Reformation Day-All Hallows Eve Special Edition

Your Church is a Lampstand

The book of Revelation gives us several beautiful, and often overlooked, pictures of the church. The reason these pictures are often missed has to do with interpretive approaches to Revelation that project the book’s symbolism onto the future rather than anchoring it in the Old Testament, where it originates. Another common interpretive fallacy is to view the book as all or mostly dealing with the future and ignoring the fact that it speaks about the church and to the church in all ages. In this series of articles, we are looking at a number of these pictures with the hope that we will grasp some profound truths about the church. Since the images of Revelation come from God, we need to remind ourselves that this is how He sees the church. Our view from earth is often quite different. It is good to get our perspective re-oriented! Read More

What An Expert on Sexual Abuse Says About Sleepovers

In Protecting Children from Predators Beth Robinson offers good advice to parents whose child has been invited to a sleepover at a friend's home. Read More

Even the homes of grandparents, aunts, and uncles may not be a safe environment for a child for a sleepover. Children are most often sexually abused by someone whom they know and whom they trust. This includes members of their extended family.

Reformation: Can the Roman Catholic Gospel Get You into Heaven?

This Reformation season, let’s look objectively at a critical question. Can anyone get to heaven through the Roman Catholic gospel? If so, how? If not, why not? Read More

Modern Medieval Protestants: Why We (Still) Need the Doctrine of Justification

At its core, the Reformation was a sharp turn from the sinner to the Savior. Turning back toward ourselves and away from Christ is the perennial temptation of our sinful condition, even as Christians. Read More

3 Dangers of (Merely) Messy Christianity

If we’re not careful, a merely messy Christianity fails to do justice to a biblical view of the Christian life in at least three ways. Read More

The Reformation’s African Roots

It’s stunning how well-represented Africa is in many Reformation confessional texts. It’s myopic, then, to think of the Reformation apart from the influence of African theologians. Read More

5 Myths about the Reformation

What is the best way Protestants today should look back on the Reformation? Should we think of it more like a happy birth or an ugly divorce? Wisdom favors a balanced attitude that can appreciate the gains achieved by the Reformation while accurately appraising its context and goals. To this end, here are five myths about the Reformation that we should avoid. Read More

How to Gain Trust Before Leading Change in Your Ministry

Leaders must earn their followers’ trust before asking them to undertake major change. Followers must trust their leaders in proportion to the change being proposed before they will take the risks needed to get it done. Leaders gain trust in two primary ways: sacrificial service and demonstrated competence. Both rest on a foundation of character qualities like integrity and transparency. Read More

Equipping Younger Leaders to Reach the Next Generation

It’s time to stop complaining and start investing in the next generation. Read More

8 Reasons Leaders Should Be Fasting

Nobody talked to me about fasting until I was in my first pastorate. The fact that many of us have never learned about or emphasized fasting, though, is not positive. Here are some reasons why church leaders ought to be fasting.... Read More

The Quiet Habits That Aid Our Spiritual Growth

Spiritual habits shape our desires as they condition us to follow Christ. Read More

Lord, We Don’t Know What We Should Be Asking of You

For anyone who struggles to pray, Pete Greig’s new book offers an easy and approachable guide. Read More

What’s Really Happening to American Christianity? UPDATED

Though I wouldn’t use the word “crisis,” (the internet doesn’t need one more alarmist article), I would like to lay out three problems that confessing Christians need to pay attention to as belief recedes in America. Read More

Related Article:
Are We Seeing the First Non-Christian Majority Generation? NEW

9 Things You Should Know About Hinduism

This week more than a billion Hindus across the globe are celebrating Diwali. The five-day religious observance, which is also celebrated by followers of Sikh and Jain faiths, is the biggest holiday of the year in India, the country with the largest population of Hindus.

Here are nine things you should know about Hinduism. Read More

Tuesday's Catch: The Local Church and the Single Adult and More

3 Ways Churches Should Champion Single Adults

How can local churches create an environment where single adults can flourish in their relationship with God, with other members of the church, and in their ministry to people who are far from God? Read More

Is It Okay to Be Single?

On occasion, we emphasize marriage so much that we give the impression that singleness represents a lesser state. It does not. It is not just okay to be single, but for those so gifted with singleness, it also represents a much better state of living than does marriage. Read More

Why Are Some Churches Trading Pews for Dinner Tables?

A conversation with Dinner Church pioneer, Verlon Fosner. Read More

Six Seismic Shifts in Church Health [Podcast]

Thom and Sam Rainer are joined by Dr. Chuck Lawless from Southeastern Seminary. Today’s discussion is on six shifts in church health and revitalization. Listen Now

5 Tips for Managing a Church Budget Shortfall

Josh King and Sam Rainer discussed what a budget shortfall can look like for churches, and offered tips for managing those times of scarcity during a recent Est. Church podcast, part of the LifeWay Leadership Podcast network. Read More

2 Takeaways from Two Decades of Ministry

I haven’t arrived—and never will—but at the same time, I’ve found myself constantly sharing the following two essential ministry takeaways I’ve learned in two decades of service. Read More

Do You Really Care about Evangelism? If So, You Need To Do More Than Pray

Prayer alone will not save a single soul. Prayer is the starting point, not the endpoint, of our journey in helping people from darkness to light. Read More

4 Ways to Spread the Gospel

Believing the gospel comes with an obligation to the gospel. Read More

Evangelism Isn’t About Results

The Parable of the Sower frees us from our desire for resolution. Read More

What Are Micro Churches and How Can You Start One Yourself?

Micro churches are springing up and giving small, local communities a cozier place of worship.

If there is one thing that puts many people off from entering into a place of religious worship, it is often how large and how grand it is. It is all too easy to get lost in the crowd, and feel that you do not really matter. But micro churches, a phenomenon that is becoming more and more popular, aim to combat that feeling of confusion and being lost in a crowd, and many would argue that they are doing a very good job.

Micro churches are basically what it says on the tin: small churches, usually not including more than thirty or so members. A church this size gives a natural, family feel, where everyone knows each other’s names, and no one can get lost in the crowd. They are generally run by one person, or a group of three or four, depending on the church denomination. Many people love the close feeling that a micro church can give them, and the way that they can directly contribute to such a small gathering. Read More

Related Articles: 
Meet the Minnie Church
Explainer: The Micro Church Movement
Carving Out a Niche for Micro-Congregations (Subscription required)
Churches are Closing. These Four Models are Thriving.
What is Re-Missioning and How Could it Help Your Church?
We’ve Seen Megachurch. But How About Micro-Church?

Why Your Church Should Sing New Songs (Not Only Old Songs)

Some churches sing only old songs—they rely on the great hymns of the faith and add newer selections on only the rarest of occasions. Some churches only sing new songs—they rely on their own songwriters or the Christian top-40 and sing older selections on only the rarest of occasions. I am convinced there is value in deliberately singing both the oldest and the most recent songs (though gladly extend an exception to those brothers and sisters with the conviction that the Bible permits us to sing only the psalms in our worship services). Read More

Saturday Lagniappe: The Importance of Basic Training for Church Planters and More UPDATED

Why Basic Training Is So Important for Church Planters

An assessment of the Hispanic Church Planting Report reveals the necessity of training. Read More

A must read article for those interested in planting new churches. One way that church planting networks can address the need for basic training for church planters is to develop training modules for key areas of church planting and create a website where these modules may be accessed by interested groups and individuals free of charge. God uses all kinds of people to plant new churches. While church planter assessments can be helpful, they can also erect barriers to our church planting efforts. We can become obsessed with looking for the "right" person to plant a new church and in doing so plant far less new churches than we might otherwise plant or not plant any new churches at all. Church planter assessments may also discourage from planting a new church individuals who actually are the "right" person for a particular community.

Here Come the Skinny Cows

Four reasons tithes and offerings are about to drop dramatically. Read More

Churches and Conflicts

God welcomes mixed-up people, including ourselves. No wonder churches experience conflict. Read More

Every Church Has Issues, Every Pastor a Situation

The pastor who does not want to “waste his time” with the hurting, the misguided, the straying, and the weak is not a pastor at all and should not call himself that. Read More

Distinguishing Marks of an Unteachable Person

An unteachable person is not necessarily quarrelsome, although when the right issue arises they may be, or they may just walk away. What does an unteachable person look like? What are his (or her) distinguishing marks? Here are twelve possibilities. You might be an unteachable person if.... Read More

How Do I Know if I Have Been Predestined to Be Saved

How does a person know if they have been predestined by God for heaven? The shortest answer to the question is also the best: Do you love Jesus? If so, then you have been predestined. Read More

3 Traits of a Biblical Leader

Despite the lingering image of what we might perceive to be effective leadership—stern, heavy-handed, ruthlessly efficient—the Bible teaches us a better way. The best leaders are loving leaders. What will it look like for you to lead lovingly? Read More

The Pastor’s One Essential Responsibility

Above all, pastors shape the hearts and minds of God’s people with his holy Word. It’s a simple, but all-too-neglected, fact. Read More

4 Threats To Every Sermon You Preach

The reason we have to work harder to gain and keep attention has to do with what competes for the attention of our people every time we preach. Read More

Be a Living Example of God’s Living Love

Your love needs to extend beyond your comfort zone. The church is to be a community of people who love one another despite differences, who love one another through differences. Read More

What Does Neighbor-Love Look Like When I'm Swamped at Work?

To love our neighbor at work, we must both steward our capacity and compassion at work while reframing the work itself into an act of love for God and others. Read More

To Change America, Invite a Millennial to Church

There are now as many millennials who say they “never” attend religious services as there are who attend once a week. Here’s a simple way to change that trend. Read More

Vatican Synod Proposes Ordaining Married Men as Priests in the Amazon NEW

An assembly of Roman Catholic bishops from the Amazon on Saturday proposed that married men in the remote area be allowed to be ordained priests, which could lead to a landmark change in the Church’s centuries-old discipline of celibacy. Read More

At the beginning the of the final working session of the Amazon synod Pope Francis also announced that he would relaunch a commission to study the history of women deacons in the early centuries of the Catholic Church in response to calls by Catholic women that they be allowed to serve as deacons today.

Friday's Catch: Is Your Church Not as Welcoming as It Used to Be? and More

Four Reasons Why Many Welcoming Churches Have Become Less Welcoming [Podcast]

Does your welcoming ministry feel stale and stagnant? In this podcast, Thom and Sam Rainer discuss four reasons why churches become less welcoming. Every ministry can get in a rut or routine. Listen in on how you can become a more welcoming church. Listen Now

3 Not-So-Obvious Reasons Church Visitors DON’T Return to Your Church

Sometimes the music is really bad or the preaching is really boring or the children’s ministry is really awful, but there are other, less obvious, reasons church visitors don’t return.... Read More

Protecting Your Children From Predators

Few things concern parents more than the thought that a predator may have set his sights on their children. Few fears terrify parents more than that they may fail to protect their children from those who would seek to do them harm. Few things break a parent’s heart like learning that their child has been exposed to something they should not have seen or to something they should not have experienced. In this age, and every age, parents need to know how to recognize and respond to sexual danger. Read More

Answer These 14 Questions before You Preach

Peter Adam offers practical advice on preaching preparation. Read More

Inject Grace Into Your Next Sermon—here Are Four Ways

It's true: We can preach grace to the point of ignoring the truth. But that's not usually our problem. Read More

How (And Why) To Preach An Offensive Sermon

Every church has to choose whether it is willing to hear from God or to be rocked to sleep by the Lord's messenger. Read More

Dumbed Down? Why Reading the Bible Is so Elusive—Yet so Vitally Important

Despite the fact that most Americans could likely walk around their homes and count more than a few Bibles dispersed throughout, only one in five Americans have actually read the Bible in its entirety and more than half of Americans (53%) have read merely a smattering of passages to none at all.This begs the question: Why are people choosing not to engage with Scripture? Read More

Is Your Church Really Focused on Evangelism? Maybe Not.

Here are some ways to practically encourage evangelism in our churches, organizations, and personal live.... Read More

Also see Moving Our Congregations to More Effective Evangelism

Don't Be the Weak Link in Evangelism

In the church, everyone has a part to play in seeing the kingdom of Christ move forward. But in many churches, the majority of seats hold Christians who believe evangelism is a task only for a select few who possess special gifts and passions. Read More

1 in 3 Teens Says They're Religiously Unaffiliated

The majority of teenagers continue to say they’re Christian, but the religiously unaffiliated outnumber both Catholics and evangelicals individually among teens. Read More

Archbishop Defends Words on Same-Sex Marriage: No One Can ‘Update the Faith’

The Anglican Archbishop of the Diocese of Sydney, Australia, has come under fire for recent statements he made regarding the church’s position on same-sex unions. While it is not surprising that people have found Archbishop Glenn Davies’ words offensive, many news outlets have ignored the context of his speech as they have reported on it. Read More

Thursday's Catch: 'Is American Christianity Really In Free Fall?' and More

Is American Christianity Really In Free Fall?

The Pew Foundation has just released a significant report concerning the state of American religion. As with anything done by Pew, both the research and the analysis are exemplary, and the findings are convincing. I will challenge one small but important thing in the report, namely its title – but I will be arguing a great deal with the way in which it has been represented in the media. We are seeing substantial changes in religious attitudes and beliefs, but they are just not what is being headlined. Based on multiple reasons of definition, I honestly don’t think American religion is in trouble to anything like the extent that is suggested. Read More

Fewer Than Half of Americans Regularly Attend Church

Due to an almost 10-point drop in the past decade or so, America is no longer a majority church-attending nation. Read More

3 Myths about Church Unity

The bar on church unity may be a little higher than we think. While all-out church conflict is far too common, is it possible that we assume a quiet church is a healthy church? Is it possible that the peaceful church, whether sluggish or successful, is more divided than it may appear? Read More

5 Questions to Start a Meaningful Conversation With Anyone

These questions will help you get below the surface to the things that really matter. Read More

6 Primary Life Patterns of a Mature Leader

Maturity isn’t merely about age and experience. You can be young and mature, or older and immature. Maturity is an inner quality that resonates through all the components of a leader’s life. This doesn’t mean that a mature leader has “arrived.” We all have moments of immaturity, but it’s easy to identify the primary patterns of a mature leader. Read More

Breaking Free From the Rat Race

What does success mean for a Christian leader? Read More

Content Isn’t Everything — Or, Some Help for the Boring Bible Teacher

Here are three reasons why teachers of the Bible shouldn’t be boring—and four strategies to avoid boring teaching. Read More

How to Master Any Subject by Making it Interesting

Even after finishing school, this method has repeatedly proven helpful in transforming any subject from a drag to a delight. Here’s how it works.... Read More

When Church Is Optional, You Set up Your Kids to Fail

I believe that the problem is not the sport or hobby itself – the problem is often the forgetfulness of the parents. Read More

5 Key Elements for a Vibrant Children’s Ministry

Children’s ministry is a big job, and there is a lot too it, but if you focus on five core elements, you can build a world-class children’s ministry that will help you strengthen and grow your church. Read More

How to Stop Behavioral Issues in Your Ministry

Do you have behavioral issues in your room? Good news. I've got something you can do to change that. It's a simple, but highly effective way to see your behavioral issues go away. Here's what it is. Read More

Will the Largest Diaspora Become a Global Missionary Force?

The globalization of the Indian populace has built bridges for Indian Christians to engage the world at large. Read More

Wednesday's Catch: Church Planting Mistakes and More

6 Church Planting Mistakes I Made

These are the things I wish I could do over. Read More

6 (Non-Controversial) Ways Christians Should Deal with Disagreements about the End Times

Eckhard Schnabel—Mary French Rockefeller distinguished professor of New Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary—is the author 40 Questions about the End Times (Kregel, 2011). He gives the following advice—which he says should all be non-controversial—for followers of Christ who want to understand the biblical teaching and to avoid an unbiblical “party loyalty.” Read More

Does the Church Have a Senior Pastor Problem?

Anyone who has been in a church for any amount of time knows that every church has issues, but does every church have a senior pastor problem? The church is a collection of imperfect people seeking a perfect God. And we certainly tend to cause conflict with one another along the way. A pattern of these conflicts recently occurred to me. And they all started with one specific kind of person within the church—the senior pastor. Read More

Six Things Pastors Should Say in Every Sermon

To address the reality of the unreached and those lacking knowledge among us, here are six things pastors should say in every sermon. Read More

Ten Tips on Sermon Illustrations

Illustrations can be a glorious bridge in a sermon between the text of God's Word and the congregation. A good illustration can open up a passage of Scripture, bring understanding to God's people, and touch their hearts with application. They paint a picture upon the listener's imagination to bring clarity and ways to implement the spiritual truths being set before them. Yet an illustration can also distract and disorient if not done well. So here are ten tips that can help make illustrations connect for preachers with their congregation. Read More

Pew Report: Older U.S. Christians Being Quickly Replaced by Young 'Nones'

The United States is steadily becoming less Christian and the number of people with no religion is rising. Those are the twin headlines from the latest Pew Research report released Thursday (Oct. 17), which shows a dramatic decline in American religious habits over the course of a decade. The report, an aggregation of yearly political surveys that ask about religion, shows rapid changes in generational attitudes toward religion. Read More

9 Things You Should Know About Modern Satanism

A group of U.S. Naval Academy midshipmen who follow the religion of The Satanic Temple recently announced in an email that “Satanic services” would soon be offered on the campus. After the email was leaked on a popular Instagram account, the Navy clarified that a group of midshipmen “with beliefs aligned with those practiced by The Satanic Temple” had requested a space for a “study group” to discuss their Satanic beliefs and not for holding Satanic religious services. “The USNA Command Religious Program provides for the exercise of diverse beliefs,” a spokesman for the Naval Academy said. “Arrangements were being made to provide the Midshipmen with a designated place to assemble as chaplains facilitate for the beliefs of all service members.”

This news, as well as other acts by Satanist groups, has sparked renewed interest and concern about this religion. Here are nine things you should know about the religious beliefs of modern Satanism. Read More

American Faith Groups Agree: Trump Should Act More Presidential

Americans disagree over just about everything — from gender roles and immigration to impeachment to whether the country is on the right track. But most agree that President Donald Trump’s personal conduct is an issue. Read More

Tuesday's Catch: How Important Is Sunday Attendance and More

10 Questions More Important Than “What Was Your Sunday Attendance?”

Never let the excitement of higher attendance or the discouragement of lower attendance divert you from your church’s primary goal. Read More

6 Ways Church Planting Blesses the Sending Church

How can giving away our best people possibly be good for us? This is precisely what many congregations wonder when they encounter the idea of church planting. I understand the question and concern, but I want to challenge the underlying mindset. Read More

My own experience in planting and pioneering new churches over a period of more than 30 years supports the observations that Tony Merida makes in this article. When we launched St. Michael's Episcopal Church back in the mid-1980s, it bothered me immensely that some folks saw the new mission as a convenient dumping ground for old, tattered and damaged hymnals and prayer books; old, faded vestments; and other worn-out ecclesiastical paraphernalia. They did not appreciate that in starting a new church, sponsoring churches need to provide the new work with the best that can be provided in terms of human and material resources.

Six Ways Churches Are Dealing with Parking Shortages [Podcast]

In this podcast, Thom and Sam Rainer discuss a key barrier to church growth, parking. If you are leading a healthy and growing church parking will be an issue. Listen in as the discussion focuses on six ways churches are dealing with parking shortages. Listen Now

Inadequate parking space can really limit the growth of a church in the United States and Canada where most common form of transportation to church is the automobile. In many areas of North America you do not find the kind of public transportation that you find in the United Kingdom, Europe, and Japan. It is also not uncommon for churchgoers to attend a church which is not within reasonable walking distance of their home. Some churches operate shuttle bus services for regular attendees. Other churches encourage ride-sharing. Providing transportation for those who do not have transportation of their own is seen as a form of outreach.

‘Evangelical’ Isn’t Code for White and Republican

The movement is richer and more diverse than media portrayals suggest. Read More

Paula White-Cain’s Evangelical Support Squad Isn’t as Surprising as It Seems

The movement has a long history of partnerships that transcend doctrinal divides. Read More

10 Ways Parents Can Help Their Children Succeed Spiritually

Parents are the biggest influence in their child's spiritual life. That being said, let's look at 10 ways parents can help their children succeed spiritually. Read More

Discover the Truth about Isa al Masih (Jesus Christ)

Was the Injil (the Bible) corrupted? Did Isa al Masih (Jesus Christ) die on a cross? What do Christians mean by saying he is the Son of God? Many Muslims have these questions and have never heard a good answer. The eight-episode animated series Journey to Truth seeks to winsomely present the truth of Jesus in order to overcome some of the common barriers people have to following Jesus. Learn More

Northern Ireland’s Evangelicals Lose on Abortion and Same-Sex Marriage

UK laws imposed overnight after local lawmakers were absent for 1,000 days. Read More

Fertility, Faith, and a Secular America?

This past year, fertility rates in the United States fell to a historic low, with the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) standing at 1.7 (that statistic refers to the number of children a typical woman will bear during her lifetime). Technically, the present U.S. figure is known as a sub-replacement rate, as it is well below the number needed for a population to replace and maintain itself indefinitely, which is 2.1. Such a precipitous fertility drop has sweeping implications, especially as it has occurred in such a short period—just in the past decade or so—and recent changes have attracted intense attention from economists, planners, and politicians.

As yet, however, observers of U.S. religion have shown little concern or interest—which is curious since, worldwide, a move to very low fertility has been an excellent predictor of secularization and the decline of institutional religion. Fertility and faith travel closely together. Present demographic trends in the United States are the best indicator yet of an impending secular shift of historic proportions, even a transition to West European conditions. This is, or should be, one of the most significant and newsworthy developments in modern American religion. Read More

Opening the (Digital) Front Door

According to the research of the National Center for Biotechnology Information, the average attention span has dropped from 12 seconds in the year 2000 to just 8.25 seconds in 2015. That’s approximately a 25% drop in a little more than decade. To put that into perspective, the average attention span of a goldfish is 9 seconds. No, I did not make that up. We’re .75 seconds less attentive than “Mr. Bubbles.”

But what are really operating are highly evolved “eight-second filters.” People today have learned to sort through information quickly because there’s so much of it to sort through.

Now, once you do get their attention, they’ll stay with you.

They can become intensely committed and focused.

But you only have eight seconds to break through.

That’s why one New York marketing consultant tells his advertising partners that “if they don’t communicate in five words and a big picture, they will not reach this generation.” All to say, today is the day of crafting a digital message to a post-Christian world that captures their attention – or at least doesn’t lose it – as instantaneously as possible.

That’s the barrier we need to break through.

The bottom line is that today, the typical first-time guest to your church is coming at the end of a long process. It may be their first time through the physical front door, but the actual front door of the church – the first one they entered – was digital.

So ask yourself some basic questions, and they are more significant than you might think.... Read More

Saturday Lagniappe: The Almost Invisible Church and More

The Almost Invisible Church

I’m not against big churches. God is at work there too. My point is simpler: We tend to think that God is at work somewhere else. We spend our time wishing that we could be part of what God is doing, all the while missing what God is doing right under our noses because it looks small and insignificant and because it’s hard work. Read More

5 Ways to Reach Your Neighbors This Halloween

For some Christians, it might be tempting to turn off the porch light and hide from trick-or-treaters, but missional families see Halloween as an opportunity to share the gospel. Halloween can be an open door to witnessing. At the very least, it allows you to spend time with neighbors you rarely see. And though it’s centered on children, Halloween is a chance to reach people of all ages. Consider these five possibilities.... Read More

Trump’s Withdrawal from Syria Threatens the Growing Kurdish Church [Podcast]

Christianity is spreading in the majority Sunni community. But what will the violence mean? Listen Now

How to Stop the Shootings

There is no simple solution to America's gun violence. But there is hope. Read More

One Thing You Missed: Why Churches are Tax-Exempt [Video]

Even though the tax-exempt status of religious organizations is not presently under threat, I think we do need to know why tax-exemption exists and why it matters. Watch Now

How to Increase Year-End Giving with Compelling Stories

Stories encourage empathy. They help us understand problems and circumstances in new ways. And they provide tangible examples of God’s work in our communities. If your church wants to maximize year-end giving, you need to tell compelling stories about what God is doing through your congregation’s giving. Here’s how to do that. Read More

Looking Closely at Speaking in Tongues

1 Corinthians 14 is not an easy passage. The rise of modern Pentecostalism over the last 120 years has made the issue of speaking in tongues a perpetual issue, making it even more important to study this passage carefully. Further, Paul's arguments in this chapter--made in response to the Corinthian Christians' unruly worship and self-centered theology--stretches both the mind and heart. In this post, I will not be answering every question you or I might have about speaking in tongues, but I do hope to point out four features of this chapter, features which should shape our hearts and guide our discussion about speaking in tongues. Read More

Pastoring Is So Much More Than Preaching

The pastor’s calling is to care for God’s own church, to labor on behalf of God to care for what God loves most. But how? How does the pastor heed this call? Read More

How Should a Pastor Do the Work of an Evangelist

Among the many commands given to pastors, there is one that is beginning to receive renewed attention. That command is found in 2 Timothy 4:5 wherein the apostle Paul is giving a series of exhortations to Timothy which culminates in the command, “Fulfill your ministry.” In order to fulfill that ministry, the man of God must “Do the work of an evangelist.” What is this work and how is it to be manifested in the life of every pastor if he is to be found faithful to his calling? Read More

How the Church Became ‘Missional’

In this article Trevin Wax puts Mark Galli's critique of the missional movement in wider context, to show how missiology moved from what was essentially a church-centered view to a mission-centered view in the past 70 years or so. Read More

Global Outreach Opportunity: Ministry Among International Students

A critical part of the broader diaspora movement of people is international students among us. Read More

You Can Make A Difference and Change the Trend with Young Adults

There are ways we can help twenty-somethings find their place in their faith community.

In part because of Pew Research findings about “the rise of the nones” and what is happening as many western nations move into a pluralistic and post-Christian era, it is easy for people to begin thinking there is little they can do to turn the tide. For many, there is a sense that we are losing the next generation of young adults because of forces beyond our control—and that there is hardly anything we do which will make a real difference.

However, in my dissertation research I examined what was helping and hindering twenty-somethings from staying engaged spiritually and finding their places in faith communities after graduating from college. Through that research, I realized there are key actions people who care about the next generation can take that will make a significant difference. What follows are a few of those ideas. I have also made the dissertation available for free online for anyone who wants to delve into the research more deeply. Read More

Consequences of Musical Divorce

In many ways, the worship wars of the 1980’s, 1990’s, and 2000’s were like a marital conflict. The conflict grew so intense, and dragged on for so long, that reconciliation no longer seemed possible. Eventually, hearts were hardened towards one another, and what was once just separation was finally codified in divorce.

Different services, at different times, in different venues, with different musical styles, as a way to appease and appeal to different segments of the congregation, avoiding any one particular side having to lose the kind of style they preferred. In many churches across the globe, a cease fire was cemented into this kind of musical divorce.

And yet the partners didn’t move into different houses. They stayed under one roof and lived at the same address, but came and went at different times, spent time in different rooms, avoided each other as much as possible, and learned how to tolerate each other at Christmas and Easter. Family members had to choose sides, assets had to be divided up, and what was once a loving home was now a tinderbox of awkward dynamics.

This is a picture of churches whose musical conflict turned into musical separation and was codified by a kind of musical divorce. On the surface, conflict was resolved. Below the surface, conflict continued. But this time, the conflict was covered up and ignored. Churches believed that this would bring peace to its members and position them to reach different people with different preferences. And those pragmatic aims may very well have been achieved at some measurable level. People weren’t as angry anymore, and the traditional and contemporary services were free to attract their own constituencies.

But church-sanctioned musical divorce sends three dangerous messages to its own congregation. Read More

Latest Pew Survey: Christianity in America Is Declining, Still

The results of a Pew Research survey released today reveal that Christianity in America is continuing on its declining trend. While the study concludes “the U.S. is steadily becoming less Christian and less religiously observant as the share of adults who are not religious grows,” there are a couple of silver linings to look out for within the Protestant church.

The data was collected from political polls conducted by Pew Research, which asked respondents “What is your present religion, if any? Are you Protestant, Roman Catholic, Mormon, Orthodox such as Greek or Russian Orthodox, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, atheist, agnostic, something else, or nothing in particular?” Read More

Related Articles:
Christianity Continues to Lose Demographic Ground in the U.S.
In U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace

Does Church Membership Matter?

An elevator pitch for church membership

Is church membership actually in the Bible?

How many times have you heard someone ask that? Maybe you’re asking it yourself.

If I have 15 seconds to answer that question—maybe I’m on an elevator with you—I would tell you to look at the church discipline passages in Matthew 18 and 1 Corinthians 5. Jesus and Paul talk about “removing” someone from the body. What is a person being removed from if it’s not what we today call membership. Yes, it’s an implication, but it’s a very clear implication.

Or I might point you to passages like Acts 2:41, where it says three thousand people were “added to their number;” or Acts 6:2, which says the apostles called together “the full number of disciples;” or Acts 12:1, which says Herod attacked those “who belonged to the church.” They knew who belonged. They could name the disciples. Did they keep all those names on an Excel spreadsheet? I don’t know, but they knew who they were. Read More

Do We Really Need to Keep Singing Hymns

When I say “Hymn”, what comes to mind?

• Dusty cloth covers concealing musty yellow pages?
• Archaic words coupled with monotonous music?
• A cherished part of your past?
• An obligation in your present?
• A remnant of the lifeless religion of your parents?
• Nothing at all?

Growing up I attended an Assemblies of God church and didn't know hymns existed. Later we attended a little country church where I heard my first hymn. Confusion soon followed. In High School I helped at a Lutheran church and hymns began to intrigue me.

Now I'm a worship pastor and I have to decide for myself how I feel about hymns. Do we really need to keep singing them? I think so. And my first reason may surprise you. Read More

Help! My Teen Is Questioning the Faith

Most days, young children bombard their parents with a series of rapid-fire questions. From the situational (“Why do I have to go to bed at 7:30?”), to the theoretical (“Do you think I could fly off the roof if I made a set of wings?”), to the theological (“Why didn’t God protect me from falling off my bike?”), most parents spend their days offering up answers, advice, and wisdom to satisfy the natural curiosity of their kids.

Once the teen years hit, however, young adults start searching for new sources of information. Parents are no longer seen as the fount of all wisdom. In fact, for many teens, parents are the last place they want to take their questions—especially when it comes to matters of faith. They often internalize or verbalize the words of Will Smith: “Take it from me; parents just don’t understand.” (Although most of them are too young to remember his singing days.)

As our teens search for answers, how can we foster home environments where they can bring their questions, doubts, and insecurities to us? How can we proactively create spaces for discussions and respond to their doubts and questions with a listening ear and prayerful heart?

Here are a few ways we can build homes that allow our children to wrestle with questions of faith. Read More

A Closer Look at the ‘Nones’ in Their 20s

Earlier this week, I shared some surprising findings about the religious beliefs and practices of Americans in their 20s, based on research included in a new book, The Twenty-Something Soul by Tim Clydesdale and Kathleen Garces-Foley.

Today, I’m going back to their book to offer a few takeaways regarding the “Nones”—American 20-somethings who do not affiliate with a religious tradition. Read More

Related Article:
4 Surprises about the Religious Practice of 20-Somethings

7 Things I Miss About Church Planting

Here are ways the experience of planting a church is different than leading an established church.

I only had four church experiences in vocational ministry. I served twice in traditional churches where God allowed us to bring a renewed energy and growth to established churches. I was also part of two successful church plants.

God was so good to us in each of these churches—we saw growth in the churches and the people. We loved every experience and the people in each church.

I remember in our last church, which was one of the established churches, that one of our staff members, had never served in a church plant. He was a great minister, but as we shared stories, he was fascinated by how different things were at times in church planting versus the established church. Our conversation reminded me, as much as I love the established church, there were some things I missed about church planting.

There is a companion post needed of the things I enjoyed about the established church. There are certainly benefits to an established church. I actually encourage many pastors to consider church revitalization even over church planting.

I do love things about both worlds, but they are different in many ways. Read More

The Crisis in Syria and Caring for the Persecuted Church

How should we respond to crises involving the global persecuted church?

Five years ago, U.S. troops were deployed to help combat the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Last week, about 1,000 U.S. troops who had been partnering with Kurdish fighters in northern Syria were pulled out of the region. Since then, the nation of Turkey has launched military campaigns against the Kurds—and by extension, the Syrian Christians they have been protecting—in northeastern Syria.

We caught up with David Curry, president and CEO of Open Doors USA, to discuss the crisis and what churches can do to support the persecuted church both in Syria and around the world. Read More

The Early Church Thrived Amid Secularism and Shows How We Can, Too

The pre-Christendom church managed to avoid both isolationism and accommodationism. Their model gives us a map for post-Christendom challenges.

Iattended seminary in the 1970s. I had to take several classes in the history of Christianity, though in those days it was called “church history.” My professor taught the course largely as a history of Christian thought. We studied orthodoxy and heresy in the early Christian period, monastic and scholastic theology in the medieval period, the Reformation controversies of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the evangelical awakenings of the eighteenth century, and the liberal theology of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, as well as its major twentieth-century critics (Barth and Bonhoeffer).

In general, we learned church history from a Christendom perspective. Questions of correct belief loomed largest, at least as I remember it. We studied it as a kind of history of the Christian family, which was our family.

In the beginning of my teaching career, I taught the history of Christianity in much the same way. My primary interest was Reformation theology and the evangelical awakenings, though I never totally neglected to tell the larger story. Students seemed interested enough, at least for a while. But then students began to change, and their interests shifted. They started to question the attention to doctrinal precision that emerged during the Reformation period. They wondered about the emotion of the evangelical awakenings. Doctrinal faith seemed too abstract and narrow, emotive faith too fragile and insecure.

I was teaching a Christendom course, but my students were asking for something different. I discovered that they needed something different because they were (and still are) growing up in a world very different from the one that existed only a generation ago.

Together we—professor and students—found it in early Christianity. Read More

What Does Baptism Do?

There are different ways to approach the regular debates and confusions about baptism. One way I've found helpful lately is to ask the Scriptures, "What does baptism do?" When we look for God's answer to this question, we also get a clear sense of the why behind baptism. Read More

Missionary Insights into the Mind of the Unchurched in the Heartland

In Oklahoma, a person’s ideas about faith more likely come from media than from the Bible.

When missiologists study North America, they usually use research conducted on a national scale to reveal cultural trends that shape ministry strategy locally. But recently, research was conducted in the heartland state of Oklahoma that is revealing insights that might shed light on what the unchurched think in other places as well.

A survey of 1,000 Oklahomans was conducted online using a curated scientific sample of the state’s estimated 2.3 million unchurched. Respondents were asked a wide variety of questions, including queries about their religious participation, esoteric and spiritual beliefs, worldview paradigms, and demographics.

A clear picture of the state’s unchurched emerged and was developed into a book, Hidden Harvest: Discovering Oklahoma’s Unchurched. The book is free and available to anyone online as an e-book download. Here are a few key findings. Read More

4 Signs a Church Member Might Be Ready to Leave--And What to Do About It

What if no one ever left your church? What if your church was so amazing that once people visited, they were hooked and became fully engaged members who serve faithfully, give generously, and worship passionately?

That would be nice. It may not be realistic, being that they’re human and all, but that sure would be nice.

Although you may not become the kind of church where no one ever leaves, what if you could reduce the exodus to such a degree that fewer people want to leave?

As a ministry leader, God has given you a vision of what the ministry could look like if you had the right people all rowing in the same direction. When people jump ship at your church—or even show signs they might be leaving—that vision can become blurry.

Believe it or not, it’s possible to spot the signs that are common among those who are considering leaving. If you can spot the signs, you may be able to reach them where they need to be reached—which could help them decide to stay. Read More

Ten Things You Should Know about John Henry Newman (1801–1890)

Oxford

On Canada Day, Pope Francis I declared that the deceased English Cardinal John Henry Newman would be canonized on October 13, 2019. Newman presents an interesting case. He converted to Catholicism from Evangelicalism, becoming a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic church. We lament his conversion and understand his story as a cautionary tale. We do not, therefore, present this article in any way to endorse his conversion but to give some insight into the life of this significant 19th-century thinker since many will have heard about his canonization. Read More

6 Crucial Small Group Lessons From the Early Church

In my mid-20s, I moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, to begin a degree in New Testament studies and work under the direction of Gordon Fee, the author of the some of the best commentaries from the last 50 years. I had been working for TOUCH Outreach Ministries, which promoted the Cell Church model and encouraged churches to embrace a New Testament model of church life based on Scriptures that give us lessons from the early church met from “house to house” (Acts 2:42-46, 5:42, 20:20).

In those days, I assumed that the goal was to find the secret ingredients to life in the first-century church and to determine how those secrets have been forgotten by the church. I thought my studies would tell me about all the things we need to do today that they did back then that would fix the church.

The more I read about the early church, the more I discovered what I did not expect to find. (This is usually the case with good research.) For instance, I found that all the research demonstrates that they met in homes, but I also found that we must be realistic about the fact that they had no other place to meet. The early church was a movement with no social standing. In fact, it was considered a cult that undermined the mores of the majority culture. Where else would they have met but in homes?

In addition, the research demonstrates that it was a movement of small groups. Although some argue that they met in mid-size groups of 20-40 that met in homes of the more wealthy Christians—and I’m sure this occurred in some locations—archeological research has demonstrated that most homes could only handle 10-15 people. But here’s what I did not expect to find: There is little information about what actually transpired in these small group meetings. Those who want to get specific about what actually happened in these groups are speaking from silence. For instance, many argue that there was only small group house churches and that there was no preaching or teaching in larger gatherings. How can we actually know this? Jesus taught in larger groups. And it seems that Paul did also when he taught all night in Ephesus (Acts 20:7). But there is a lot that we just don’t know. I’ve found that people often project their preferred model of church life back upon the early church and therefore fill in the blanks.

While the New Testament, first-century history and archaeology reveal that early Christians met in small groups in homes, we cannot claim with honesty that this somehow provides us with a secret ingredient. Is the call to Christian community a prophetic challenge to the modern church that sits in rows and listens to a preacher? Of course, but if we are looking for a New Testament small group model or house church approach or apostolic movement strategy that will unlock the secrets of God, then we are asking questions that cannot be answered. Instead, I think that there is something much more significant about the first century church that we need to hear and heed. Read More