church. Maybe it is not a house church that the Lord is calling you to, but it is clear that many American churches are not healthy. Many are not functioning biblically.
Profile Image for Becky Miller.
88 reviews
March 18, 2019
Reformation Revival

Overall, I liked the book. I'm a big fan of Francis Chan. I loved reading about his rediscovery. I too experienced my own reformation revival, so I can relate; however, there were times I felt the book lacked the fierce passion I believed Francis was endeavoring to get across.
Profile Image for Patricia.
9 reviews
July 3, 2019
Inspiring!

I love the honestly in Francis Chan. He inspires me to be honest with myself and God. Why shouldn’t I be honest with God, he knows my every thought anyway! I want to draw closer to God, and reach out more to others. I’m not gifted with words, but this book is a “must read it to believe it” book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews

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