Faith Shift was a book I wish I had when I felt as if my faith was crumbling a few years ago. The book is written by Kathy Escobar, a pastor of a special gathering called the “Refuge” that is home to those who are on the fringes of Christianity (or other religions, really). (She has an awesome blog, by the way!)

People on the fringes of Christianity are called many things: The Dones, church refugees, the churchless. However, they all share one thing in common: They need a safe place to wrestle with their tough questions.

IN AND OUT OF FAITH

Unfortunately, the structure of the current church system does not allow that. Faith shifters’ questions alarm and upset many. Even close friends and family may not be able to handle it. Many Faith Shifters are viewed as a threat to status quo, or worse, defective and in need of fixing.

Often, many end up leaving the institutional church to preserve their faith … and sanity.

Starting next Tuesday, I will be starting a blog series, My Shifting Faith, where I talk about how my faith has changed throughout the years. My perspective would be unique as I became a Christian in a multi-cultural Asian society (Malaysia) and I had to grapple not just with faith shifts but cultural clashes. 

I hope my story will make Faith Shifters feel less alone, and I hope that this blog will eventually become a safe refuge for them.

Below are the posts in this series:

• Believing: The accidental Christian (Jan 12)
• Learning: The war on culture, family and tradition (Jan 26)
• Doing: Being Miss Good Christian (Feb 9)
• Shifting: When it hurts to attend church (Feb 23)
• Unravelling: When faith falls apart (March 8)
• Returning: Holding out for hope (March 22)
• Rebuilding: Resignation, joy, acceptance and sadness (April 8)