The church is heading into a perfect storm of cultural forces. Will you sink beneath the waves, or ride the winds of the Spirit?

An array of cultural forces is coming together to present the church with unprecedented challenge and unequaled opportunity. Such category 5" realities as postmodernism, postChristendom attacks on belief in God, and the threat of global warming have coalesced to make a perfect storm that will leave people uncertain of their place in the world, and all they have previously believed in. Like the disciples when Jesus calmed the storm, the church can cower and cry out for relief. Or, when everything is spinning and whirling in the wind, the church can go out to meet the storm, embrace the gale, . . . and pass out kites.
From the Circuit Rider review: "Like other books Sweet has written and compiled, "The Church of the Perfect Storm" is thought-provoking and compelling. The material flows in such a way that allows readers to grasp the gravity of the situation. However, as with most futuristic material, there is also a sense in which readers may want to know: 'Okay, now what? Where do we need to steer this ship? Are mainline and evangelical churches so off-course as to fail to weather the rising tides that are here and soon coming?' Readers of this volume may enjoy the description of a post-Christendom world, but they may also want to know more about the prescription for the days ahead. (Click here to read the entire review.)"

Showing how future trends will have both a positive and a negative impact on the church and its ministry, Leonard Sweet provides unconventional, disturbing glimpses into the future that must be grasped by church leaders. Sweet tells us why "the church is the last hope for saving our families, our cities, our businesses, and the earth."

Issues addressed include: how to pursue a more effective, "go and tell" evangelism that reaches the "cocooning" culture; how to rekindle Christian imagination through sensuality, virtual reality, and energized prayer, music, or spiritual experience; what the church should do to enhance families and develop spiritual leadership among women and elders in the congregation; and, how the church can celebrate open house for all of God's people.

How are we to understand the Holy Spirit? In this enlightening presentation, Leonard Sweet examines the power, the divinity, the gifts, and the ecstasy of the Spirit. He tackles the question of speaking in tongues; the weaknesses and strengths of the charismatic movement; and the part that the Spirit plays in art, nature, history, and in other religions. With questions for discussion, this perceptive study opens our eyes to the role of the Holy Spirit in life today.

Leonard Sweet--with his profound insight and humor--examines how Jesus laughed, played with children, walked, enjoyed the good times, and poked fun at pious pretensions. By examining the life of Jesus, this prescription for health and well-being details the ways and habits through which Jesus lived a disciplined life and healthy existence during his ministry among us. The self-help advice is linked directly to stories about or by Jesus in the Gospels. You are sure to sharpen spiritually and hone your life physically while learning things about Jesus that you have never heard before.

"Sweet's off-the-wall prescription will afflict your assumptions and confront your consumption. It will change the way you look at Jesus--and it will change you." --Russell Chandler.