Beyond Sundays (by Wayne Jacobsen)

(Amazon UK link)

It’s hard to believe that it’s almost two decades since I first came across a book by Wayne Jacobsen. It was under the semi-pseudonym of Jake Colsen, in a book he co-wrote with Dave Coleman. I haven’t been able to find other books by Dave Coleman, but managed to acquire several by Wayne Jacobson. I found them all well-written, sometimes moving, and very readable. 

So I was very pleased to be given one that I didn’t have, ‘Beyond Sundays’, for Christmas. I started reading it at the beginning of the new year, and have just finished, reading a chapter or two each day. 

As with Jacobsen’s other books, the focus is very much on our relationship with God, and how that’s what matters to us most, however we pursue it. But the main theme of this one is encapsulated in the subtitle: ‘why those who are done with the religious institutions can be a blessing for the Church.’ By ‘the Church’, he refers to the body of all believers worldwide, whether or not they are connected with a local church congregation. 

The book begins with some statistics. It was written in 2018, and at the time the author claimed that in the previous few decades, sixty-five million Americans had stopped attending a local church congregation. Just over half of them no longer identified as Christian, but thirty-one million still called themselves believers. He says that this latter group have become known as the ‘Dones’ - not a word I had previously heard in this context. He also claims that this number is nearly as many as those who still regularly attend local churches in the United States. 

I don’t know if the figures are accurate, and suspect they changed significantly in the aftermath of the Covid pandemic. But the point remains: large numbers of American Christians (and Europeans, too, in my experience) who are serious about following Jesus do not belong to a local church congregation, for a variety of reasons. This book doesn’t really cover reasons why - other books by this author look into that. Instead it looks at ‘What next?’ 

Wayne Jacobsen was himself a pastor for many years. He acknowledges that many pastors find it difficult when people leave their churches. He assigns primarily financial motives to this, and this is where I somewhat depart from his experience. The church pastors and ministers I have known seem to me to have cared about their congregations as people, on the whole. The focus on funding tended to be minimal unless there was some specific fund-raising project, or a serious lack in church finances. 

I have also never experienced the kind of coercion or control that he describes. It’s true that in some churches the pastor can imply that attending Sunday services regularly is a vital part of being a believer. But others welcome anyone, whether a regular attender or not, and don’t try to ‘guilt’ anyone into being part of their congregation. That means it’s easier for me to be loosely affiliated to a local church, taking part in some of their connected activities, and attending services around once a month. I quite like the social aspect of a church service, and the songs and liturgy; I appreciate them all the more for not going every week.

Jacobsen is mainly writing for those who feel torn apart by guilt, or who are being criticised by those who are still part of a local congregation. He makes it clear that we all have to follow our own path, and be aware of how God leads us. Some people benefit from the structure and regularity of a church service; others do not. There’s no right or wrong, as there’s no right or wrong in denominational churches. None of us is perfect, and we should accept and care for one another, regardless of what label someone chooses to use. 

I don’t know that I learned anything new from this book, although it made interesting reading. Nor did I find it as inspiring as some of the author’s previous books. But perhaps that’s because I’m more confident and comfortable in the role as a ‘mostly done’. And it’s a useful summary of the author’s feelings and beliefs, with plenty of reference to Scripture as he charts some of his journey and experiences.

Recommended if you’re interested in this subject, or generally feeling as if you don’t like being part of a church congregation but still want to follow Jesus.

Review copyright 2025 Sue's Book Reviews