Wednesday's Catch: 'Back to… Christmas?' And More

Back to… Christmas?
Church leaders may not be thinking about Christmas in September, but this is an ideal time to begin preparing for Christmas Eve. Lewis Center Director Jonathan Page offers five practical recommendations for strengthening hospitality, engaging newcomers, supporting local missions, planning follow-up, and surrounding it all with prayer.

How Some Churches Grow Without Getting Bigger
Butts-in-the-seats growth is great. But it’s not going to happen for every church. That’s never a reason to give up, coast along, or offer excuses.

Three Volunteer Recruitment Mistakes
Every church knows the panic of scrambling for volunteers at the last minute, but reactive recruiting is just one of the mistakes that keeps your bench thin and your team burned out. In this episode, Scott and A.J. walk through three of the most common volunteer recruitment mistakes churches make and, more importantly, how to fix them with practical systems you can put in place right away. If your church is tired of guilt-tripping people from the pulpit, this conversation is for you.

Scott Ball and A.J. Mathieu are the co-hosts of the Church Revitalization Podcast, produced by the Malphurs Group, a ministry dedicated to helping churches develop healthy strategies for growth and renewal. Together, Scott and A.J. bring practical, field-tested insight to church leaders each week, covering topics from leadership development to volunteer management to organizational health. Whether you are a senior pastor or a ministry director, their goal is to give you tools you can actually use.

Also See: Three Volunteer Recruitment Mistakes

AI Questions Leaders Never Ask: AI Girlfriends, Truth, Deepfakes, and Best + Worst Case Scenarios
You use AI. Have you thought about what it's doing to your church, the people you're reaching, or your soul?

James (JP) Poulter flips the mic to interview me in this video.

We discuss AI girlfriends, deepfakes, and the best and worst-case scenarios nobody's naming.

There's a shift happening in your church and your community right now, and most church leaders haven't caught up.

What AI Is Doing To Your Church (And How to Prepare) - Free Webinar
This moment isn’t just about what tools you use. It’s about what AI is doing to culture, your congregation, and your team. That’s why I’m hosting this free live session. You’ll leave knowing the three critical shifts every church needs to make, and a practical next step for each one.

Two pastors detained, a student dead: Haitians in Ohio turn to faith amid fear of ICE
‘All I want is to see my husband back,’ said Denise Gedeon, whose pastor-husband, Joubert Adrien, was detained by ICE — one of two pastors arrested during a weekend that also brought a death, prayers and vigils for a Haitian community under siege.

Also See: Dozens killed in gang attack on church shelter in Haiti; Gangs massacre worshippers in Kenscoff church shelter

ACNA Continues to Bleed From Self-Inflicted Wounds
While it is understandable that The Episcopal Church (TEC) and the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) have major theological differences over human sexuality and these differences are substantial enough to impair relations between the two bodies, harboring a grudge against TEC for past conflicts over property does not strike me as very Christian. When the Anglican Mission in the Americas (AMiA) was established in 2001, the clergy and congregations that broke away from TEC and joined the AMiA understood that they would be unable to retain their property and would be starting fresh. Rather than nurturing old grudges,the ACNA needs to focus on new church development like the AMiA did in its early days. Otherwise, it risks becoming known for pettiness.

Episcopal Court of Review upholds ruling against priest found guilty of adultery
The Episcopal Church’s Court of Review has upheld a ruling against an Ohio priest who was convicted of engaging in adultery while the divorce from his first wife was being finalized.

In a unanimous decision released last week, the Court of Review rejected an appeal from the Rev. Daniel McClain, former rector at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Oakwood.

Also See: Court of Review affirms deposition of Dayton priest for adultery, but strikes broader misconduct findings

$1.6M stolen from UMC regional body through cyberattack
More than $1.6 million in funds was reportedly stolen from a regional body of The United Methodist Church by criminals posing as bank representatives.

The UMC New England Conference is working with authorities to investigate a cybersecurity incident that occured on Aug. 5.

Also See: Conference confronts cyber theft with faith, resolve

How Your Church Can Prepare for a New Pastor - The Church Revitalization Podcast
Pastoral transitions are critical moments in your church's life. In this episode, we share three essential strategies to help your congregation prepare for a new pastor:

Practice Intentional Hospitality - Make your new pastor and their family truly feel at home
Communicate with Grace and Clarity - Build trust through healthy communication patterns
Embrace Listening, Learning, and Change - Balance tradition with openness to fresh ideas

Whether you're currently in a transition or simply planning ahead, these principles will help your church navigate pastoral changes with wisdom and grace.

Also See: New Pastor Onboarding Part 1: Church Prep For A New Pastor

Starting a New Pastor Position at a Church - The Church Revitalization Podcast
Starting at a new church? In this episode, we explore essential strategies for pastors preparing to begin ministry in a new congregation. Learn how to navigate the critical first 90 days, build key relationships, understand church culture, and implement change wisely. This companion to our previous episode provides the pastor's perspective on successful transitions.

Also See: New Pastor Onboarding Part 2: Pastor Prep For A New Church

Church sets the table to connect beyond its walls
The Table Korean Cuisine restaurant is a ministry of Bonfire United Methodist Church, a new congregation supported by the Great Plains Conference’s church development ministry.

The ministry began in the home of the Rev. Changhyun Kim, a United Methodist pastor and certified Korean cuisine chef, where he served multicourse Korean meals to invited guests.

Now housed at Grace United Methodist Church, both the restaurant and the Bonfire congregation are able to reach people outside the church.

Tuesday's Catch: 'Pastors Report Growing Attendance, but Fewer Unchurched Newcomers'

Pastors Report Growing Attendance, but Fewer Unchurched Newcomers
Slightly more than half of U.S. Protestant pastors (54%) report their average worship service attendance has increased since 2023.

10 Reasons People Stay in a Church for Years
The people who stay for a decade or two are not staying by accident. They stay because something specific holds them there: a friendship, a role that fits, a sermon that meets them where they actually live. Leaders who understand what that something is can build a church community people choose to keep coming back to, long after the visitor packet is forgotten.

Are Pastors Missing the Biggest Shift in Their Congregation? 

58% of practicing Christians are optimistic about AI — more than any other group in America. Nearly half have already used it to study the Bible, get spiritual advice, or create devotionals.

Your congregation is already in this conversation. The question is whether you're in it with them.

In this video, I break down new Barna research that changes the pastoral conversation on AI entirely — and explains why staying silent isn't a neutral choice. It's a discipleship gap.

Also See: What can we learn from the US pastor who created an AI version of himself?

What I have found when I conduct a Google search, Google will in most instances generate an AI overview at the top of the list. Except for sources given, I ignore these overviews as they very frequently contain inaccurate or unreliable information, presented in an authoritative manner, enough to fool someone who unlike myself may not be familiar with the subject that I am researching. I don't use an AI assistant in my writing but I have found that Word's AI assistant will make changes in what I have written, on its own, unbidden. It will substitute words and grammar of its own choosing. The words are unrelated to the topic and the grammar is incorrect! In university I received teacher training. My second specialization was English grammar, composition, and literature. These experiences prompt me to wonder what spiritual advice AI is giving Christians.

Colorado Priest’s Health Declines After a Year in ICE Custody
According to a story by Lindsey Toomer published by Colorado Newsline on August 14, the detained priest presented respiratory symptoms that a medical provider who reviewed his case said could indicate tuberculosis (TB).

Persecution of Christians Deepens in Ongoing Sudanese Civil War
Violence against civilians in Sudan’s civil war has increased in recent months, with some attacks specifically targeting Christians. The conflict, between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (also known by the nom de guerre Hemedti), began in 2023.

Another militia group, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement–North (SPLM–N), has also intensified their armed operations in recent months, committing atrocities and dehumanization of Christians.

Also See: Violence reaches Sudan’s Nuba Mountains, where Christians once found refuge

When political leadership uses religion as a tool of power
One of the most troubling trends in modern leadership is the growing use of religion as a political instrument. The practice is not new.

Political leaders, especially where democratic institutions are weak, have learned that religion reaches people at the level of their deepest loyalties, fears and hopes. Once leaders discover that religious identity can mobilize large numbers of people, the temptation is to use faith not to encourage moral responsibility but to gain power, consolidate it and remain in office.

An autopsy of the Porter-Gaud affair
The Porter-Gaud affair put ACNA’s claim of “broken communion” on trial. Photographs of Bishop Chip Edgar participating in the dedication of St. Timothy’s Chapel alongside the Episcopal bishop of South Carolina, followed by his public apology for the pain and confusion caused, forced into the open a question Anglicans have often preferred to leave blurred: what, in practice, are the limits of fellowship at the altar?

Millennials Move LESS than Gen X and Boomers (New Implications for Your Church)
In this episode, we re-examine a major demographic shift reshaping communities and churches: the decline in mobility across the United States. Americans are moving far less than they did in previous generations, especially millennials. While older generations often relocated for work opportunities or family, today’s younger adults are more likely to stay put. Rising housing costs, tighter job markets, student loan burdens, and a growing preference for stability have all contributed to this trend. For church leaders, this change presents both challenges and opportunities.

Gavin Ortlund Argues There Is ‘No Biblical Warrant’ for Praying to Saints
From the Reformation on the Protestant position has been the official position of the Anglican Church and is set forth in its formularies. For example, Article XXII states " ...invocation of Saints, is a fond thing vainly invented, and grounded upon no warranty of Scripture, but rather repugnant to the Word of God." Catholic Rivalists who pray to the saints or who ask for their intercessions are outliers.

The global rise of unhappiness and how religion can reverse the trend
Young people are facing an epidemic of despair, but data shows religious community is an antidote.

Light For a Few Steps
On my desk I keep a small terra cotta lamp that dates from the first century of the Christian era. It is very small. The body of the lamp could be filled with a few ounces of olive oil. A small wick, probably of linen or flax, could be placed into the “spout.” When lit, the resulting flame would be about the size of a Bic lighter. These small lamps are found in archeological digs throughout the Middle East. They were a commonly used item through to the Byzantine era and the early rise of Islam.

Imagine a small village dwelling from the time of Christ. The main room might be ten feet deep and twelve feet wide. Apart from a small hearth fire, fueled by animal waste and a few sticks, this small lamp provides the only light in the darkness. Perhaps there are several in the room, perhaps only one. Regardless, the occupants of that house would have regarded the light as precious.

I own three terracotta replicas of these lamps. Each lamp fits in the palm of my hand. I use them as props when preaching on Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5:14–15, Mark 4:21–25 and Luke 8:16–18.

Plagiarism and the Preacher
This seems to be a hot topic these days. After all, it is easy to read someone else’s message on Sunday morning. And AI can write sermons. Also, AI tools now can examine every word every preacher speaks for unattributed quotes or content. It’s daunting to think that members of congregation can be using tools on their phones to evaluate the words of the preacher as he speaks. This can lead to unrealistic expectations and a misunderstanding of the nature of preaching verses the published word or academic paper. So, a few words are in order now, and a fuller development of the subject should follow later. Please read or listen to the end before you criticize.

Five Ways God’s People Minister God’s Grace to Each Other
One of a dozen-plus reasons I love church-based counseling[1] is that it maximizes the ministry Christ’s body can play in the lives of those we counsel. Our counselees need more than the Holy Spirit and the Bible, and even more than just us. God has provided our counselees with Christian brothers and sisters—fellow church members—as vital means of God’s grace to help them know Jesus initially and grow in Jesus continually. Counselees who bond well with other believers show faster, more sustained growth than those who remain isolated or who only have private appointments with you.

Consider five ways believers minister to each other. At the end, I also suggest how a small group can use this article.

How Do We Create an Evangelism and Outreach Culture in Our Church?
Evangelism isn’t a program—it’s a culture rooted in identity. In this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast, we explore how churches can move from sporadic outreach events to fostering a deep, church-wide culture of evangelism that flows naturally from who we are in Christ.

Hosts Scott Ball and A.J. Mathieu from The Malphurs Group bring their practical experience working with hundreds of churches to help you reframe evangelism as a core component of your church’s DNA, not just a once-a-year effort.

Monday's Catch: 'Why Unhealthy Churches Sometimes Look Like They're Growing (4 Warning Signs)' And More

Why Unhealthy Churches Sometimes Look Like They're Growing (4 Warning Signs)
Why do some unhealthy churches appear to be thriving while healthy churches struggle to grow? In this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast, Scott Ball and AJ Mathieu reveal 4 key reasons why unhealthy churches sometimes experience rapid growth - and why pastors shouldn't be fooled by outward appearances.

Not all growth is good growth. Learn to distinguish between genuine spiritual vitality and superficial expansion that could actually harm long-term ministry effectiveness.

What to Expect When Your Church Finally Gets a Building
What can you expect if you transition from temporary space to permanent space?

Here are three lessons we learned.

Your church will also become building-focused instead of mission oriented, lapse into complacency, and lose its evangelistic zeal. Buildings are a double-edged sword. A church does not need a building of its own to be a "real" church (albeit we may be tempted to think that way: "If we build it, they will come.") It does, however, need people who are devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ and the Great Commission.

Keep the Change: Four Stages of Visionary Alignment Around What’s Next
Change in your church may begin with a conviction or compelling idea, but it becomes sustainable only through alignment.

‘No easy answers,’ say church leaders after death of pastor at Christian festival
Church leaders have offered their prayers and support following the death of Pastor Robert Guanco at the Big Church Festival.

The 41-year-old was the pastor of Jesus Living Water Church in Eastbourne. He died after a sign fell during the festival at Wiston Park, near Steyning in West Sussex, on Friday afternoon.

Six other people were injured and four were taken to hospital for further treatment.

Iranian Christian convert deported from US granted asylum in Canada
An Iranian Christian convert who was deported from the United States while seeking asylum has received a new home in Canada amid concerns about the safety of Iranian Christians who have faced removal from the U.S.

Artemis Ghasemzadeh has received asylum in Canada, The New York Times reports. Ghasemzadeh, a Christian convert who fled Iran, entered the U.S. illegally with her brother in December 2024 and was detained in San Diego. She was separated from her brother shortly after arriving in the U.S.

French Friday: The Solution to Partisan Christianity
New data finds that almost half of Gen Z adults won't consider going to church because of Christians' support for Donald Trump. David French and Skye Jethani wonder what the research means for the majority of evangelical churches that avoid anything political, and why that may actually be part of the problem. They also discuss the rise of socialism on the political left and why JD Vance's recent memoir suggests socialism may be just as popular on the political right. Plus, what America can learn from the goodness of Dolly Parton.

VOICES: What if America’s religious decline has been overstated?
Over the past decade, the secular media has told us incessantly that American Christianity is in its death throes. The number one news story on religion in recent years has been the rise of the “Nones,” or people who say they have no religion.

So, is it finally the end for American faith? No. If you dig a little deeper, you’ll see why it’s not.

While some assessments of the state of Christianity in the United States may be overly pessimistic, others are overly optimistic. Believing in a supreme being or a higher power or the supernatural is not equatable with faith in Jesus Christ. Even in the People's Republic of China the segment of the population that is officially atheistic, i.e., the Communist Party, is superstitious, believes in lucky days and unlucky days, and practice various forms of traditional Chinese fortune telling. This is also true of Japan where the larger segment of the the population is atheistic but will flock to Shinto shrines on New Year's Day and buy good luck charms at Shinto shrines on other occasions. The authors of this opinion piece make some interesting observations. While I would not dismiss their assessment entirely, I lean toward assigning it to the overly optimistic category.

Few Pastors Have Church-Paid Health Insurance Benefits
When people think of pastors, they often assume they receive employment benefits similar to those in the corporate world. The assumption seems reasonable. Pastors lead organizations, supervise staff, counsel members, and often work far more than forty hours a week. Surely they receive health insurance and other employee benefits.

The reality is quite different.

6 Ways to Support Families of Children with Disabilities
If you’re eager to partner with families of children with disabilities, here are six encouragements.

Rethinking Expectations of Kids in Church
Children are full members of the Body of Christ today, bringing essential gifts, faith, and wisdom to our common life. As congregations seek deeper ways to welcome young people, we face a core question: How does our culture need to change so children can participate more fully in worship and the life of the Church?

That question anchored a recent workshop led by the Rev. Dr. Kenda Creasy Dean, an author, theologian, and practical ministry expert. The session was part of Pathways to Prayer and Practice, a five-year initiative supported by a major grant from the Lilly Endowment.

"What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun." Ecclesiastes 1:9. In the 1970s and 1980s there was a surge of interest in integrating children into the worship, ministry, and life of the church in the Episcopal, Lutheran, and other mainline churches. A number of works on the topic were published. In 2000 I wrote an occasional paper for my diocese's liturgy and music commission on the subject. Regrettably I never published the paper and saved it on a floppy disc. It was based on what we had done to this end at my own church as well as the literature on the topic.

Sundays at All Hallows (August 30, 2026) Is Now Online

Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows.

This Sunday, August 30, 2026, is the Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity.

For this Sunday’s Invitatory Psalm, you have a choice as you did last Sunday, either the original version of Michael Perry’s metrical paraphrase of the Venite (Psalm 95), “Come Worship God,” or the inclusive language version. The organ accompaniment for both versions is the same-- Joseph Francis Thrupp’s hymn tune EPIPHANY.

The third Variable Psalm is James Quinn’s metrical paraphrase of Psalm 150’ “Bless’d Be the Lord Our God!” one of three Laudate Psalms, Psalms of praise, suggested for this particular Sunday in the seven-week Psalm cycle of the Daily Office Lectionary in Howard Galley’s The Prayer Book Office. The Psalms suggested in this scheme have been chosen for their suitability for the time of day, the day of the week, and the season of the church year. The organ accompaniment for this paraphrase is Samuel Howard’s ST. BRIDE, also known as ST. BRIDGET. If you are not familiar with the tune, read the words aloud while listening to the tune for one or two verses and then try singing the words on the next verse.

In this Sunday’s message we will be taking a look at Romans 12: 9-2 and its implications for the Christian community in the twenty-first century.

Readings: Jeremiah 15: 15-21, Romans 12: 9-21, and Matthew 16: 21-28

Message: Life in God’s Service

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2026/08/sundays-at-all-hallows-august-30-2026.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: 'Rare 16th-century Erasmus book stolen from Suffolk church' And More

Rare 16th-century Erasmus book stolen from Suffolk church

A rare book dating back nearly 500 years has been stolen from a church in Suffolk after apparently being prised from a locked display case.

The 1548 English edition of the Paraphrases of Erasmus was taken from St Mary’s Church in Chediston, near Halesworth.

The Rev Dr Edmund Smith, curate of St Mary’s, told the BBC he discovered that the book was missing after being contacted by a visitor who had hoped to see it.

Christian festival organisers ‘heartbroken’ after festivalgoer dies in sign incident
Organisers of the Big Church Festival have said they are “heartbroken” at the news a festivalgoer has died after a sign fell at the event in West Sussex.

At least seven people were injured in the incident at Wiston Park, near Steyning, on Friday afternoon. Organisers later confirmed that one of those injured had tragically died.

The schism in the UMC ended two years ago; but not in this Dallas church
Two years after a schism led 7,600 churches to leave the United Methodist fold, its reverberations are now being felt in a battle between one of its most elite churches and a Texas conference.

SBC President Willy Rice Forms Commission To Explore How Amendment Banning Women Pastors Will Be ‘Applied and Enforced’
Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) President Willy Rice has announced the formation of a commission to “achieve greater clarity and consensus” on the issue of women in ministry in the denomination.

Called SBC Presidential Commission on Women Serving in Pastoral Ministry, the commission will be chaired by Juan Sanchez, one of the pastors who has pushed for an amendment to the SBC’s constitution strengthening its stance against women serving as pastors.

Church Personnel Expenses Warning Signs
Thom and Jess share why church leaders should watch for these indicators...

Four Better Questions than “What Percent Should Our Church Personnel Expenses Be?”
Though percentage metrics are helpful, church leaders should ask these questions. Jess and Thom explain why these four questions are most helpful.

Is the Church Blind, Deaf, and Dumb?
David Powlison’s critique of the church is as cutting today as it was thirty years ago. Maybe we should listen.

Build a Simple Reclaimed Wood Table
This reclaimed wooden table, if the legs were made longer--39 to 40 inches, would make a wonderful communion table. Depending upon the wood, seal it with clear polymer. Communion tables advertised on the internet and in church supply catalogs are far too expensive. A cross bar might strengthen the legs on each side.

For paraments a simple back to front runner in a bright-colored fabric would make a good frontal and simple white linen runner that covers the length of the table the "fair linen." If lights are desired a couple of refillable round glass oil candles placed near one end of the table suffices. A small pillow in the same color as the frontal can be used to support the service book.

OCP acquires Corresponsables de Dios, expands formation programming
Oregon Catholic Press (OCP) is pleased to announce that Corresponsables de Dios: Stewards of God (CDD), a stewardship ministry with an impressive track record of serving Hispanic/Latino Catholic communities, is becoming part of OCP’s ministry.

OCP publishes a number of choral octavos and music collections that would enrich the worship of Anglican, Episcopal, Lutheran, and Methodist churches.

They look like religious teachers. But they’re AI — and millions are listening
'AI can help maybe with information and training and insight, but it can’t actually transmit spirituality,' said Swami Sarvapriyananda, a Hindu monk.

Why personal sacrifice remains essential for gospel growth today
Most of us are sharp enough to spot and reject the worst elements of the “prosperity Gospel” which really is no Gospel at all because it essentially replaces Jesus as the greatest prize with material well-being. Nevertheless, we can, almost without thinking as 21st century Western Christians, airbrush out of our walk with God anything that smacks of difficulties or hardship.

Image Credit: Kelly Adams, Historic Churches of Suffolk

Friday's Catch: 'Unlocking the Potential of the 164 Hours a Week Beyond Sunday' And More

Unlocking the Potential of the 164 Hours a Week Beyond Sunday
Jevon Caldwell-Gross says churches can no longer assume that Sunday morning is the primary way people will connect with a congregation. He shares how the COVID-19 pandemic revealed new opportunities for St. Luke’s United Methodist Church to engage its community—and why churches should think beyond Sunday when reaching new people and forming faith.

What 40 Million Dechurched Americans Say About Why They Left
In the past quarter-century, about 40 million Americans have stopped attending church. That’s more than the estimated number of people who came to faith during the First Great Awakening, the Second Great Awakening, and the Billy Graham crusades combined.

Those numbers come from “The Great Dechurching,” the largest study ever conducted on why Americans stop going to church. Some good news is buried amid the gloom, however.

Honoring the Laborers
Dr. Dontá McGilvery suggests that churches draw inspiration from Labor Day to create an annual season of rest and appreciation for faithful volunteers. Drawing on 1 Thessalonians 5, he argues that intentionally honoring those who labor in ministry strengthens congregational health, reduces burnout, and demonstrates biblical gratitude.

Recognition of volunteers is a part of a healthy church culture.

Vital Ministry in Times of Scarcer Resources
Membership continues to decline, and now resources are becoming scarce—and more than ever, we are called to vital ministry.

Two factors may give us clues for understanding what often happens, and does not happen, when resources of people, and now money, become scarcer.

Does Methodist connectionalism serve large and small churches equally?
The battle between Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas and its regional governing body in The United Methodist Church may boil down to whether large and small churches in the denomination can continue to operate by the same governing rules.

The Museum of the Bible is offering a Christian nationalist vision of America’s past
The Museum of the Bible seeks to unite people of faith from various life experiences and convince them that modern political efforts to ‘reestablish’ a Christian America are rooted in America's founding.

5 Lies Christians Believe (And Why They’re So Convincing)
These five lies are common enough that you have probably believed at least one of them, maybe without realizing it.

An Overlooked Argument for Christianity
The key to the argument is the cumulative weight of Old Testament prophecies. It’s the sheer number of them, and the way they unfold organically and yet seemingly coherently.

10 Pastoral Leadership Habits That Quietly Hurt a Church
Church attendance among Gen Z and millennials has nearly doubled since 2020, according to Barna Group. Young adults are showing up. The question is what they find when they get there.

Barna’s research heading into 2026 points to a widening gap: spiritual curiosity is rising faster than spiritual formation. Two-thirds of U.S. adults say they’ve made a personal commitment to Jesus, but fewer say their faith shapes daily life than did 25 years ago. Pastoral leadership habits open that gap, one small choice at a time.

What Is a Liturgy, and Should We Have One?
Just as the gospel never gets old, a liturgy that is shaped by the gospel—if it is engaged wholeheartedly, with an openness to the Spirit’s leading—never gets old either.

Turn Your Church Data Into Deeper Discipleship
There’s a pastor I know here in north Austin, Texas who can tell you exactly how many people walked through his church’s doors last Easter. He has the number memorized. He’s proud of it, and he should be. It took years to build a church that fills a room like that.

Ask him a harder question, though. Of everyone who came Easter Sunday, how many are still there now?

He doesn’t know...

Young people prefer trusted relationships for exploring Christian faith, report finds
Young people would rather explore faith in depth with someone whom they trust, but they would undertake “fact-finding tasks” about Christianity online, a new report from the Scripture Union suggests.

Image Credit: Holy Cross Cathedral, Anglican Diocese of the South

Thursday's Catch: '6 Signs of a Toxic Church Culture (And How to Start Fixing It)' And More

6 Signs of a Toxic Church Culture (And How to Start Fixing It)
Every church has a culture. The only question is whether anyone is paying attention to what kind.

ACNA Responds to Shared S.C. Chapel Blessing
The joint blessing of a chapel at a historic school by an Episcopal bishop and an Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) bishop has stirred up deep controversy in the ACNA, with an August 26 statement from its acting primate sharply criticizing the service and promising that the church’s College of Bishops would rule on the situation next month.

Also See: A Statement from the the Dean, ACNA, on Episcopal/ACNA fellowship

DHS claims it did not violate court order by spying on Baptist church
The government now argues that DHS’s infiltration of a class inside University Baptist Church did not violate the court’s preliminary injunction because the spying occurred in gymnasium instead of the sanctuary.”

Afraid of God? Ryan Lokkesmoe on How Paganism has Invaded the Church (And a Way Out) (Ep 135)
“We were not created to be afraid of God. He does not want you to feel afraid of him, he wants you to feel freedom in that relationship.”

In What Age Do We Find Ourselves?
When Dr. Addleman wrote asking me if I might speak at a pre-­conference event for the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities gathering, he suggested the title: “What Age are We Living In?” I’m a historical and cultural sociologist, and in my writing and teaching, I like working with a big canvas. His suggestion offered me a very big canvas. How could I say no?

What age are we living in? It’s a good question. The Italian literary critic, Roberto Calasso, recently called this moment, “the unnamable present.” Yet I think we know more than he allows. It’s possible that we don’t have the right label for it yet, but I rather think that there are things we can confidently say about it.

So, this morning, I want to talk about the age we live in and, depending on the time, what it might mean for Christian higher education.

Preaching Through Controversial Topics + What White and Black Preachers Can Learn From Each Other
Charlie Dates started preaching at eight, lining up chairs in his living room. Now he’s one of Chicago’s most respected pastors.

He joins me to talk about whose approval you’re really preaching for, why a major donor once walked out mad, how to wake up a dead congregation, and what white and Black preachers desperately need to learn from each other.

Learning to Read and Write Again
The writer of Ecclesiastes couldn’t have begun to grasp the sheer volume of books, not to mention blogs, articles, and podcasts that saturate our world today. “Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body” (Eccles 12:12). I confess to feeling overwhelmed and weary. There has never been so much information to take on board. The internet floods us with content. So much information. How do I know what matters most? How much do I need to understand as a Christian leader? I can’t read everything, so should I read anything?

Some Things Are Worth Holding Onto 

I use digital books, and I am thankful for them. They are extraordinarily useful tools. However, I refuse to give up physical books.

In fact, the older I get, the more convinced I become that there are some efficiencies that are not improvements.

Why You Need to Think Like a Fish
You can’t be a good fisherman unless you learn to think like a fish. You need to learn their habits, preferences, and feeding patterns if you want to catch them. Certain fish like smooth, still waters. Others like the rushing rivers. Certain fish are bottom-feeders. Others like to hide among the rocks. If you don’t understand the patterns of the fish you’re trying to catch, you’re wasting your time. The same is true when you’re trying to reach people with the Gospel.

Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (August 27, 2026) Is Now Online

Welcome to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows.

The Scriptures provide us with a number of lessons about healing and prayer. In this evening ‘s message we take a look at what we can learn.

Readings: 2 Kings 4: 8-37; Mark 7:31-37

Message: What do the Scriptures teach us about healing and prayer?

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2026/08/thursday-evenings-at-all-hallows-august_01885623305.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: 'Despite the Secularization Trend, Jesus Still Saves' And More

Despite the Secularization Trend, Jesus Still Saves
While society moves toward secularization, Jesus can still save people disengaged from Christianity and transform those barely hanging on.

Many Americans are moving away from congregations, but not necessarily from religion – movies, plays, art and social media fill the gap
To understand what religion looks like in 21st-century America, researchers may need to ask different questions.

Reasons Your Gut Feeling is a Dangerous Growth Strategy
Most church leaders trust their gut more than they realize, and that instinct can quietly steer a congregation in the wrong direction. In this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast, Scott and A.J. walk through the most common pitfalls of gut-driven decision making, explain why anecdotal information is not the same as real data, and offer practical questions leaders can ask to start making better, more informed choices for their churches.

5 Barriers That Stall Church Growth (and How to Break Them)
Before you touch any of the five barriers below, get the underlying question right.

3 Signs Your Church's Vision Has Expired
Is your church's vision still guiding decisions and inspiring people, or has it quietly expired without anyone noticing? In this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast, Scott Ball and A.J. Mathieu walk through three clear signs that a church's vision has gone stale, and they offer practical next steps for auditing and renewing it before it does more damage.

Also See: Church Vision Strategy: 4 Steps to Clarity, Growth, and Alignment -The Church Revitalization Podcast

A Brief Theology of Property Stewardship
Why do churches own properties?

A Good and Faithful Servant: Saint Andrew, North Burlingham, Norfolk
East Anglia was a very prosperous part of England in the later Middle Ages. The inhabitants of even the humblest villages took pride in their parish churches and strove to extend and beautify them. North Burlingham is, even today, a small village about 10 miles east of Norwich. They had a stone church by the 12th century, and extended the building in the 14th century, but during the 15th century they improved it again. We know quite a bit about when this happened, as several wills of North Burlingham inhabitants remain from then; most of the funds, however, would have come from the living.

Seely Suffolk, Holy Suffolk, the county of East Anglia where l spent a part of my childhood, is also known for its numerous churches. I lived in the small rural village of Ilketshall St. Andrews, eighteen miles as the crow flies from Norwich and Norwich Cathedral in the neighboring county of Norfolk.

God Comforts Us, So We Can Comfort Others
Paul’s time in Ephesus was both extraordinarily fruitful and extraordinarily challenging—indeed, life-threatening! It is important to know this when reading the passage this article is about.

What Destroys Leaders: Eric Geiger on Preaching to Your Own Sins and Disappointing Your Staff
Eric Geiger, senior pastor of Mariners Church, joins me to talk about what actually brings leaders down, the personal and systemic reasons for moral failure, and why a lot of us end up preaching to our own sin.

Plus, we discuss how to disappoint the staff you used to work directly with without losing them as your church grows. If you lead people, listen in.

The church has a Cambridge problem
Christians can criticize affirmative action and DEI hires all they want, but the continued employment of disqualified pastors in the pulpit is the church’s own form of an employment program.

Firing a Pastor Can Wound More Than the Person Behind the Pulpit
Before leaders force a pastor from the pulpit, they need to understand what their decision could set in motion.

The vestry of a church that I helped to plant and pioneer unwisely tried to force the resignation of the church's rector, causing a church split and halting the remarkable growth of the church. The church never recovered from this loss of momentum in its growth.

8 Things a Pastor Should Never Say From the Pulpit
Trust is difficult to build and remarkably easy to lose.

Barna’s 2026 research found that people place more confidence in local, familiar Christian leaders than in distant or celebrity figures. That makes every sermon an opportunity to strengthen trust or quietly weaken it.

Bill Gates fears world leaders are unprepared for 3 major AI risks: 'Stunted' child development, emboldened criminals, and vanishing jobs for Gen Z
Bill Gates, the cofounder of Microsoft turned billionaire philanthropist, is a self-professed optimist when it comes to artificial intelligence. He’s had a front-row seat to its greatest advancements and believes it will help cure diseases and address inequality.

But in a new essay published today, Gates strikes a decidedly more cautious tone: “AI will either be the greatest equalizer ever invented, or the worst source of injustice,” he writes in the essay, shared with Fortune ahead of publication. “The challenge is monumental.”

Also See: Trump EPA aims to exempt datacenters from disclosing air pollution, advocates warn

Most religious youth say media's portrayal of faith, spirituality is inaccurate: study
While a majority of religious youth admit to consuming religious content online and using it to explore their faith, most still list local faith leaders and their parents as the sources they trust most to handle questions about spirituality, according to a new study published by the Center for Scholars & Storytellers at UCLA.

In The Future of Faith: Young People, Media, & Spirituality, researchers led by Yalda T. Uhls, who is an adjunct professor in UCLA’s Department of Psychology, found that a majority of religious youth in Generation Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, and Generation Alpha, those born in the early 2010s to mid-2020s, said portrayals of their faith and spirituality in media were not accurate.

Signs Your Church Is Trapped in the Consumerism Cycle
Is your church full of attendees but short on disciples? In episode 350 of the Church Revitalization Podcast, Scott and A.J. dig into one of the most common and quietly damaging patterns in church life: the consumerism cycle. They walk through three concrete red flags that signal your congregation may be consuming church rather than contributing to it, and then offer a practical framework for shifting the culture toward ownership and discipleship.

When Reading Declines, Discipleship Suffers
In 2024, Rose Horowitch observed that college students at elite universities struggle to read books. “It’s not that they don’t want to do the reading,” she wrote. “It’s that they don’t know how.” That will affect how well members of our churches can read and comprehend their Bibles.

Tuesday's Catch: 'Is there a revival in the US? The real data says no' And More

VOICES: Is there a revival in the US? The real data says no
I have spent 20 years measuring what people actually do with their Christian faith. I also run a Scripture engagement organization, which makes me exactly the person who would truly be thrilled if a revival were taking place in America. Read everything that follows with that in mind.

No, the United States is not in a revival. Not as of the summer of 2026, not by the standard the Christian tradition has historically used and not by any standard the data can support.

The Rooted Leader: An Interview with Eric Geiger
Thom and Jess welcome Eric Geiger to The Church Answers Podcast. In his new book, “The Rooted Leader: Seven Rhythms of Leaders Who Bear Fruit That Lasts” (Tyndale Momentum, August 2026), Eric provides practical guidance for leaders in any area of life, helping them grow in influence and impact. Drawing from the biblical story of Nehemiah, often called history’s first leadership book, he introduces seven intermingling rhythms that result in the fruit all leaders desire: vision, conviction, servanthood, perseverance, credibility, transformation, and resolve.

Eric serves as senior pastor of Mariners Church in Irvine, California, and has been heavily involved in the Rooted Network, a discipleship program impacting thousands of churches nationwide.

When Personnel Costs Are Too Low
Thom and Jess discuss the challenges if personnel costs fall below about 40%.

Every Church Has a Troublemaker. Here’s How to Stop Them Before They Blow Everything Up.
Every church experiences disagreement. Not every disagreement signals disloyalty, and not every critic is a troublemaker. But when someone repeatedly spreads gossip, recruits people into factions, rejects correction, or disrupts the church’s mission, leaders cannot afford to look away.

The best defense is not a dramatic confrontation. It is a healthy church with emotionally mature Christian leaders, clear expectations, trusted reporting processes, and the courage to address destructive behavior before it spreads.

Church of England urges prayers for those impacted by heatwaves, drought and wildfires
The Church of England is encouraging its parishioners to pray for those impacted by drought, heatwaves and wildfires, in what could well become Britain’s hottest and driest summer on record.

This summer there have already been five heatwaves. According to the green think tank Verdant, the heatwaves may have cost Britain £4.4 billion in lost productivity.

Winchester churches make most of heatwaves with outreach initiatives
Churches in the Diocese of Winchester have been making the most of the unusually hot summer by heading out into the community and holding worship and other events outside.

This summer Britain has experienced five heatwaves, potentially causing significant damage to the economy, driving up food prices as agriculture suffers, and leading to thousands of “heat-related” deaths.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom.

Nigeria Witnesses Return of Traditional Religion
Significant numbers of young Christians in southeast Nigeria are turning to African traditional religion, including ritual practies that predate Christianity’s arrival in the 17th century. The trend has attracted public commentary and statements by some clergy, and has also generated academic discussions.

Does this trend parallel the trend of Western youth to turn to the older Christian traditions like Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy?

Blood-red moon over US sparks Armageddon fears as biblical prophecy appears to unfold
While scientists emphasize the natural beauty of the phenomenon, the blood moon has also sparked apocalyptic speculation online. Some social media users suggest it could be 'the one mentioned in the Bible.

Rev. Barbara Brown Zikmund, trailblazing religion scholar, dies at 87
The Rev. Barbara Brown Zikmund began her career in academia in the 1960s and went on to reach a series of milestones for women in theological institutions.

Dolly Parton, Country Music Icon and Woman of Faith, Dies at 80
Country music legend Dolly Parton has passed away at the age of 80. On Tuesday, Aug. 25, Parton’s nephew, Bryan Seaver, made an announcement about her death.

Consistency-based rewards could build lasting cooperation better than punishing free-riders
In a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, two Dartmouth researchers find that rewarding the people who consistently cooperate does more to sustain that cooperation than punishing those who don't.

How does your church reward its volunteers? Recognition from the pulpit? T-shirts? Volunteer appreciation events? Special perks?

Do Religious Families Actually Have More Kids?
Or, why the Duggars really are an outlier.

Battling the Fall Doldrums (Part 1)
In ministry terms, the fall doldrums refer to the short season after the end of summer and back-to-school season and before the Christmas holiday ramp-up.

Also See: Battling the Fall Doldrums (Part 2)

Smallest, Largest Churches See Strongest Discipleship Scores
The size and location of a church may reveal more than we realize about the discipleship of its churchgoers.

11 Signs of an Emotionally Mature Christian
Most Christians have been taught what to believe. Far fewer have been taught how to be. The gap between the two is where a lot of the damage gets done.

Monday's Catch: 'Why Church Scandals Are on the Rise (5 Safeguards You Can Implement Immediately)' And More

Why Church Scandals Are on the Rise (5 Safeguards You Can Implement Immediately)
Church scandals are getting more attention. That much is obvious. The media reports them quickly. Documentary filmmakers spotlight fallen pastors. And while megachurches often receive the headlines, smaller congregations are not immune. The public perception is clear: something is wrong. Whether the issue is systemic across church life or isolated to specific ministries with poor practices, the challenge for local churches is the same. We need safeguards. We need them now. And we need to implement them in our own churches before a crisis emerges, not after one explodes.

Church Announces Partnership With MinistrySafe After Sex Offender Controversy
Pawleys Island Community Church (PICC) announced that it is partnering with MinistrySafe as leaders work to evaluate and improve church policies and procedures designed to protect children. PICC has been at the center of controversy since mid-July when it came to light that certain church leaders had allowed a registered sex offender to volunteer on the church’s campus, which at the time was shared with a school.

SBC President Willy Rice and Other Prominent SBC Leaders Listed in New Protestant Accountability Database
Protestant Accountability, a survivor-led nonprofit, announced the launch and expansion of ProtestantAccountability.org, a searchable database that collects publicly available information about Protestant clergy and other spiritual leaders who have been accused of committing, enabling, or mishandling sexual abuse.

Why Fallen Pastors So Rarely Walk Away
Have you ever wondered why pastors who have been disqualified from ministry so rarely concede to the reality of their disqualification and just move on? Have you ever wondered why they so often disappear for a year or so and then turn up at another church or in a different denomination? I have wondered often and have formed a theory about the matter.

Belief Isn't Dying, It's Just Getting Less Certain
New data from Pew's Religious Landscape Study shows young Americans are less certain God exists — but very few are becoming atheists.

Loving the God We Don’t Understand
Coming to faith is like falling in love. For some, it is head-over-heels love at first sight, with a rush to the altar. Others find the entire idea of spiritual things wholly to their unliking, only to discover that many of their first impressions were mistaken. A begrudging acceptance moves toward appreciation and then, almost unnoticed, slips over the line into heartfelt embrace.

Yet in either case, Malcolm Muggeridge was right in observing that in the end, coming to faith remains for all a “sense of homecoming, of picking up the threads of a lost life, of responding to a bell that had long been ringing, of taking a place at a table that had long been vacant.”

Why So Few Pastors Quit Each Year, Even Though Most Are Exhausted
... although pastors aren’t walking away in substantial numbers, a majority of them aren’t okay. For the same person, both facts are often true at the same time, often for years.

3 Overlooked Groups You Should Call to Pray
There are at least three rarely noticed groups of people who pastors and church leaders can intentionally disciple to pray.

Why the Internet is Making Men and Women Hate Each Other
Lindsay Clancy is on trial in Massachusetts for the murder of her three children. She has confessed to the killings, but has pled insanity. Her defense argues that she had been suffering from an extreme case of postpartum psychosis and was hearing voices in her head telling to kill her kids.

The Internet is, of course, very interested. And the way particular social media platforms and groups are participating in the discourse illustrates again one of the most important things anyone can realize about the modern Internet:

It’s a place where each sex is learning to loathe the other.

Why We Never Speak to Each Other
And what to do about it.

Why Small Groups? The reason behind intentional Christian community.
Churches use all sorts of names for small groups—life groups, growth groups, home groups, cell groups. They also use various models, numerous strategies for connection, various plans for assimilation, and church-specific vision and goals for their group ministries. Yet all would agree that small groups are a means to an end, not an end in and of themselves. Small groups exist as a way for people to engage in biblical community that helps them become more like Jesus in every area of their lives. The following are a few key biblical foundations, ministry purposes, and benefits of small groups. 

How do I get my church congregation to invite? Playlist 

Check out this Church Fuel series on how to get your congregation to invite! The Church Fuel team shares the top ideas to help your church develop a culture of invitation!

Sundays at All Hallows (August 23, 2026) Is Now Online

Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows.

This Sunday, August 23, 2026, is the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity. It is the Twenty-First Sunday of Ordinary Time. This year is the sixth year that All Hallows Murray has been online. All Hallows Murray was primarily launched to serve those who are unable to attend a church in their locality for one reason or another and to provide services for small groups gathering for worship in houses, apartments, and other non-traditional settings.

A secondary purpose of Thursday Evenings and Sundays at All Hallows is to introduce small and medium-sized churches to the wide variety of hymns, worship songs, and service music that is available to churches with limited musical resources.

For this Sunday’s Invitatory Psalm you have a choice, the original version of Michael Perry’s metrical paraphrase of the Venite (Psalm 95), “Come Worship God,” or the inclusive language version. The organ accompaniment for both versions is the same-- Joseph Francis Thrupp’s hymn tune EPIPHANY.

Alternative hymn tunes include the seventeenth century French plainchant, O QUANTA QUALIA; Southern Harmony’s shaped note hymn tune, STAR IN THE EAST; and the Irish folk melody, STREETS OF LAREDO (THE BARD OF ARMAGH). You will find recordings of these tunes online.

In this Sunday’s message we take a look at the different ways people answer a question Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say I am?”

Readings: Isaiah 51: 1-6, Romans 12: 1-8, and Matthew 16:13-20

Message: “Who Do You Say I Am?”

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2026/08/sundays-at-all-hallows-august-23-2026.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: 'The Burge Report: Why Immigration Won't Reverse America's Secular Drift'

The Burge Report: Why Immigration Won't Reverse America's Secular Drift
A common argument says immigration could help reverse America’s secular drift because immigrants are assumed to be more religious than native-born Americans. Ryan Burge’s analysis challenges that assumption. Using Cooperative Election Study data, he finds that immigrants are only slightly more religious than Americans whose families have been in the United States for generations—and not nearly enough to shift the country’s overall religious trajectory. The larger story is assimilation: immigrants, like the broader American population, are becoming more secular over time.

ACNA Bishop Jones Guilty on All Counts
The Anglican Church in North America’s Court for the Trial of a Bishop has granted summary judgment against the Rt. Rev. Derek Jones, the church’s former chaplaincy bishop. Resolving the case without a trial, the August 19 judgment declared Bishop Jones guilty of violating denominational canons, abusing ecclesiastical power, and promoting and causing schism.

Christian nationalists’ professed support for religious pluralism is often drowned out by perceptions that Christians are under threat
Two political scientists explain why Christian nationalist beliefs endure.

Leading Your Church Faithfully Through Elections
When discipleship extends into public life, what does faithful Christian leadership look like? Kendal McBroom equips leaders with practical resources and practices to build spiritually grounded communities that engage civic life with courage, humility, and a commitment to the common good.

Birmingham church bombing wasn’t an isolated act of terrorism – there were dozens of attacks on Black houses of worship during the Civil Rights Movement
More than 100 Black churches across the South were targeted from the 1950s-70s. Another wave of violence followed in the ‘90s – and there have been attacks in recent years, too.

Why Tom Wright Remains Anglican While Others Change Denomination
In this clip from Ask NT Wright Anything, host Mike Bird and Tom Wright explore how their very different denominational journeys have shaped their Christian lives. Mike explains that he did not grow up in a Christian home and first came to faith through a Baptist church in Sydney while serving in the army, later studying at a Baptist theological college. Moving to Scotland then drew him deeper into the Reformed and Presbyterian world. He also shares how discovering that biblical scholar F. F. Bruce combined a Greek New Testament with the Book of Common Prayer prompted him to try Anglican daily offices, a practice that eventually led him into the Anglican tradition and ordination.

Tom Wright, by contrast, describes being born and bred within the Church of England, surrounded by Anglican clergy and lay leaders in his family. He recalls moments as a student when zealous Baptist friends urged him to leave what they saw as a corrupt Anglican structure, yet he remained anchored by the rhythm of Anglican morning and evening prayer and the central place of Scripture in that worship. Tom reflects on the freedom and breadth within Anglicanism, its commitment to the Bible, and his ecumenical engagement with Methodists, Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox and Pentecostal movements. Together, Mike and Tom show how modern Christians often move more fluidly between denominations while still seeking a solid scriptural and liturgical centre.

We Need Healthy Tribalism
It’s OK for you to have a tribe and to learn from people outside your tribe. It’s even OK to recognize that the Lord might use someone outside your tribe to do great things for his kingdom. And so I want to give you a framework—four helpful truths as we maneuver this hypertribal world while trying not to become hypertribal ourselves.

Get Nervous Before Preaching? 3 Remedies
Do you find yourself getting nervous before you preach? Maybe even nervous while you're preaching? Maybe even struggling with fear? I made this video specifically for you. Watch this before Sunday and say goodbye to those preaching nerves.

When Screens Become a Theological Question
An aesthetic objection to adding a large screen became a theological question about how worship spaces distribute attention, ease and participation.

Imagining what another person needs is not the same as asking.

Access begins by asking people what helps them worship and allowing their answers to shape the room.

How to Gather Well: 5 Ways to Prepare for Corporate Worship
I almost called this article, “Getting the Most out of the Gathering,” but I was cautious about accidentally communicating something in the title that I don’t mean. To be clear, I don’t believe the gathering is primarily about us getting something. I trust we all understand that it would be wrong to come to church with the mindset of expecting to have our preferences catered to. That is not the ‘getting’ that I mean.

But it is clear through the pages of the Bible that God has ordained the Christian gathering to be a place for us to not only offer worship to him but also to receive grace from him.

The Biggest Intellectual Struggle Christians Face at College Isn't What You Think
In this video, Michael Kruger shares the biggest intellectual struggle Christian's face at college.

Michael J. Kruger is the Samuel C. Patterson Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina, and a leading scholar on the origins and development of the New Testament canon. He blogs regularly at michaeljkruger.com. He is the author of 'Surviving Religion 101: Letters to a Christian Student on Keeping the Faith in College'.

How to Streamline Your Adult Discipleship Ministries - The Church Revitalization Podcast 

Is your church overwhelmed by a maze of groups, classes, and ministries, or struggling to get people engaged at all? On this episode, we break down how to streamline your adult discipleship ministries for greater clarity and real spiritual growth.

Your hosts, Scott Ball and A.J. Mathieu from The Malphurs Group, bring years of hands-on experience revitalizing churches. Each week, they share practical strategies for church leaders to create healthier, more effective ministries—no matter your church’s size or context...

Friday's Catch: "US churches healthier than expected despite ‘massive discipleship gap’ – new study" And More

US churches healthier than expected despite ‘massive discipleship gap’ – new study
American churches are receiving high marks from those who regularly enter their pews, despite new research showing that more than half of self-identifying Christians attend services less than once a month.

The latest findings from the American Bible Society’s ‘State of the Bible USA 2026,’ which focuses on church health, suggest a mixed picture of the Church in the United States, with relatively strong levels of satisfaction among churchgoers contrasting with continued disengagement among large numbers of Christians.

Highland Park UMC pastor compares standoff with regional conference to Cain and Abel
A regional body of the United Methodist Church and Highland Park United Methodist Church (HPUMC) in Dallas continued their public disagreement this week over changes to the megachurch’s governing documents, with both sides issuing statements defending their positions in the ongoing civil lawsuit.

On Aug. 10, the Horizon Texas Conference filed suit in Dallas County District Court seeking court clarification on questions involving the church’s governing documents and a longstanding property deed. The conference said the action followed months of unsuccessful efforts to resolve the matter directly with HPUMC leadership.

Rural Churches Today: Challenges, Opportunities, and Lasting Impact
While rural church pastors share many ministry delights and challenges with pastors in other contexts, certain aspects of rural church life make it unique.

Imminent danger to humanity as scientists warn of mass extinction event on Earth
A report backed by 17 experts has warned that Earth is heading toward a future marked by mass extinction, declining health, and climate-driven upheaval that threaten life as we know it.

The report argues that the planet is in far worse shape than most people realise, and that immediate action is needed.

Insiders unmask Trump's private pet projects list that has left national parks to rot
While President Donald Trump gilds horse statues and swaps out brick paver steps at the White House, dumpsters overflow and wildfires threaten remote parks across America, insiders told The Atlantic that the rot is only beginning.

The National Park Service now runs a three-tier funding scheme, according to documents and five current and former officials cited by The Atlantic's Michael Scherer. There's the untouchable "White House priorities" list, a "high priority" list, and a "low priority" pile where 1,573 projects languish. Many of those projects would have sailed through under past administrations, officials told the outlet.

White nationalist takeover plot for rural America exposed after secret Rome meeting
White nationalist leaders gathered in Rome, Italy, this year to map out how they could exploit America's collapsing local news industry, openly celebrating the death of community journalism as a golden opportunity to organize unchecked in rural areas.

Phil Williams, a legendary local reporter from Nashville, reported the development for the Confront the Hate Substack.

Two outside white supremacist groups, the Klu Klux Klan and the Workers Party, a 21st century iteration of the American Nazi Party, have attempted to recruit new members in my community, a modest-sized university town located in a largely rural area of Kentucky. Their efforts were opposed by a local alliance of churches and church leaders. I recall a young man boasting to a fellow university student that he was a Nazi. The young woman did not appear to be impressed.

University of Houston cuts 40% of core curriculum, including climate change and LGBT studies courses 

University of Houston cut about 40% of its courses from its core curriculum, meaning new students can no longer take classes like "Intro to Global Climate Change" or "Introduction to LGBT Studies" to satisfy their general education requirements.

The move comes as Texas colleges and universities face pressure to eliminate what conservative lawmakers see as "indoctrination" in the classroom. Some students and faculty have disputed that characterization and believe the targeted courses should be included to promote academic inquiry.

While states like Texas are suppressing academic freedom at the university level and promoting a particular brand of purported evangelical Christianity in elementary, middle and high school classrooms, white supremacist groups are indoctrinating young men in their ideology on the internet. And according to one report the Department of Homeland Security has been spying on churches. What next?!

11 faith groups accuse Trump administration of violating court order while spying on churches
Religious groups now argue that the government has committed ‘multiple egregious violations’ of a preliminary injunction handed down in their case back in February.

Federal appeals court upholds ban on ICE raids at churches
A federal appeals court panel has reaffirmed a block on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) policy that allows agents to conduct raids at houses of worship, schools and other community locations.

In a decision released Wednesday, a three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously upheld a lower court decision in favor of a coalition of multiple Quaker meeting groups, a Sikh Temple and a Cooperative Baptist congregation.

What Happens When Easy Christianity Fails?
Research shows doubt is a reality for many believers. How can believers keep the faith when the ground is shaken and easy Christianity fails?

Keith Getty says Christians must ‘sing the Bible’ in the age of AI ahead of Sing! Conference
Ten years after Keith and Kristyn Getty launched what was intended to be a one-time event celebrating a book about congregational singing, the Sing! Conference has grown into an international gathering of pastors, theologians, musicians and believers focused on strengthening the singing life of the Church.

This year, the conference will return to Nashville on Sept. 7–9 with the theme “Symphony of Scripture,” marking the 500th anniversary of William Tyndale’s English New Testament and examining the influence of the Bible on worship, theology, language, culture and the arts.

5 Questions to Help Someone Find the Right Bible
Before recommending a particular Bible, ask these five questions to choose the right one based on who it’s for and how it will be used.

OpenAI halts AI training on advanced model as it detects dark signs emerging
OpenAI says that it’s slowing down development and release of new models due to security and alignment concerns.

The ChatGPT maker announced the decision in a Tuesday blog post, citing two events as drivers of the indefinite training halt. One was the recent incident in which an OpenAI agent escaped its training sandbox without OpenAI’s knowledge and coordinated with other agents to launch a bizarre cyberattack against the AI training repository Hugging Face in an effort to cheat on its training tests. The blog post also — more mysteriously — cited “preliminary evidence” that an unreleased new model called Astra “may meet the critical cybersecurity capability threshold” under OpenAI’s “Preparedness Framework,” which mandates that OpenAI slow down development if a model “could introduce unprecedented new pathways to severe harm.”

You Don’t Need to Know Every Answer to Share the Gospel
Not knowing every answer to theological questions is not a barrier to sharing the gospel but can actually be an asset. Admitting uncertainty during evangelism creates vulnerability that makes unbelievers more comfortable asking their own questions, opening deeper conversations. Pride drives the impulse to appear all-knowing, but scripture shows Paul himself evangelized in weakness and trembling, trusting that faith rests on God's power rather than human wisdom. The results of evangelism belong to God, not the person sharing.