Wednesday's Catch: 'State ecumenical groups ramp up efforts to combat Christian nationalism' And More

State ecumenical groups ramp up efforts to combat Christian nationalism
Church members are seeking ways to respond to family members, friends and neighbors taken up with Christian nationalism. Ecumenical and interfaith groups on the state level are offering some tips.

Also See: Exvangelicals, nones, secular Americans are undertapped in fight against Christian nationalism

5 Ways to Pray for Our Country
When you find yourself wanting to pray for our country but not sure what to pray, allow Scripture to be your guide.

Why and How You Should Create Your Own Church Curriculum
Many church leaders are at least aware that a number of churches write their own curriculum. However, this approach is often considered a luxury option that only large churches can do. Jess and Thom share how churches of all sizes can create a variety of their own resources.

Habits for Successful Youth Leaders: 10 Traits To Cultivate
...cultivate these 10 habits for successful youth leaders. They will help you improvise, adapt, and overcome as you serve in youth ministry.

Believe in Your Purpose
Jesus believes his divine partnership with God powers his prayers and allows him to lean into his superpower to co-create miracles with God. These transformative beliefs lead to an even greater belief: his life has unwavering purpose directed by God the Father. Jesus lives his life on purpose.

10 Reasons Every Christian Should Share the Message of Jesus
The Bible makes it clear that God has called every believer to share the Good News.

How to Understand How Unbelievers Think
The longer you’re a believer, the less you think like an unbeliever. After you come to Christ, your interests and values change.

Tuesday's Catch: 'NEW Surprising Insights from the Unchurched (Releasing New Research)' And More

NEW Surprising Insights from the Unchurched (Releasing New Research)
Almost 25 years ago, we completed a research project that yielded the book “Surprising Insights from the Unchurched.” The study was a breakthrough in many ways, shattering long-held myths about how the unchurched felt about the church. What about now? Do the unchurched today have feelings similar to those of a generation ago? Thom and Sam reveal their new research.

Most Protestant Churchgoers Have Non-Christian Friends
Most U.S. Protestant churchgoers say they currently have non-Christian friends, according to a Lifeway Research study.

4 Election Day Practices for Pastors
Elections matter, and today’s election is no exception. But Election Day also gives us an opportunity that rises well above politics.

Seven tips to overcome the political divide and befriend your opponents
In recent years, surveys show that we are becoming much more divided over politics, with real animosity felt towards the other 'side' that can lead to family breakdown and intolerance. The 2024 US presidential election has been yet another example. However there are ways in which we can reverse this trend in our own lives and so influence others towards a more charitable attitude, too.

Sexually harassing a nation 

I have been watching social media as people are responding to the recent uptick of violent sexual rhetoric targeting women (and everyone, really) from former President Donald Trump and those from his inner circle. This aspect of the Trump campaign seems to be the most difficult for people to engage with, and rightly so. We have not unlearned enough or practiced healthy sexual ethics enough to know how to deal with a leader sexually harassing a nation. Mostly we are just retraumatized.

New Getty Song Rivals ‘In Christ Alone’
"This song, introduced in September at the 2024 Sing! Conference, strikes a powerful chord," writes Trevin Wax. "I first encountered it in South Korea, when the Gettys led worship at the Fourth Lausanne Congress, introducing it to a gathering of 5,000 representatives from over 220 nations."

Sing (Official Video)
When writing songs from J.I. Packer’s classic Knowing God, we realized why good theology should always lead to glad doxology. Packer’s book didn’t simply contain words on a page to be read. They were songs waiting to be sung. So the first single from the album, Sing, encourages us to do just that. It’s a jubilant call to worship, reminding us that the One who created, redeemed, and sustains us is worthy of unending songs of passionate praise.

How to Vent (Safely) in a Small Group
Here a four tips on how to vent safely and unload stresses and frustrations without hurting yourself, others, and your God.

Reviving the Remnants: How a Swedish Church Is Reawakening Its Culture to Faith

Niklas Piensoho, senior pastor of Filadelfiakyrkan (Philadelphia Church), a Pentecostal church in Stockholm, Sweden, has seen his downtown church grow from a few people when he arrived in 2006 to more than 1,000 attendees today across four campuses. The average age of churchgoers has dropped from around 60 to about 40. This renewed spiritual interest is happening in a country where only 5% of the population attends church on a typical weekend.

Monday's Catch: '"Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe takes office, proclaims ‘one church in Christ’ for a changing world" And More

Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe takes office, proclaims ‘one church in Christ’ for a changing world
The Most Rev. Sean Rowe began his nine-year term as the 28th presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church with an intimate but festive investiture service on Nov. 2 in New York that was livestreamed to close to 20,000 viewers in homes, churches and dioceses in the United States and around the world.

United Methodists stress values, character and duty as election looms
With the U.S. presidential election and down-ballot contests looming, United Methodists are making a final push to encourage their sibling Wesleyans to vote as a sacred duty, using Christian values and character traits as their guide.

Catholic voters are suffering a barrage of fake 'Catholic' news
Mock Catholic media outlets support Republican victories up and down the ballot, reporting only the ways Democratic policies digress from, not how they agree with, church teachings.

This year, I’m a single-issue voter
"This year, as we approach the presidential election, I have become a single- issue voter." Richard Conville explains.

Unveiling the True Nature of Grumbling
"I’ve recently tried to reflect on why I’m so prone to grumbling," writes Paul Levy. "The Collins Dictionary defines grumbling as “to murmur or mutter in discontent; complain sullenly.” I’m not the first to struggle with this sin. It has been a constant for the people of God."

Pastor, Use This Checklist for Better Preaching
Michael Lukaszewski shares a re a few things that e has learned as a preacher and things that he is currently trying to implement.

Daring Faith in a Culture Far From Christ
Esther and Mordecai are surprisingly helpful guides for pastors equipping their congregants to live out their faith in a culture far from God.

6 Ways New Churches Can Do Missions
If you wait to support missions financially until your church has enough people and money, I suspect you won’t do much for missions.

Sundays at All Hallows (Sunday, November 3, 2024) Is Now Online

 

Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows.

On this Sunday a number of churches will be celebrating the Feast of All Hallows, also known as the Feast of All Saints or Hallowmas. While All Hallows’ Day falls on November 1, its feast may be celebrated on the nearest Sunday, which is November 3. All Hallows Murray takes its name from this feast and is dedicated to all who faithfully served God in their generation.

The topic of this Sunday’s message is the most important commandments identified by Jesus.

Readings: Deuteronomy 6: 1-9; Mark 12: 28-34

Message: The Most Important Commandments

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2024/11/sundays-at-all-hallows-sunday-november.html

Please feel free to share this link with anyone who may be interested.

If you are new to Sundays at All Hallows, you may find these directions helpful:

-It is recommended that after reading or hearing each lesson to take time to reflect on what you read or heard during the period of silence which follows each lesson. It is also recommended that you do the same thing after reading or hearing the message.

-When you open the link to a video in a new tab, check auto-play to make sure it is in the off position. Otherwise, a second video with a different song will follow the first.

-If an ad plays when you open a link to a video in a new tab, click the refresh icon of your browser until the song appears.

-If a song begins partway through the video, click pause, move the slider to the beginning, and then click play.

-An ad may follow a song so as soon as the song is finished, close the tab.

May Sundays at All Hallows be a blessing to you.

Saturday's Lagniappe: 'The Power of Small Church Outreach' And More

The Power of Small Church Outreach
Kevin Harney shares three lessons he learned from two churches that he pastored and which he believes will encourage and help small church leaders in a wide variety of settings.

GAFCON Blasts Welby for Endorsement of Gay Sex
The GAFCON Primates’ Council rebuked Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby for stating in a recent podcast interview that he believes that sex within any “committed relationship, straight or gay,” is moral, which they call an “explicit repudiation of Christian doctrine.” The statement from the global movement of conservative Anglicans came in a Reformation Day email message from Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, where they had gathered to celebrate the installation of the Most Rev. Steve Wood as Archbishop and Primate of the Anglican Church in North America.

Once a beneficent King Cyrus, Trump has lately been cast as a biblical avenger
Charismatic 'prophets' have long compared Trump to Bible characters to justify their support for the former president. But the latest iteration, as King Jehu, may signal tacit acceptance of political violence.

In his book Keeping in Step with the Holy Spirit the late Evangelical Anglican theologian J. I. Packer identified as one of the major weaknesses of the charismatic-Pentecostal movement was how those involved in the movement interpreted Scripture. In his writings the late British charismatic Anglican leader David Watson expressed concern over the tendency of some charismatics to give too much credence to personal revelations from God claimed by various individuals in the movement and the "prophesies" they made and not enough to the Bible's warnings related false prophesy.

With Bible verses and Baptist zeal, Amanda Tyler offers how-to for dismantling Christian nationalism 

In her debut book, How to End Christian Nationalism, Tyler presents a roadmap to building multiracial interfaith coalitions and fostering what she calls 'uncomfortable' but necessary conversations — especially for white Christians.

Founded by a ‘witch,’ Salem’s oldest Anglican church tells its unique history
St. Peter’s/San Pedro Episcopal Church is Salem’s oldest Anglican church. It was founded in 1733 by Philip English, who along with his wife Mary English was one of more than 200 people who were accused of witchcraft during the infamous witch trials. The Englishes were forced to flee to New York City and did not return to Salem until the witch trials had ended. 

Democrat or MAGA, left or right, liberal or conservative: is it possible to overcome our hostile political divides?
What does 'loving our enemies' look like in our bitterly divided society? Although they don't always make the headlines, many people are working hard to overcome hatred for people who vote differently.

The Hypocrite Is the Greatest Rationalizer of All Time
"The Lord has this thing about hypocrites," writes Joe McKeever. "He doesn’t care for them much."

Expand Your Gospel Vocabulary: How to Talk About Sin and Salvation in a Post-Christendom World
The problem is what you say is not what they hear.

Keep the Feast
Keith and Kristyn Getty have released a new communion song, lyrics and music by Skye Peterson ad. Ben Shive. The words to this song are posted below the video on YouTube as well as show in the video.

Friday's Catch: 'ACNA Installs New Archbishop' And More

ACNA Installs New Archbishop
In a service marked by pageantry, prayers and celebratory bagpipes, the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) received its new Archbishop and Primate this week. Hosted at the Mount Pleasant, South Carolina campus of Seacoast, a nondenominational megachurch, the gathering drew together clergy, bishops and laity from across the denomination as well as global Anglican and ecumenical visitors.

Church Court: Season of Church Exits Is Over
The United Methodist Church’s top court ruled that a church closure cannot be used as an alternative method of disaffiliation. The Judicial Council also struck down as unconstitutional an expansion of the church-closure law. The two rulings were among five the church court released dealing with church exits and closures.

Burge sees danger in ‘political monoculture’ of evangelicalism
The problem with white evangelicals isn’t their close affiliation with the Republican Party but the homogeneity of their political thinking and culture, sociologist of religion Ryan Burge said during a conference hosted by Denver Seminary. “When a religious movement becomes overwhelmingly a political monoculture, that’s bad not just for the people in the pews, but for democracy as a whole,” said Burge, associate professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University and author of the “Graphs about Religion” Substack.

Also See: Voters must choose between two religious visions

What Exactly is “Sola Scriptura” Protecting Us Against?
At the heart of Sola Scriptura, is the recognition that fallen humans are always looking to replace God’s authority with some other human/creaturely authority. After all, that was the essence of the very first sin in the garden. The rebellion of Adam and Eve was fundamentally a rejection of God’s word that if they ate of the fruit they would surely die. Ever since, humans have been remarkably inventive in the variety of authorities they erect in place of God. Sola Scriptura is designed simply to prevent these other authorities from ruling the Christian and to keep God’s Word rightly as our ultimate guide. Here are three examples of such authorities....

Sustained Influence
Leadership is influence … for the good of the people and the advancement of the mission. It’s one thing to gain influence and a very different thing to sustain influence.

How to preach about the election
Only one Sunday remains until Election Day. With a candidate on the ballot who promises to be a dictator on day one, the stakes could not be higher — for the church or for democracy. The truth is the vast majority of American Christians reject the manipulation and abuse of faith exemplified by ex-President Donald Trump and his court pastors. Despite this, too few clergy are shepherding their congregations away from the conspiracy theories and January-6-style violence of far-right Christian nationalism and toward Jesus’ teachings of love, truth and peace.

Children’s Ministry Strategies for Unchurched Kids and Families
Children’s ministry strategies for unchurched kids are vital. Many children have little to no exposure to the Bible or Jesus. For kidmin leaders and teachers, reaching unchurched kids can be challenging. But it’s also a way to fulfill the Great Commission!

6 Things That Happen When a Youth Group Focuses on Evangelism
Every youth pastor wants to see their students on fire for Jesus. But what’s the best way to help them get there? Youth ministry tradition says a weekly game, 20-minute sermon, and the occasional special event can do the trick. But tradition is losing its impact on today’s teens who need and want more. Instead, let’s look at 6 things that happen when you switch gears and start to focus on relational evangelism.

Embracing Embodied Spirituality: A Call to Pastors and Church Leaders
In a world where the intellect often receives precedence, the church faces a vital call to reclaim and embrace the holistic nature of discipleship that integrates mind, spirit, and body.

Five practical ways to support your missionaries
Hugh Johnson identifies five practical ways that churches can support missionaries.

How I Overcame My Fear in Evangelism
How can young adult Christians share their faith without fear. Daniela Angulo offers three things that have helped her.

Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (Thursday, October 31, 2024) Is Now Online

Welcome to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows.

This Thursday evening is All Hallows Eve, commonly known as Halloween, the first eve of the feast of All Hallows Day, or Hallowmas. “Hallow” is an old English word for “saint.” On All Hallows Day we honor that great cloud of witnesses who have gone before us and who by their words and their lives testified to their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

In this Thursday evening’s message, we continue to unpack Paul’s Letter to the Colossians, considering how what he writes has bearing upon the lives of twenty-first century Christians and those exploring the Christian faith and life.

Reading: Colossians 3:18-4:1

Message: A Principle for All Believers to Follow

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2024/10/thursday-evenings-at-all-hallows_31.html

Please feel free to share this link with anyone who may be interested.

If you are new to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows, you may find these directions helpful:

-It is recommended that after reading or hearing a lesson to take time to reflect on what you read or heard during the period of silence which follows the lesson. It is also recommended that you do the same thing after reading or hearing the message.

-When you open the link to a video in a new tab, check auto-play to make sure it is in the off position. Otherwise, a second video with a different song will follow the first.

-If an ad plays when you open a link to a video in a new tab, click the refresh icon of your browser until the song appears.

-If a song begins partway through the video, click pause, move the slider to the beginning, and then click play.

-An ad may follow a song so as soon as the song is finished, close the tab.

May Thursday Evenings at All Hallows be a blessing to you.

Thursday's Catch: 'What Is the Protestant Reformation? Everything You Need to Know' Ad More

What Is the Protestant Reformation? Everything You Need to Know
The Protestant Reformation marked an explosive turning point in church history, as it recovered and proclaimed the gospel of saving grace. Its message was that God justifies men in his sight by faith alone. To be saved, a person must place their trust only in what Christ has done for them.

Also See: How the Reformers Give Hope to the Church Today

Most Americans See Halloween as Harmless, But Aren’t Participating
Most have generally positive feelings about Halloween but aren’t dressing up in a costume or welcoming trick-or-treaters to their home.

UMC high court shuts down ‘gracious exit’ measure for departing churches
The United Methodist Church’s highest court has ruled that congregations seeking to leave the denomination over theological differences cannot do so via a church closure provision.

Also See: Lawsuit between SMU and UMC is headed to court again

We tried Christian nationalism in America. It went badly.
Nostalgia for a ‘Christian America’ overlooks the realities of religion in the founding era — which included taxes, jail time, exile and even public hangings for anyone who defied state-run churches.

Mission Center Builds Up African Ministries in Boston Area
A former church building has found new life as a center for cultural exchange and fellowship among Africans in the Diocese of Massachusetts.

The Trap of ‘Results-Oriented’ Leadership
"...when you are a church leader taking your congregation toward new goals, whether it’s an overseas mission, local ministries or church planting, being results-oriented can be counterproductive and even dangerous. It leads organizations to not get the desired results and can ruin relationships and people in the process." Jia Jiang explains.

3 Core Truths True Believers Live By
Living as a true believer in Christ is more than just attending church services or knowing Bible verses by heart. It’s about embodying certain core truths that guide our actions, shape our attitudes, and transform our relationships. These core truths serve as foundational pillars for a Christ-centered life, influencing everything from how we treat others to how we respond to adversity. Let’s explore three essential truths that true believers live by, and how each one impacts the life of faith.

Proper Prep Time When Preaching Multiple Sermons or Lessons a Week
How can you avoid spending too much time preparing sermons and lessons when you have to prepare three or four different ones a week? Josh and Sam reflect on when they had to prepare Sunday morning sermons, Sunday night sermons, Wednesday night teaching sessions, and Sunday school lessons--every week!

We need to sing more than songs of praise
The collection of songs typically sung in Christian churches are heavily weighted towards praise songs. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Also See: Why do we sing in church?

Wednesday's Catch: 'Why Christianity Will Always Be on the Move' And More

Why Christianity Will Always Be on the Move
...what we’re seeing is not that Christianity is disappearing—instead, it’s spreading and shifting its geographical center.

Immigrants and Election Week: How Churches of Welcome Go From Rhetoric to Relationships and Reaching
Regardless of how politicians on either side of the spectrum intend to use rhetoric, church leaders should be mindful of the on-the-ground impact, which is often the “othering” and demonizing of entire communities of people, potentially to the detriment of our Christian witness. Christians can’t demonize groups of people and then later romanticize how difficult it is to reach them.

“Faithfully Engage Public Policy” featuring Miranda Zapor Cruz
How can Christians faithfully engage public policy? We speak with Miranda Zapor Cruz, professor of historical theology at Indiana Wesleyan University and author of Faithful Politics: 10 Approaches to Christian Citizenship and Why It Matters. She shares with us how Christians can engage public policy in faithful, yet nonpartisan ways.

The Challenge of Loving Across Divides
...hope remains for Christian leaders seeking to foster love across cultural chasms. While challenging, the Bible offers rich wisdom for initiating conversations that build bridges rather than walls.

Seven Important Trends in New Member Classes
Churches with membership classes were in the minority just ten years ago. Now, six out of ten churches have a regular new members class. Thom and Jess look at seven of the most current trends. In addition, they provide a contemporary history of new member classes in America.

Making the Most of Your Greeting Times
Phil Maynard says that the typical greeting time during a worship service encourages people to shake a lot of hands rather than really engaging someone new. He offers simple strategies and conversation starters to encourage deeper connections.

In his research Thom Rainer found that "stand and greet times" during church services were for first time visitors a highly off-putting experience and may cause them not to return for a second visit. Consequently, he does not recommend "stand and greet times." In my personal experience in visiting churches as a guest or a mystery worship visitor I have found this to be the case and I don't recommend them either.

Transformation to the Faith OF Jesus
There’s a saying often attributed to Mahatma Gandhi: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” This advice carries particular weight for Christians.

Also See: Belief in Action

The Heart of Great Preaching
I was recently at a conference, enjoying it both as a participant and as a presenter. I was particularly struck by the main Bible teaching. It was great preaching. I was challenged by the obvious passion for the Word that showed in this series of talks. I know the speaker is not a limelight seeker, so I won’t name him, but I trust these three reflections will be provocative for us.

Also See: Good Sermons Sometimes Hurt

Answers to 10 Questions You May Have About Groups Ministry
Groups ministries are foundational for discipleship in the local church, but groups ministry isn’t always simple and straightforward.

5 Tough Questions to Challenge Shallow Faith
Faith is a personal journey, one that should be both transformative and rooted deeply in one’s relationship with God. But what happens when our faith becomes routine, lacking depth or genuine conviction? A shallow faith may leave us unprepared for life’s challenges and disconnected from the true purpose of our beliefs. Here are five tough questions to help you examine your faith, uncover areas that may need growth, and encourage a closer walk with Christ.

Belonging Before Believing?
Trevi Wax examines a number of strengths and weaknesses of the “belonging before believing” mindset.

Why Is Evangelism So Hard?
We all believe in the Great Commission and most of us are committed to follow this call of Jesus, but it is just plain hard. Momentum gets stalled. Attention gets distracted. We drift off course. The next thing we know, our lives and churches are doing lots for believers and our focus on the lost fades. After encountering thousands of pastors, elders, staff members and church leaders from around the globe, I have seen the same three obstacles to evangelism surface over and over again.

Tuesday's Catch: 'If Your Church Is a Neighborhood Church, Act Like It" Ad More

If Your Church Is a Neighborhood Church, Act Like It
Many churches are located in neighborhoods they are not reaching. Thom highlights two important steps churches can take to act like a neighborhood church.

Also See: The Neighborhood Church Returns: Making the Comeback a Reality and What Megachurches, Neighborhood Churches, and the Multi-Site Movement Are Telling Us

Singapore Mission Consultation Celebrates Anglican Church Planting
A cross section of American, British, and Australian Anglican groups met face-to-face across four days this month with partners ministering within Southeast Asia, including clergy and deans from a half-dozen countries with budding Anglican churches.

What is Halloween and how do Christians respond to it?
Halloween falls on October 31 each year. Over the centuries, Christians have had a variety of attitudes to it. This is the story....

Also See: Not the Halloween You Remember

Why the Church Says No to Polyamory
There is nothing new under the sun, and marriages that include third parties are no exception. What must the Church say?

How to Become a Do-Something Preacher (Part 1)
Jesus was a do-something preacher. He didn’t want people to just listen to what he said. He wanted them to do something as a result of what he taught them. 

Also See: Becoming a Do-Something Preacher (Part 2) 

4 Steps to Becoming a Bridge-Building Preacher

All churches should be about building bridges. We build bridges between God and people. If you’re a preacher, it’s what God has called you to do. As preachers, we build bridges that connect the ancient text of the Bible with our contemporary audience.

One Thing That Will Improve Your Preaching
Your love for preaching isn’t important. What’s important is whether you love the people to whom you’re preaching. In fact, the single most important key to being an effective communicator is your love for people.

5 Signs You’re Not Truly Following Christ
Following Christ is a lifelong journey, requiring commitment, growth, and a willing heart. As Christians, we are called to become more like Christ in our thoughts, actions, and relationships, reflecting His love and truth. However, it’s possible to slip into patterns that reveal a lack of true discipleship, even while calling ourselves followers. Here are five signs that may indicate a need for a renewed commitment to walking closely with Christ.

How to Motivate Our Churches for Gospel Witness
The Holy Spirit empowers believers for Christian witness. Jesus commissioned his people to be his witnesses (Acts 1:8). Consequently, every believer and every church is called to bear witness about Christ. But until motivated by the Spirit, our public witness is often weak and fickle.

Don’t Fight Sports Leagues – Join Them
Many pastors and church leaders express frustration when Sunday sports have priority over church. Thom shares the simple step many churches have taken to respond positively to this challenge.

How to Assimilate People Who Come to Events at Your Church
We at Church Answers hear from church leaders who want to know how to get guests who attend church events assimilated into the church. Thom shares two simple steps that work almost every time. You will be surprised at its simplicity.

Monday's Catch: 'Churches Are Still Relevant But Not Trustworthy: An Unexpected, New Perception Gap' And More

Churches Are Still Relevant But Not Trustworthy: An Unexpected, New Perception Gap
How do the unchurched really feel about the American church? Do these feelings differ from those who regularly attend church? The Church Answers Research team just completed a new, significant study to answer these questions.

How to Respond When Your Church’s Attendance (and Growth) Is Stuck
Here are seven things you can do when your church hits a growth wall and some ideas on how you might be able to break through.

Can a 'parallel province' in the Church of England actually work
The Alliance coalition of orthodox Anglicans opposed to same-sex blessings in the Church of England says it has begun to set up its own structures in a "de facto parallel province". But the practical reality is that the powers-that-be in the C of E are able to shoot this "parallel province" down before it even gets off the ground.

Prominent Texas church quietly quits the SBC
One of the most prominent Baptist churches in Texas quietly quit the Southern Baptist Convention Oct. 27 — part of an unnoticed trend that’s hard to document on a national level.

In Vatican summit's final document, delegates call for more lay and female church leaders
Pope Francis signed the final document of the synod, suggesting that it constitutes official church teaching.

What Do Churchgoers Want From Pastors This Election Season?
When someone shows up to church in the weeks surrounding the election, here’s what they’re likely to be seeking concerning politics.

Lost
In so many ways, our world thinks that it knows better than previous generations. It clearly displays what CS Lewis called ‘chronological snobbery’. However, there is rarely any awareness of lostness. There is little recognition in our culture of where we have come from, where we are, or where we are going. There is a refusal to admit that we might be lost....

The Church Should Sing for Heaven’s Sake: When and Why We Stopped Singing about Heaven, and How to Start Again
American evangelical churches aren’t singing about heaven as often or as well as they used to. And this isn’t just my personal opinion. As part of a larger research project, I compared two large selections of worship songs.[1] The first selection was the most commonly sung congregational songs in the United States from 2000–2015; the second group was the most commonly published congregational songs in the United States from 1737–1960.[2] Among many similarities, one difference was striking: the topic of heaven, which once was frequently and richly sung about, has now all but disappeared.

Building a Vibrant Hybrid Church Community
Remember when church was just about opening the doors on Sunday morning? Those days feel like ancient history! Building a thriving church community today is less about choosing between online or in-person worship and more about mastering the art of "both/and."

Bringing Intercession Back
Congregational prayer is being pushed out of Protestant worship services in America.

Even in liturgical churches which typically include some form of general intercessions in their services, these intercessions are prayed in an often hurried, perfunctory manner.

For Us, In Us, And By Us: Intercessory Prayer in Action
The pressures to cut back on the time given to congregational intercessions have followed the church throughout most of its history. Sadly, for reasons that articles later in this series will dig into, congregational leaders have tended—at least in some times and places—to view congregational intercessions as optional.

4 Must-Know Church Marketing Secrets
I once had the opportunity to share at a gathering of United Methodist Church leaders near Washington D.C. I shared four things I think church leaders need to know about church marketing. Below are some notes and videos I shared with them. Enjoy!

Sundays at All Hallows (Sunday, October 27, 2024) Is Now Online

Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows

This Sunday, October 27, 2024, is Bible Sunday, a Sunday on which Christians around the world celebrate God’s gift of his written Word, the Bible.

In this Sunday’s message we consider the question, “Why celebrate Bible Sunday?”

Readings: Isaiah 55: 1-11; 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5

Message: Why Celebrate Bible Sunday?

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2024/10/sundays-at-all-hallows-sunday-october_26.html

Please feel free to share this link with anyone who may be interested.

If you are new to Sundays at All Hallows, you may find these directions helpful:

-It is recommended that after reading or hearing each lesson to take time to reflect on what you read or heard during the period of silence which follows each lesson. It is also recommended that you do the same thing after reading or hearing the message.

-When you open the link to a video in a new tab, check auto-play to make sure it is in the off position. Otherwise, a second video with a different song will follow the first.

-If an ad plays when you open a link to a video in a new tab, click the refresh icon of your browser until the song appears.

-If a song begins partway through the video, click pause, move the slider to the beginning, and then click play.

-An ad may follow a song so as soon as the song is finished, close the tab.

May Sundays at All Hallows be a blessing to you.

Saturday Lagniappe: 'What Will Become of the Episcopal Church?' And More

What Will Become of the Episcopal Church? 

The decline of the Episcopal Church prompts the question: What will become of the Episcopal Church?

Trump’s closing argument to evangelicals: I will protect you. Harris won’t.
As the 2024 presidential contest enters its final days, former President Donald Trump is turning to the group most responsible for getting him this far: evangelical Christians.

When I read this article, these words from Psalm 146 came to mind. "Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help. When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish. Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith for ever...." One of the lessons of the past is that dictators once they rise to power will turn on their earlier supporters. The former president is not known for his truthfulness, his trustworthiness, or his ability to appeal to the good in people, to their "better angel."

JD Vance’s ‘Courage Tour’ appearance may have broken laws
GOP vice presidential candidate JD Vance’s Sept. 28 appearance during a Pennsylvania stop on Lance Wallnau’s “Courage Tour” may have broken nonprofit tax law. Ziklag, the deep-pocketed but little known nonprofit that helped underwrite the Pentecostalism-meets-politics swing state tour, may also face trouble, ProPublica reported.

The Agonizing Choice of Christians
"In more normal times, people would have recognized such a stark anti-Christian option. For people whose word is trustworthy, the witness of trustworthy people is tarnished when they support a compulsive liar. And somewhere along the line (maybe not immediately in these raw times), there will be a son or daughter or grandchild or Sunday School member who is willing to tell them about the hurt they feel – that someone they trusted has lived and taught one thing and yet supported another."

Christian Nationalism in the Mirror
"A proliferating literature investigates and criticizes Christian nationalism as it appears under many labels. What makes Baptizing America a distinctive contribution is the authors’ assertion that Christian nationalism is not limited to white evangelicals and Pentecostals, or to recent decades. They argue convincingly that it has been popular among mainline Christians for a long time and remains so today. Few mainline believers are utterly free from its manifestations. Many remain unaware of our complicity. Even in the Episcopal Church."

Exposing soft Christian nationalism
An exploration of how soft Christian nationalism, hiding within the broader sympathies of everyday Americans, fuels support for authoritarian leaders and political violence.

Reexamining Sacramental Life for Baptists and Evangelicals
A strange theology has overtaken American Christianity, a force that has largely remained oblique and unpopular for the first 1900 years of the faith and yet that has become popularized and spread in the emergence of Fundamentalist Evangelicalism’s ascendency. This strange belief has become the default view among American Evangelicals and effectively denies the role of the sacraments in the healthy life of the church.

6 Things to Do When You Don’t Feel Like Going to Church
In this article Quentin Falkena first looks at what happens when we come to worship. Then he considers how to cultivate the desire and practice of weekly worship.

Friday's Catch: 'Archbishop Steve Wood on where the ACNA has been, and where it's headed' And More

Archbishop Steve Wood on where the ACNA has been, and where it's headed
A week ahead of his investiture, or formal installation, in South Carolina on Oct. 30, Wood spoke to RNS.

Doing away with affinity networks in the ACNA would be short-sighted. Genuine affinity networks are based upon shared views on key issues and the like, and permit networks of clergy and congregations with disparate views to coexist amicably in the same ecclesial body.

After 24 years of adaptive ministry, Presiding Bishop-elect Sean Rowe faces biggest challenge yet
Two decades ago, the future of The Episcopal Church looked grand, ambitious and much bigger.

Two decades ago, the Episcopal Church was shaken by the election, confirmation, and consecration of the first openly gay bishop in a major Christian denomination believing in the historic episcopate. Among the consequences was a sharp decline in church attendance in my former diocese, the closure of what had been a flourishing new church plant, the slow death of a second church plant, the reduction of a thriving new parish to subsidized mission status, and four years later the reduction of my former parish, once the fastest growing Episcopal church in the diocese, also to mission status.

How to Handle Governance in Multisite Churches
Jim Tomberlin is often asked what is the best governance model for a multisite church. His answer is the same for any healthy church or organization—one that works!

9 Questions to Ask if Your Church Giving is in Decline
Stewardship expert Joe Park says churches can promote more generous giving by better communicating the impact of their ministry, encouraging recurring electronic gifts, and challenging people to grow in generosity as part of their discipleship. He shares nine questions to help your church assess whether your giving strategy meets the mark.

7 Mistakes Pastors Make in a New Church Job
Getting a new church job can be scary. And pastors often overlook pitfalls in those new jobs. In this post, adapted from his book on on-boarding for pastors, Charles Stone list 7 pitfalls pastors must avoid in a new church job.

Great Leaders Are Great Listeners
In most of our thinking about great leadership, we often skip over one particular characteristic that has a surprising influence on a leader’s ability to lead better… great leaders are great listeners.

How Church Leaders Are Aiming for Higher Biblical Literacy
Increased biblical literacy only comes through increased immersion in God’s Word. How can you help your church invest in biblical literacy?

Seminary, parish, five dioceses each receive more than $1 million in Lilly Endowment grants
Five Episcopal dioceses, a parish and a seminary have received grants of more than $1 million each through the Lilly Endowment Nurturing Children Through Worship and Prayer Initiative. This initiative is aimed at supporting creative endeavors that help children, especially those up to age 12, come to know and love God and grow in faith, according to its website.

CBF receives $1.25 million grant to nurture children
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has received a $1.25-million grant from the Lilly Endowment for an initiative on inclusive children’s ministry. The grant will equip churches to be safe places inclusive of children — especially children with disabilities — and to use creative arts in worship and prayer practices to teach children, birth to 12 years old.

Does Your Church Need to Repent for the Nursery?
In this article Dan Crabtree seeks to offer one note of sympathy with the Family Interate Church (FIC) movement – namely, the goodness of having kids in the church service – and then register a biblical argument for the value of the nursery all the same. The reason for this approach is to show that 1) it’s not incompatible for churches with kids’ ministries to prioritize parental discipleship and 2) to show that nurseries are not only borne out of pagan pragmatism.

15 Bible Study Topics That Will Engage Your Youth Ministry
Bible study topics for youth help teens engage in life-changing conversations about faith. When choosing subjects to teach, consider what resonates with kids’ lives and experiences.

Tell-Show-Help-Watch Discipeship
In the pursuit of effective discipleship within Christian ministry, the Neuroscience Informed Relational Discipleship principle of “Tell-Show-Help-Watch” emerges as a transformative approach that bridges the gap between cognitive understanding and relational experiences. This model not only aligns with but deeply integrates psychological insights with spiritual formation, emphasizing the necessity of whole-brain integration for lasting character change and spiritual growth.

Why We Need to Think Like Missionaries
Our culture is a mission field. We must see ourselves as people on mission. This is not our home. This is our mission field. Therefore, we all must see our vocations as mission—as kingdom work.

10 Tips for Hosting A Live Nativity
A live Nativity can be an engaging, heart-warming event not only for church members but for the entire community as well. One Houston-area church has decades of experience bringing the Christmas story to life in this way. Lindsay Peyton shares their organizational and planning tips.

Key to the success of a live nativity is its location, the availability of funds, and the level of interest of the community. For several years the UMC Cluster in the county where I live hosted a live nativity. Last year it opted to put a float in the annual Christmas parade instead of hosting a live nativity. Why? The venue where it had hosted the live nativity in the past was no longer available. Attendance at the previous year's nativity had declined from past years, and the cluster did not have the funds to host a live nativity at a new venue.

Image Credit: Anglican Church  in North America; RNS 

Thursday's Catch: ''3 Warning Signs Your Church Might Be in Decline' And More

3 Warning Signs Your Church Might Be in Decline
If the reality is that the church is declining, what are the significant warning signs that your local church might be heading for closure?

How to Reverse the Decline in Stuck Churches
Daryl Cripe has worked with hundreds of church leaders and boards of all sizes. He shares the one key (more than anything else) that can reverse the decline in small, mid-sized, and stuck large churches. Plus, Daryl shares how your church can reach new people without spending money you don't have and how to hit the tipping point in church revitalization.

My Church Took a Direct Hit from a Major Hurricane—Here’s What I Learned
Sam Rainer shares what he leared from the past few weeks after his commuinity was hit by two hurricanes back to back.

More Context for the Collapse of the Anglican Church of Canada
Sharon Dewey Hetke adds what she describes as "a bit more Canadian nuance" to David Goodhew’s analysis of the present state of the Anglican Church of Canada.

Study: A Surprising Number of Christians Say They Aren’t Voting
As the 2024 presidential race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris intensifies, new research from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, led by Dr. George Barna, indicates that millions of Christians are unlikely to vote. Barna says this election season is marked by a significant drop in voter enthusiasm, particularly among Christian voters who have historically been key players in determining the outcome of presidential races. According to the research, only 51% of “people of faith” are likely to vote this November.

Election Day Can Help Break Our Addiction to Hope
Real hope is not an argument, an opioid, or a sunnier form of despair. It’s a person named Jesus.

Jesus’s Baptism Was for You
Jesus’s baptism was part of the perfect obedience necessary to accomplish our salvation.

Do You Answer The Right Questions When You Preach?
Yes, we have the answer, but are we asking the right questions?

How to Write and Preach Engaging Sermons
From start to finish, Carey Nieuwhof walks viewers through his exact process of writing and preaching engaging sermons.

Are You Willing To Be Misunderstood -- From The Pulpit?
Sherman Cox takes up Will Willimon's challenge to preachers everywhere.

Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (Thursday, October 24, 2024) Is Now Online

Welcome to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows.

Among the spiritual disciplines and means of grace is what John Wesley described as “searching the Scriptures. This involves not only reading and studying the Bible but meditating upon its passages. We do so with the intention of getting to know God better and to discern God’s will—what is good and pleasing and perfect.

In this Thursday evening’s message, we examine the biblical view of lying and slander and its implications for us, taking a cue from Paul’s Letter to the Colossians.

Reading: Colossians 3: 1-17

Message: Lying and Slander: The Biblical View

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2024/10/thursday-evenings-at-all-hallows_24.html

Please feel free to share this link with anyone who may be interested.

If you are new to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows, you may find these directions helpful:

-It is recommended that after reading or hearing a lesson to take time to reflect on what you read or heard during the period of silence which follows the lesson. It is also recommended that you do the same thing after reading or hearing the message.

-When you open the link to a video in a new tab, check auto-play to make sure it is in the off position. Otherwise, a second video with a different song will follow the first.

-If an ad plays when you open a link to a video in a new tab, click the refresh icon of your browser until the song appears.

-If a song begins partway through the video, click pause, move the slider to the beginning, and then click play.

-An ad may follow a song so as soon as the song is finished, close the tab.

May Thursday Evenings at All Hallows be a blessing to you.

Wednesday's Catch: 'Hunger is an election year issue too, Bread for the World says' And More

Hunger is an election year issue too, Bread for the World says
There are times when serving the poor and hungry must go beyond volunteering in food pantries or soup kitchens, and the 2024 election season is one of those times, said Heather Taylor, managing director of Bread for the World.

Is There a Revival Brewing Among Gen Z Males?
Chris Woznicki takes a look at a trend and weighs its implications and how we should respond.

Global persecution of Christians has worsened - report
The persecution of Christians worldwide has "significantly worsened" in the last year, a human rights charity has warned. In a report published this week, Aid to the Church in Need said that Christians are living under increased threat of violence, discrimination and other human rights abuses.

Trump has made 100 threats to prosecute his enemies, and that could include religious foes
This time around, there is a genuine threat to religious liberty on the ballot. And the threat is aimed at Christians themselves.

Dioceses of Central Pa. & Bethlehem Approve Reunion
The Diocese of Central Pennsylvania and Diocese of Bethlehem voted on October 19 to reunify, a significant step toward a planned merger that would take effect in 2026. The dioceses each voted in favor of reunification during their joint conventions, held October 18-19 at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center in State College. Bethlehem delegates approved the proposal 90-14; Central Pennsylvania delegates voted 131-24.

4 Myths Christians Should Stop Believing About Depression
There are so many myths about depression Christians should stop believing—for example, “True believers don’t suffer from depression.”

Pastoral Ministry Is Never a Competition
...based upon Scripture and my experience, that pastoral ministry should not be a competition. We should support, root for, rejoice in and serve to ensure the other’s growth. One major implication of being gospel-centered is that we actually want to see the gospel advance. In order to do this, we have to be willing to put the good news about Jesus and his kingdom ahead of our own little, imaginary, personal kingdom.

Churchgoers Want to Hear Pastors Address Current Issues
Many American churchgoers expect their pastors’ sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues.

5 Things We’re Missing That the Global Church Gets
Many spiritual topics that captivate the global church are often ignored in the American church today to our detriment.

The Best Security Radios for Churches– 3 Great Options
Church security is becoming more and more of an issue, and because of that, churches all over the country are opting to improve their security through the use of security systems and by having the best security radios on hand.

Five Ways to Have Transformational Small Groups
There are five habits of truly transformational small groups that you must model as a leader and that you must challenge people to practice as they gather in their homes in small groups.

Who Are Your Twelve?
Do you want to see disciples, groups, churches and networks multiplied? Do what Jesus did.

Tuesday's Catch: 'A Framework for Thriving Churches' And More

A Framework for Thriving Churches
The team at Barna, alongside some friends and partners, including Gloo, the parent company of Outreach, Inc., have spent the better part of a year crafting an outline for how your church can make disciples, and we call it the Thriving Church framework.

All Together Now
Kevin Harney offers four practical ways to be a witness in how we think about, speak of and interact with other Christian congregations. His prayer is that we step into some of these practices and become a witness to our community of what the family of God is supposed to look like.

Want to Reach the Next Generation? Love the Church.
"If I asked you to name the most controversial Christian teaching today, what would you say? Some might say LGBT+ issues, some Jesus’s divinity, some the doctrine of eternal punishment. My answer might be unexpected: the necessity of the church."

4 Common Marketplace Leadership Sayings That Don’t (Fully) Apply in Ministry
... there are some marketplace leadership insights (even ones that are widely accepted as wise) that don’t translate fully and should not be applied to a local ministry context. The ministry leader is wise to look at all learnings from the marketplace through the lens of God’s Word and His heart for His Church. Here are four common marketplace leadership sayings that don’t fully apply in local church ministry....

Communion Partners Bishops — Louisville Statement, September 2024
Communion Partners has its origin in the controversies over human sexuality in the Anglican Communion that arose in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The Communion Partners Bishops Group, with members from both the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church in Canada, has worked for the continued coherence of the Anglican Communion, and supported the Church’s traditional teaching on marriage. It has also affirmed our continued role and participation in TEC and in the ACC. Communion Partner Bishops have offered Statements about developments in our respective Churches from time to time, collected on our website. This Statement, following the Episcopal Church’s General Convention this summer, and signed by a number of Episcopal Bishops, is the latest offering.

UMC's highest court to determine how churches can leave denomination
The United Methodist Church’s highest court will soon determine whether congregations can continue to leave the denomination in response to its progressive stance on LGBT issues. From 2019 to 2023, around 7,500 congregations used a temporary provision in the UMC Book of Discipline to disaffiliate from the denomination in response to its debate over sexual ethics. The United Methodist Judicial Council has been asked by the Kentucky and Alabama-West Florida conferences about whether another provision in the Book of Discipline can be used to exit the denomination.

How Mainline Protestant churches are addressing Christian nationalism
Without question, some Mainline Protestant denominations have been at the forefront in equipping and inspiring their congregations to address this issue. But others have slow-walked engaging in this conversation.

5 Mistakes Pastors Make when Planning Staff Retreats
Meetings, and extended ones like retreats, often don’t achieve their intended purpose. Why? Because we make significant mistakes when we plan them. Consider these five mistakes and potential corrective measures.

Prepare Your Church Facility for Winter Today
In this article Eric Spacek, assistant vice president of Risk Control for Church Mutual Insurance Company, S.I., shares some important guidelines organizations should follow to protect their people and facility when the temperatures get low.

Leaders as Shepherds, Servants and Stewards
When engaging in leadership processes such as strategic planning, problem solving, and change management in times of disruption, these principles must be borne in mind: the leadership focus is on people and their purpose to glorify God; the leadership heart is that of a shepherd; the leadership attitude is that of a servant; and the active expression of the servant attitude and shepherd’s heart is stewardship.

Running on Empty: Stop Burnout Before It Starts
Burnout isn’t just coming for entrepreneurs, night shift nurses, under-resourced teachers or overworked CEOs—it is coming for pastors. The pressure to care for everyone while delivering fresh, innovative results is taking its toll.

The Way Many Christians Pray
Chuck Lawless thinks out loud about some “strange” ways that many Christians pray....

Four Practical Reasons for Small Groups
"We may attract attenders through preaching, but disciples are made in small groups," explains Rick Warren. "When you’re leading a campaign, like 40 Days of Prayer, or anytime in the future as you lead your congregation toward a deeper relationship with Jesus, you’ll want to explain to your members why small groups are so important to spiritual growth and why they are more than just a Bible study.""Small groups provide the kind of accountability and support we need to mature as believers, so I want to give you four reasons why they are important to your congregation."

The 10 Building Blocks of Biblical Community (Part 1)
There are at least ten building blocks of biblical community. In parts 1 and 2 of this article Rick Warren identifies these ten building blocks.

Also See: The 10 Building Blocks of Biblical Community (Part 2)

image credit: outreachmagazine.com 

Monday's Catch: 'How to Help People Stay Connected to Church Through Life Changes' And More

How to Help People Stay Connected to Church Through Life Changes
What can a church of any size do to help people stay connected through life changes? Here are four suggestions.

Why Congregations Sometimes Change
Systems resist change because their core function is to ensure people repeat established behaviors. However, systems can change when they believe it’s essential for survival or maintaining core values. Dan Hotchkiss writes that church leaders can facilitate this by understanding the system’s resistance, valuing consistent efforts, and introducing change at the right moment.

6 Questions to Answer Before Going Multisite
After three decades of coaching churches in multisite strategies Jim Tomberlin has concluded there are six common issues and corresponding questions that every church considering multisite must address.

Part-time Pastors and Gift-filled Congregations
Lovett H. Weems Jr. describes the growth of part-time pastoral leadership, particularly in older and established traditions where part-time ministry has not been considered the norm. He outlines five ways that churches with part-time pastors can flourish by embracing a shared ministry model that focuses on the congregation’s unique gifts and callings.

Why Many Churches Seeking a Full-Time Pastor Can’t Find One
"The ad made me smile at first," writes Thom Rainer. "Then, I realized my reaction was wrong. The church ad said it was seeking a full-time pastor and provided the following information. My response should have first been sadness. It was yet one of many churches that are unrealistically seeking a full-time pastor."

7 Questions to Help Follow Your Calling
How does a ministry “calling for a lifetime” work in a culture that shifts, moves and often chases the latest trends? Of course, all those who are followers of Jesus are called to serve, even for a lifetime, and there is freedom in that serving. But a vocational calling to ministry is a unique assignment from God and requires specific elements to make it work for a lifetime.

In letter citing Pope Francis, Vatican doctrine czar ends push for women deacons
The issue of women deacons had been a major theme of the current Vatican synod on how to make the Catholic Church more welcoming and transparent.

While Catholic traditionalists will hail this development, Catholics who support the ordination of women deacons will be deeply disappointed.

An Honest Conversation on Christian Nationalism : Caleb Campbell
What is our responsibility as pastors and ministry leaders in understanding and addressing Christian nationalism? In this week’s conversation on FrontStage BackStage, host Jason Daye is joined by Caleb Campbell. Caleb is the lead pastor at Desert Springs Bible Church in Phoenix, Arizona. He is a doctoral student at Fuller Theological Seminary and a regional director for the Surge Network. His most recent book is entitled Disarming Leviathan. Together, Caleb and Jason look at what Christian nationalism is and what it is not. Caleb also shares some practical ways that your local church can engage in mission, honoring God, loving others, and addressing Christian nationalism.

Fighting demons: The New Apostolic Reformation is waging a holy war against democracy
“You do not attack the enemy — you attack the enemy’s strategy,” and the strategy of the Christian right “has always been to master the tools of electoral democracy in order to erode and to end it.” That advice, quoting Sun Tzu, came from Frederick Clarkson, a senior researcher at Political Research Associates (and Salon contributor), in a recent webinar, "The New Apostolic Reformation and the Threat to Democracy In Pennsylvania."

The Holy Privilege of Preaching
A sermon is more than a speech — it is a spoken word within the relationship between preacher and hearer, infused by the Holy Spirit. It draws us into God’s Word of scripture and God’s Word incarnate, who is Christ. A sermon may be written into a carefully crafted manuscript, typed into an outline, jotted on a sticky note, or just held in mind. These forms all have their benefits and their drawbacks as they balance formality, precision, and elegance with responsiveness, connectivity, and openness to the present movement of the Holy Spirit. But at its heart, all preaching is a three-way communication between the preacher, the hearer, and God, who is present with us through scripture and the presence of the Holy Spirit....

Leading by preaching
"Since truth is in such short supply today, we must speak the truth as best we understand it from Scripture and to the best of our ability," writes Bill Ireland.

Are You Scattering Bad Seed?
Every day good seeds are being sown into the lives of the people around us, the people we love and are called to serve. And every day we are tempted to plant thorns among them, to sow weeds among the wheat and tares among the crops. We are tempted to add doubt to faith, discouragement to hope, evil thoughts to pure and holy desires. We are tempted to do the work of the devil instead of the work of the Lord.

How Small Groups Can PARTNER for the Gospel
Your church’s small groups have incredible potential to be evangelistic hubs in your community. Evangelism, like the other four purposes God has for us, cannot be accomplished alone. We need other people in our lives because we’re better together. We’re more evangelistically effective when we partner with others. Small groups are the perfect place to put this into practice. That’s why it’s so important for you to encourage your small groups to PARTNER together to share their faith. Here are a few specific ways they can do this.

How to Help a 9-Year-Old Make Their Faith Their Own
Many children in the modern West don't go to church as an expression of their own faith. They go to church because it's what their family does. For these kids, church "just being part of their lives" sometimes makes it hard to grow in and own their faith. Though this will look different for every family, here are some ideas for helping kids growing up immersed in Christianity to develop their own faith and involvement in Christian community.