Jim Wilder - The Other Half of Church: Christian Community, Brain Science, and Overcoming Spiritual Stagnation

Praise for The Other Half of Church

This book is genius. It will soon be a standard among discipleship experts. If you have ever been frustrated at the hit-or-miss success of the churchs ability to guide people into real life change, this book is for you. It not only explains why traditional discipleship has struggled; it offers practical advice for creating a truly transformational discipleship culture. Jims expertise along with Michels experience and easy reading style make this book a game changer in discipleship ministry.

MARCUS WARNER, President, Deeper Walk International

This masterfully crafted book about Gods design for our brains and how it influences spiritual growth unmasks left-brain dominance in the church and skillfully shows that the right brain is the primary driver of character change and spiritual formation. Biblical teaching, measurable strategies, and practical exercises unfold how to nurture right-brain graces of covenant love, joy, gratitude, and group identity, resulting in the goals of personal and congregational transformation. In decades of ministry, I havent engaged a book with such spiritual potential and power. Enthusiastically recommended.

BRUCE DEMAREST

Author and Senior Professor of Christian Formation at Denver Seminary

Jim Wilders years of work in brain science are now paying off for all of us who have struggled with how to renew the mind for lasting transformation. I am grateful for this gigantic step in grasping the even better news of the gospel.

DUDLEY HALL, author of Grace Works, Orphans No More, and other books targeting spiritual growth and Christian discipleship; founder of Kerygma Ventures

Few men have seen the church as has Jim Wilder as both a theologian and psychologist. This book is a treasury offered to you. Regardless of your age you will find food for thought that you can taste and see that God is good.

JIM HYLTON, pastor, author, and conference speaker from Fort Worth, TX

I dont think Ive read a more important book on discipleship in the past twenty-five years than this one. The church is starving for this book. It grows out of an understanding of the kingdom of God and impacts what that means to live it on a daily basis. This could be a game changer because it doesnt deal with the disciplines of discipleship as much as it does the framework of how we grow and live in community. Its not the kind of book youll read and put down and forgetit will stay with you as you grow in the truth it teaches.

BOB ROBERTS JR., Global Senior Pastor, Northwood Church, Keller, TX; founder, Glocal.net

Every time I read a new book written by Jim Wilder, my learning curve is satisfied and blessed with teaching and tools that enable me to practice new habits and relational skills that I am eager to share with clients, friends, seminary students, identity groups, all my friends on Facebook, and everyone in the world if I could.

JOE JOHNSON, founder and director of Heart of the Father Ministries

The Other Half of Church opens a path out of the concrete structures of established churches to go into a living garden.

THOMAS GERLACH, pastor, Hagen, Germany

Michel Hendricks and Jim Wilder take you on a journey that may sound familiarknowing biblical truths but not knowing how to genuinely live them out in relationship. What they find in wrestling with this reality leads to surprising places like combining neuroscience and early church spiritual practices. If you have a sense of dissatisfaction in your scriptural knowledge compared to your ability to live these teachings out in authentic caring relationships, read on. Michels story is a good place to start in changing that.

FERNANDO GARZON, assistant dean, School of Psychology and Counseling, Regent University

Michel and James have dared to bring us to the realization that we have left out half of Gods equation to help us grow spiritually. They scientifically and practically offer us the elements we need to engage the second half of our brain in becoming more and more Christlike for the sake of others, and bring true character transformation from the inside outfull-brained Christian character development. A must-read for all those engaged in helping others grow spiritually and for all those feeling plateaued in their own personal growth.

RANDY FRAZEE, pastor and author of Think, Act, Be like Jesus

For most of my Christian life (more than fifty years), Ive had a nagging feeling that something important was missing when it came to spiritual growth. Jim and Michel have provided the missing piecethe critical role that my right brain plays in spiritual growth! For anyone interested in becoming a disciple or in making disciples, this book is a game changer!

JOHN WHITE, Team Leader of the LK10 Community; coauthor of Joy Fueled: Catalyzing a Revolution of Joyful Communities; host of the podcast Stories from the Revolution

Michel Hendricks and Jim Wilder have written a brilliant book that will mark a watershed moment in the lived praxis of Christian discipleship. Bridging the connections between neuroscience and the transformative power of the gospel, Hendricks and Wilder have gifted the body of Christ with profound insights into workings of the human brain in relationship to the heart of the Father for His church.

JULIA R. MOORE, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, UNC Charlotte; cofounder of Moore Grace Ministries, Charlotte, NC

The Other Half of Church clearly points out what we all know intuitivelyall of our programs, classes, services, trainings, and ministries are not producing the type of transformed disciple Jesus described in John 10:10. With a winsome narrative and practical illustrations, Hendricks and Wilder give the four essential nutrients for healthy, life-changing soil. They also give practical steps toward infusing those nutrients into your life, home, community, and church. This book is essential reading for all of us who think, There has to be more.

TOM ANTHONY, Executive Pastor of Ministries and Outreach at Mountain Springs Church and author of Building Better Community

This vital and timely work takes up the challenge of learning the love that Jesus speaks to us about as lifes greatest principle. It is the challenge both the individual and the church face in growing up into Christlikeness that the world desperately needs to see. The integrated approach, relating brain function to love, joy, and life, is profound. This book is a must for all serious disciples and those who disciple both in the church and in missions.

BRUCE THOMPSON, Dean Emeritus, College of Counseling and Healthcare, University of the Nations, Youth with a Mission

In The Wizard of Oz, Scarecrow wistfully sings, If I only had a brain The good news is that God has given us all onea brain, that is! I invite you to read The Other Half of Church and consider how the Creator cares for your entire being. This book will challenge your presuppositions about how disciples are made and encourage you to avoid the sort of body versus soul dualism that has plagued the church for centuries.

TOM COX, pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church; seasoned disciple-maker and a veteran of both campus and church-based ministry

Everything you are experiencing will make much more sense when you read