Why are so many people leaving their churches?
Too often, people do not feel like they are spiritually connecting with God. They look to their church for help, but end up feeling like it is nothing but a series of empty exercises with little or no meaning. The author argues that too many churches do not encourage congregants to discover their spiritual style – that is, how do they best relate to God. To explore this topic further, Schwarz sought out mentors from various spiritual traditions to learn how different people seek and experience God. As a result, he has identified nine different styles:
This book includes a self-test to help participants identify their spiritual style. The first step to increasing one’s spiritual passion is simply identifying your style and cultivating it. Step two is to venture outside of your comfort zone and try to experience God in one of the other styles. Some will be closely related to your native style (and therefore easy to experience), others will be out of your comfort zone. While you may never be totally comfortable in the opposite spiritual style, you may find your appreciation growing for those who do find God in that style.
