In the journey of being faithful Anglican communities, objectivity is sometimes hard to come by. It's easy to get so into the groove of doing what we do that getting an outsider's point of view can be helpful. How welcoming are we? What is it like for a new person to walk in our doors?

Jim and Caspar Go to Church begins a conversation about our churches and the ways that outsiders might view them. It's a light read but eye-opening. I can see how you could use this for a parish reviewing itself, or for small group material.

Here's the publisher's blurb...

What does an atheist think about church? Jim Henderson decided that the best way to find out was to ask! So he recruited an atheist―Matt Casper―to visit twelve leading churches with him and give the “first impression” perspective of a non-believer. Week after week, this spiritual odd couple attended services at churches all over the country and documented their experiences at and reactions to each one. Along the way, they found the real value of their journey in the open and authentic friendship that developed as they talked, questioned, joked, and―most important―listened. Follow along with Jim and Casper on their visits, and eavesdrop as they discuss what they found. Their articulate, sometimes humorous, and always insightful dialogue offers Christians a new view of an environment where we’ve become overly comfortable: the church.

If that sounds interesting, you can purchase the book here...