Churched review...

Ever wonder what it would have been like to grow up in a fundamentalist church? Well, now you can...without all the baggage. But I'm grateful Matthew Paul Turner has agreed to carry that baggage around for the rest of us.

OK, maybe he hasn't agreed, but at least he's willing to entertain the rest of us with his baggage. (Thanks, by the way!)

I didn't grow up in a fundamentalist church but I still found myself reading some of the stories in the book and flashing back to my school days when we would hear the horror stories about that "other" Christian school who would enforce the "6 inch rule" and made sure the guys never had hair that touched their collars or their ears.

And what Sunday School kid hasn't participated in some contest to bring the most unsaved friends to a church event?

Churched is Turner's comical (yet often uncomfortable) look into his upbringing. It's funny and sad all at the same time. Funny because you almost can't make this stuff up. Sad because many of us who have grown up in the church have seen one or more of these stories lived out in the flesh.

It's a quick read that I blazed through this weekend while at the NYWC in Sacramento. I'm sure you'll get a kick out of it. If not, then you can blame me if it makes you feel better. If you didn't get you copy yet, head over here and pick yourself up a copy.

Are you too cheap and want a free copy?

Then try this:

1. Post a comment to this review.
2. Include your favorite "church story" that happened to you in middle school or high school. (Hey, I'm a youth pastor! What did you expect?)
3. Leave some way that I can contact you.
   
4. The deadline is this Friday (October 17th). I'll choose and post the winner (and their story) sometime on the weekend and mail you a book next week.

Sound like a plan?

Comment now.