From Bondage To Liberty, Dance, Children, Dance

This book is a funny, sometimes "tear-jerking" account of the lives of Jim and Maxine Rayburn. Jim is best known as the founder of Young Life, a worldwide work with teenagers. It must be said, however, that Jim was uncomfortable being introduced as the founder of Young Life, as he never knew he was founding anything (his own words). It is a beautiful, tragic story of a man of God with unbounded faith and an unconventional Christianity. It would be impossible to measure the impact of Jim Rayburnas life on countless multitudes of people throughout the world.

It was Jim Rayburn who said, "If you want people to come to Sunday school, don't have it on Sunday and don't call it school." Such thinking broke with traditional concepts and antagonized many, yet it carried Rayburn into new, uncharted territory. Before long Jim was packing them in - over 400 high school kids filled the local mortuary each Tuesday night to hear Jim talk about Jesus Christ and His love for them. Even the high school football coaches were helpless in the face of Jim's charisma, asking him to schedule his meetings with their need to practice in mind. The world may have never seen a "minister" like this; it certainly hasn't seen many.

Suffering severe migraines, battling dependence on prescription drugs, struggling with his marriage, and facing opposition from a board of directors that wanted more stability within the organization, Jim Rayburn seldom looked down and never looked back. He had the habit of thinking big, and sometimes his ideas caromed off the walls of Christianity.

Written by his son, Jim Rayburn III, this is a story that will grab you, one way or the other. Be careful before you order it; use caution. This story might cause you to miss a night or two of sleep; it is not an easy book to put down. It might also be a stepping stone to a deeper, richer, freer, more exciting and more intimate relationship with God.