Free Range Faith is a companion memoir for people who have left the institutional church, but not the faith.
Glenn Hager addresses the question, “Is there a more real and meaningful way to try to follow Jesus and express your faith without having to deal with all of the baggage of the institutional church?”
He honestly admits, “I was trying to figure out what’s next. I did not want to re-enter the institution that we call the church, but I never ceased being amazed by Jesus. I decided that however I expressed my faith, it needed to be real, personal, and a part of everyday life. Here are the notes from my journey.” What would it look like?
The author suggests a potential path forward for irreligious friends of Jesus. He examines each of the practices generally believed to be important for nurturing spiritual formation by looking at the conventional way they are expressed, then digging deeper to uncover the foundational principle for the practice, and lastly, considering a more open, meaningful, and honest means of expression.
He also devotes several pages to what he calls “lessons that I haven’t mastered.” These “lessons” are things that every honest person of faith struggles with, like the tension between trusting God and personal responsibility, our hunger for certainty and things that seem to be unanswerable, and the inner battle between grace and guilt.
It is an invaluable resource for honest seekers, people who have questions, but haven’t been finding answers in the institutional church, and those who are re-examining their faith and are looking for meaningful avenues of expression.
This book is about breaking out of the cage and flying free by forging a personal faith rather than outsourcing it to an institution.
Endorsements
Dear Christians, there is a movement happening right under your nose that you may sense but not see. Millions (some say up to 30 million) people have left the institutional church recently. These are not “backsliders”, au contraire – these are some of the most dedicated leaders, workers and volunteers the church has ever seen.
Glenn Hager is one of those people. Fortunately for you however, Glenn has decided to stay in touch and offer some learnings from his recent spiritual explorations. He is one of those rare explorers who actually care about providing a map for people who hate exploring but might consider traveling if they had something that shows them how to get from here to there and then back again.
This book is written with love, consideration and most of all hope. After reading it you may disagree with Glenn but please be kind enough to tell him thank you for thinking of you”
Jim Henderson
Author, Jim and Casper Go To Church
Reviews
In his new book Free Range Faith, Glenn Hager has done a great job of being personal and honest about the reason why he left the institutional church. There were many stories and situations that are so familiar, each of which I found encouraging to know that others feel the same way.
If you are having some questions about the organized church, and you find yourself even questioning your faith and what you have been taught, reading this book will be a help and encouragement to you. Glenn has been there and knows what he is talking about. There is a better way, a way that God intended in the first place.
Michael Donahoe
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A simple handbook for resurrecting the way of Christ back into our lives.
Clearing the clutter of religion so that way of Christ can be revealed.
Steven Tilley
Bio
Glenn Hager’s life experience has run the gambit when it comes to spiritual expression. He has been a pastor for over two decades, a church wanderer for several years, and finally, a person who expresses his faith apart from the institutional church. He has led three churches, several community organizations, and created an online community for people who have opted out of the institutional church.
Now he devotes his time to encouraging independent minded people of faith, who find Jesus compelling, but the church, not so much.
He lives in the in the northern Chicago burbs with his wife Patty, a cuddly chihuahua, and a crazy cat. He enjoys his kids, grandkids, walking, traveling, reading, guitar playing, trying new restaurants, and chatting with friends.
Glenn is available to assist churches, groups, organizations, and individuals through speaking, consulting, and relationships.
You can connect with him at glennhager.com, Facebook, or Twitter.
Contact Info
Glenn Hager
220 Holdridge Ave.
Winthrop Harbor, IL
glennhager1@gmail.com
glennhager.com
Links
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