In this episode of the podcast, Ericka Andersen talks about her new book for Christian women, taking the hot seat with her friend, Beverly Hallberg. Bev interviews Ericka about the vision behind the book, “Reason to Return: Why Women Need the Church & the Church Needs Women.”
In this conversation, Ericka talks about the moment God gave her the idea for this book, the fascinating data behind it and how her personal experiences are woven through the book.
A New Book for Christian Women
This book is for Christian women of all shades: those who have left the church, those who are thinking about it or those who care about the future of the church. It’s also for church and ministry leaders who want a peak inside the minds of women — those who are leaving in droves.
Facts to consider:
- More than 16 million women have left church in the past decade
- Women are leaving church at faster rates than men for the first time in history
- The top thing women say they want to improve is their faith life, but it’s often put last on their priority list.
- Those who attend church regularly have significantly better rates of mental health, physical health, better relationships and are far more generous.
- Churchgoers make up the highest rate of parents who foster and adopt.
But it’s not just about data points. That will never be the impetus for someone returning to faith community. This is about the inner drive that women admit they have to form a deeper and more meaningful relationship with God.
God created the local church to support and encourage us through our Earthly lives. He also imprinted us each with spiritual gifts that serve to make whole the Body of Christ. God loves the Church as his “bride,” which means we too are called to love the Church, despite her imperfections.
What You Need to Know About Church
What I’ve found as I’ve interviewed and researched over the past several years is that many people give up. One of my primary messages in “Reason to Return” is this: The church of Your past doesn’t have to be the church of your future.
In the United States today, church doesn’t have to look one way. The original word for church is “ekklesia,” which simply means a gathering of people.
When I read the book of Acts, I don’t think of a church building. I think of a bunch of people outside listening to some great teaching, eating a meal together, providing for one another on a daily basis, communing and crying, praising and working.
This is church. Whether that’s 5 people in a living room or 2,000 people in an old warehouse, church doesn’t look the same for every person. I challenge women to think outside the old boxes and consider something new.
This is the book that has been called:
- “Refreshing and inspiring”
- “Truthful and loving”
- “A beautiful and compelling vision”
- “An advocate for the underserved in our communities”
- “Compassionate, hopeful, practical.”
- “A book beckoning women home.”
- “A necessary message for women today.”
- “Pragmatic and Biblically based.”
To help ensure this message gets out to as many people as possible, please consider ordering a copy of the book now! When you do so, you’ll receive a FREE copy of the audio book (email receipts to navpressbooks@tyndale.com) & a stack of freebies at https://erickaandersen.com/reason-to-return.
If you’d like to join Ericka’s newsletter for Christian women, featuring updated data, practical faith steps, new podcast episodes and faith-based writing, subscribe here.
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