Wednesday's Catch: "Church Planting in Secular Scandinavia" and More

Church Planting in Secular Scandinavia

The more I consider Denmark’s spiritual climate, the more convinced I become that secularization isn’t our biggest problem. It’s Christians believing Satan’s lies. Read More

Why We Need Networks

God can do amazing things through leaders who believe we are better together. Read More

Denominations may be a thing of the past. Networks are not.

The Rise of the Dones: The ‘Done With Church’ Population

For the church, this phenomenon sets up a growing danger. The very people on whom a church relies for lay leadership, service and financial support are going away. And the problem is compounded by the fact that younger people in the next generation, the Millennials, are not lining up to refill the emptying pews. Read More

This past Sunday I sat through what felt like an excruciatingly long sermon in which the preacher did not touch upon the text upon which he was supposed to be preaching, much less explain what it meant and how it might apply to the congregation in the present day. What he gave was essentially the background to the book in which the text is found, the kind of information that you might use to introduce a series of Bible talks on that book in a Sunday school class. The sermon was read in the first half of a lengthy communion service taken from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, a service in which the congregation has a very small part. It is almost a one-man dog and pony show. It was not surprising that at least one member of the congregation fell asleep during the talk: I could hear him snoring in the back of the sanctuary. I was sitting on the platform and had to struggle to keep myself from dozing off. Now the preacher in question does not preach at the church every Sunday. He was not beginning an expository series on the book. Having gone through a similar experience on a number of previous Sundays, it does not surprise me that some people are throwing up their hands in disgust and walking away from their churches.

Once a Sheep, Always a Sheep (Ten Observations on What Jesus Said about Our Eternal Security)

The issue before us isn’t whether or not a born-again, justified by faith, adopted child of God can sin or backslide or wander away from the Lord or spend an extended season of their life in doubt about their faith. Yes, we all acknowledge they can. The issue is, instead, whether or not they remain in their sin unrepentant and defiant, or eventually come under conviction and seek God’s forgiveness and fellowship. Read More

3 Ways We Destroy Discipling Relationships - and What to Do about It

Whether you’re in charge of a discipleship ministry at your church or you’re personally discipling someone one on one, we’re all prone to make missteps in building these relationships for the gain of community and spiritual maturity. Here are a few of the most common mistakes—and how to correct them. Read More