Saturday Lagniappe: "The Joel Osteen Fiasco Says A Lot About American Christianity" and Much More

The Joel Osteen Fiasco Says A Lot About American Christianity

The backlash against Lakewood Church’s response to Tropical Storm Harvey speaks to a larger powder keg of resentment directed at evangelical Christianity in the United States right now. Read More

When Calling Yourself a "Christian" Isn't Enough

Recently, I was reflecting on an important point that Dr. Trueman has been making for a number of years--namely, that the term "evangelical" has not only lost its meaning, but that it probably needs to be abandoned altogether. Read More

Must Every Church Be Mult-Ethnic? [Video]

When churches are place in communities that are multi-ethnic, they should not be content with mono-ethnicity. Jesus died for every tribe, tongue,and nation, and some of those tribes are in our own community. Watch Now

How to Blow Up Your Local Association

In our denomination, an association is a group of local churches tied to a specific geographic area. Think of it as a network of churches in one area focused on community-specific needs. Some associations are large and thriving. Ours is neither. We’re the Manatee Association, named after our county, but it’s an apt name. Manatees are gracious and kind animals, but they just tend to float and graze. Sea cows. The locals call them sea cows. Sea cows don’t go anywhere fast. That is our association. But not anymore. Read More

Many denominations have the equivalent of the Baptist local association. It may be called by a different name. In the Anglican Church it is typically called a deanery; in the Methodist Church, a district. In my experience it can be a powerhouse for spreading the gospel and planting new churches. Or it can be the opposite.

One of the reasons that I was attracted to the Anglican Mission in America in the period immediate following its formation was that it was active in both of these areas while my local Episcopal deanery, although the geographic area to which it was tied was enjoying explosive population growth and other denominations were starting new congregations right and left, showed no interest in either advancing the gospel or launching new churches in the area. Indeed one of its member churches asked that the bishop not to authorize the planting of any new churches in its part of the deanery out of fear that a new church would attract the new families moving into the area, which it was not attracting, and might attract its existing members.

The bishop would eventually authorize the launching of a new church in my part of the deanery but only after the AMiA announced that it was planning to start a new church there. The new Episcopal Church start-up never enjoyed the support of the deanery's churches. It was pioneered by clergy from the Baton Rouge Deanery, more than an hour's drive from the area. The rector of one parish in my part of the deanery refused to acknowledge its existence. A member of the clergy of my former parish dismissed the members of the new congregation as "happy-clappy holy rollers."

The Gene Robinson consecration proved to be the death knell of this start-up, as was that of another thriving start-up in East Baton Rouge. My former parish which had been at one point the fastest growing Episcopal parish in the deanery and the diocese would go into decline and four years later would become a diocesan mission again.

The rector sought to avert the church’s decline by catering to liberal Catholics in the community. He persuaded the vestry to undertake the construction of a parish hall as well as the transformation of the church’s multipurpose building into a permanent worship center. The interior of the worship center was altered to resemble more closely that of a Roman Catholic church. An outdoor labyrinth was constructed near the worship center along with an angel garden and a fountain. While adding to the church's financial burden, none of these measures would arrest its decline. The rector was eventually forced to resign to make way for new leadership.

Renovating Your Church Without Wrecking Your Ministry

Our church just completed a sanctuary renovation in the spring. The renovation updated our sanctuary significantly and created more stage space so our contemporary service could worship in our sanctuary (we had been meeting in our fellowship hall). We were also able to add effective seating by transitioning from pews to worship seating. We are grateful that the project is completed and have benefited from worshiping in our renovated sanctuary. These several considerations I trust will save you some headaches as you envision and complete a renovation or new construction. Read More

3 Reasons Pastors Have Access to Their Church Members’ Giving Records

Art Rainer gives three reasons for having access to giving records, which pastors believe outweigh the reasons for not having access to them. Read More

4 Lies that Cause Pastors to Neglect their Families

Jaime Owens offer four lies that can cause young pastors to neglect their families. Read More

3 Unhealthy Reasons Pastors Talk to Search Teams

Some pastors engage in ongoing conversations with pastoral search teams with little to no intention of really considering going to the church they are supposedly considering. They make trips, enjoy dinners, fill out questionnaires, look at homes online, and spend months in conversations just to play the game of going through the process. Some ministry leaders flirt with a church search team with no intention of really even having a date. Why on earth would they do this? What is going on? At least one of three things is at work in the pastor’s heart.... Read More

How To Make Your Time With God Count

all oposition What do we do as pastors to have fulfilling quiet time with God, without it becoming another task on our to-do list? Read More

How Social Media Is Molding Your Child

With the development of the cell phone and the plethora of other internet connected devices, social media has become so integral in the lives our children (and us) that it’s reshaping the culture of childhood. Let’s get one thing straight: Your children are not growing up like you or me. Now, before you channel Ron Swanson and run to your child’s room to destroy every piece of technology they own, we have to understand HOW social media is shaping them. Read More

How Can Parents Help Their Kids Embrace Those Who Are Different Than Them?

Here are four ways to help kids embrace those who are different than them.... Read More

It’s called SELF-control

Not world-control. Not others-control. Not life-control... Read More

7 Things to Do If You Don't Like Your Job

Its Labor Day weekend, and we’re preparing for a day to honor American workers. Many people, though, are in work roles that they don’t enjoy. If that’s where you are this weekend, maybe these suggestions will help you look at your job differently. Read More

The FAQs: What Christians Should Know About Antifa

Here is what you should know about Antifa.... Read More

Anarchists and other "Antifa" groups play into the hands of the "alt-right," who seek to portray all those who oppose their movement as violent and themselves as innocent victims of ultra-left violence. In Germany in the 1930s the Nazis used the violent response of some groups opposing their movement as justification for the brutal suppression of all opposition to their movement. They themselves often as not provoked this violence and had no qualms about using violence..