Karl Forehand - Out Into the Desert

OUT INTO THE DESERT

This book reminded me of all the joys and sorrows, the pains and pleasures, the ups and downs, the ins and outs, and the beauties and complexities of ministry together. It reminded me of how two quite different people can lovingly work together on the same team. And it also reminded me of why we left the ministry together and wandered into our own desert thats now become an oasis.

DAVID HAYWARD , AKA NAKEDPASTOR

Whether we are drawn into the desert by love, or pushed there by difficulties, the desert proves to be a more refreshing place than we ever imagined. Karl and Laura Forehand offer a glimpse of this reality in their lives. May it empower you to take the next step toward authenticity in your own journey.

BEN DEL ONG, AUTHOR OF BECOMING HOME

In this book, Karl and Laura begin with their Christian roots, break up the soil of organized religion, and sprout fruiting flowers that give spiritually nourishing food to the readers. Nothing is off limits in this book.

DERRICK DAY, CO -HOST OF FREEOLOGYFRIDAY

Laura and Karl recount their experiences with the institutional church to capture what so many people experience: disillusionment, pain, and frustration . Their testimonies are not only moving, but also instructive.

THOMAS JA Y OORD , A UTHOR OF OPEN AND RELATIONAL THEOLOGY AND O THER BOOKS

Many of us are on a spiritual journey with no known destination. Karl and Laura Forehand have been there and share their transparency and wisdom with us in the pages of Out Into the Desert . Their only agenda is to help us know that were not alone and that this desert isnt as barren as it initially appears.

JASON ELAM , CO -HOST OF MESSY SP IRITUALIT Y

Karl and Laura Forehands Out Into the Desert is a wonderful choreography that displays a beautiful and courageous dance between their vulnerable inner lives and their outer experiences with toxic theology and the failings of the church. They also offer liberative pathways and principles that will guide readers toward a more honest spirituality leading to healthier and life-giving connections.

MARK KARRIS, AUTHOR OF RELIGIOUS REFUGEES : (DE)
CONSTRUCTING TOWARD SPIRITUAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALING

Certainty, not doubt, is the opposite of faith and life abundant awaits after leaving certainty behind. Karl and Laura speak from their pain, their fear of stepping away from all they held to be certain, and the hope they have found in the desert. This is a story that invites each of us to step into the desert for the freedom and peace that awaits in authentic community.

GREG WEATHERD, A FELLOW DESERT NOMAD

A must-read book that examines the journey from leadership in evangelical Christianity to leaving the organized institutional church. Their journey into the desert took them from shallow, pat answers, to asking profound questions. They find the desert encouraging and well worth the time it takes to take this journey.

JOE MACHUTA, ARTIST AND BLOGGER

Karl and Laura Forehand explore and normalize the exit journey familiar to those of us who have left the building for something seemingly unstructured and wilderness-like. They examine ways of thinking about organized religion, and ask honest, pragmatic questions about church modus operandi. Karl and Lauras book is a companion guide on this journey that provides insight and support. The Forehands shared dialogue reminds us that we are not alone, and the desert is a beautiful place; habitable and very much alive.

ELLEN COMPTON, AUTHOR OF GOOD THINGS HAPPEN IN THE DARK :
A CANDID MANIFESTO FOR COURAGEOUS AUTHENTICITY

Karl has long had a penchant for bringing light to the forgotten postures of faith. This time, hes joined by his wife Laura, and their voices together speak truth to different sides of the same coin, from surviving church ministry to wandering and embracing the vulnerable ways of Christ. This book spoke deeply to my soul, as it will yours.

STUART DELONEY, HOST OF SNARKY FAITH RADIO

Brave authentic questioning with humility and sensitivity, give place to God purifying everything that matters. In Out Into the Desert , Karl and Laura conduct a masterful and sensitive exploration into where, how, and if the church organizational structure, as we have known it, fits into the lives of believers, who are hungering to grow in life, love, character, community, service, and calling. They do this with an authenticity that gives permission to question, grapple, and heal from structures that have all too often proved oppressive or downright toxic. Their work is brave, refreshing, and humble, even as it asks tough questions. Their experience in a 20-year pastoral/pastoral spouse calling gives their perspectives unique validity and insight. I can heartily recommend Out Into the Desert to anyone reevaluating the place that church as usual holds!

CATHERINE TOON, MD, AUTHOR, SPEAKER, AND COACH

For those deconstructing (evolving), it is the logical structure built around our embodied spiritual awareness that falls away. The 3rd century Desert Fathers and Mothers left the corrupting power structures of the institutional church to keep alive a deeply embodied spirituality. The desert is not a bad place, and you are not alone. Karl and Lauras very honest book describes much of my wounding experience as pastor in several churches. They describe it well.

DR . PAUL D. FITZ GERALD, CO -FOUNDER OF HEART CONNEXION SEMINARS

Out Into the Desert asks all the questions many, if not most of us, have asked during our faith journey. We are given permission to explore the fallibility of the church, to exhume the skeleton of the Gospel, to call forth the winds of truth and the Fathers true intent for the Body. It is the innocence of honesty that sets this book apart. It is the clarity of soul expressed by Karl and Laura that serve to break the addiction to church and develop something deeper. Out Into the Desert is so much more than a book worth reading, it is a journey worth taking!

DESIMBER ROSE WATTLET ON, AUTHOR OF
THE CHURCH CAN GO TO HELL

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Permission for wider usage of this material can be obtained through Quoir b

Copyright 2022 by Karl and Laura Forehand

First Edition

Cover design and layout by Rafael Polendo (polendo.net)
Cover image by Yothakan Thuphom (shutterstock.com)

Unless otherwise identified, all Scripture quotations in this publication are taken from the (NASB) New American Standard Bible, Copyright 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org

ISBN 978-1-957007-24-3

Published by Quoir
Oak Glen, California

www.quoir.com

DEDICATED TO

Every person who,

like the prophets and mystics before them, found courage and followed their inner voice toward what was calling them,
even when it cost them greatly.

FORE WORD

Theres nothing in this book you dont already know in your bones.