A nationally reputable speaking coach recently called Andy Stanley the best speaker in America today. I listen to his “religious” teaching and to his leadership podcast.
He has begun sending a newsletter as part of the leadership series. He said in the last issue, “As you already know, I’m passionate about leadership and helping you get leadership right. However, you may not know that I’m equally passionate about the impact of faith on culture. It’s no secret that the religious landscape in America has shifted. Fewer and fewer Americans are self-identifying as Christians, while more and more are identifying as religiously unaffiliated.”
I interrupt—his teaching on faith and culture and politics is the best I’ve heard especially from an evangelical who is typically pretty knee-jerk conservative and borderline racist. Some may think that’s a harsh statement, but I tend to poke beneath the surface of attitude to underlying causes (we call it root-cause analysis where I come from).
Continuing, “You may have heard me ask the question, ‘What breaks your heart?’ Something that breaks my heart is seeing millions of people walk away from Christianity because they find the version of Christianity they’ve grown up with unconvincing, uninspiring, and irrelevant.”
He points to a library of resources focused on the impact of faith on culture.
I think much of the problem he points to involves where the loudest voices of organized Christianity have gone over the past 50 years or so. A lot of telling you what to do from the point of view of superior to inferior. Not so much being fellow travelers on the journey toward spiritual reality and a whole life.
The organizations themselves seem to be working hard to make themselves irrelevant.
It’s too bad. But it’s what happens when human ego takes the place of spiritual seeking.
I hate telling people what to do. But I’m always willing to be a guide. We need more guides.
I encourage you to check out Stanley’s teaching. There is so much common sense.
Faith Venture 
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