Homebrew Churches

With the continual appearance of evidence that the emerging generation (the iGens) is not at all enamored of institutional churches, and is ignoring or forsaking them, it seemed a good time to take a step back, take a deep breath, and take a fresh look at what the church was intended to be and do in the New Testament document. The author spells out the landscape and reviews the profile of recent generations, and then sets about to set forth the church as the communal component of God's new creation in Christ. He engages in some challenges to the traditional understanding of the church, but sets forth a lively proposal in which every participant becomes interactive with the others, hence small fellowships. The younger iGens are into relationships, not institutions. This book portrays the church in relational terms, i.e., a church delivered from captivity to institutions and church professionals, hence a book that is controversial and perhaps a bit cheeky . . . but constructively challenging. The title is somewhat highjacked from the phenomenon known as the homebrew computer club, which is made up of six early computer scientists from whose creativity and relationship emerged much of the present computer and internet age.The church would be Christ's new community if everyone in the church loved it like Bob Henderson! In his newest book, Henderson's love is channeled into the determined and creative labor of trying to re-conceive the church for the twenty-first century. Gripped by the love of Jesus Christ for a changing world and generations, Henderson raises just the critical questions for fresh consideration and action that we must all take seriously.--Mark Labberton, President, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CaliforniaAt the height of the civil rights movement, Robert Henderson turned the church upside-down when he began integrating his Raleigh-Durham congregation. Ever since then, Robert has passionately urged the church to return to its central mission in the world. Inspired by Silicon Valley's early roots, Robert offers a provocative design for the Christian community that's relevant to the emerging generation and enables the church to flourish.--Sherri Hutter, Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives, SalesforceWith the same wit and humor that characterizes his earlier works, Bob Henderson prompts us to reimagine the church as small, creative, intentionally relational communities . . . Henderson persuasively argues that reclaiming the church for the next generation requires dealing with its institutional baggage yet continuing to proclaim God's love for humanity as his new creation.--Erik Vincent, Director of Global Studies, Holy Innocents High SchoolRobert Henderson's Homebrew Churches is an incredibly valuable read for everyone who cares about the future of the church. In it, readers nudged to remember how we were created for community and called to be agents of God's new creation. As someone on the frontline with tomorrow's children, I can assure you Robert gets it! I am both challenged and refreshed by this book.--Troy Earnest, Area Director, Young Life East AtlantaRobert Thornton Henderson has been a prophetic pastoral voice in the church for over sixty years, and is the author of several books spelling out various challenges. He is a veteran pastor and denominational leader in the Presbyterian Church. He has always had, and continues to have, fruitful dialogue with the emerging generations. He is widowed and lives in the Atlanta, Georgia area.