The church is currently experiencing seismic shifts in how people think of church and get involved with church.  On the one hand, the number of mega churches in existence continues to increase every year. People are returning to church who have not attended in years, and more often than not, when they return to church, it is to a mega church where they get the best sermons, the best music, and the best programming. In a culture where excellence is required, mega churches are often seeing substantial increases in size and influence.

But at the same time, millions of people “leave church” every year. This is not because they are abandoning God, ignoring Scripture, or giving up on Jesus. While a few do leave for such reasons, the vast majority report that they leave church to better follow Jesus, obey God, and live out their faith in meaningful and relational ways. They stop attending church to pursue something more intimate and personal.

Behind each and every person who has returned to church or stopped attending church, there is a story filled with doubt, fear, and judgment, as well as faith, freedom, and redemption. And though millions of people have similar stories, many feel alone on their journey back to or away from church. It also does not help that those people who are returning to church often condemn and criticize those who are leaving, and those who are leaving sometimes judge and denounce those who return.

It is for these reasons that your story needs to be told. Telling your story will inspire others to take a step of faith in following your example, and will help those who disapprove to hear what led to understand the decision you made and why you made it.

We are looking for real, honest stories of people wrestling with this issue. We encourage you to let it all out on the page, and share in detail both the external circumstances and the internal conflicts that arise because of it.  When at all possible show – don’t tell.  Give us the gritty details, the emotions, the conflict, how you felt, how you responded (good and bad), and what you learned, if applicable to your story. Although we rarely censor graphic content or language if it serves the story, we ask that you use discretion. Please make sure that in telling your story, you do not condemn those who are finding church on a different path. We are NOT looking for self-help essays on solutions, professional opinions, theological argumentation, or personal agendas.

Jeremy Myers

Jeremy Myers will be leading the project.  Jeremy says, “In the past seven years I transitioned from being a senior pastor of a church to not even attending church. Some assume this is because I lost my faith, abandoned God, or gave up on church. Nothing could be further from the truth. Yet in trying to explain what happened, I found that the best approach was simply to tell my story. My hope is that through this project, we can all grow in understanding, unity, and love for one another as we each tell our stories of transition and listen to the stories of others.”

Jonathan Brink, publisher at Civitas Press, had this to say about the project. “The moment I saw the project it instantly attracted me.  People are not leaving God but they are leaving the church.  And a community project that explores why seemed a great fit for Civitas.  It was easy to jump on board. Jeremy also had over 18 people who wanted to write for the project.  This one will move fast.”

Submission Deadline: April 30th, 2012

Estimated Publishing Date: November 2012

For project submission information, authors can go here.

When Ray Carroll fell from the ministry due to adultery over two years ago, he began reaching out to other fallen pastors for answers. He knew he had sinned, but was trying to make sense of how he had reached the point he had. His research ended with some startling discoveries that exposed weaknesses in both ministers and the church culture.

In Fallen Pastor, Finding Restoration In A Broken World, Ray identifies the common decisions and cultural issues that continuously lead to the exact same outcome: a fallen pastor.  Ray highlights issues like isolation, the church as mistress, judgmentalism, and idolatry.  Ray offers no justification for what happened, instead seeking understanding that leads to a Biblical response of restoration.

1,500 pastors a month leave the ministry due to moral failure, conflict or burnout. 37% confess to having inappropriate sexual contact with someone at church. There is a serious systemic problem within the modern church and Fallen Pastor exposes and addresses these issues. Ray includes the story of his own fall as well as sharing the stories of twelve other pastors.

Ray states, “I’ve witnessed firsthand the desolation left behind after a pastor falls. It can be prevented but it takes the willingness of the community of faith to come together and recognize the warning signs and issues. After my own fall, I spent a long time in shame, searching for answers until I finally found the compassion of Christ who had been with me all along. Christ invites us to take on compassion for those around us who fall.

“The stories in this book lead us to see the common traits within our church leaders as well as our churches. Too often, our ministers are in a trap of high expectations, isolation and desperation. If the trap cannot be removed, many ministers will be headed toward a fall. Looking back, I can now see the problems that surrounded my ministry before I fell. I hope that others will be able to identify them now after reading this book.”

Fallen Pastor is available at the Civitas Press bookstore, online and retail bookstores.

About Ray Carroll

Ray Carroll is a certified athletic trainer, speaker and blogger (www.fallenpastor.com). He is married to Allison and has his hands full with a houseful of beautiful daughters: Abigail, Katie and Leslie. He lives in Hopkinsville, Kentucky with his heart always near his home state of Arkansas. He is a regular contributor to Provoketive Magazine and contributed an essay to The Practice of Love under his pseudonym Arthur Dimmesdale.

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Robb states, “I wrote Butterfly Theology because I don’t think I’m the only pastor who has preached sermons I wasn’t sure I believed. I don’t think I’m the only believer who had a crisis of faith over the certitude of fundamentalism. I don’t think I’m the only Christian who has tried to re-imagine our faith in an emerging culture. Butterfly Theology is the story of how my beliefs about God, life, and church have changed. My hope is that it will be an encouragement and help to those who are going through a similar metamorphosis.”

Jonathan, Publisher for Civitas says, “We’re very excited to partner with Robb. Butterfly Theology is the type of book that we’re always looking for, one that shows someone wrestling with theological foundations, and the subsequent journey that follows.  This was an easy choice for us to make.  Robb has a great story and one that will resonate with so many people.”

Butterfly Theology is scheduled for release on September, 2012. You can follow Robb for updates on the book on Facebook, on Twitter or on the Civitas Press Facebok Page.

About Robb: After pastoring fundamentalist churches for a decade, Robb Ryerse founded Vintage Fellowship, an emerging church in Fayetteville AR, where he serves as Narrator and Directional Leader. Robb journeys through life with Vanessa, his wife of fifteen years and their three children: Matilyn, Calvin, and Charleigh. He is a graduate of Biblical Theological Seminary in Hatfield PA and Baptist Bible College in Clarks Summit PA. Because he grew up in the Cleveland suburbs, Robb is ridiculously passionate about the Cleveland Browns. Robb blogs at The Grenzian.

Tamara Lunardo

We are looking for real, honest stories of women who have struggled to believe in their own worth and stories that affirm the God-made worth of women and girls. We encourage you to let it all out on the page, and share in detail both the external circumstances and the internal conflicts that arise because of it.  When at all possible show – don’t tell.  Give us the gritty details, the emotions, the conflict, how you felt, how you responded (good and bad), and what you learned, if applicable to your story. Although we rarely censor graphic content or language if it serves the story, we ask that you use discretion. We are NOT looking for self-help essays on solutions, professional opinions, or agendas.

Tamara says, “Even as a woman comfortable in her skin and secure in her faith, I have so often struggled to believe what I’m worth in the face of the world’s blaring messages. By sharing my struggle publicly, I’ve taken an important step away from the oppressive isolation that silence causes and have been blessed to see so many other women join me in exposing the world’s lies and the damage they do us. My desire is that through this project we will continue to take steps toward health and truth and be able to believe more assuredly in our God-given worth.”

Jonathan Brink, publisher at Civitas Press says this about the project, “Tamara approached me about this project and I immediately loved it.  At the root of so many of our fears and doubts is the question of worth.  If we can create a work that inspired women to really discover their worth and inspire other women to do the same, then that’s the type of project we want to publish.”

Initial Submissions are due: January 2, 2012.  Publication is targeted for July1, 2012.

For project submission information, authors can go here.

Shane states, “Forest Life forces the reader to realize the necessity of purpose. I was forced in my own despair to look at the strangeness of existence and this book forces the reader to do likewise. Drawing from my own experience with death, this story showcases the way in which life strips away a person’s distractions, leaving them defenseless against life’s imponderable questions. This story impresses a message of hope and redemption even amongst life’s darkest moments.”

Jonathan, Publisher for Civitas says, “We’re very excited to partner with Shane.  This is our first jump into fiction and Shane immediately caught our attention.  His writing is exceptional and his story was deeply fascinating.  Readers will be captured by his style of storytelling.  It is fresh and remarkably imaginative.”

Forest Life is scheduled for release on June, 2012. You can follow Shane for updates on the book on Facebook, or on the Civitas Press Facebok Page.

About Shane: Shane Crash is an advocate for the homeless who has published several zines centered around social justice. After the experience of love leaving crippled Shane, he sold all of his worldly possessions, grabbed his backpack and hit the road.  His travels over the next two years took him through every major city in the United States and to other parts of the globe. In the dark of life’s despair, Shane Crash discovered a diamond, a perfect love that he is compelled to share with others through writing. Shane is a fan of marvel comics and lives in the pacific northwest with his wife.  Shane blogs at ShaneCrash.com.

Are you searching for something deeper in your prayer life? This course is about the spiritual practice of discussing everything with God, risking honesty to gain intimacy through loving, trusting conversations.  It’s wrestling through anger, faith, pain, hope about every aspect of our lives.  No topic, language, or feeling is unholy.  It will cover how to know you’re hearing from God and explores a variety of ways to pray. This course is an opportunity to discover for yourself the redemptive freedom that comes from being totally honest with yourself and the One who loves you best.  As you practice stepping out of your comfort zone, you will begin to experience confidence in speaking freely with God in ways that are uniquely yours.

The instructor, Joy Wilson, is the author of Uncensored Prayer: The Spiritual Practice of Wrestling With God (Civitas Press, 2011).  Prior to starting the workshop, participants need to order this book, available here in the Civitas Bookstore or Amazon.com   http://www.amazon.com/Uncensored-Prayer-Spiritual-Practice-Wrestling/dp/0615480810/.  The five-week online class is self-paced so you can participate at any time during the week.  It includes readings in the texbook, prayer practice exercises, and online interactions with other students.

Class size is limited, so if you are interested, I encourage you to sign up today.  The cost is just $69.  To register, click here:  http://beadisciple.com/workshops.html#UncensoredPrayer.

About Provoketive Magazine: In a world saturated with people shouting at each other, it’s rare to find a place where people can engage in conversation with each other.  Provoketive Magazine hopes to change that.  We’re creating a space of rich conversation about life, faith, justice and culture without judgment.  Our desire is to provoke the reader’s imagination through conversation and open up spaces of dialogue, learning, and hope.

Current Categories:

• Life: Business, Family, Growth, Humorous, Health, Sports, Technology, and World
• Faith: Spirituality, Theology, Interfaith Dialogue, Spiritual Practices, and Questions
• Justice: Social Justice, Gender Equality, Politics and Economics
• Culture: Movies, Books, Music, Art, Poetry and Interviews

If you are a writer and want to participate with us in creating this rich space of conversation, we invite you to sign up today.

You Are Not Alone In Your Depression

Folsom, CA, October 1, 2011 – Depression is a very real experience for many people. The causes can be varied. Abuse. Chemical imbalances. Divorce. Rejection. There is no one reason that a person might suffer depression. However, one common theme is that it can leave the person feeling isolated and alone. Because of the stigma that is often associated with depression, people often remain silent about it, never knowing that the person next to them is going through the same thing, or has experienced it in the past. Instead, they hide away, believing that no one understands, that no one cares.

In Not Alone: Stories Of Living Wtih Depression, a courageous list of authors break their silence, boldly sharing their stories of depression, as they wrestle with awareness, acceptance, recovery, and post-depression.  The authors all tackle the lie that you must suffer in solitude. With humility and honesty, these stories give a glimpse into the depressed existence. While you will not find a cure for depression in these pages, you will find a sense of community. You will find words of hope. You will find that you are Not Alone.

This Civitas Press community project was the brain child of Editor Alise Wright. Alise shares, “Since 1997, depression has been a part of my life. And the first step toward healing for me has always been to tell someone what I’m going through. When I felt myself going down that path last fall, I shared my struggle on my blog, and the response surprised me. While I expected kindness, I did not expect people to say that this small confession was one that allowed them to be honest about their own experiences with depression. As people wrote comments and sent emails, I realized that what was healing for me was healing for many. Sharing your story connects you to a larger community and allows you to recognize that you don’t have to go through hard times by yourself. Through this realization, I decided to invite others to have a safe place to share their stories of depression so that they would have an opportunity to experience that healing and so that they could offer comfort to others at the same time. I decided to call it the Not Alone series because that was the phrase that was used most often in the messages that I received; people thanked me for letting them know that they were not alone.

It is my desire to see Not Alone be not only a book where those who have experienced depression can turn for comfort, but also a resource for those who have never gone through depression. People often are unaware of what it means to be in the grasp of depression and these stories give a glimpse of that feeling. I hope that this will open up dialogue about what it means to offer community for those dealing with depression. It’s a conversation that needs to be had, and I believe that this book is a step in the right direction. When people refuse to be silent about their pain, it allows those with the same pain to find a voice and it also offers those who want to help a practical way to give support.”

The contributors include: Matt Cannon, Laura Droege, Anonymous, David Henson, Laura E. Crook, Jamie Habermaas, Michael Doran, Samurai, Joy Wilson, Crystal Clancy, Joy Bennett, Travis Mamone, Misty Chaffins, Katie Alicea, Brooke Higinbotham, Joanna Ross, Mary Balfoort, Robin Farr, Jake Kampe, Jody Johnson, Kristin Tennant, Christina Shumway, Jeremy Myers, Megg Joosten, Chad Jones, Joe Sewell, Jean Anderson, Kyla Cofer, Chuck Larish, Melissa Binstock, Michael D. Russo, Leigh Kramer, Jenny Susa, Melody Harrison Hanson, Allison Carroll, Jason N. Wright, and Tamara Lunardo.

Not Alone is available online at the Civitas Press bookstore, Amazon.com and in bookstores.

About Alise Wright
Alise Wright is married to her best friend Jason and is the mom to four incredible kids. She loves writing, knitting, playing keyboards in a cover band, and eating soup. She writes about faith, family and friendship regularly at her blog, alise-write.com.
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Alise says, “In the past two years, I’ve faced a number of fears. As I have looked at these fears in the eye, what I have found is that I must also look at my own self-worth. By facing and overcoming various fears in my life, I have found a renewed sense of significance. My hope is that through this project, people will come see how by beating their fears, they can discover just how valuable they are.”

We are looking for real, honest stories of people who have face their fears and come through with a greater sense of their value. We encourage you to let it all out on the page, and share in detail both the external circumstances and the internal conflicts that arise because of it. When at all possible show – don’t tell. Give us the gritty details, the emotions, the conflict, how you felt, how you responded (good and bad), and what you learned, if applicable to your story. Although we rarely censor graphic content or language if it serves the story, we ask that you use discretion. We are NOT looking for self-help essays on solutions, professional opinions, or agendas.

Jonathan Brink, publisher at Civitas Press says this about the project, “Alise approached us wanting to do a second project, and almost instantly I knew it was a great fit.  Not Afraid is a project aimed at sharing inspiring stories, which is really what we are about as a publishing company. With the success of Not Alone, I knew it was in good hands.”

Initial Submissions are due: January 31, 2012.  Publication is targeted for August, 2012.

For project submission information, authors can go here.