Tuesday's Catch (and Monday's Too): Factors in Church Regathering and More

7 Reasons Why Some Churches Have Reopened and Others Have Not

Most churches were forced to “close” (a bit of a misnomer, since no church really “closed,” just suspended large-group public services) as a result of the pandemic. Over time, even when the spread of the virus wasn’t waning, many have reopened while others have not. Some large churches, like North Point in Atlanta and Meck in Charlotte, have already announced they will not reopen this year. So why the difference in decision making? Even between churches in the same city? There are at least seven reasons. Read More

What's Behind the Rise of QAnon in the UK?

A wide-ranging conspiracy theory about elite Satan-worshiping paedophiles has migrated from the US, inspiring a series of regular street protests. How did QAnon find a British audience? Read More

3 Ways to Deal With Change the Pandemic Has Brought in the Church

I could hear in my colleagues’ voice that he was worried. He had just sat through a tough board meeting where half of his board resigned over his handling of COVID-19. I listened as he walked me through the political and social divide that had overtaken his small rural church. He wondered out loud if he should resign. What my friend is facing is what many pastors have met during this uncertain time. Many churches have lost 30–50% of their pre-COVID-19 attendees. So what does a pastor do when nothing seems the same? I shared with my colleague three ways of dealing with change in the age of COVID. Read More

5 Ways the Church Can Relieve COVID-Related Family Stress

Around 1 in 5 Americans admit they are experiencing more tension in their home this year. Increased stress is more likely for those under 45, ages coinciding with small children in the home. This reality provides an opportunity for churches to meet the needs of married couples and parents in their congregation and community. Read More

Pastor, Are You Missing Your Sheep?

3 tools for those craving the incarnational over the digital. Read More

Connecting With People – Clicks vs Results

Connecting with people, in person or virtually, takes work. Building relationships has often been compared to building bridges. A bridge doesn’t just happen by accident. Building a bridge takes a lot of time, a lot of planning, and an incredible amount of effort – not to mention a significant investment of resources. In many ways connecting with folks on a personal level has the same requirements. Building bridges can also be messy and doesn’t always turn out the way you want it to. Unfortunately bridges collapse or fail. Read More

The Evaporation of Empathy

We have lost the ability to see through others' eyes. Read More

Being an authentic disciple of Jesus and genuinely living his teachings requires a high level of empathy. Unfortunately we are seeing not only an evaporation of empathy on the internet but also its evaporation in the local church.

There’s More to the Person Behind The Profile Pic

Maybe you’ve experienced this: you come across a post from an acquaintance at church or a distant family member, and the person’s opinion is either uninformed or inflammatory, and their responses to comments get heated. You cringe at the leaps of logic, the “what-about-ism,” the tendency toward conspiracy thinking, the articles shared, or the ad hominem attacks. Whatever the subject (politics, the pandemic, or public debates), you’re surprised to see this person engaging this way. How should you respond? Should you respond? Read More

How to Master the Art of Disagreement—in the Church and on Social Media

Let’s say you’re in a conversation with fellow church member about an issue you disagree over. How should you conduct yourself in that conversation? What should you be weighing before, during, and after? Here are eight questions to consider.... Read More

The Command to Like Your Neighbor

At its best, relational evangelism creates strong, real relationships, and in the context of those relationships, you both show your good works and you are able to speak about Jesus, answer questions, and serve the other person. You take on the problems of the other person, you invest in their life, you weep when they weep and rejoice when they rejoice. Read More

Political Riptides Rip Us Apart

A religious undercurrent mandates we stay calm and not panic as cultural oceans roil. Read More