By Steve Pike, National Director, Church Multiplication Network

I just finished reading the book Righteous by Lauren Sandler. It’s a fascinating account of her experiences with what she calls the “Disciple Generation”- young people totally committed to Jesus. Her perspective as a “secular Jew” makes the book all the more compelling for any leader serious about building relational bridges to people confused about matters of faith and truth.

The book is a patchwork narrative of her eyewitness exposure to events like “Acquire the Fire” and “Cornerstone,” leaders like Jay Bakker and Ted Haggard and institutions like Patrick Henry College and the Discovery Institute. She sees all of these entities and leaders as part of an emerging threat to American freedom.

Throughout the book she agonizes over the common thread of “Fundamentalism” that runs through all these movements and basically compares them to radical Islam. She awes over the ability of these groups to call young people to a level of commitment that puts their secular counterparts to shame. And she wonders aloud if it might be time for the non-religious young people of this nation to use some of the same recruiting tactics that have been so successful for religious recruiters.

For me, the book was one part pain and two parts inspiration. She confirms that efforts we make to incarnate the Gospel message faithfully into the culture are actually quite compelling. Her observations lend credence to my conviction and observation that new churches emerging out of the soil of redemptive relationship and authentic demonstration of the nearness of God will experience an extraordinary level of transformational effectiveness. The authentic presence and power of God exhibited through surrendered followers of Jesus breaks through the shell of even the most resistant soul. Let’s be that!