Why is it important for church leaders to understand the Dones

Earlier this year I attended a men's prayer breakfast at a local church. I had not been to anything like this in quite some time. I was invited by a friend and it is a church that supports Sun Ministries so I went. There were about 60 men in attendance. As the speaker started his presentation I was very interested in what was on his mind. It would indicate to me what the church thought was important.

After a little bit of event promotion and pleading for involvement he got to his main topic. To my surprise it was The “Dones”. He quoted statistics and made his case for why these “lost sheep” must be returned to the flock. I was astounded at the way he derided people for leaving the institution. It became obvious to me that he wouldn't recognize a “Done” if one was right in front of him because there I was – right in front of him.

I don't blame him for presenting slanted information. Most of the information on The “Dones” comes from institutional church leadership sources. They are desperately trying to figure out how to get them “back in the fold”. This is the source of their error. I never left the fold. I am still as much a part of God's church as ever. What this man did was to regurgitate information and propaganda. He then decided to cast these people in a negative light. That is beyond excuse.

He had at his disposal a real life “Done”. This church has connected with Sun Ministries and even supported it. All he had to do was ask and I would have taken the time to give him first hand understanding of the “Dones”. I could have introduced him to dozens of them. I could have helped him understand their motivations for leaving and what they are doing outside his system.

I think every church leader and even those people that remain in the institution should make the effort to understand the “Dones”. We are a part of God's church. We are not likely to come back. We do long to have unity in the body of Christ. So I am making it easy on you. Do you want to understand the “Dones”? It's your move.

I encourage you to participate. Use this link to join the Meetup group and register to attend a Meetup of The “Dones”.

Meet the "Dones" group - Click Here

Would you rather have us come to you? I would be happy to bring a couple of people to meet with your staff and answer any questions you may have. Just email me - terry@sunministries.org

We look forward to having you meet us. 

Why is it important that the Dones Connect

The Bible contains a lot of instruction for the church. There are instructions for structure, leadership, operation, priorities and function. The “Dones” have left an institution that many felt was not found in the Bible. Some search for that more organic and supernatural expression of faith they see displayed in the Bible. This desire has led many of us out of the institution.

Genesis 2:18 - And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone;

From the beginning God has had a design for His children to live together. Jesus clarified this more when He spoke of our love and unity.

[John 13:35 NASB] 35 "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

[John 17:22 NASB] 22 "The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one;

Love and unity are not just important concepts to God. They are indicators of our union with Him. One reason the “Dones” must connect is to display to the world that we are of the father and disciples of Christ. We cannot do it apart from each other. Leaving the institution is just one step on the journey. We must move on to do church the way God designed it to be done. This will require us to connect with each other.

We encourage you to participate. Use this link to join the Meetup group and register to attend a Meetup of the “Dones”.

Meet the "Dones" group - Click Here

We look forward to having you join us.

Who are the Dones

The “Dones” is a label given to one of the fastest growing religious groups in America. The term applies to people that have left the institutional forms of church after years of involvement. The “Dones” are, quite simply, done with church but not with God.

I am a “Done” by that definition. I was raised outside the religious system of America. After accepting Christ at 13, I tried to fit into the church system that was presented to me. I pursued religious education reaching a Ph.D in theology. I was ordained by a mainstream denomination and was selected to a district level leadership position. The more I learned, the more I began to question the practices and systems that I could not find supported in Scripture.

In 2008 I resigned my positions in the denomination, turned over my ordination and moved my family to one of the most devastated areas in North St. Louis. Many thought that when I left the church that I was leaving God. In fact, I met Jesus outside the camp and embarked on a learning journey with Him. I now feel called to help others on that journey by sharing my spiritual gifts and experiences freely with others.

There are Many “Dones” in America today. Some estimates put the number at over 30 million with multiple millions joining them each year. There are some important things to consider about this movement.

1. God has a design for His church. Just because we left the institution does not mean we don't need each other. The “Dones” need to connect in order to be the church that God designed.
2. It is important for those that remain in the institution to understand the “Dones”. There are many misconceptions about us.

With these two things in mind we have decided to form a group where “Dones” can connect and those in the institution can meet us and gain understanding. Me and a few others have embarked on this attempt to bridge the gap, foster unity and help to unite God's children. We encourage you to participate. Use this link to join the Meetup group and register to attend a Meetup of the “Dones”.

he "Dones" Group Click Here

We look forward to having you join us. This is a time of great change in American Christianity. God is doing something big and we are all a part of it.