Streaming Video is NOT Church Online!
Church online is direct-to-camera. Church online is interactive. Church online is an intentional effort to disciple a growing online congregation. Streaming video is passive. With streaming video (live or recorded), the viewer is an observer, not a participant. Read More
Church is Essential. Your Form of Church is Not.
Church is absolutely essential for the follower of Jesus. When Christ called us into relationship with Himself, He also called us into community with others. A Christian not committed to Church is an oxymoron and a confounding contradiction. Christians are commanded to “not neglect gathering together as some are in the habit of doing but to encourage one another” (Hebrews 10:25) because through encouragement we are not “hardened by sin’s deception” (Hebrews 3:13). In other words, God uses His people to keep His people tender and receptive to His leading. Read More
I would contend that church online(as opposed to streaming video), while its gatherings may not be the form of church that we prefer also serve the purpose of encouraging participants in the Christian life and faith. While in-person gatherings may be desirable, Hebrews 10:25 does not preclude online gatherings as some interpreters of that verse would like us to believe. The early Christians met where it was safest for them to meet in times of persecution. Those who meet online are doing the same thing. They are meeting where it is safest for them to meet during a pandemic.Churches and the Vulnerable in the Time of COVID-19
Churches may be re-opening for some, but they remain inaccessible to our most at-risk. As churches open, I am beginning to wonder if we have a place anymore in the church. You see, my son was born with Down syndrome. As churches have begun their return to in-person gatherings, rather than having a communal space in which to find support, care, and encouragement, I have felt more isolated than ever before. Why? Because many churches, in trying to return to “normal” are unknowingly returning to structures that favor the abled. Read More
Why Is Doctrine So Important?
What Is Christian Doctrine? Doctrine is a body of teaching. Christian doctrine is the teaching found in the Bible—about who God is, who we are, why the world exists, and so on. The subject merits careful thought because it plays a vital part in every Christian’s life. Read More
7 Ways to Increase Your Support Network and Why it Matters
I can’t tell you the number of people who write to me looking for help in the midst of a full-blown crisis. They have no support network—no ready-made shelter now that the storm has hit. Finding a good counselor can be hard. And it’s even harder when you needed it. . . yesterday. You likely check in with a medical doctor. You get that your body needs nourishment, exercise, and periodic check-ins to stay healthy. Yet so many of us don’t give the same attention to our mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Here’s the best piece of advice I can give: Don’t wait until you’re in crisis to set up a support network. Read More
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