Week 1: Introduction — "The Departure"

1.Chan frames the book around the image of letters written to churches — echoing Paul and the letters of Revelation. Why do you think he chose this format? What does it suggest about his relationship to the Church and his tone throughout the book?

2.He describes a growing unease he felt even while leading a large, "successful" church. What specific things made him uneasy, and have you ever felt a similar discomfort in a church setting you were part of?

3.Chan uses the phrase "the departure" to describe the distance between the New Testament Church and the modern Western church. In your own words, what are the most significant ways he identifies that gap?

4.Acts 2:42–47 describes a church marked by devotion, community, breaking of bread, prayer, awe, generosity, and daily fellowship. How honestly would you say your own church community reflects each of these marks? Where is it strongest? Where is the gap widest?

5.Chan admits he was partly complicit in building a church culture that was more about preference and comfort than obedience. What does it take for a leader — or any believer — to honestly examine their own role in the problem rather than just critiquing the institution?

6.The letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2–3 show Jesus Himself evaluating congregations — praising some things and rebuking others. If Jesus were to write a letter to your current church community, what do you think He would commend? What might He challenge?

7.Chan suggests that the discomfort many people feel about their church experience is actually the Holy Spirit's invitation to something truer. Do you agree? How do you distinguish between the Spirit's legitimate stirring and mere personal dissatisfaction or consumerism?

8.How does Chan's introduction connect to the broader gospel — the idea that Jesus gave Himself for the Church and considers her His Bride? Why does the Church's health matter so much in light of that reality?