Welcome To The Journey Of A Lifetime

Welcome To The Journey Of A Lifetime

"I am posting this information out here to anyone who has been thinking that this Christian life or life in general seems just too hard.

We are all on our own journeys but ultimately we will all end up in the same location if we were to find out that life lived in a real relationship with our true heavenly Father is lot easier and less complicated than what we have been led to believe.

This is one of those books that I would recommend to anyone who is truly searching for real meaning in this life and the life everlasting.

Highly recommended.

These are testimonies of others who have also read this book and further, the details on how and where to get a copy for yourself. Paul Otta"

This is an exceptional story that will make you laugh,

cry and be in awe of the love that Father has for all his children!

It will challenge you to rethink what church is all about!

Chris, Student, East Tennessee State University

What would you do if you met someone you thought just might be one of Jesus’ original disciples still living in the 21st Century? That’s Jake’s dilemma as he meets a man who talks of Jesus as if he had known him, and whose way of living challenges everything Jake had previously known.

So You Don’t Want to Go To Church Anymore is Jake’s compelling journal that chronicles thirteen conversations with his newfound friend over a four-year period and how those exchanges turn Jake’s world upside-down. With his help, Jake faces his darkest fears, struggles through brutal circumstances and comes out on the other side in the joy and freedom he always dreamed was possible.

If you’re tired of just going through the motions of Christianity and want to mine the depths of what it really means to live deeply in Christ, you’ll find Jake’s story will give you hope for your own. This book probes the difficult questions and offers some far-reaching answers. It just might turn your world upside-down as well!

This book was written over four years and each chapter was first published on line in sequence. Now the final draft of that book is available in print. It has been a marvelous journey with so many contributions from those who have read and enjoyed it.

What Others are Saying about-:

SO YOU DON'T WANT TO GO TO CHURCH ANYMORE

JAKE HAS GIVEN ME A VOICE AND A VOCABULARY FOR THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN STIRRING INSIDE MY HEART FOR MANY YEARS. --Stephen, Graphic Designer, Chicago, Illinois

I APPRECIATE THAT THIS BOOK IS NOT “CHURCH BASHING”, BUT THAT IT IS CHRIST EXALTING. THANK YOU FOR GIVING WORDS TO FEELINGS THAT I HAVE HAD FOR SO LONG, YET HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO EXPRESS. --Sarah, Phoenix, Arizona

MY HUSBAND READ YOUR STORY AND IS A CHANGED MAN! HE’S STRUGGLED WITH GUILT AND JUST NOT MEASURING UP. HE’S NEVER GOTTEN THE ‘RELATIONSHIP’ PART OF IT. HE’S GOT IT NOW! HE’S BEEN ON CLOUD NINE THE LAST FEW DAYS. --Heather

TERRIFIC STORY, I AM RECOMMENDING IT TO OUR PIONEER CHURCH PLANTERS AROUND THE WORLD. -- Brian, Director, International missions organization

EXCEPTIONAL STORY THAT WILL MAKE YOU LAUGH, CRY, AND BE IN AWE OF THE LOVE THAT FATHER HAS FOR ALL HIS CHIL- DREN! IT WILL CHALLENGE YOU TO RETHINK WHAT ‘CHURCH’ IS ALL ABOUT! -- Chris, a student at East Tennessee State University

TO ANYONE WHO IS WONDERING IF GOD STILL MOVES AMONG US AS HE DID IN THE BIBLE, HERE IS A STORY TO SHOW THE TRUTH—HE DOES! IT SPOKE TO SOMETHING SO DEEP INSIDE ME THAT I COULDN’T RELAX UNTIL I REACHED THE END. AND EVEN THEN I KNEW IT WAS JUST THE BEGINNING. -- Jillene, Camp Director, New York

THIS BOOK HAS PROVEN TO BE THE MOST RADICALLY CON- FIRMING PIECE OF LITERATURE I HAVE EVER READ. --Becky

SEARCHING FOR GOD’S TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION. --Dottie, a searcher, Orlando, Florida

I LEFT MY CHURCH AFTER 12 YEARS AND FELT I NEEDED TO BE IN A CHURCH UNTIL I READ YOUR BOOK AND DISCOVERED IT WAS NOT ABOUT GOING TO CHURCH BUT BEING THE CHURCH. AND THAT IS TO BE DONE EVERYWHERE I GO AND IN EVERYTHING I DO. -- Ronda, Mother and care-giver, Canby, Oregon

INSIDE EVERY ONE OF US THERE IS A JAKE COLSEN SCREAMING TO GET OUT. HERE YOU WILL FIND ALL THE BIG QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR STRUGGLE TO LIVE IN THE WORLD BY THE SPIRIT, AND SOME OF THE BIG ANSWERS TOO. --Rachael, nurse, Rugby, England

THIS IS NOT YOUR TYPICAL CHRISTIAN LIVING BOOK. I HAVE NEVER READ ANYTHING LIKE IT BEFORE, BUT I CERTAINLY HOPE TO AGAIN. I CERTAINLY HAD MY FOCUS IN THE WRONG PLACE FOR A LONG TIME. --Cory, IT specialist, Idaho

YOUR BOOK HAS PUT WORDS AND ANSWERS TO THE FEELINGS AND QUESTIONS WE HAVE HAD ALONG THIS JOURNEY. -- Michael from Prescott, Arizona

THIS SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING FOR EVERYONE. I CAN’T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT HOW IT CHANGED ME, AND MY RELATION- SHIP WITH THE LORD. --Pam, Indiana

HOW COULD YOU KNOW WITH SUCH PRECISION WHERE WE HAVE COME FROM, WHERE WE ARE, AND WHAT WE ARE LEARNING? YOU HAVE PUT WORDS TO THINGS DEEP IN OUR HEARTS...TOO DEEP EVEN TO SURFACE AS THOUGHTS, MUCH LESS WORDS. --Maria Wade, wife & mother, Bloomington, Indiana

THIS EASY-TO-READ TREATISE ON PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN THOUGHT AND LIFE POINTS TO THE HIGHER WAY OF GOD’S SON AND SERVANT, JESUS. JESUS CALLS TO TENDER HEARTS WHO CHOOSE TO TRUST HIM AND WALK WITH HIM. --Paul, Handyman, Illinois

DON’T HAVE THE WORDS TO EXPRESS HOW MUCH I HAVE BEEN TOUCHED BY THIS STORY. I’M GLAD TO KNOW THAT I’M NOT GOING CRAZY OR BEING DISLOYAL TO FEEL AS I DO. --Beth in Tennessee

IT GOT ME HOOKED RIGHT FROM THE START AND GOD USED IT TO BRING ME CLOSER TO HIM. THANK YOU FOR SHOWING ME THAT HIS BODY IS NOT ONE CONGREGATION, DENOMINATION OR GROUP OF PEOPLE, BUT THAT THOSE HE CALLS HIS OWN CAN BE ANYONE, ANYWHERE. --Michelle, Academic Administrator, Melbourne, Australia

YOUR BOOK IS EVERY CONVERSATION, THOUGHT, EMOTION, DESIRE, AND DREAM I HAVE HAD FOR THE PAST YEAR. GOD REALLY WANTS TO WAKE UP HIS CHURCH. --Carole, single parent and massage therapist in Shildon, UK

IT’S BETTER THAN ANY ADVENTURE MOVIE I’VE EVER SEEN! --Cynthia

I RECEIVED YOUR BOOK FROM A DEAR FRIEND ON SATURDAY. I COULDN’T PUT IT DOWN! I DIDN’T GO TO WORK UNTIL I FINISHED IT! SOMETHING GRAND WAS LIFTED FROM ME. SOMETHING I HAVE BEEN CARRYING AROUND FOR 50 YEARS. --Jo-Anne, realtor in Kansas City, MO

THIS IS ASTOUNDING! IT SOUNDS LIKE THE SAME JOURNEY I’M ON BUT I GREW TIRED OF ALL THE STRUGGLES. I WANT MY RELA- TIONSHIP WITH MY FATHER BACK. --Matt, father of 9, in Kalispell, Montana

THESE WRITINGS ARE MORE THAN A BOOK. THEY ARE A LIVING TWO-EDGE SWORD, GOD REVEALING HIMSELF IS THE MIDST OF HUNGRY SOULS THAT HAVE ATTENDED CHURCH, ONLY TO FIND OURSELVES VERY NEEDY AND EMPTY. --Joyce, Rochester, New York

THIS BOOK WILL CUT THROUGH ALL THE RED TAPE OF “RELI- GION”. IT WILL FREE YOU FROM YOURSELF AND ALLOW YOU TO BELIEVE AND ACCEPT THE LOVE GOD HAS FOR YOU. --Cathey, a sister, Florida

IT IS EXACTLY WHAT I AM LOOKING FOR IN CONFIRMING WHAT GOD HAS STARTED IN ME... --Chris missionary, France

I AM SPELLBOUND! --Judy

LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT THIS BOOK SO FAR WOULD BE THE CATALYST TO FINALLY LAY IT ALL DOWN. AT FIRST I THOUGHT THIS WAS GOING TO BE AN ANTI CHURCH BOOK AND I FOUND OUT THAT IT IS SO PRO CHURCH!! HOW COULD I NOT SEE THESE THINGS BEFORE? --Patricia, Massachusetts

WHAT A GREAT READ! THIS BOOK REALLY SPEAKS TO SOME ISSUES THAT I HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING WITH OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS. --Bill, missionary, Wales

I RECOMMENDED THIS BOOK TO A FRIEND, AS ONE OF THE BEST WRITINGS I HAVE SEEN ON PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN THINKING. SHE WROTE BACK TO ME THAT SHE COULD NOT STOP READING IT ONCE SHE BEGAN, AND AFTERWARDS SHE FELT THAT SHE HAD BEEN BORN AGAIN--AGAIN! --Paul

TO SAY I ENJOYED IT AND WAS ENCOURAGED WOULD BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT. --Brett, Consultant, Durban, South Africa

YOU EXPRESS SO CLEARLY MY CONCERN AND HOPE FOR CHRIST’S CHURCH TODAY. --Richard, Alabama

THIS BOOK IS SO FULL OF WISDOM AND NUGGETS OF TRUTH

THAT I’M GOING TO HAVE READ IT OVER AND OVER JUST TO DIGEST IT ALL. IT ANSWERS SO MANY QUESTIONS AND FREES ME IN SO MANY WAYS. --Cathey

I WAS SO COMPELLED THAT I HAD TO READ THROUGH IT IN TWO DAYS. I AM ABSOLUTELY SPEECHLESS, ALSO SO EXCITED AT THE SAME TIME—SO MANY THINGS CONFIRMED AND MANY TRUTHS LEARNED. --Lysle, former pastor, England

THIS IS THE BEST STORY WITH RESOUNDING TRUTHS THAT I HAVE EVER READ. A HUGE WEIGHT HAS BEEN LIFTED OFF MY SHOULDERS. --Kristopher, Texas

IT IS SO REFRESHING, SOBERING AND EXCITING TO READ SUCH FREEING WORDS DEVOID OF ANY MANIPULATION OR LEGALISM. --Nick from Australia

THIS BOOK IS A HEALING BALM AND I COULD NOT QUIT READING IT UNTIL I HAD READ IT ALL. SO MUCH WONDERFUL TRUTH HERE AND SO SIMPLY STATED. --Margie, Washington

THANK YOU, FROM AN ALMOST-READY-TO-GIVE-UP-BEING-A- CHRISTIAN BECAUSE NOTHING SEEMED TO MAKE MUCH SENSE ANYMORE AND THERE WAS NO LIFE IN MY SUPPOSED ‘LIFE’ IN CHRIST. --Colleen

I AM FLABBERGHASTED! SO ARE MY HUSBAND AND BEST FRIEND. I AM PERSONALLY SO EXCITED TO HAVE THE VERBAGE TO EXPRESS WHAT GOD HAS BEEN SPEAKING TO ME FOR YEARS. EVERYTHING YOU SAY IS BANG ON! I FEEL LIKE THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD HAS BEEN LIFTED OFF OF ME. --Gay

THANKS FOR THE BEAUTIFUL AND POWERFUL STORY. YOUR WRITING REALLY BROUGHT ME CLOSER TO OUR AWESOME GOD AND FATHER. --Rudolf from the Netherlands

I CAN’T EVEN BEGIN TO EXPRESS WHAT THIS WORK MEANS FOR ME. I’M BEGINNING TO SEE THAT EVERYTHING I DO CAN BE DONE OUT OF LOVE FOR THE FATHER AND OTHERS AND THAT OBLIGATION CAN BE REPLACED. --Jeremy

I’M TOTALLY HOOKED! --Michelle from Australia

WHAT I HAVE READ HAS BLOWN ME AWAY COMPLETELY. I CAN’T SEEM TO GET MY MIND AROUND THE POINT THAT ALL OF THE ANSWERS THAT JOHN IS GIVING, SEEM TO BE THOSE ONES WHICH I HAVE BEEN HAVING, ON THOSE RARE OCCASIONS WHEN I SEEM TO HEAR WHAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS SAYING. AND THEY HAVE BEEN THE ONES THAT I HAVE BEEN TO INCLINED TO DISREGARD AS MY IMAGINATION. --Denis from Australia

A FRIEND ENCOURAGED THE READING OF YOUR WEBSITE. ABSOLUTELY, I MUST SAY I AM SPELL-BOUND AND THE HUNGER FOR MORE OF GOD IS UNQUENCHABLE. --Bonnie

EACH OF THE CHAPTERS IS PAGE-TURNER. --Joanne

jakecolson.com

There are many ways to read So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore.

You can order a copy of the book from Lifestream.org. ($12.00 plus shipping)

You can order the audio book from Lifestream.org where Wayne reads the entire book on CD (5 CDs - $20.00 plus shipping).

You can use the links below on the Table of Contents to read it off the web in html. This is a rough draft of the final version.

We now have two new PDF versions available:

You can download the PDF version (1.6M) of the final book in 8.5 x 11 format and read off-line.

You can download the PDF version (1.9M) of the final printed page spreads of the book.

You can download the PDF version (2.1M) of the final book in 5.5 x 8.5 format and read off-line.

You can download a PDA version that can be read with Microsoft Reader. 

Translations are also available in Russian, Dutch, French German, and Spanish.