Ministering to Military Families

Plenty of guides to military ministry advise churches to do things like pray for the troops from the pulpit on Sunday, post pictures of deployed service members on a bulletin board, and extend special counseling to soldiers and their spouses. While these are good ideas, reaching out to military families doesn't require tacking on extra Armed Forces-specific ministry tasks, but focusing on the essential roles of the church: to serve as a spiritual home and gospel-centered community.

Military families move, on average, every two to three years. Our country's 700,000 military wives often live far from their friends and relatives, plus they spend days, weeks, and months away from their husbands, who get sent off for training or deployments. This lifestyle aches with the strain of distance and loneliness. For these families—ones like mine—the church offers a resting place for the sojourner, comfort for the weary, and a home for those seeking belonging. The church serves military families by simply being the church.

Maybe you already know of military families in your community. Or, maybe this Memorial Day you notice a yellow ribbon pinned to someone's shirt or a service flag hung in the window of a house on your street. Here are five relatively straightforward and fundamentally Christian disciplines the church has to offer them....Read more

Ed Stetzer: We still cry out to God when tragedy strikes

Much has been written about the secularization of America, and in some ways that is the case. Pew Research found that one in five adults in our nation have no religious affiliation, a group identified as the "Nones."

Often times, research like this and other anecdotes about the waning influence of Christianity on the public square are presented as proof that America is no longer a religious nation. This supposedly demonstrates that we have left our religious traditions in history's dustbin. Then, a tragedy strikes. Read more

The Church and Money

Five Ways to Survive Summer with a Balanced Church Budget

Churches have historically dreaded summer due to one thing: giving. That's because activities and costs peak with summer missions trips, camps, and Vacation Bible School just as regular weekly contributions wane. The challenge for every church leader is to survive slow summer giving with a balanced budget.

The good news: It's possible. The bad news: It will require more attention than you've likely given it in the past. If you want different results, you must be willing to shift your thinking, planning, and strategy. Read more

Live to Give

Where should we direct our giving? Surrounded by so many needs and opportunities it’s difficult to know where to start. Is there any priority or principle by which to choose whom to give to?

Giving is the Christian way of living. It involves more than money for we give ourselves to the Lord and to each other as we use the gifts that God has given to us to serve one another. We give our time, energy, interest, concern, prayers and hospitality – anything we have that could be used for the benefit of others. However, it does include giving money and that is what I am writing about. Read more

Doesn't official Anglican teaching rule out an inter-faith coronation?

Photo: Dan Marsh

The report in The Sunday Telegraph that senior Anglican leaders are wanting to involve representatives of non-Christian faiths in the coronation of the next monarch for the first time in British history will come as no suprise to probably most Christian Today readers.

After all, Prince Charles in his famous 1994 interview with Jonathan Dimbleby expressed his preference to be a defender of faith in general rather than just the Protestant Christian faith his mother promised to defend in 1953.

However, the issues raised by the involvement of non-Christian religious leaders in the coronation service at Westminster Abbey are significant both for the monarchy and for the Church by law established. Read more

Just say "no" to euthanasia

Vermont has become the fourth American state to legalize euthanasia after Gov. Peter Shumlin signed into law the “End of Life Choices" Act which permits physicians to administer a fatal overdose to terminally ill patients who wish to commit suicide.

On 20 May 2013 Gov. Peter Shumlin signed the bill into law after it was approved by the state legislature: 75 to 65 in the House and 17 to 13 in the Senate.

“This bill does not compel anyone to do anything that they don't choose in sound mind to do. All it does is give those who are facing terminal illness, are facing excruciating pain, a choice in a very carefully regulated way," the governor said after he signed the bill. Read more

Survey: Mature Christians unashamed of faith

While not all churchgoers are particularly transparent or open about their faith, mature Christians are consistent in character and identity around non-believers, LifeWay research reveals.

The survey of Protestant churchgoers identifies "unashamed" as one of eight attributes of discipleship that consistently show up in the lives of maturing Christians. Being unashamed connotes a boldness to stand for one's beliefs in conversation and lifestyle, LifeWay Research director Scott McConnell said.

"There are two elements to this discipleship attribute: being unashamed of Jesus Christ around nonbelievers and showing transparency among other Christians," McConnell said. "This transparency is seen when a mature disciple is open to spiritual accountability and willing to share about challenges with other believers."

Churchgoers also seem to think they live out their faith in a manner that is evident to others. Just 14 percent of churchgoers agree with the statement: "Many people who know me are not aware I am a Christian," while 72 percent disagree with the statement. Read more

Also read
Are American Christians 'Unashamed' of Their Faith?

Churches to have 'hard discussion' about Scouts

With the decision Thursday (May 23) to open the Boy Scouts of America membership to homosexual youth, the 70,000 faith-based organizations, including many churches, that have championed the virtues of "duty to God" and moral straightness by sponsoring local troops must decide whether to cut ties with the Scouts or continue their association with evangelistic outreach in mind.

Of the 100,000 chartered Scouting units in the United States, 70 percent are sponsored by faith-based organizations. Some took decisive stands against loosening membership standards, while leadership from other church groups voiced murkier positions. Numerous Southern Baptist leaders voiced opposition to the policy change.

Church leaders said the decision of affiliation with the Boy Scouts would be made at the local level. Read more

Also read
The Boy Scouts fall to political correctness
GLAAD Pushes Boy Scouts to Now Lift Ban on Openly Gay Leaders, Volunteers
LDS Church Accepts New Boy Scout Policy on Gay Members
Megachurch Pastor Says Evangelicals Will Likely Turn to Boy Scout Alternatives

Church of England drives forward with women bishops

The Church of England has published new proposals to enable women to become bishops.

The Women in the Episcopate report sets out a timetable for the legislative process to be wrapped up by November 2015.

It comes after the defeat of draft legislation on women bishops at the General Synod last year despite a majority voting in favour. There were emotional scenes after the legislation fell because it could not obtain the necessary two-thirds majority in each of the three houses.

The new proposals contain four options to be considered at the July General Synod in York. There are also provisions for traditionalists who cannot in conscience accept women bishops.

The House of Bishops is hoping that debates on the new legislation will be held at the November meeting of the General Synod. Read more

Also read
Church of England Plans to Have Female Bishops by 2015

Can a Dying Church Find Life? — Rainer on Leadership #006

In last week’s podcast episode on An Autopsy of a Deceased Church, we examined what had led to the death of a church I had previously consulted. But the story doesn’t end there. In this week’s episode, we look at six steps to turning around a church that is either dying or not growing. Once again, three themes emerged.... Read more

New Pastors, Change, and Churches that Resist: Part 1

It’s my first week, what should I change here?” Perhaps new pastors don’t vocalize the question, but I know they think it. At least, I don’t believe I’m the only one. The default setting to change something is only natural for a good leader. Having a vision means being dissatisfied with the status quo.

“The search committee said they were bringing me on to make needed changes. Why is the church resisting the obvious?!” Why have so many pastors’ honeymoons ended after the first month? Resistance to change is one of the largest hurdles in leadership. I once had a handful of pencils launched my way when my tweaks to a potluck dinner were discovered. I learned not to mess with potlucks. Luckily the pencils weren’t that sharp, and they no longer contain lead. No blood, no foul.

Every church leader has been there. We’ve all met the resistance. Here are a few reasons why people resist change. Read more

The Boy Scouts Should Have Seen It Coming: The Gay Agenda Certainly Did

Sixty percent of the 1,400 voting members of the Boy Scouts voted to allow openly gay members, but not leaders yesterday, in a predictable change to the 103 year-old civic organization. What are the possible outcomes? Litagation? Most likely. Defections? Definitely. The response by faith groups who are the most vested with the Scouts-the Catholic Church, the United Methodist Church, and the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints (Mormons)- remains varied.

More telling is that seventy percent of those who operate Scouting units are faith-based organizations that will most likely not be able to host the Scouts in the future because the language in the resolution prohibits them from being who they are-organizations that hold religious beliefs.

These groups will no longer be able to "give definite attention to religious life" because if they did they would violate the injunction not "to promote or advance any social … position or agenda." Any orthodox Christian organization that adheres to Biblical definitions of marriage, family, and sexuality will no longer be able to teach their beliefs because the Scouts position now defines a religious belief as a prohibited "social position." Read more

Gay marriage: Christians are experiencing our own kind of exile

I guess Christians throughout the UK will be reacting to the progress of the same-sex marriage bill with a mixture of emotions. For some there will be a sense of despair, even anger that the Prime Minister could attempt to reshape an ancient institution in such a calculating and willful manner - feelings that will not have been helped by the unusual outbreak of applause following the announcement of the vote.

Others no doubt will be dismayed or even puzzled that God could have allowed this given the concerted efforts to defend the traditional understanding of marriage, not to mention the many fervent prayers that have been offered both in private and in the public square.

And as if "adding salt to the wounds" the Church of Scotland has taken a decision that will inevitably ensure the progress of openly homosexual ministry among its people. So how should we react? Read more

Iran's treatment of its Christian minority has come under fresh scrutiny in recent months with some harsh reports on the country's human rights record.

Reports from the United Kingdom's Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) and New York-based International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran (ICHRI) cite evidence of "systematic persecution and prosecution" of Protestants and Christian converts, as part of a widespread violation of international laws. Read more

Church Society: National Day of Prayer for Marriage and crucial Lords vote

The below call to prayer was released yesterday by the Christian Institute, Care, Christian Concern, Evangelical Alliance, and CMF, calling on Christians to pray for marriage on Sunday, 2 June:

We are issuing this joint email to urge you all to make Sunday, 2 June, a National Day of Prayer for Marriage. It is an opportunity to come together and show our very great concern for marriage.

The timing could not be more urgent. It has now been revealed that the very next day, Monday 3 June, the House of Lords will have an opportunity to vote down the whole same-sex marriage Bill. Read more

Tragedy in Scotland

Two reflections on this week’s compromise vote in the Church of Scotland’s General Assembly spell out the sadness and tragedy of a denomination which walks away from the word of God  Read more

Developing story: Boy Scouts approve plan to accept openly gay boys

After lengthy and wrenching debate, local leaders of the Boy Scouts of America have voted to open their ranks to openly gay boys for the first time, but heated reactions from the left and right made clear that the BSA's controversies are far from over.

The Scouts' longstanding ban on gay adults remains in force, and many liberal Scout leaders — as well as gay-rights groups — plan to continue pressing for an end to that exclusion even though the BSA's top officials aren't ready for that step.

Meanwhile, many conservatives within the Scouts are distraught at the outcome of the vote and some are threatening to defect. A meeting is planned for next month to discuss the formation of a new organization for boys. Read more

Also read
Boy Scouts' Membership Change May Grow Christian Youth Clubs
Boy Scouts overturn ban on gay members
'Sadness' after Boy Scouts of America overturns ban on gay members

The Church and Psalm 81

What does the church most need today? In answering this important but rather general question, Psalm 81 is uniquely important and helpful. This psalm obviously contains beautiful promises and clear directions to help the people of God. But careful study of this psalm will deepen our appreciation of it, increase its value for us, and show us how distinctive it is for helping the church.

As we study psalms, we soon learn that the central verse of a psalm is often significant as a key to its interpretation. The central line of Psalm 81 is the heart of that psalm, as the plaintive cry of God is heard: “O Israel, if you would but listen to me!” (v. 8b). Perhaps this line will resonate more profoundly with the readers of this issue of Tabletalk if we translate it, “O Israel, if you would but hear me!” The center of Psalm 81—indeed the whole psalm—is a reflection on the Shema.

The centrality of this line and its importance are underscored when we recognize that Psalm 81 is the central psalm of Book 3 of the Psalter. Book 3 (Psalms 73–89) principally concerns the crisis in Israel caused by the destruction of the temple (Ps. 74) and the apparent failure of God’s promises that David’s sons would forever sit on his throne (Ps. 89). Something of the cause and character of this crisis is contained in this central line of the central psalm. Read more

Fourteen Characteristics of Theological Legalism

Without question, one of the most disturbing traits of the world of theology is the far to often reality that grace is eclipsed by theological legalism.

Twice today I encountered this in its most blatant forms by two very different types of people. Both were very passionate about theology and both, undoubtedly, believe that their attitude toward me or my teaching is justified and honoring to the Lord. However, I believe that both of these men sacrificed a major issue of grace in defense of minor issues in theology.

The first, whose name I will not share as he is undoubtedly well-known to most of you, caught me very much off guard. (And it is not really easy to catch me off guard as I receive dozens of “hate” emails every day from those who believe it is their job to put me back on the path of theological astuteness.) This man, a significant theologian in the world of reformation theology, does not believe I take theology seriously enough. Of course his reasoning comes (I imagine) from the fact that I don’t agree with him. And, of course, if I took theology seriously, I would agree with him! Ironically, this lack of grace often comes from those who believe most strongly in the reformed “doctrines of grace.” But this man sent me one of the most ungracious emails I have ever received. And, yes, it did hurt my feelings. But more than that—believing that this man’s criticism of me comes from his general disdain from the “heresy” of Evangelical Calvinism—it discouraged me that someone who believes he is so right theologically can be so graceless personally. Read more

Free eBook - In Plain Sight : A Primer for Reclaiming Discipleship in the Local Church

American evangelicalism has been blindsided. Our cities and our world have changed. In our missional focus to reach the city, we have realized our inability to reach the entire urban context—specifically the individuals that don’t fit into the majority culture. Somehow it has been accepted to do ministry and create disciples, while ignoring certain portions that aren’t as accessible; they were quarantined and unseen.

Now, however, it’s impossible to ignore what is quickly taking over. This new urban – the dense and diverse – is transforming and shaping our culture, society and neighborhoods. As leaders, we’d be foolish to make our mission anything other than the city in its entirety- beautiful parts and complicated. There’s no more looking the other way.

That is why In Plain Sight seeks to develop a holistic strategy for discipling America’s true urban: those in plain sight.

This free resource includes:

• A wholistic strategy for making disciples
• A primer for discipleship in your group of church
• Insights and perspectives that will shake the status quo
• A how-to manual on reaching people you have previously overlooked

Download from Verge Network

Are You REALLY Interpreting the Bible Literally?

Interpreting the Bible literally can be a good thing. It probably means that you want to know exactly what God says and obey his words. It means you don’t want to play Bible roulette with which verses you obey. It means you’re willing to obey all the commands of the Bible, even the painful ones.

But, interpreting the Bible literally can also get you into a lot of trouble. Harold Camping thought he was interpreting the Bible literally, which in turn led him to mispredict the end of the world…twice. Pinstripe wearing prosperity preachers think they are interpreting the Bible literally, which leads them to teach that God never wills illness. Heck, the hellfire, hate-throwing folks at Westboro Baptist Church probably think they are interpreting the Bible literally.

So what does it mean to truly interpet the Bible literally? How can we be sure that our “literal” interpretation of the Bible isn’t actually a theological hack job? Here are some simple questions to help you truly interpret the Bible literally. Read more

7 Ways to Respond on Sunday after a Disaster is in the News

This was a week (again) where the news was dominated by a natural disaster. Knowing that this blog is read by many pastors and church leaders, I felt led to address the issue many of them (us) will be considering…or at least should be.

How to respond the Sunday after a disaster in the news:

This is often a delicate issue. Unless your church is super large, and probably even then, you won’t be able to respond to every disaster with money and people. Obviously there are disasters every week. Some get more national attention than others. How do you know what to address on Sunday? How do you respond as a church? Read more

Idol Worship Spawned the Same-Sex Revolution

Rainbow Gay Pride banner, symbol of the Gay Rights movement

Whenever addressing a topic as misunderstood as this one, it is helpful at the outset to reaffirm the fact that God loves everyone. He loves those who struggle with this or that temptation, as well as those who feel unlovable. "God is love." (1 John 4:8)

It is fairly obvious that heterosexual desire is natural. Most people experience it. There is much disagreement today, however, about homosexual desire. Is it also natural, or is it unnatural? Did God create man to have this orientation, or did same-sex attraction originate in some other way? Was it due to God's design, or man's revolt against God's plan?

Hopefully we can all agree on the fact that every human being is created in God's image, and is therefore loved by God. We should also be able to agree that since we are all sinners, it is wrong to look down on someone and judge that person. We are created equal, and we all have fallen short of God's standard for perfection.

So why the different desires in the area of sexuality? Why do most men and women find themselves attracted to those of the opposite sex, while a small percentage of men and women are attracted to those of the same sex? Read more

Boy Scouts of America Lifts Ban on Gay Youth; 61 Percent Voted for Resolution

After a contentious challenge to their membership policy, 1,400 delegates of the 103-year-old Boy Scouts of America youth organization voted overwhelmingly to adopt an amendment that effectively lifts the ban on homosexual youth in the organization on Thursday.

The ban on gay adult scout leaders, will remain.

Sixty-one percent of the delegates voted in favor of the resolution while 34 percent voted against it at the organization's National Annual Meeting in Grapevine, Texas. Read more

Also read
Scouting Community Fear Sex, Politics of Gay Agenda Will Fracture Boy Scouts of America

No More Church Evictions from Public Schools, Says New York City Council

Churches threatened with eviction from New York City public schools are celebrating the city council's passage today of a resolution calling on state lawmakers to protect their right to rent worship space on Sundays.

"Right to Worship Resolution passes NY City Council by 38-11," noted A Journey Through NYC Religions, which broke the news in a brief post. "Council steamrolls over Speaker Christine Quinn’s opposition to resolution."

The resolution (full text) notes that current restrictions "have had a more restrictive effect on religious organizations seeking to use school property than would appear to be required by the Establishment Clause," and calls upon state lawmakers and the governor to "sign legislation amending the New York State
Education Law to afford houses of worship equal access to school property." Read more

Also read
NYC Council Passes 'Right to Worship' Resolution to Give Churches Access to Schools

Seven (Hopefully) Helpful Hints after Seven Months of Visiting Churches

I’ve been on the road a bit more than usual. My job as CEO of LifeWay requires that I spend most of my time in Nashville, but I do get out to speak and preach frequently. These past seven months have been unusually heavy travel times for a myriad of reasons, but I have tried to make the most of my trips.

Though I’ve not been a church consultant for several years, I do seem to see churches through consultant’s eyes. That reality has been especially apparent as I visited many churches during the past seven months. So, even if I am the guest preacher, I enter the church grounds as a guest. I drive my own rental car, and I have to find parking and entrances just like everyone else.

So what have I found these past seven months? I could give you a fairly extensive consultation report about the churches, but I prefer to distill my words into just a few helpful hints. Each of these issues clearly needed addressing in most of the churches I visited. Read more

TGC13 Media Now Available for Free

Last month around 5,000 of us from 49 states and 41 countries gathered in Orlando to worship our risen and reigning King. At our Missions Pre-Conference (7 plenaries, 15 workshops) we pondered our glorious task of heralding the good news around the globe. At our National Conference (9 plenaries, 41 workshops, 3 auxiliary events) we beheld the Lord of glory in the Gospel of Luke. At our Faith at Work Post-Conference (3 plenaries, 3 panels) we explored the complex intersection between vocation and the gospel. Learn more

St. Helen’s — Mark’s Gospel Tool Kit [VIDEO]

Andrew Sach introduces tools to help understand Mark’s Gospel in this month’s St Helen’s Training.”

– See this month’s two videos from Andrew Sach, as well as earlier overviews of Mark’s Gospel by Charlie Skrine, at the St. Helen’s website.

Originally posted on the Anglican Church League website

How to Lead (and Preach) through Your Weaknesses

Jesus was definitely an iconoclast, continually challenging the conventional thinking of His day. Twenty different times Jesus said, “You’ve heard it said… but I say to you…” And even today, his thoughts on leadership go against the grain.

Most modern books on leadership, whether Christian or secular, give the same advice – be confident, never admit fear, maintain control and be composed, be convincing and never show weakness. But Jesus had a different style altogether. Instead of leading from a position of strength (lording authority over people), Jesus led from a position of weakness, becoming a servant. Read more

Episcopal Priest Suspended For Allegedly Stealing Sermons From Book 'Dynamic Preaching'

An Episcopal priest in Sandwich, Mass., has been suspended from his duties for allegedly stealing several sermons from a book he purchased from Sermons.com.

The Rev. John E. McGinn, who has served at St. John's Episcopal Church for two decades, was placed on administrative leave last week after allegations emerged that the 65-year-old priest had plagiarized sermons since 2006 from a book titled Dynamic Preaching. An official with the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts told the Cape Cod Times that the Rev. McGinn preached as many as 15 sermons lifted word-for-word from the book.

When he was confronted in 2006, McGinn promised officials that it would not happen again, but the plagiarism allegedly continued. Many of the sermons were published on the church's website and in its bulletins. The "Sermons" page on St. John's Church website appears to have been scrubbed, as there were no sermons available for viewing Tuesday.

McGinn has been the rector of St. John's Episcopal Church, home to more than 300 families, since 1993. He has refused to comment on the allegations, but told the Cape Cod Times: "I'm going to retire. I loved my time at the parish. That's all. I think I did a good job." Read more

Also read
Sandwich priest suspended for plagiarism
Priest suspended for plagiarizing "straight from Sermons.com'

I am curious whether the sermons were Biblically-orthodox and theologicall-sound. While John McGinn was wrong in not giving credit to the authors of the sermons, Anglicans and Episcopalians have a long tradition of ministers reading at church services sermons that they did not compose. Isn't Tom Shaw a liberal bishop?

Supreme Court takes up major prayer case

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to take up a prayer case that could have a major impact on the intersection between church and state and finally bring clarity to what is constitutionally allowed -- such as the mention of "Jesus" -- in prayers at government meetings.

At issue is an open policy in the town of Greece, N.Y., to allow a person from the community to pray before the monthly board meetings. All clergy of all faiths in the community who wanted to pray were welcome to do so, and their names were placed on a list. Each month, the next person on the list was invited. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals in 2012 ruled that the prayers amounted to an unconstitutional government establishment of religion because most of the prayers were explicitly Christian.

The Second Circuit made clear that praying at the meetings was allowed as long as there was more balance. The town's policy, the court ruled, "had the effect of affiliating the town with Christianity." In one portion of the ruling, the Second Circuit frowned on the fact that that two-thirds of the prayers during one stretch contained references to "Jesus Christ," "Jesus," "Your Son" or the "Holy Spirit."  Read more

Also read
Supreme Court Will Re-Examine Prayer at Government Meetings

Lords 'must have confidence' to reject same-sex marriage bill

After the House of Commons voted to allow gay marriage in England and Wales last night, supporters of the traditional definition of marriage are looking to the House of Lords to reject the Government's bill.

"Peers should have confidence to vote against the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill at its first House of Lords debate due on 3 June," said the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children.

The House of Commons passed the bill by 366 votes to 161. It was opposed by 133 Tory MPs. Read more

Also read
Gay marriage: Commons passes Cameron's plan

Christian Leaders Ask Boy Scouts to Keep Current Policy on Gay Scouts

A statement signed by 48 Christian leaders asks the Boy Scouts of America to maintain its current policy of not allowing gay scouts.

"We strongly support the Boy Scouts of America current prohibition on open homosexuality and retaining it without revision," the statement begins.

Earlier this year, the Boy Scouts was considering changing the policy to allow each chapter to decide whether to allow gay leaders, volunteers or scouts. After some pushback from some host churches, it decided to delay a decision on any policy change. The Boy Scouts will now consider a proposal on Thursday at its national meeting on whether to change its current policy to allow gay scouts, but not gay leaders or volunteers.

More than 40 rallies have been held across the country this week to show support for the current policy, according to CBN News. Read more

Also read
Boy Scouts Receive 19,000 Signatures Supporting Gay Membership Ban as Vote Looms

Crawling Through The 10/40 Window

For more than two decades, much of the Christian world has been turning its gaze toward the 10/40 Window. Increasingly the North American evangelical church, the richest church in the history of the world, has been redirecting its missionaries and other missions resources toward the darkness within the this area of the globe. The goals are highly commendable, but are these methods prudent?

Argentine-born evangelist Luis Bush coined the phrase "10/40 Window" in 1989. The Joshua Project currently defines the 10/40 Window as those 69 countries that sit between 10 and 40 degrees north latitude in North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. This is the heart of Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. It has been estimated that 90 percent of the 4.4 billion people living in the 10/40 Window are unevangelized; yet only 10 percent of our global missionary force serves there. Read more

7 Steps to Teach Theology in the Local Church

Evangelicals know that theology matters, and we’re quick to remind others of this fact. What we’re not so quick to acknowledge is the focus of this blogpost: we do a poor job of teaching the very theology we claim is so important. We think that our church members understand and believe our basic doctrine, even while those same members are learning their theology from TV talk show hosts, popular television preachers, or the latest religious novel. Do an anonymous survey of your congregation’s beliefs, and see what you learn. If the majority knows and believes basic biblical doctrine, your church is more an exception than the norm. 

Consider these steps for teaching theology in your church.... Read more

William Goode - Polemicist of the Evangelical Middle Way

They went down to their graves in the 1830s; James Stephen in 1832, Hannah More and William Wilberforce in 1833, John Shore in 1834, Charles Simeon in 1836, and Zachary Macaulay in 1838. Together with John Newton (d. 1807), John Venn (d. 1813), Henry Thornton (d. 1815), Isaac Milner (d. 1820), and Thomas Scott (d. 1821), they had comprised the bulk of the leadership of the second generation Evangelical party1 within the Church of England. Of the first generation John Wesley had scoffed that, 'They are a rope of sand, and such they will continue'.2 Instead, on the eve of Victoria's reign, the party had been woven into a strong rope. Despite some fraying on the ends, Evangelicals were now the driving force in the Church of England and numerically may have counted for as many as 30% of its members.

While not monolithic, the Evangelicals were typified by the 'middle man' theology of John Newton. Newton had shunned religious controversy and sought to build a consensus among evangelicals of all stripes. His passions were of a pastoral nature with the accent on evangelism and spiritual counsel. He bequeathed a mild Calvinism which steered a course well away from both legalism and antinomianism. Conversion entailed both the beginning of spiritual life and the lifelong transformation of the life of the believer. 3 Read more

Internet Archives has electronic editions of William Goode's work, The Divine Rule of Faith and Practice.

Gallup Poll: Majority Now Say Gay Sex, Unwed Births, Are Morally OK

A Gallup poll shows that a majority of Americans now believe that sexual relations between two men or two women, and unmarried women having a baby, are morally acceptable.

In the new survey, 59 percent of American adults answered that gay or lesbian relations are morally acceptable, a 19 percentage point increase since 2001 when only 40 percent said it was morally acceptable.

Sixty percent of respondents said that having a baby outside of marriage was morally acceptable, a 15 percentage point increase since 2002 when only 45 percent said it was morally acceptable.

Of the 20 issues which Gallup asked about their moral acceptability, same-sex sexual relations and unwed pregnancies saw the greatest increases. They were also the only issues which changed from a minority to a majority of the country finding them morally acceptable over the past decade. Read more

Churches attacked in Egypt

The escalation of Muslim attacks on Christian churches in Egypt continues unabated.

According to a story by Mary Abdelmassih for the Assyrian International News Agency (AINA), there were two attacks last week, one in Alexandria and one in Menbal in Upper Egypt. They were both allegedly prompted by harassment of Muslim women.

AINA said the church of St Mary, in the Dakhela district, west of Alexandria, was attacked by Molotov cocktails and bricks, causing the gate to burn and the breaking of most of the stained glass windows. One Copt was killed and several injured. Read more

Attorneys caution Scouts of legal fallout

Attorneys are warning of dire legal ramifications resulting from a change in the Boy Scouts of America's membership policy as delegates prepare to consider the proposal at their national meeting Thursday, May 23.

Two attorneys' opinions were circulated to all 1,400 national BSA voting delegates May 17 in an email from Lee Beaman, president of the BSA Middle Tennessee Council Board.

The proposed membership change would leave in place the prohibition on homosexual Scout leaders but would allow youth who identify as gay to join. The Middle Tennessee Council said earlier in May it "will not vote to approve the resolution" but to retain the current membership policy.

"Because of the impact Scouting has had on my life, I am deeply committed to ensuring that the B.S.A. remains in a position to impact the lives of America's boys and mold them into young men," wrote James Bopp Jr., an attorney in Terre Haute, Ind., who achieved the rank of Eagle Scout and has won four cases presented at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Among the legal concerns Bopp raised.... Read more

Gay marriage Bill — Letter to The Telegraph

This letter from church leaders across England, was published in The Telegraph yesterday (20th May 2013) –

The Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Bill is set to isolate hundreds of thousands of young students and workers across the country who hold a fuller view of marriage based on religion or a traditional view. These young people, from teenagers to 30-year-olds, will suffer discrimination and face new risks to their careers, and futures, if the Bill passes in its present form. Read more

Church of Scotland General Assembly votes to allow gay ministers

The Church of Scotland's ruling General Assembly has voted to allow actively gay men and women to become ministers.

Assembly commissioners in Edinburgh voted in favour of a proposal that allows liberal parishes to opt out of the church's policy on homosexuality.

Legislation will be drafted for next year, then go to regional presbyteries and return for final approval in 2015.

Divisions were caused when the first openly homosexual minister was appointed by the Kirk four years ago.

Two congregations and six ministers broke away. Read more

Also read
Church of Scotland claims ‘common ground’ in sexuality debate
Church of Scotland allows congregations to choose gay ministers

Six Recent Lessons I Learned from Turnaround Churches

I love hearing stories of hope. Instead of waiting for the stories to come to me, I recently interviewed 19 pastors whose churches had moved from struggling to breakout. All of the pastors had been in the church at least four years, and all of them had reached points of frustrations.

Then their churches began to reverse their declines and stagnations.

None of the pastors I interviewed were new at their churches. None of the churches had relocated in recent years. And none of the communities in which the churches were located had grown dramatically.

So what happened at these churches?

All of the pastors were careful to give glory to God. Most of them articulated that their stories were not ones of mere methodological devices. But they did have six common themes worth noting. Read more

Churches Cooperating in Discipline

Yes, autonomous local churches really can cooperate in church discipline. No, they typically don’t. But, yes, they should!

The first step my own church takes to cooperate with other churches in discipline is to ask everyone joining the church, have you ever been disciplined from a local church? If the person answers “yes,” more questions will follow, and possibly the pastors will reach out to the former church.

Read Greg Wills’ book Democratic Religion: Freedom, Authority and Church Discipline in the Baptist South, 1785-1900, and you will discover that, once upon a time, it was harder for excommunicated individuals to float from church to church because pastors asked those kinds of questions. Yes, it is rarer today. But what if more and more church leaders—like you?—began doing that again? How might that affect the evangelical landscape? My guess is that it would deal a hard blow to nominal Christianity and that our witness to outsiders would improve.

If you are a Baptist or believer in a free-church polity generally, say it out loud with me: cooperate.

Here are three illustrations from my own church’s experience of cooperating with other churches in discipline.... Read more

Books: Exposing Myths About Christianity: A Guide to Answering 145 Viral Lies and Legends

Jeffrey Burton Russell’s new apologetic book addresses two trending and, for the foreseeable future, enduring phenomena. The first is the growth in the popularity of certain atheistic arguments and attitudes (specifically from those whom he appropriately refers to as “antitheists”). The second is the technologically driven trend that reduces discourse to one-line arguments, which are then widely and wildly spread, often without examination of historical or logical evidence. The combination of these two developments has produced careless dismissals of Christian faith, which are often encapsulated in pithy, pseudo-intellectual axioms. Exposing Myths gathers 145 “lies and legends” about Christianity, and provides the careful responses that one would expect from a distinguished historian.

Some of the myths are vague accusations, such as #4: Christianity is a fairy tale, or #115: Protestantism is puritanical. Others are more pointed and concrete, such as #15: Christianity supported black slavery, or #49: Medieval Christians believed the earth was flat. Read more

Ten Reasons Why Hymnals Have a Future

The function of hymnals in the life of the church has changed dramatically over the past thirty years. Many congregations rarely use them. Thousands of Christians seldom, if ever, open one. When people hear of the publication of Lift Up Your Hearts (LUYH), it’s natural for some of them to ask, “Why would you ever want to publish another hymnal?”

The most basic response to this is that many congregations do use hymnals every week, in both public worship and in church education and pastoral care. Still others are rediscovering the value of hymnals, reintroducing their selective use alongside other ways of presenting songs. Indeed, the hymnal supplement Sing! A New Creation surpassed its original projected sales ten times over. Psalms for All Seasons did the same in less than one year. Hymnals from a variety of other publishers continue to sell well, too.

Hymnals make several valuable contributions to Christian life today, in dynamic interaction with all the other ways we access and project music and information. Further, a hymnal is a valuable resource for all kinds of Christians, as well as congregational leaders, whether or not their congregation uses a hymnal in worship.

Here are ten reasons why.... Read more

Lift Up Your Hearts: Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs

Methodists May Discourage Those Over 45 from Becoming Pastors

Texas Conference of United Methodists is proposing new age guidelines that encourage recruiting younger clergy.

The overall average age of retirement is creeping slowly upward, but one regional United Methodist conference is promoting changes that would limit ordination opportunities for anyone over the age of 45.

The Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church (UMC) has proposed new guidelines for candidates entering ministry. The guidelines encourage those over the age of 45 to "to pursue other expressions of lay ministry," and they aim to recruit younger clergy.

According to the UMC, "The Rev. Carol Bruse, the chair of the conference’s 70-member board of ordained ministry, said the aim of the proposed standards is to help the conference plan for future needs. The policy would not affect current clergy or clergy candidates in the Texas Conference." Read more

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United Methodist Publication 'Reporter' Founded in 1840s To Close

Southern Baptist leaders oppose Scout proposal

Southern Baptist leaders Frank Page and Richard Land have written letters expressing strong opposition to a proposal that would leave in place the prohibition on homosexual Scout leaders but would allow youth who identify as gay to join.

Boy Scouts delegates will consider the proposal at their national meeting Friday, May 24. The letters were released the same week that Boy Scout troops across America rallied Friday (May 17) against the proposal. The rallies were sponsored by OnMyHonor.net, a coalition of concerned parents, Scout Leaders, donors, Eagle Scouts and others who oppose the proposal. Read more

The Archbishop, College of Bishops, and Provincial Council of the Anglican Church in North America have issued no statement voicing opposition to this proposal. 

Church of Scotland debates gay ordinations

The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is today debating a report on same-sex relationships and the ministry.

The report sets out the traditionalist and revisionist views on the ordination of ministers who are in same-sex relationships.

Drawn up by the Church's Theological Commission, it notes that some of the views expressed will be met with "anxious concern" and that some may feel they can no longer remain within the Church of Scotland. Read more

Christians praying as Parliament debates same-sex marriage

Christians are praying outside Parliament on Monday and Tuesday as the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill has its Third Reading.

The prayer meetings have been organised by campaign group Christian Concern, which opposes any change to the law on marriage.

The gatherings are taking place on both days from 12pm to 2pm and 5pm to 7pm in Old Palace Yard, opposite the Houses of Parliament.

The call to prayer is being supported by Jonathan Oloyede, Convener of the National Day of Prayer, which brought 30,000 Christians to Wembley Stadium for a day of prayer for the nation last year. Read more

Also read
No huge demand for gay marriage, says Philip Hammond
The same-sex couples bill – what is at issue. A statement from Anglican Mainstream

Anglicans Ablaze Weekend Edition: May 18, 2013

This weekend on Anglicans Ablaze:

• The Unspoken Tension Between (Some) Pastors and (Some) Laity
• Books: The Road to Missional
• NEXT Church Planting Network Is Giving Away $10,000
• Preaching: The Big Idea: Marry biblical truth and passionate delivery
• Music Resources: Lift Up Your Hearts: Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs
• Your Small Group Can Help People Affected by Mental Illness
• Money and the Church
• Study: In an E-book Era, Most Pastors Prefer Hard Copies of Books
• Have 8 Million Millennials Really Given Up on Christianity
• Southern Cone Consecrates First Anglican Asian Bishop in Latin America
• Anglican Congregation Seeks Rehearing After Losing Property Suit to Episcopal Church
• Anglican Diocese chief Bishop Keith Slater quits over abuse handling
• 'Barbaric': Scientists clone human embryo for first time
• CALL TO PRAYER: Romans 1 & a nation's tipping point
• Arizona House Approves Bill Further Protecting Religious Freedom
• IN-DEPTH: Will the Scouts withstand pressure?
• Washington Post Poll Claims Majority in Bible Belt State Support Gay Marriage
• Florist, told she must do gay wedding, sues
• Minnesota Governor Signs Gay Marriage Bill; Some Brace for God's Wrath
• Bill Banning 'Foreign Law' Passes North Carolina House
• Afghan parliament fails to pass divisive women's law
• Going to Hell for Using Twitter? Saudi Arabia Condemns Social Networks
• Blasphemy Charges Becoming New Weapon Against Egyptian Christians

The Unspoken Tension Between (Some) Pastors and (Some) Laity

I did not want to write this post. Indeed I have resisted for several months for fear I would do more harm than good.

But the conviction to write it is too great. I pray that God will use it for His glory, and that I will not be an impediment to His work.

Here is the simple thesis: There is a growing tension between some pastors and some laity in churches across America. It is not pervasive, but it’s growing. Frankly, I don’t even like the seemingly opposing labels of pastors and laity. I just don’t know how to describe the groups otherwise.

This tension is like the family secret that no one mentions explicitly, but many speak around it and near it. And this tension is growing. Read more