Joe and Heidi White: We wrote a book (almost)

My brother and I wrote a book.

I always said if I ever wrote a book it would be very short and have spelling errors. I did that....the spelling errors part. It's 200 pages and it's NOT GOOD yet....we are still editing...but one day, it will be done! We were blessed to spend a week in one of our favorite places at Ray Bakke's house who has been a mentor to both us and our dad, Randy White.

It's a book about loving your neighbors.

Here's an excerpt about what "the gospel is":

"This is the definition we grew up with. It was informed by our dad and Ray Bakke. 'The gospel is good news to both people and place. Remember that the good news of the kingdom begins with God born in Asia who immediately became an African refugee. God understands what it’s like to be a refugee on the run, with no place to call home. Every baby boy in his town under 2 died for him before he could die for them on the cross. If anybody understands the pain of crack babies, fetal alcohol syndrome babies, and HIV infected kids who die for the sins of others… Jesus would understand because his peers died for him. And, because God was born in a borrowed barn and then eventually buried in a borrowed tomb, if anyone understands poverty, Jesus would. The good news of the gospel is that God understands what it’s like to be a cross-cultural refugee without a home, the pain of dying for the sins of others, and the pain of poverty… Jesus does. The good news of the New Testament is that because Jesus went through these things, he understands them, but even more profoundly, he fixes them. He reverses the broken things of this world through his Church as they align themselves with Him and commit to the renewal of place. This is why the gospel only makes sense as a mission to the broken and battered people and places of our world. It was never meant to be relegated to the realm of, “Jesus loves you and has a plan for your life and died for your sins.” No, it’s so much bigger and so much better – it involves the renewal of all things. That is what it means to be gospel-centered."