Monday's Catch: "When I Was Hungry, You Gave Me Food. When I Was a Refugee...." and More

Don’t Underestimate the Impact of Lowering the US Refugee Ceiling

Why the recent reduction could lead more countries to follow suit—and continue to damage the church's reputation. Read More

U.S. Sets Refugee Resettlement Cap at Historic 18,000 Low

The historically low cap—a decrease from 30,000 in 2019 and 110,000 in 2017—comes at a time when the number of refugees has soared to the highest numbers since World War II. Read More

Understanding Our Hispanic Brothers and Sisters

Jesus has gathered his church to put the beauty of his creativity and wisdom on display to the ends of the earth. Read More

Modern Research about Happiness Repeatedly Parallels Biblical Principles

With their talk of being thankful, serving others, and giving generously of time and money—accompanied by the assurance that money, sex, and power won’t buy happiness— progressive secular psychologists sound remarkably like old-fashioned preachers! Read More

Your Church Needs You to Sing

Your brothers and sisters in your local church need you. They need you to show up. They need you to be engaged. And, perhaps more than many of us realize, they need you to sing. Read More

20 Truths from ‘The Church on Mission’

Dr. Craig Ott digs into the relationship between the church and the transformation of the world. Read More

Why CANA's New Diocese Initiative Matters

In his article “Why Denominations and Networks Matter” Andrew Hébert offers five reasons why he believes affinity-based networks matter. They are theological identity, missiological partnership, ministerial training, pastoral accountability, and ecclesiastical fellowship. These same reasons apply to CANA’s formation of a North American deanery for confessional Anglicans—Anglicans who share a common theological identity grounded in the Holy Scriptures and the Protestant Reformation and expressed in the historic Anglican formularies.

For those who may be unfamiliar with the historic Anglican formularies, they consist of the Articles of Religion of 1571, the Book of Common Prayer of 1662, the Forms for the Making, Ordering, and Consecration of Deacons, Priests, and Bishops of 1661, and the Books of Homilies of Edward VI and Elizabeth I. Together they form the core of the central Anglican theological tradition.

Among the reasons that CANA’s North American deanery for confessional Anglicans was formed was the lack of a North American Anglican network of churches whose theology clearly stood in continuity with historic Anglicanism—with the faith embodied in the historic Anglican formularies. That faith is not only Biblical but also Reformed in its theological outlook. It shares much in common with the faith of the Magesterial Reformed Churches.

At the same time historic Anglicanism has some distinct characteristics of its own. The Reformed Anglican Church was one of the European Reformed Churches which retained liturgical forms of worship based upon those of the Medieval Catholic Church. These forms of worship were reformed to make them conform to the teaching of the Holy Scriptures and to express their doctrine. The Reformed Anglican Church also retained the office and ministry of bishop for pragmatic reasons. The Reformed Anglican Church in addition retained a number of pre-Reformation practices such as wearing the surplice during services of public worship, making the sign of the forehead of the newly-baptized, and giving a ring at weddings on the basis that such practices were not forbidden by the Holy Scriptures, were indifferent to the salvation of the individual, and served the good order and discipline of the Church.

Nineteenth century and later interpreters of historic Anglicanism have sought to exploit these particular characteristics of the Reformed Anglican Church to dislodge it from its place among the Reformed Churches, arguing that they represent an unreformed Catholic tradition within Anglicanism and therefore Anglicanism should be viewed as a compromise between Catholicism and Protestantism. However, a careful examination of how the Protestant Reformation unfolded in the British Isles and Europe exposes the flimsiness of this argument. A more accurate description of the Reformed Anglican Church is that it represents a distinctively local development of the Protestant Reformed tradition.

Readers who wish to learn more about CANA’s North American deanery for confessional Anglicans may contact the Rev. Richard LePage at pastor@ReformationAnglicanChurch.org or (207) 894-0177 or the Rev Jonathan Smith at jonathan.smith@redeemerorl.org or (321) 356-9472.

Saturday Lagniappe: Why Denominations and Networks Matter and More

Why Denominations and Networks Matter

Here are five reasons why denominations, conventions, associations, cooperatives, collectives, networks, and other affiliations matter.... Read More

One of the Most Revealing Questions to Ask Your Church

Some of the best learning experiences as a leader come when you ask a good question and listen. After twenty years of researching churches, I’ve found one question more than any other seems to get people talking. Read More

Two Kinds of Sermons that Seem Expositional But Really Aren’t

Too many sermons focus on the biblical text, but fail to exposit the main point of the scriptural passage under consideration. To be clear, this critique isn’t merely an academic or definitional one. If a sermon fails to unpack the main point of the text at hand, the pastor is failing to preach the whole counsel of God regardless of how throughly the speaker examines the scriptural passage. Such a sermon fails to communicate what God intended to communicate by inspiring that text. Read More

4 Marks of Faithful Preaching

Jason K. Allen examines what he sees as four general marks of faithful preaching. Read More

Preach Like a Church Planter

Peyton Hill explains why he believes all preachers must preach like church planters. Read More

Are We Worshiping Worship Songs?

David Santistevan raises an important question, "Are we worshiping the songs we use in worship?" Read More

Tithing Over Text Is Now a Multi-Billion Dollar Industry

Digital giving is boosting the church’s bottom line—as well as companies like Pushpay and Tithe.ly, who process the donations. Read More

Friday's Catch: Four Ways to Put Preferences in Their Proper Place, Part 2, and More

Four Ways to Put Preferences in Their Proper Place, Part 2

We are discussing how to keep personal preferences from becoming central to our congregations. In the last post I talked about the first two: Compelling our people with Scripture and compelling our people with the vision. Today I share the final two. Read More

7 Actions to Take When Church Doesn't Meet Expectations

Consider these seven responses when things at church aren’t exactly right. Read More

False Comfort: The Treacherous Gospel of Wrathless Universalism

An increasing number of Christian books, podcasts and blog posts tell us that we shouldn’t believe in a God who judges and punishes sinners—especially on the Cross of Jesus or eternally in Hell. Sooner or later, they assure us, everybody will be saved. Here are 10 questions to ask when you encounter such theology.... Read More

4 Tips for Preaching in a Rural Church

The future health and vitality of your church depend wholly on a move of the Holy Spirit. A large part of that’ll depend on your faithfulness to preach the Word. Read More

8 Steps to Deeper Conversations with Non-Christians

Talking with a non-Christian can be intimidating for many followers of Jesus, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Read More

Thursday's Catch: Effective Follow Up and More

Five Keys to Effective Follow Up

Just like you don’t communicate with your 14-year-old nephew and your 80-year-old grandmother the same way, you’ll use many different methods to follow up with different groups in your church. But there are a few defining characteristics of a great follow-up process that are important for every follow up process you have. Read More

Why Some Churches Wait to Long to Replant

Admitting and starting to replant or revitalize can be hard for churches. In this podcast Thom Rainer, Mark Clifton, and Jonathan Howe cover seven reasons many churches fail to take the needed action. Listen Now

Church Multiplication, Church Planting & Multisite with Daniel Im

In this podcast Rich Birch is joined by Daniel Im, an author and teaching pastor at the Fellowship Church in Nashville.Daniel is from Canada, and he has traveled across the world to help plant churches. He has been in Nashville for the last four years and also works with LifeWay to help provide resources for church planters and multisite churches. Daniel is with us today to talk about church planting, multisite creation, and what strategies work in different contexts. Listen Now

7 Lies about Discipleship and What to Do about It

In nearly 20 years of ministry, here are seven lies about discipleship I’ve seen too many church believe. Read More

3 Kinds of Kingdom Interactions (Not All of Them Are Evangelism)

If outreach builds a bridge through relationship, evangelism walks across that bridge at the right time with the specifics of the gospel message. Read More

Wednesday's Catch: Mind the Gap and More

Mind the Gap: Reuniting Generations in Our Churches

As crazy as it seems to us, it’s actually quite normal and quite healthy for us to be reuniting generations to spend quality time together. Read More

Stop Getting Mad at People Who Question Change

What can you do in the moment when questions fly your way? How can a church leader quell the knee-jerk anger to questions about change? Read More

Another Look at the ‘Least Religious Generation’

American twentysomethings have their frustrations with the church, but they are far more faith-friendly than commonly supposed. Read More

Church Planting Series: How Can Your Church Get Involved in Church Planting?

While planning is key, there are a variety of imaginative ways to begin. Read More

Church Planting Series: Should Churches "Plant Pregnant" Today?

From the beginning, your church should have the intention and plans to multiply. Read More

4 Ways to Stay Motivated When Church Attendance Declines

When motivation in ministry begins to drop, it can quickly devolve into a pity party where people begin to point fingers, make bad decisions, and create an atmosphere that makes even more people want to leave. For this reason it’s imperative to stay motivated when attendance begins to decline. Here are a few ways you can begin to do this. Read More

2 Things Every Bible Discussion Needs

A core component of leading a small group meeting will be facilitating the conversation through the Bible study. Even though you may not be teaching a lesson, there are still little things you can do and watch for that will help guide the group to a spiritually impactful discussion. Read More

A Personal Monitoring System Needs to be in Your Church Audio Gear

Does your church audio gear include a personal monitoring system? It takes an individual’s monitor mix and sends it directly to the ears of that musician or singer. Some churches are acoustically challenged venues such as the ones meeting in a school gym or office building. In other churches with high ceilings and hard surfaces designed for acoustic music, choirs and sermons, there are a few problems. Read More

8 Simple Ways to Love Your Neighbor

Mark Dance shares a few ways he and his wife Janet try to live out the second Great Commandment in our neighborhood.... Read More

Armed Security at Churches Is Becoming a New Normal

Congregations adjust to shifting gun policies and the threat of active shooters. Read More

Tuesday's Catch: The United Methodist Church Split and More

The United Methodist Church Split: 4 Proposals for the Future

As a United Methodist Church split looms large due to conflicts over homosexuality, various options for the denomination’s future have now been submitted. These proposals, due last week, will be considered at next year’s General Conference in Minneapolis. UMC leaders will meet from May 5 to 15 to determine the future of America’s second-largest Protestant denomination. Read More

Let’s Stop Playing Guilt-by-Association Games

If we are called to love our enemies, how much more should we love people with whom we have strong disagreements? Read More

5 Questions to Ask about Your Theological Education

How should leaders advise those seeking vocational ministry training in this age? Each conversation I’ve had is different. However, there are five questions I ask to help each one decide how they should prepare themselves for ministry. Read More

Errors in Thinking That Stunt Church Growth

Watch out for these “thinkholes” taken from Will Mancini’s book, ‘Church Unique.’ Read More

The Horror of a Different Jesus

Our pluralistic, consumer driven society is all about choices, options, and diversity. If you don’t like what you see, be patient; another version, an updated edition, a new and improved alternative will soon appear. Read More

Does James Really Contradict Paul?

The central controversy of the Protestant Reformation hinged, at least in part, on how to understand the difference between Paul and James. Read More

Best Church Websites – ChurchJuice Picks the Top 15

We’ve spent dozens of hours searching the web to find the best church websites in North America. Of course, this is not an exhaustive list, and the list is not ranked in any order. Here are the questions we asked while searching church websites.... Read More

10 Things Every New Christian Should Know

Here are the top ten things that Brian Mavis thinks a new Christian should know during the first year. Read More

5 Shifts to Mobilize Your Church for Global Mission Involvement

We needed to identify areas where we were stuck concerning our missions involvement. Consider these five shifts we made from being stuck to taking next steps in participating in God’s global mission. Read More

Monday's Catch: Beauty in Small Places and More

Beauty in Small Places

Great things are happening across the country in churches of all sizes. Read More.

Does Jesus’ Mission Have a Church?

Here are four things church leaders must do to ensure every person in their neighborhood has a gospel witness. Read More

Why “Learn With Me” Is So Much Better Than “Learn From Me”

Don’t just teach us what you know, teach us what you’re learning. Read More

When Baptism Metrics Mislead

Are we truly reaching the unchurched, or just chasing numbers? Read More

Christopher Ash: How Can Christians Sing the Psalms? [Video]

Christopher Ash, Writer-in-Residence for Tyndale House in Cambridge, UK, is the author of a book on Psalm 119, two volumes of books on teaching the Psalms, a forthcoming popular-level commentary on selected Psalms, and is currently working on the culmination of his life’s work, a three-volume commentary on all the Psalms tentatively titled Praying the Psalms in Christ. He recently delivered the 2019 Gheens Lectures at Southern Seminary on how Christians can pray the Psalms. Watch Now

5 Reasons Not to Give Announcements in Worship Service

Here are five reasons announcements should be minimized or even eliminated in a church’s worship gatherings. Read More

Digital Bibles Help Men Read More But Retain Less

Data suggests Christians are unaware of the effect the medium has on the message. Read More

I find that I retain more if I read the Bible aloud from a printed page rather than a screen.

Four Ways to Put Preferences in Their Proper Place, Part 1

Everyone has their own personal preferences.

I am an 80’s guy. In fact, I like 80’s music so much so that a worship leader at a church I planted in Tennessee called me “80’s Ed.” But some people prefer music from the 90’s, or music that has just been released, or music from the 18th century. It can be tricky to balance all of those varying preferences in a church. There’s no way to please everybody when you have someone in your church who only likes to sing hymns seated next to somebody who never wants to crack open a hymnal.

But the church was never meant to cater to people’s personal preferences. We are not there as consumers of a product; instead, we are there as participators in the body of Christ. We shouldn’t demand our church to do things a certain way. Instead, we should look for ways we can let go of our favorites and sacrificially love the church.

So how do you keep preferences from becoming central to your congregation? I want to share four tips for curbing preferences. I’ll share two today and two tomorrow. Read More

Can You Be Evangelical and an Environmentalist? Absolutely

People around the world are joining in marches today to bring awareness to climate change and evangelical Christians are among their ranks. While there is an ongoing debate among evangelicals about the reality of climate change, a growing number of evangelicals not only acknowledge climate change but also feel it is their Christian duty to do something about it.

“We come at this work not because we’re environmentalist, even though some of us identify that way, and not because we’re Democrats or Republican,” says Kyle Meyaard-Schaap, national organizer and spokesperson at Young Evangelicals for Climate Action (YECA). “We come at this because we’re Christians and we believe that acting on climate change and calling the church to action and it’s just part of what it means to follow Jesus in the 21st century,” Meyaard-Schaap told Quartz.

Members of YECA aren’t the only Christians who are concerned about climate change. Scientist and evangelical Christian Katharine Hayhoe is working to change the mindset surrounding climate change in the church. She speaks to believers about the need to protect God’s creation and the mandate we have to help those who are “less fortunate than ourselves.” Caring for vulnerable populations is a big theme among climate change experts, who argue that the poor are the ones who stand to lose the most as the climate of the earth changes. Some scientists have even drawn a correlation between the rising violence in the Sahel region of Africa to the effects of climate change.

Hayhoe believes politics keeps many evangelical Christians in the U.S. from acknowledging climate change. She told Quartz she believes there are two types of evangelicals: political evangelicals and theological evangelicals. The political evangelicals’ “statement of faith is written first by their political ideology and only a distant second by what the Bible says,” Hayhoe believes. Read More

In Defense of Archaisms

Archaisms renew the language; they are the means by which language is renovated and restored to its original splendor. It is the old things that make all things new.

The “coming peril” was not Bolshevism, G.K. Chesterton said in 1927, only ten years after the Bolshevik Revolution, it was “standardization by a low standard.” For Chesterton, ever the prophet, the surest way of destroying a utopia was to try to put it into practice. He knew that communism could never be anything but a tyranny and that its monstrous flaws would become evident once it had the power to expose its inherent wickedness. A far greater peril was to be found in the rise of “vulgarity,” the dumbing-down of everything to a lowest common denominator of mindless mediocrity. Today, almost a century later, we have seen the “coming peril” come to pass in every area of culture.

One of the most pernicious and culturally deadly manifestations of the peril of standardized vulgarity is in the use of language. We forget that words are never merely words but are the means by which we make sense of things. If we have fewer words we have fewer tools with which to think and with which to reason. We are left not merely speechless in the presence of reality but thoughtless. This is why our Anglo-Saxon ancestors were wise when they spoke of each person’s “word-horde.” The more words we possess in our personal “horde” the wealthier and healthier we will be. The knowledge of each word is something which personally enriches the one who possesses it. Words empower us, whereas the absence of words impoverishes us and leaves us powerless to make sense of who we are and where we fit into reality. They are the means of exchange with which we express an understanding of ourselves and the cosmos to ourselves and to others. Without such a means of exchange we isolate ourselves from reality and alienate ourselves from others. We are left bemused and confused in the presence of things that we have no way of understanding because we have no way of expressing what they are to ourselves and others.

Since each word we learn adds to the wealth of our horde, it is important for all of us to always be adding more words to our treasure chest of meaning. And this is why we should rejoice whenever we see an archaism in an essay or a book that we’re reading, or in a poem. Read More

One of my delights has been the learning of new words in the English language, adding to my own personal hoard of words. Since I have moved to western Kentucky and even before I became a student of the local university, I have become increasingly aware of the impoverishment of American English. Students are not only graduating from high school with impoverished vocabularies but also from the university. They are stymied by words which I took for granted were a part of the English language. Most students particularly the foreign exchange students struggle with the language of William Shakespeare's poetry and plays. The American students are uninterested in learning it, the exception being a few English majors and drama students. One of the university's professors who teaches creative writing insists that his students only write in the everyday language that they speak. The handwriting is on the wall for churches that use the 1928 Book of Common Prayer and the King James Bible. While I agree with the central premise of this article, churches that see their continued use of a worship language that is no longer the vernacular out of the belief that they are contributing to the enrichment of the English language in North America may be deluding themselves. If a student attends one of their churches and does not understand the language that they are using in their worship, the student is not going to take the time to learn it. The student will attend a church where he or she does understand the language used in worship. A small but growing number of Continuing Anglican clergy are coming to this realization. The challenge is how do we go about making the language of our worship intelligible to the younger generations without lowering the level of difficulty and the intellectual content of the language to the lowest common denominator.

Saturday Lagniappe: A New Church Planting Series and More

Church Planting Series: Why Don’t We Plant?

In this first of five articles, I want to shed some light on what may be hindering us from kingdom work. Read More

Christ Church, Covington (Episcopal) experienced a growth spurt after it launched St. Michael's, Mandeville in the mid-1980s--one of the benefits of church planting. It would go from two services on Sunday morning to three services. Planting a new church in the shadow of an older church can also breathe fresh life into the older church. It can motivate the members of the older church to make much needed changes and to become outward-looking.

Chad Fisher: Whatever It Takes—Part 1

Chad Fisher’s unlikely path from serving with the National Guard in the Middle East to planting one of the fastest-growing churches in America. Read More

Also see Chad Fisher: Building a Focused, Simple Church—Part 2

5 Reasons It’s Good for Your Church to Grow Slowly

Many of us want a big church but sometimes God has other plans. Read More

Catholicism Made Me Protestant

Onsi A. Kamel shares how Rome brought him to the Reformation. Read More

5 Ways Church Leaders Destroy Their Teams

Are you falling into any of these bad leadership habits? Read More

Rely on the Word of God Alone, Not on Techniques

Andy Davis stresses the centrality of the proclamation and explication of God's Word to church revitalization. Read More

The Way Home: Matt Smethurst on Reading the Bible [Podcast]

When it comes to reading the Bible, it can sometimes feel overwhelming. Matt Smethurst joins Daniel Darling in this podcast to share about nine heart postures that will help prepare you to read the Bible. Matt is the Managing Editor of The Gospel Coalition and author of Before You Open Your Bible: Nine Heart Postures For Approaching God’s Word. Listen Now

Why Chris Tomlin Still Dominates Both Radio and Sunday Morning

Today’s most-sung worship anthems come from relatively few songwriters—half are by top hitmakers Tomlin, Hillsong, Bethel Music, and Matt Redman. Read More

The Best New Worship Songs of the 2010s

The following 35 songs are my picks for the best new worship songs written and released between 2010 and 2020. In compiling this list I focused on songs that are both theologically sound and musically beautiful; as well as songs that are easy to sing and, in most cases, already widely sung in congregations around the world. Some have been certifiable “hits” on the praise charts. Others are lesser known. All are songs I hope the church keeps singing, and keeps remembering, for years to come. Read More

Don’t Let Social Media Make You Cynical

Before allowing cynicism to sour our perception of others, let’s first look for what’s good, excellent and praiseworthy about the real people sitting on the other side of our screens. May we build one another up through humility and give grace to those who post. Read More

The Iranian Church Is the Fastest Growing in the World

It’s a simple story that can be summarized in just two sentences: Persecution threatened to wipe out Iran’s tiny church. Instead, the Iranian church has become the fastest growing in the world, and it is influencing the region for Christ. Read More

Duke University, Methodism & Discrimination

The Student Government Senate of United Methodist related Duke University in North Carolina has refused to recognize Young Life, an evangelical young adult ministry, because it upholds traditional views on sex, which was deemed “discrimination.” Read More

Friday's Catch: How Much Sacrifice Is Required for Ministry and More

How Much Sacrifice Is Required for Ministry

It is one thing to read about God’s people in other times and other places who have sacrificed in obedience to God. It is another thing altogether to imagine that God would expect the same of us. But why would God exempt us from the same sacrifice that He has required from His people throughout history? Read More

Six Most Simple Adjustments to Become a Welcoming Church [Podcast]

Your church can become more welcoming regardless of how welcoming you may think it already is. In this podcast Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe cover six simple adjustments that cost little to nothing that will have exponentially great results. Listen Now

Flower Power

Liberal theology may well be rooted in highly sophisticated theories and articulated by extremely intelligent people, but it tends to result in liturgical practices that are at best banal and at worst childish. Talking to plants is a fine candidate for the latter category. Better the robust atheism of a Bertrand Russell or a Christopher Hitchens than the infantile antics of a typical liberal Christian. Read More

What struck me about this article is that what we may be witnessing at Union Seminary is a revival of pre-Christian animistic beliefs--apologizing to the spirit of a tree before cutting it down and that sort of thing. These beliefs were common in Europe in pre-Christian times, persisted well into Christian times, and may be found in Japan and elsewhere today where animistic religions are practiced. They were a part of rural folklore in England when I lived there as a boy.

12 Reasons to Commit to Expository Preaching

Consider with me these 12 reasons I’m committed to biblical exposition and why you should be too.... Read More

7 TEDTalks for Pastors That Will Make You a Better Preacher [Video]

TED has been known to provide some incredibly helpful information for leaders and innovators. In other words, their content is a gold mine for preachers. But how do you know which talks are the best TedTalks for pastors out of the thousands available? Luckily the organization has whittled down their very best talks on public speaking down to 9. Watch Now

How to Get the Most Out of Sermons

Moving from evaluating the sermon to engaging it. Read More

5 Pleas for Sung Worship

For many in my generation, worship style was war paint, a badge of one’s loyalty to the novel in public praise, or the traditional – a war of attrition which could sink whole fellowships, and could divide brothers and sisters. In such an environment, with its proliferation of false binaries and battle lines, thinking clearly about how sung worship should work was almost impossible. With the passage of time, with exposure to different styles, to worship services in different cultures, and with a growing sense of conviction about how our singing should work, I have five pleas to make to my brothers and sisters when we gather to give God glory in song. Read More

5 Landing Page Essentials for Your Church Website - MUST READ

Here are the important components to use to maximize your chances of search engines finding you. Read More

5 Ways to Ensure Our Souls Aren’t Strangled by Screens

Because we understand our worth as image-bearers and our identity as children of God, we will not look to the Internet to prove that we are important, valuable, and loved. Read More

Thursday's Catch: The Importance of Becoming a Welcoming Church and More

Six Reasons Why Focusing on Becoming a Welcoming Church Is Key to Revitalization [Podcast]

Having a welcoming team doesn’t take a lot of resources—it basically requires people. It doesn’t cost your church much at all, but the benefits are endless. In this podcast Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe share how you can make that happen and why you need to. Listen Now

5 Mistakes Church Leaders Make When Attendance Declines

Every church I’ve served has had ups and downs with attendance. Some seasons are times of growth—which are fun because the staff is energized, the congregation is happy, and you sleep easy at night. Other seasons are seasons of decline—which can be maddening because the staff is stressed, the congregation is concerned, and you have sleepless nights. Before you start putting together references or blasting out your résumé, let me warn you of five common mistakes church leaders often make when attendance declines. Read More

The Church is a Means of Grace

The local congregation in its entirety, where each has been gifted by the Spirit for the benefit of others, is regularly used by the Spirit for our salvation and sanctification in Christ. Read More

5 Ways to Lead the Next Generation of Workers

How do we teach this important value of work in an effort to raise the next generation of workers? Here are some ideas to consider, especially if you’re a student pastor, children’s ministry leader, or a parent. Read More

‘She Has a Spirit of ______.’ But Are Such Phrases Biblical?

Since the Scriptures don’t avoid “spirit of” language, we shouldn’t be too quick to dismiss those who do. We may be dismissing wisdom. All this forces the question: what does the Bible mean when it speaks this way? The answer is complicated. Read More

6 Reasons “Don’t Take It Personally” Is Bad Ministry Advice

When you spend your ministry time with people you know and love, it has to be personal. Read More

7 Invisible Weapons for Effective Ministry

Many of God’s weapons are slow, subtle, almost secretive. Like yeast in bread or water coming to a boil, God loves to work in ways that require extended faith and the wisdom of spiritual foresight. With that in mind, here are seven secret weapons in ministry. Read More

11 Books on Prayer Every Christian Should Read at Least Once

These 11 books on prayer will challenge your view of prayer, the church, and God. More than anything, they will bolster your fervent prayer life in ways you cannot even imagine. Read More

I would add Rosalind Rinker's Prayer: Conversation with God (1959) and Conversational Prayer: A Handbook for Groups (1970) to this list. Asbury University has a short bio on Rosalind Rinker on its website.

If You Want Your Kids to Own Their Faith, Teach Them to Think Critically about Their Faith

A great way to teach your kids right beliefs is to get them to memorize a catechism. A catechism is a summary of core Christian beliefs in the form of questions and answers. Catechism is important. It helps our students know important theological truths. But it’s not enough. Read More

5 Tips for Training Little Evangelists

Faithful speech doesn’t need to rely on formulas. Read More

Reviving Evangelism [Podcast]

In this podcast, Dr.Darrell Bock, Nathan Wagnon and Kevin Palau discuss evangelism, focusing on how the Church can respond to an apparent downward trend in personal evangelism. Watch Now

Wednesday's Catch: Ten Fears for the American Church and More

Ten Fears for the American Church

Chuck Lawless shares some of his fears for the American church. Read More

Five Questions Every Church Should Be Asking

What are the questions every church should be asking if there were to be a serious conversation about its future? Read More

The Church Multiplication Challenge

Across the United States, in churches of all shapes and sizes, God is breathing new life into his people as increasing numbers of leaders embrace the kingdom call to not just grow, but to reproduce and multiply. Read More

Why Plant Churches?

Planting churches is part in parcel to fulfilling the Great Commission. Read More

Christians in Community: Redeeming the Concept Of Ubuntu

The church needs to redeem the strong social fabric that Ubuntu offers. We must have a concern for the needs of all, both in proclaiming Christ and providing care. Read More

The Ministry of Presence

The ministry of presence is the ministry of being there—of simply gathering with the church on Sunday. Read More

What Does It Mean to Be Sealed with the Holy Spirit?

In Ephesians 1:13 the Bible says that “when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.” The Bible uses this term in a few different ways, and when considered together, they help provide a full picture of what Paul is after here in Ephesians. Read More

18 Ways to Ruin Your Reputation on Facebook

Facebook is a great way for you to build and maintain relationships with people both inside your church and in your community. But Facebook is not without its risks. Every time you post something, you risk hurting, offending or distancing yourself from people. You risk ruining your reputation on Facebook. Read More

Here Are 5 Tips for Conversations in Our Tense Cultural Moment

There’s nothing particularly earth-shattering here, but hopefully keeping these things in mind can help.... Read More

3 Misconceptions in the Church About Homosexuality

When we talk about homosexuality we tend to go wrong in these particular ways. Read More

Tuesday's Catch: Missionary Identity and More

Missionary Identity

As Christians, I believe we should always be more driven by our missionary identity than we are by our national identity, our political identity, our environmental identity, our social identity, or even our church identity. Read More

How Do I Know That God Is for Me?

Well, do you know that? How do you know? Read More

Is It Biblical to Say, ‘Bloom Where You’re Planted’?

For Christians, sayings like “Bloom where you are planted” can be insightful and encouraging since we understand them within a biblical framework. That’s the blessing of biblical discernment all Christians can enjoy, no matter where we’re planted. Read More

How to Avoid a Preaching Rut [Video]

In this video, Bryan Chapell talks about the realities of preaching the unchanging Word to an ever-changing church. Watch Now

3 Tips to Fine Tune Your Preaching

As a preacher, I want to do the hard work of sharing God’s Word as clearly and effectively as possible. As I press into this desire to develop as a skillful preacher, here are three things I’m learning and applying. Read More

Are You Close to God? Your Answer Affects How You Read Scripture

A new study suggests that both men and women who seek spiritual intimacy view the Bible more literally. Read More

3 Unique Ideas for Engaging in Scripture

Here are some ideas for study you can pass along to those you lead. Read More

3 Secrets of Website Best Practices

Whether you’re building a church website for the first time or updating it for the 10th time, you might feel in over your head. There is a lot to keep in mind when it comes to building a truly great church website. But for now, focus on three website best practices big-picture guidelines, and you’ll be much closer to a church website that is welcoming to visitors, helpful for members, and true to your church. Read More

How to Grow the Social Media Footprint of Your Church

Here are three practical ways your church can start using social media to reach your community. Read More

The Five-Minute Email Rule Completely Transformed the Way I Work

This editor has a rule to spend no more than five minutes on an email. Here’s how she makes it work. Read More

What Did Jesus Mean by “The Broad Way?”

The broad road is a way of external commands, but the narrow way has to do with something deeper—the changed heart. Read More

Do Christians and Muslims Worship the Same God

I am constantly amazed that this question is still being asked, and even more amazed that some Christians respond by saying, Yes. May I remind you of a few important things that Muslims believe, or conversely, don’t believe? Read More

How Can We Best Love the Muslims in Our Communities?

The majority of things Muslims are thinking about are the same things Christians are thinking about. Read More

Monday's Catch: How To Discover Your Ministry When Your Calling Isn’t What You Expected and More

How To Discover Your Ministry When Your Calling Isn’t What You Expected

If you can’t do the kind of ministry that’s expected of you, try the unexpected. Read More

Why Obeying God’s Will Is Better Than Trying to Discover It

We get hung up on discovering God’s particular will for our lives, but are we doing what he’s already told us first? Read More

For Still Our Ancient Foe...

In many theologically informed congregations where holiness, wrath, righteousness, justice, sin, grace, mercy, and forgiveness are unashamedly proclaimed, there is sometimes a noticeable lack of teaching about the reality of spiritual warfare in the believer’s life. Read More

How Does Oral Bible Storying Work?

David Hare explains the process of oral Bible storying. Read More

What Not To Say at the Beginning of a Worship Service

A few weeks ago Jared Wilson wrote an article titled “3 Things to Be Careful About Saying at the Start of Your Service.” In his article he offered some common service-starting cliches that are “worth weighing in terms of their helpfulness to the congregation’s worship.” What I’d like to do is consider two related matters: Why do pastors or service leaders use phrases like these? And what are the most beneficial things for pastors or leaders to say at the beginning of a worship service? Read More

Saturday Lagniappe: 3 Ways the Holy Spirit Works in the World and More

3 Ways the Holy Spirit Works in the World

One of the tragedies of modern debates about the Holy Spirit’s work in the church and in our lives today is that we have narrowed his repertoire. The Third Person of the Trinity is frequently associated almost exclusively with: (1) the application of salvation (2) direct, immediate, and surprising activities within us that defy any external means; and (3) the extraordinary (miraculous signs and wonders, gifts of healing and tongues, and so on). Read More

Scot McKnight: Why Legalism Isn’t What You Think

Over the years, my own thinking about legalism has become more nuanced, but I want to map out what legalism is in the context of the New Testament.After years of teaching Galatians and pondering legalism in Paul’s mind, I’m convinced many get confused about what the word “legalism” means. Thus, folks say, “That’s legalism!” So some rubble needs to be cleared out first. Read More

Five Reasons I Preach—why Do You Preach?

People today have very little respect for preaching—maybe it's because they don't know the purpose of preaching. Read More

Preachers, Don’t Just Explain the Text Meaning—Tell Us How You Got There

Fellow preachers, if we explain the text meaning in our sermons, we do well. Our people will benefit. But that’s not enough. Read More

How Do I Choose a Spouse? Seven Principles for Marrying Well

My wife and I regularly discussed about seven marriage principles with our children. There are more, but these are a good starting place. Read More

Disciplining Your Children

Through my years of working with kids, five guiding principles helped me as a counselor, teacher, and especially as a mom. While not all methods work for all children, I’ve found these principles work for a variety of children, regardless of their age, sex, or disposition. Read More

Friday's Catch: How the Global Church Can Respond to Sexual Abuse and More

How the Global Church Can Respond to Sexual Abuse

We can no longer silence the victims, but must bring their stories into the light. Read More

How Churches Should Respond to Seven Major Changes [Podcast]

Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe recently highlights seven changes churches are facing today. In this podcast, they discuss how to combat these changes. Listen Now

Invite People To Your Church, But Point Them To Jesus

Committing to Jesus and committing to the church, while interlinked, are not the same thing. Read More

Four Ways New Hispanic Churches Are Challenging Church Planting in America

We are witnessing the de-Europeanization of American Christianity. Read More

Is American Christianity on Its Last Legs? The Data Say Otherwise.

Two new books push back on Chicken-Little narratives of evangelical decline. Read More

5 Intentional Ways to Shape the Culture of Your Church

Culture can be a nebulous term and is not easily defined in the context of any organization, including the church. Culture is what it feels like to be a part of your church. It’s more caught than taught, and it’s always mediated through leadership over time. Leaders must think carefully about how we want our churches to feel. Here are five ways that you can be more intentional about shaping the culture of your church. Read More

Gen Z Is Making Me a Better Preacher

Four ways these students' unique expectations are improving my sermons. Read More

A Reproducible Lifestyle and the De-emphasis of Clergy Can Lead to Movement

Two things leaders can do to keep Jesus the center of a missional movement. Read More

Evangelicals Who Distrust Muslims Likely Don’t Know Muslims

A 2019 survey shows how relationships curb Islamophobia and improve understanding between the two faiths. Read More

Thursday's Catch: Pain Points of Dying Churches and More

Understanding the Pain and Hurt Felt by Members of Dying Churches

Dying churches are filled with members who are experiencing loss—loss of friends, loss of ministry, loss of relevance. In this podcast Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe discuss several of these pain points found in dying churches. Read More

Five Things Pastors Can Learn from School Teachers

Joe McKeever takes five lessons that teachers learn and applies them to the church and those called to preach. Read More

Younger Pastors and Senior Adults

Let me suggest some ways that younger pastors can minister to older saints.... Read More

The Apostle Paul’s Secret to Sharing His Faith

We often overcomplicate evangelism when all we need to do is just do it. Read More

Three Things I Learned From A Semester of Walk-Up Evangelism

Here are three surprising things that I learned from a semester of walk-up evangelism. Read More

Wednesday's Catch: Faithful Friendships and More

Why Christians Have a Knack for Boundary-Crossing Friendships

Throughout history, believers have taken risks of love for the sake of the kingdom. Read More

Churches Are Saving Ethiopia’s Last Remaining Native Trees

How Tewahedo Orthodox theology led congregations to become an oasis of forest conservation. Read More

How (Not) to Lose Your Soul in Church Planting: 3 Shifts

One of the prevalent problems that I and many other church planters face is how to truly love Jesus more than his mission. Read More

How Preaching Might Be Contributing to Deconversions

We must be open to questions, dialogue and differing opinions if we are going to reach our postmodern culture. Read More

Church Websites — Remove the Barriers!

It’s quite disheartening to me that there are so many churches that still do not realize the importance of church websites. I guarantee you that almost every newcomer that comes through your doors on a Sunday has been to your website. Read More