Author: More teens becoming 'fake' Christians

by John Blake CNN

Read the article at cnn.com: click here


(CNN) -- If you're the parent of a Christian teenager, Kenda Creasy Dean has this warning: Your child is following a "mutant" form of Christianity, and you may be responsible.

Dean says more American teenagers are embracing what she calls "moralistic therapeutic deism." Translation: It's a watered-down faith that portrays God as a "divine therapist" whose chief goal is to boost people's self-esteem.

Dean is a minister, a professor at Princeton Theological Seminary and the author of "Almost Christian," a new book that argues that many parents and pastors are unwittingly passing on this self-serving strain of Christianity.

She says this "imposter'' faith is one reason teenagers abandon churches.
"If this is the God they're seeing in church, they are right to leave us in the dust," Dean says. "Churches don't give them enough to be passionate about."

Taking reconciliation seriously.

Healing the Brokenness Brochure: click here

Every community around the world that is experiencing a level of transformation has taken seriously the need to address every kind of social reconciliation, both within the Body of Christ and within their community at large.

Will Willimon, one of the most insightful speakers and writers in Christian circles over the past 20 years, was the Chaplain at Duke University and now serves as a Methodist Bishop in Alabama. He has been a proponent and practitioner of eradicating walls of division in congregations, campuses, communities and cities. Houston has a long ways to go for unity in the Body of Christ to be a reality, and for the "isms" that divide to no longer characterize our city and her citizens.

We're asking you to join us for conversations and prayer at the Healing the Brokenness seminar with Will Willimon on Monday morning, September 13, 8:30am at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Houston's historic Fifth Ward.

Reawakening...

By Melody D.

Faithwalking Retreat June 2010

"In my walk with Jesus there are times when I have been stuck and cannot see ways to change, so I “commit” to remain the same. As I applied for the Faithwalking retreat, I sensed that the weekend would be a defining point and call me to new life. I was confused, tired of walking ahead of God and living with a root of fear. I was at a miserable place, but did not trust God enough to let go and follow His direction. It was time to stop, and see what He would do if I was truly honest with my pride, lack of trust, unforgiveness and brokenness. Faithwalking reawakened me to the beauty of our faith’s foundation to fully abide in Christ. … Faithwalking spurred me on to pray for a missional community of people with a similar vision of being agents of transformation in communities around the world. God answered and provided such a group! These new friends will be vital to transformation in this faith walk, as we seek to engage in God’s Kingdom work together. I walked away from the retreat with a renewed gratitude for the Lord’s desire to have all of me so that He can work out His purposes."

Faithwalking is creating a community of disciples of Jesus who are being personally transformed and becoming catalysts mobilizing Christians to become the functioning Body of Christ in their homes, neighborhoods, workplaces and 3rd places to serve the poor, the marginalized, and those in need, and to work for the common good and to restore individuals, social systems, communities and nations to God's design.

Registration is now open for October Retreat (Oct. 22-24, 2010)

SAVE THE DATE!!

Events this Season

Week of Prayer for Children and Youth: click here
Healing the Brokenness Brochure: click here
reFresh Brochure: click here

•Week of Prayer for Children & Youth. Aug 15 - 21, 2010
Summit, Aug . 12 | 10:30 am | Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church | Info: click here
To download the Power Point of the Faith Summit click here

•Healing the Brokenness Conference with Bishop Willian Willimon

Sept. 13 | 8:30 am | Pleasant Hill Baptist | Brochure: click here

•reFresh Houston with Jim Cymbala and Daniel Henderson
Oct. 21 | 8:30 am to 3:30 PM | Hilton Houston Westchase Hotel | Brochure: click here

Week of Prayer for Children & Youth, 2010

Flyer: click here
Register for the Summit: click here
Download Prayer Guide: click here
Download Power Point of the Faith Summit: click here

Mark your calendar for the 2nd annual Week of Prayer for Our Children and Youth (August 15-21), bringing together Houston for unified and informed prayer for children.

The Week of Prayer will make it possible for the Body of Christ to pray in unity whether we are in our prayer closet, at our family devotions, or in our congregations.

Across the city, each day we will be praying in an informed way with thousands of other believers.

Sponsors

We would love for your organization to become a listed sponsor. To sponsor means two things:

•You agree to put the prayer guide on your web site and ask your constituents to use it (you can modify the prayer guide in any way that fits your congregation as long as you keep the topic assigned for each day on that assigned day)

•You attend The Faith Summit (or if you are not available to send a key representative from your congregation).

Week of Prayer Focus Issues
The seven issues that we will focus on are:

1.Population and Demographics

2.Poverty and Food Insecurity

3.Public Education

4.Human Trafficking

5.Mental Health and Juvenile Justice

6.Childhood Obesity

7.Advocacy Works

The Faith Summit
To learn more about each of these issues in preparation for the Week of Prayer for Our Children and Youth please attend the Faith Summit on Thursday, August 12th. This event will be graciously hosted by Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church located at 11612 Memorial Drive Houston, TX 77024-7299.

Click here to register for the event.