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Peter DeHaan

They say there’s no such thing as a perfect church. Well, one author decided to test that theory out for himself.

Peter DeHaan spent an entire year roaming from one church to another, visiting 52 different Christian congregations. In the process he learned what makes these places of worship unique, what makes newcomers feel like they belong, and what cringe-worthy shenanigans are guaranteed to keep visitors from ever coming back.

In his travels, Peter learned about different denominations and worship styles as well as what happens when imperfect humans gather together in the name of a perfect God. What he discovered was occasionally funny, always interesting, and at times absurd.

So absurd that he wrote a book about his experiences.

52 Churches is part religious exposé, part travel memoir, and 100% authentic. Peter refuses to hold back his punches. You’ll cringe when this Christian author is singled out by a fire-and-brimstone preacher, unnecessarily determined to save his soul out of hell. You’ll find yourself thankful that you weren’t in Peter’s shoes when the pastor told his congregation to greet one another with a holy kiss.

You’ll read about Christian practices that are far different from your own, and in the process gain a deeper understanding of believers from all walks of life and denominational backgrounds: Protestant mainline, evangelical, and charismatic, Roman Catholic, and more.

If you’re a pastor trying to engage newcomers, a seasoned church member looking for some chuckles, or a spiritual lurker curious about what goes on beneath the steeples of America’s churches today, this book was written for you.

Read 52 Churches now for an insightful, unforgettable read about the strange and mysterious believers who meet together behind closed doors each and every Sunday.

[52 Churches is auto-narrated by Maxwell.]

auto-narrated by Maxwell

PublishDrive

Rock Rooster Books

Visiting Churches Series

52 Churches: A Yearlong Journey Encountering God, His Church, and Our Common Faith

Visit fifty-two churches in a year? No way! 

Peter DeHaan and his wife did just that. They spent a year visiting a different Christian church every Sunday: Protestant mainline, evangelical, and charismatic; Roman Catholic too. 

He visited a congregation just like yours. Count on it. 

You’ll laugh. You’ll cringe. You’ll cry. 

Church-reform proponent Peter DeHaan is a strong advocate of forming meaningful Christian community. And he shares his discerning journey of discovery to inspire ministers, members, and attendees to build personal connections that matter. 

This isn’t a church-shopping romp or a mean-spirited critique. Peter doesn’t rip at today’s church. Instead he offers a gift of encouragement, hope, and insight to all of Jesus’s followers. Plus, he shares astute observations and makes spot-on suggestions. 

Then build on the narrative of 52 Churches with the thought-provoking follow up: The 52 Churches Workbook. In it, consider 200 challenging questions to grow your faith. Ideal for group discussion or individual introspection. 

But that’s not all. Read more church encounters in More Than 52 Churches. Followed by The More Than 52 Churches Workbook. More experiences and more reflective considerations. 

Read the 52 Churches Boxset for education, read it for entertainment, and read it for the vision gained only from visiting a diverse array of churches. 

These books are ideal for ministry leaders, members, and spiritual seekers. 

Get your copy of the 52 Churches Boxset to begin your own exploration of religious practices!

52 Churches Boxset: Discover How to Make Church Matter

What would you learn if you visited 52 churches?

How might that experience change the way you treated visitors at your church?

But you don’t need to go to a boatload of churches to find out. Church-reform advocate Peter DeHaan, PhD already has. The 52 Churches Workbook is the perfect tool to gain valuable insights without the pain and hassle of going to a different church every Sunday for an entire year.

Merely thinking about making your church better isn’t enough. It’s time to act.

With over 200 thought-provoking questions to propel you and your church forward, you’ll discover:

- How to greet visitors well.

- The importance of making a good first impression and a parting memory.

- The way one person can make the difference between success and failure.

- Best practices from churches that treat visitors well, along with what to avoid.

- Why a website is critical and shouldn’t resemble a dating profile.

The 52 Churches Workbook is the perfect companion for 52 Churches, but it also works great as a standalone book for those who haven’t yet read 52 Churches.

Don’t go another Sunday without this essential resource. Perfect for leaders and members.

Get The 52 Churches Workbook and take the first step to becoming a church that matters.

The 52 Churches Workbook: Becoming a Spiritual Community that Matters

Online church is the new front door to visitors. Is your church connecting effectively with people behind the screen? 

When the pandemic forced congregations to set up online services in record time, people thought it would be temporary. But for too many, online church has become a staple, the new front door for visitors. 

But what does this mean for congregations who struggle to effectively reach online guests? Is it possible to create a connected virtual experience that fosters Christian community and enhances our faith? 

In Visiting Online Church: A Journey Exploring Effective Digital Christian Community, Peter DeHaan spent months attending thirty online churches when the pandemic hit, documenting the challenges, approaches, and successes of each one. With fresh eyes, he sought to understand what made for a dynamic online service, while evaluating the limitations and giving practical tips to maximize the virtual experience. If you want a primer on the vast creativity and diversity in online churches, this book details dozens of examples for you to learn from. 

Through Visiting Online Church, you’ll discover:

 Why virtual church should be part of your outreach strategy;

 how online church reaches forgotten people who can’t attend in person; 

 the necessity of online church in the digital age, even when it’s not your personal preference; 

 three dozen key principles illustrated through real-world examples that help you engage with your online congregation in fresh ways; and 

 what online attendees really think about virtual church ministry—what they like and what they don’t.

Visiting Online Church will help you discover new ways to effectively reach people for Christ while holding firm to your church’s distinctive values and traditions. 

An advocate for significant church experiences, Peter DeHaan, PhD champions meaningful Christian community recognizing the importance of both in person gatherings and online ones. 

The need to create a dynamic online church is vital to today’s spiritual seekers. As you journey through Visiting Online Church, you’ll uncover how a life-giving virtual church not only is an essential tool in today’s digital world, but a growing necessity to bring together congregations during turbulent times. 

Get a copy and discover how your church can effectively engage with visitors through the digital church experience.

[Visiting Online Church is auto-narrated by Maxwell.]

Auto-narrated by Maxwell

Visiting Online Church: A Journey Exploring Effective Digital Christian Community

If you want to know your church’s weaknesses and strengths, you must look at it through the eyes of a visitor. That’s exactly what Peter DeHaan does as he shares an insider’s perspective on dozens of churches.

What can we learn from the churches that line our cities and small towns, even if we never step foot inside?

Christian churches around the world are immensely varied in their size, interpretation of the Bible, and worship style, but there is one thing that unites them all: their belief in Jesus. 

In More Than 52 Churches, the sequel to 52 Churches, you’ll team up with Peter DeHaan as he travels to another twenty-four Christian congregations to observe, learn, and grow. Although this book is a sequel, it can be read as a standalone. As each church experience unfolds, you’ll discover greater diversity and new insights from a wide range of worship services and personal encounters with other believers.

In More Than 52 Churches, you’ll discover:

 - How to celebrate the amazing diversity of the local church and her worship styles

 - Different ways that church visitors experience your church and why that’s important

 - How churches effectively minister to their congregations

 - The vital importance of church fellowship and personal connection

 - Insights to help you better connect with visitors

Ideal for members or church leaders, you’ll get a unique perspective and broader understanding of church denominations, sizes, and worship styles. The book will help believers understand that a one-size-fits-all congregation will never adequately represent all churches. Instead, every church should embrace their strengths and identify their weaknesses so that they can better serve the world around them.

With insightful commentary and a unique perspective into church communities, you’ll catch a greater vision for how we can appreciate every kind of church, even when it doesn’t look like the church we call home.

You might even discover how you can make your church an even better one—just by experiencing it as a visitor does.

Get More Than 52 Churches and discover how you can reimagine your church today.

More Than 52 Churches: The Journey Continues

What does your church do well? What could it do better? Are you sure?

It’s time to put thoughts into action. This workbook will guide you—if you dare let it. Join church advocate Peter DeHaan, PhD, in a journey of self-discovery to pursue a meaningful spiritual community and help move faith from theory into conduct.

Consider 175 thought-provoking questions in The More Than 52 Churches Workbook to propel your practices forward. Discover how to reform your church community and inform your spiritual journey:

- Explore the diversity of Jesus’s church and your essential role in it.

- Expand your perspectives of worshiping God and serving Jesus.

- Extend your faith practices to embrace a more holistic perspective of what it means to truly follow Jesus.

- Move from spiritually passive to practical.

- Transform from self-satisfied to self-sacrificing.

Casual Christians need not apply. 

More Than 52 Churches gave us more faith communities to consider and more faith practices to ponder. The More Than 52 Churches Workbook builds on that foundation to deliver gentle, but challenging, questions to turn stimulating ideas into life-altering change.

The More Than 52 Churches Workbook is the perfect companion for More Than 52 Churches, but it also works great as a standalone book for those who haven’t yet read More Than 52 Churches.

If you feel it’s time to move from the sidelines and get into the game, The More Than 52 Churches Workbook presents the game plan to get you there.

Get The More Than 52 Churches Workbook to guide you and your church into becoming a spiritual community that makes a difference.

The More Than 52 Churches Workbook: Pursue Christian Community and Grow in Our Faith

Online church is the new front door to visitors. Is your church connecting effectively with people behind the screen?

When the pandemic forced congregations to set up online services in record time, people thought it would be temporary. But for too many, online church has become a staple, the new front door for visitors.

But what does this mean for congregations who struggle to effectively reach online guests? Is it possible to create a connected virtual experience that fosters Christian community and enhances our faith?

In Visiting Online Church: A Journey Exploring Effective Digital Christian Community, Peter DeHaan spent months attending thirty online churches when the pandemic hit, documenting the challenges, approaches, and successes of each one. With fresh eyes, he sought to understand what made for a dynamic online service, while evaluating the limitations and giving practical tips to maximize the virtual experience. If you want a primer on the vast creativity and diversity in online churches, this book details dozens of examples for you to learn from.

Through Visiting Online Church, you’ll discover:

 - why virtual church should be part of your outreach strategy

 - how online church reaches forgotten people who can’t attend in person

 - the necessity of online church in the digital age, even when it’s not your personal preference

 - three dozen key principles illustrated through real-world examples that help you engage with your online congregation in fresh ways

 - what online attendees really think about virtual church ministry—what they like and what they don’t

Visiting Online Church will help you discover new ways to effectively reach people for Christ while holding firm to your church’s distinctive values and traditions.

An advocate for significant church experiences, Peter DeHaan, PhD champions meaningful Christian community recognizing the importance of both in person gatherings and online ones.

The need to create a dynamic online church is vital to today’s spiritual seekers. As you journey through Visiting Online Church, you’ll uncover how a life-giving virtual church not only is an essential tool in today’s digital world, but a growing necessity to bring together congregations during turbulent times.

Get a copy and discover how your church can effectively engage with visitors through the digital church experience.

Who would have thought finding a church home could be so hard? 

Peter and his wife have a strong marriage. But when it comes time to find a new church after they move, their differences couldn’t be more pronounced. 

At first, their aim is straightforward. He’ll write a book about the churches they visit. She’ll choose the one they’ll embrace as their new spiritual family. 

It sounds like a simple plan, but this Christian couple soon discovers their quest for a home church is far more difficult. 

An entertaining, poignant memoir for Christian believers, SHOPPING FOR CHURCH will give you fresh insight into the state of today’s churches in an ever-changing world. 

This authentic read is part of the Visiting Churches Series by acclaimed Christian author Peter DeHaan. These books take you behind the scenes into congregations that are far different than your own … and some that feel just like the church you grew up in. 

If you’re a spiritual lurker curious about what goes on beneath the steeples of America’s churches, a seasoned church member looking for some fresh insight, or a pastor trying to engage newcomers, this book is for you. 

Buy SHOPPING FOR CHURCH today for an impactful spiritual read that is guaranteed to make you reflect on the places, people, and gatherings we call church.

[Shopping for Church is auto-narrated by Maxwell.]

Visiting Churches Series - The book series

Visiting Churches Series - The book series

Visiting Churches Series books in order

Listen and read