Colorado Springs, CO — Francis Chan burst onto the Christian publishing scene with the release of Crazy Love in 2008. The radical authenticity of this California pastor immediately pushed Crazy Love to the top of the USA Today, New York Times and CBA bestseller lists – selling 2.6 million copies to date. Now, Francis Chan presents a radical new vision for the church in his forthcoming book, We Are Church (David C Cook, September 2018).
In We Are Church, Chan describes why many of his initial thoughts on worship and church were good but misguided. He believes the church’s next step is a radical return to its roots.
“For decades church leaders like myself have lost sight of the powerful mystery inherent in the Church,” writes Chan. “We have instead run to other methods to keep people interested. In all honesty, we have trained people sitting in the pews to become addicted to lesser things. It’s time for that to change.”
Chan’s We Are Church imagines Christian life and community from a fresh perspective. Rather than shaping church according to individual preferences and styles, readers are asked to consider one vital question: “If all you had was a Bible, what would it mean to serve Jesus?” Chan unfolds a new vision, built on a scriptural model and on years of reflection, as he urges Christians to quit “doing church” and learn how to “be the Church.”
Chan gleaned fresh perspective from his recent experience with Chinese Christians. In an April 2018 cover story for Charisma Magazine, Chan explains: “In America, you feel like you need to become famous in order to have an impact. But in China, it was quite the opposite. There’d better not be anyone who knows you, or you’ll be in trouble…The Lord doesn’t need our popularity or platform.”
Christian leaders eager to discuss and apply the principles shared in We Are Church will find support in ancillary products including the We Are Church Study Guide and the We Are Church Video Series. There will also be a We Are Church Spanish Edition released. David C Cook will support the launch of all the We Are Church resources with advertising, digital and social media efforts and a national publicity campaign. Francis Chan will be available for a limited number of press interviews.
“Francis Chan is prophet for modern times. He first called us to radical living in Crazy Love. Now he calls Christians into a deeper understanding of God’s heart for His Church,” comments David C Cook VP of Publishing Wendi Lord. “We Are Church offers a vital, vivid model of Christian community marked by love, unity, discipleship, sacrifice and worship.”
Francis Chan is the author of Crazy Love, Forgotten God, Erasing Hell, Multiply, and You and Me Forever. Currently, Francis is helping to plant churches in the San Francisco area. Francis and his wife, Lisa, are raising their seven children in Northern California.
David C Cook is a nonprofit organization dedicated to publishing and distributing leadership and discipleship resources to help Christians all over the world grow in their faith and pass it on to the next generation.
Contact: Jana Muntsinger, MMPR jana@mmpublicrelations.com 281-251-0480
We Are Church
By Francis Chan
Available from David C Cook
Hardcover, Approximately 224 pages, $22.99, ISBN 978-0-8307-7581-1
For review copies, excerpt permission and author interviews,
contact McClure Muntsinger Public Relations: Jana@mmpublicrelations.com