Outside In

While Jesus built a church from the margins, we all know how far from that we’ve often strayed. Cindy Brandt’s Outside In helps get the right conversations started about how the church can become a place where all are not just welcomed but truly and deeply valued–with unique gifts and perspectives and crucial stories to learn from. With practical wisdom, real life examples, and tangible ideas to try, this easy to read book will hopefully be a launching point for discussions about change not only in the church but in our personal lives as well.

~ Kathy Escobar, co-pastor of The Refuge and author of Faith Shift: How to Find Your Way Forward When Everything You Believe is Coming Apart and Down We Go: Living Into the Wild Ways of Jesus.

Perk up your ears to the stories from the edge!

It is time to listen to ten Christian voices who help the church become a more vibrant community.

Every Christian community longs to be a place where people can connect with God and others in an authentic, life-changing way. And yet, so often there are people who struggle to find a place for themselves.

Are you,

Too Doubtful? Can the church be a safe space to explore doubts about God?

Too Sad? Can we grieve losses and suffer life’s pain without being hurried into healing?

Too Busy? Are you tired from the fast pace of modern life? Over scheduled, ragged with fatigue, only to find more “work” at church?

Too Single? Does singleness feel like an equal status to married couples and families?

Too Funny? Do we need to tip toe around irreverent humor or could being funny be a life-giving spiritual gift?

Too Digital? Is there space for spiritual growth for a generation glued to screens?

Too Disabled? How can church become accessible, both literally and spiritually to people with disabilities?

Too Depressed? Often mental illness isn’t addressed in the church, or places a stigma on the victims.

Too Old? How can we develop the best posture to hear the stories of the elderly?

Too Smart? Is there room in the church for intellectuals, critical thinking, and an evangelical mind?

Outside In is an accessible conversation to bring in these perspectives, offering practical advice for the church and everyday life.

More Positive Reviews for Outside In

Outside In is a book about listening. Every day the church is presented with opportunities to listen to a diversity of voices – those within the church and those outside of it – and in this book Cindy Brandt issues a gentle, but powerful challenge to consider how our practices might be excluding the voices of people and groups we need to pay attention to. I found Outside In to be a breath of fresh air, both in its perspective, but also in the steps Cindy Brandt takes to offer practical suggestions for creating a church that is ready to listen and include. I have already recommended this book to several of my colleagues in ministry, and I commend it to leaders of churches everywhere who are striving to embody the radical hospitality of Jesus in their communities.

~ April Fiet, Pastor and writer at aprilfiet.com