Pure Scum: The Left-Out, the Right-Brained and the Grace of God

Mike Sares
IVP Books, $19.95

Would you go to a church called “Scum of the Earth”? Perhaps you might after reading Pure Scum.

This is well worth reading. It is a simple sharing of some of the thoughts and journeys of Mike Sares in his pastoring of the Scum of theEarthChurchinDenver,Colorado.

The name of the church comes from 1 Corinthians 4: 13 and from the fact that it ministers with people on the margins of society who often feel treated like scum by those of us in the mainstream.

Through this book Sares shares what “Scum” is about and why it came into being. It doesn’t seek to criticise mainstream churches but simply talks about why “Scum” is what it is.

I found this an inspiring and encouraging read. It is about being honest to who you are and responding to God’s call even though it seems to go against what we would normally do in the church. It is about how we can minister with people rather than to people.

Pure Scum is worth picking up by everyone but particularly those who are wondering who they are as a church and who they are meant to be.

Jon Humphries