Woven Women Good Reads: ‘Once You See’ by Jeff Christopherson

Woven Women's Mary Landis reviews Jeff Christopherson's book, "Once You See: Seven Temptations of the Western Church," which was featured during the Baptist Resource Network's 2023 Accelerate Conference.

October 5, 2023
Mary Landis

The Baptist Resource Network just hosted our annual Accelerate Conference. Everyone who attended received a copy of the book “Once You See: Seven Temptations of the Western Church” by Jeff Christopherson. The conference and breakouts were based around the themes and temptations set forward in this book.

It was a really cool conference. I absolutely love a good story, so I loved this book from the beginning. When I met with my volunteers to discuss the themes set forth in this book, Cindy said that this book literally changed her life. I can’t offer a stronger recommendation than that. It sets forward seven temptations the Western church often falls prey to and outlines their Kingdom Correctives.

This is done through the life, faith, and church stories of its main characters. Omar Al-Khulani/Yushua Maalouf comes to faith in Yemen where Christianity is outlawed. Luca Lewis develops a Kingdom mindset regarding his church plant in Philadelphia. Dr. James Norris (Jimmy) pastors a mega-church along with his best friend and executive pastor, Tom Butts. Each character eventually crosses paths with all of the other characters as they grapple with what the Western Church is and what Jesus Christ intended his church to look like here on earth.

Mary Landis

Mary has been involved in women’s ministry for over a decade. She currently leads the women’s ministry at Rolling Hills Church in Verona, Pennsylvania. She has been married to her husband Chad for over 20 years, and they have three children.

Mary has seen her role in women’s ministry grow and transform. She has a passion for seeing women come to know Christ, grow in their relationship with Him, disciple one another, and develop deep bonds to accomplish God’s work through the intricate tapestry of their varied gifts.

Mary has a heart for those struggling with infertility, people with disabilities and those who have walked through the darkness of sexual abuse. She loves to see the Holy Spirit transform women’s lives.