What's On The Web: "Is Congregational Singing Dead?" And More

Is Congregational Singing Dead?

An excellent article. At the same time I must disagree with Benjamin Crosby's assertion that congregational singing was an innovation of the Protestant Reformers. They more accurately revived congregational singing in the Western Church after a lengthy hiatus. At the time of the Protestant Reformation in some parts of the Western Church the singing of a congregational hymn had been introduced into the medieval Mass before and after the Prone, which was begun "in medieval times as a vernacular service in extra-liturgical settings that came later to be included in the Latin High Mass on Sundays and other feasts." In the continental Reformed Churches the structure of the Prone would replace that of the Mass as the pattern of worship. It continues to influence the pattern of worship seen in a number of modern-day churches.

Pray for Ukraine – But How?
A pastor offers his perspective on how to begin praying for Ukraine. We need also to pray for the Russians who have been misled by their leaders about the situation in the Ukraine. Many of the Russian soldiers are conscripts who did not know that they were being sent into a combat zone. Some thought that the Ukranians would greet them as liberators. They believed Putin's lie that the Russian invasion was to "de-nazify" the Ukraine. Russian prisoners-of-war report that their commanders are using them like a "meat shield" in pressing forward the Russian attack on the Ukrainian people and their national sovereignty and independence.

5 Social Media Stats Pastors Should Know
Social media is having a profound effect not only upon our culture but also the church. We see ways of thinking and behaving which originated with social media influencing how church members think and act. This is particularly true in the case of the younger generations but the older generations have not been unaffected. These patterns of thinking and behaving often are contrary to the teaching and example of Jesus.

8 Keys to Personal Prayer
This article on personal prayer is an excerpt from Make Mature Multiply: Becoming Fully Formed Disciples of Jesus, from GCD Books. According to the Church Leaders website, this book is a great resource for your church to go through together as a whole-church series, or in small groups or Bible studies.

7 Findings About Leading Evangelistic Churches
Chuck Lawless has studied North American churches for years. He has observed that few churches do well at emphasizing evangelism. In this article he shares some general conclusions that he has reached about evangelistic churches. Dr. Lawless is Dean of Doctoral Studies and Vice-President of Spiritual Formation and Ministry Centers at Southeastern Seminary in Wake Forest, NC, where he also serves as Professor of Evangelism and Missions. In addition, he is Team Leader for Theological Education Strategists for the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.

United Methodist Church Delays General Conference, Prompting Some Conservatives to Leave
The United Methodist Church has delayed its General Conference meeting for a third time due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. In response, some conservative United Methodists have announced they will preemptively leave the denomination rather than wait for the long-anticipated meeting.