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September 2003

Leaver-Friendly Churches

In Alan Jamieson's book, A Churchless Faith, he suggests the need for leaver-friendly churches -- churches which empathize with people who are on their way out of the institutional church. In a day-and-age where there are statistically more Christians outside of the church than within it, why aren't more Christian leaders dealing with this issue? Jamieson suggests that churches change their paradigm and begin helping their communities of faith to be safe-havens, where potential leavers can address the issues and faith struggles that commonly lead to their leaving, RATHER than what all-to-often occurs: the heaping of guilt and shame on strugglers who need love, understanding, and support instead.