Something is not right. The witness of the church in North America is eroding. Many Christians are alarmed by the decline in church attendance and seek a culprit. Too often, we point the finger away from the church, make culture the enemy, and build walls between us and others. But our antagonism and enemy-making are toxins that further eat away at our witness. Is there a better way? Tara Beth Leach could easily be one of those millennials giving up on the church. Instead, she is a pastor who loves the church and is paradoxically hopeful for its future. In an era where the church has lost much of its credibility, Leach casts a radiant vision for Christians to rediscover a robust, attractive witness. We need to name the toxic soil we've grown in, repent for past wrongs, and lean into a better way to become the church that Jesus proclaimed we would be. Leach casts down idolatrous false images of God to recover a winsome picture of a kingdom of abundance and goodness. We can be sustained by practices that will tune our hearts to God's and form us into the radiant communities God intends for us and those around us.
"Tara Beth Leach is one of the most radiant leaders I know! In the pages of Radiant Church she helps us properly lament issues of church life needing renovation. She then guides us forward to being a church in the radiant image of Jesus. I want to follow where she leads."
Todd Hunter, bishop, Churches for the Sake of Others, author of Giving Church Another Chan
"Pointing out the problems with the white evangelical church is easy. Showing the church how to draw on the abundant grace of God so we can live emboldened, empowered, and radiant lives, well, that's much more difficult. But that's exactly the task Tara Beth Leach sets for herself with this exuberant, thoughtful, and inspiring book. Written by a pastor who loves the church, Radiant Church is comforting and challenging in equal measure."
Michael Frost, author of Surprise theWorld and The Shaping of Things to Come
"Racism, sexism, and many other injustices plague our world and corrupt our Christian witness. Tara Beth Leach confronts this darkness with the transformative good news of Jesus Christ. She doesn't talk down to us; she walks with us in a journey from lament, to repentance, to radiant living. Radiant Church is for any individual or group looking to refine and rejuvenate their witness in a climate of love, grace, and kindness."
Douglas S. Bursch, pastor of Evergreen Church and author of Posting Peace
"Our friend Tara Beth nails it in Radiant Church. Something is deeply wrong in the prevailing understanding and experience of the contemporary evangelical church. We are called to a credible, indeed a radiant witness. But to get there, things need to change. Tara brings her compassionate and prophetic voice to bear in ushering in hope and possibility for the way forward. Well done!"
Alan and Deb Hirsch, authors and missional leaders, founders of Forge Mission Training Net
