Saturday Lagniappe: '7 Signs Your Church Will Never Change' And More

7 Signs Your Church Will Never Change
How do you know when your church is simply so resistant to change that it isn’t going to budge? How do you know the problem is so deep that radical intervention is required?

How Do You Work Alongside Your Team?
Do you want to harness the greatest power in your organization? How can you benefit with the people you lead?

Start the Year Small: Wisdom for Setting New Goals
Matt Bradner describes a well-marked yet seldom-traveled pathway to setting wise goals, which he has discovered.

Jesus’ 6-Step Strategy for Resolving Conflict
Conflict is unavoidable in relationships. Conflict isn’t necessarily sinful or destructive, but it can be depending on what we do with it. Jesus outlines a clear, specific, and workable process in Matthew 18. And, we simply can’t improve on what Jesus says. I’ve summarized into a 6-step process the essence of what I believe Matthew 18 teaches us.

5 Tips to Reinforce Your Bible Study and Prayer Routine
No church leader wants to admit it, but for many of us it’s true: we still don’t have a sustainable habit for personal Bible study and prayer. Here are five ways forward—true for anyone, church leader or not.

10 Tips for Faithful Student Ministry in the New Year
Here are some somewhat random but important tips and priorities for you as a Student Pastor and your student ministry in the coming year.

Tips for Talking With Skeptics
What’s the best way to share the gospel with skeptics? To answer this question, Dan DeWitt offers six imperatives.

New Year's Eve
The turning of the New Year is an event that belongs to all people and cultures, and for that reason it has not always been easy for Christians to calibrate our celebrations. Even today there is a spirituality about the end of the year and beginning of something new that seems to grip people in a particular way. It is not obvious what exactly it is that we celebrate on New Year’s Eve.

Benedict, the ‘other pope,’ dies at 95, leaving behind a unique and complex legacy
Benedict XVI, the first pope to resign in 600 years, paved the way into the new millennium, but struggled to reconcile his traditional Catholic views with a world that he considered to be ‘under the dictatorship of relativism.’

Also see these related articles: Highlights from the life of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Wealth of tribute comes for Benedict, who desired simplicity.

All Hallows Morning and Evening Prayer for Sunday (January 1, 2023) Is Now Online

 

The orders of service for the services of Morning and Evening Prayer for this Sunday come from the orders of service for the Divine Office in the Anglican Church of Canada’s The Book of Alternative Services (1985).

Morning Prayer begins at the top of the page. Scroll down the page for the beginning of Evening Prayer.

Morning Prayer

Readings: Numbers 6:22-27; Luke 2:15-21

Homily: What’s In a Name?

Evening Prayer

Readings: Deuteronomy 30:11-20; Acts 3:1-16

Homily: “Silver and Gold Have I None”

The link to the services of Morning and Evening Prayer for this Sunday is—

https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2022/12/all-hallows-morning-and-evening-prayer.html

Please feel free to share the link to the service with anyone whom you believe might benefit from the service.

When you open the link to a video in a new tab, check auto-play to make sure it is in the off position. Otherwise, a second video with a different song will follow the first. If an ad plays when you open a link to a video in a new tab, click the refresh icon of your browser until the song appears. If a song begins partway through the video, click pause, move the slider to the beginning, and then click play. An ad may follow a song so as soon as the song is finished, close the tab.

Previous services are online at

https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/

May these services be a blessing to you.

Friday's Catch: 'Trends in the Multisite Movement' And More

Trends in the Multisite Movement

What began as a Band-Aid strategy for megachurches that were out of room or limited by zoning restrictions progressed through several identifiable stages. It quickly evolved into a growth strategy for healthy churches of all sizes. Stable but stuck churches found multisite to be a revitalization strategy that reenergized their base and leveraged their influence beyond the walls of their congregation. Increasingly it is becoming a rebirth strategy for struggling churches that merge with a multisite church. Nearly half of all multisite campuses have come about through a church merger.

Just One Cup of Coffee
A decade ago, my local church took a big step by leaving its 60-year-old worship space to build a new building on the same grounds. With that one act of faith, we rejuvenated the church to become more missional. Through the design of the building, music, preaching, and overall worship, a space was designed to reach future generations with the gospel. Over the last four years, the church has continued to transform as we have learned to be nimble due to the constraints of the pandemic and economic inflation that has affected giving and spiritual morale in the church. And we discovered the importance of just one cup of coffee.

6 Practices for Your First Year in Church Leadership
Starting well in your first year is so important for the long run of your leadership. In your first year of ministry, it is more important to focus on your internal adjustments more than external accomplishments.

4 Advantages of Advanced Planning for Sermons/Teaching Series
When I served as an executive and teaching pastor in Miami, I learned the benefit of planning sermons and teaching series months ahead. I don’t mean the entire sermon completely prepared, but a specific direction for a teaching series and a general direction for each sermon within the series. The advanced planning was not only helped me when I was teaching/preaching, but also helped other facets of the church.

Lawnmower Parents and Snowflake Spirituality
There’s a new parenting category. You’ve heard of helicopter parents, free-range parents, tiger parents… now there’s “lawnmower parents.” What does a lawnmower parent do? They “mow down all of a child’s challenges, discomforts and struggles.”

10 Ways to Help Kids Memorize God's Word
One of the most impactful things we can do to set kids up for spiritual success is helping them memorize Scripture.

Six Questions You Should Ask at the Beginning of 2023

Some questions you should consider so you can see growth in the new year.

Beyond Invite and Invest: A Better Plan for Outreach 

We’ve assumed that’s something the church is supposed to do. Unfortunately, when that happens, it creates several challenges.

Evangelicals are growing in France
The number of evangelical Christians continues to grow in France. A new statistical report by the National Council of Evangelical Christians (CNEF) shows that there is now one church for every 25,000 inhabitants.

UMC’s North Georgia Conference blocks church departures
The regional body is alleging the spread of “defamatory” misinformation about the UMC and its disaffiliation procedure.

Thurday's Catch: 'The Real Reason Churches Are in Decline" And More

The Real Reason Churches Are in Decline

What’s the problem? Why are churches of any and every stripe in such steep decline?

How To Know If Your Church Should Be Adopted by Another Church – Part 2: Why Potential Church Closures Are Becoming More Common
In the past, a severely struggling church typically only had one option: the church had to close. Now we know that many churches are being successfully adopted or acquired by another church. In this three-part series, Thom Rainer and Mark Clifton examine and discuss the process and accompanying issues of a church adoption. In this second episode, they look at the reasons church closures are becoming more common.

5 Steps Toward Purposeful Communication
With all the information that needs to be shared, and all sorts of different technologies to do that communicating, here are five steps towards purposeful communication.

Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions for Children’s Ministry Leaders
The new year is upon us and it’s time to start making New Year’s resolutions. Maybe you’re planning to exercise more, eat healthier foods, or learn a new skill. Whatever resolutions you decide on for yourself, don’t forget to set some goals for your ministry! Here are our top 10 New Year’s resolution ideas for children’s ministry.

You had me until you went religious
Unconsciously, Christian ethics are deeply ingrained in our society. People advocate for concepts like being kind to our neighbours and being generous to those in need. No one is arguing with that. Yet give away that you're approaching these ideas from a 'religious' point of view and the respect stops.

Rejection: How to Keep Other People from Feeling It
Pain is a given in life. And usually when we think of pain we’re only thinking about physical pain. But social pain is just as real and perhaps more hurtful. In this post Charles Stone share what recent neuroscience has learned about social pain and some practical tips how pastors and leaders can avoid multiplying social pain in others.

Wednesday's Catch: 'Beauty in Small Places' And More

Beauty in Small Places

Not every church grows numerically, but they can still have a powerful impact.

How can we respond to future pandemics with wisdom?
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Spanish philosopher, George Santayana's famous quotation should have been a caution as the world entered into the Covid epidemic back in December 2019. Instead, we saw a polarization of options that not only highlighted the idol of our time but also a neglect of the history of pandemics.

A Christmas Reminder: 8 Reasons Why People Aren’t Coming Back
As a secret shopper or mystery worshiper of churches around the country, Greg Atkinson has found there are some reasons that he will tell a church he would not return for a second visit and some may be news to you. Throughout this post, he looks at actions and areas every church needs to address.

“Relevance” Isn’t A Dirty Church Word
Churches close daily, leaving communities with one less faith community. More subtle than closing, churches by the thousands become irrelevant in their communities every day.

5 Strategies to Better Reach Your Unchurched Community
Growing The Church while growing as a church requires reaching the unchurched.

7 Reasons Why Pastors Get Caught in the Bubble
In his free e-book, Lord, I Am Caught in the Bubble, Chuck Lawless talk about why pastors particularly get caught in the bubble. Here are some of those reasons.

Dr. Lawless provides a link to where you can download his free e-book.

Five Leadership Resolutions for Your Church in 2023
This year, rather than making resolutions about you, make them about the people around you. Here are five areas to consider in making specific leadership resolutions that benefit your church members this year.

Do Your Sermons Impress Your Seminary but Confuse Your Church?
If you’re preaching to impress, go deep, layered, and rich. If you want people to understand and apply your message, work toward simplicity.

6 Strategies to Preach Your Best Sermon
Great content without great connection is poor communication.

All Hallows Evening Prayer for Saturday Evening (December 31, 2022) Is Now Online

 

All Hallows Evening Prayer for Saturday Evening uses The Service of Light and Order for Evening Prayer in the Anglican Church of Canada’s The Book of Alternative Services (1985). This is a very adaptable pattern of worship and can be used in a variety of settings ranging from a log cabin to a cathedral.

The Scripture readings are Jeremiah 23: 1-6 and Colossians 2: 8-15.

The homily is “The Miracle and the Mystery of the Incarnation.”

The link to this service is—

https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2022/12/all-hallows-evening-prayer-for-saturday_27.html

Please feel free to share the link to the service with anyone whom you believe might benefit from the service.

When you open the link to a video in a new tab, check auto-play to make sure it is in the off position. Otherwise, a second video with a different song will follow the first. If an ad plays when you open a link to a video in a new tab, click the refresh icon of your browser until the song appears. If a song begins partway through the video, click pause, move the slider to the beginning, and then click play. An ad may follow a song so as soon as the song is finished, close the tab.

Previous services are online at

https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/

May these services be a blessing to you.

Tuesday's Catch: 'What Is a Smaller Church? What Is a Larger Church? Part 2: The Implications of this New Data' And More

What Is a Smaller Church? What Is a Larger Church? Part 2: The Implications of this New Data

Thom Rainer looks at new data from Lifeway Research that powerfully depicts the changing landscape of American congregations, partic

ularly in terms of size. In part 2, he looks at the implications of this surprising new data.

3 Needs Every Organization (or Church) Must Have
Ron Edmonson writes, "Years ago, I read an article by Raymond P. Rood’s entitled 'How Then Should Organizations Live'. (I can’t find a link for the article now. ) Rood made the point that every organization has three basic needs. This philosophy resonated with me and, based on my experience, I can see how it relates to the churches, businesses, and non-profits I have led."

Ten Must-Do New Year’s Resolutions for Every Pastor
It’s that time of year when people partake in the annual ritual of making well-intended promises. Josh King and Sam Rainer discuss these ten pastoral resolutions....

FIRST-PERSON: What will be our response?
God offers four waypoints for His people to find their way back to Him so that their land can be healed and His name elevated in the process.

No Christmas is Perfect and That’s Okay
Rebekah Simon-Peter share four steps to embracing imperfection during the holidays. Good advice for the remainder of this Christmas Season and the holidays next year.

5 Top Tips for Welcoming Once-a-Year Christmas Worshipers
Tips #1, #2, and #5 are applicable to our church services on Sundays and other occasions all year-round.

Monday's Catch: "Ten Major Trends for Local Churches in America in 2023" And More

Ten Major Trends for Local Churches in America in 2023
These ten common developments are most likely to become trends in 2023.

8 Tried And True Practices To Lead Up Well
Leading from the middle of the pack is an art form of its own, especially when you need to lead up. It requires maturity, security, trust, and competence. Whether you are in your first job or have been leading for years, you never arrive when it comes to leading up.

Help! I Failed My Year-Long Bible Reading Plan
Phil Thompsn shares four redefining elements of his Bible study over the past decade that have restored both his joy in and practice of yearly Bible reading.

Sunday school looks different since pandemic's start: from monthly to missing
An up-and-running adult Sunday school, youth ministry, and children's ministry may be a key factor in why some churches are experiencing less declie in attendance than others.

When The Holidays Bring Out the Worst in You
In this blog post Rebekah Simon-Peter explores why the holidays can be so stressful and gives tips for managing the stress, all so that we can reclaim the spirit of the season.

3 Reasons Your Evangelism Efforts Have Stalled 

Have your evangelism efforts stalled? Don’t let these three obstacles stand in your way. The fields are indeed ready for harvest.

All Hallows Evening Prayer for Wednesday Evening (December 28, 2022) Is Now Online

 

All Hallows Evening Prayer for Wednesday Evening uses The Service of Light and Order for Evening Prayer in the Anglican Church of Canada’s The Book of Alternative Services (1985). This is a very adaptable pattern of worship and can be used in a variety of settings ranging from a log cabin to a cathedral.

The Scripture reading is 1 Corinthians 1: 18-31.

The message is “The Birth of Jesus, the Beginning of New Life for Us.”

The link to this service is—

https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2022/12/all-hallows-evening-prayer-for_25.html

Please feel free to share the link to the service with anyone whom you believe might benefit from the service.

When you open the link to a video in a new tab, check auto-play to make sure it is in the off position. Otherwise, a second video with a different song will follow the first. If an ad plays when you open a link to a video in a new tab, click the refresh icon of your browser until the song appears. If a song begins partway through the video, click pause, move the slider to the beginning, and then click play. An ad may follow a song so as soon as the song is finished, close the tab.

Previous services are online at

https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/

May these services be a blessing to you.

Let Us Remember This Christmastide the Disappointed, the Downhearted, the Rejected, the Forlorn, and the Forsaken.

 

The little bird perched by itself on a bare branch in the photo is an English robin, my namesake. Originally robins were birds of the forest and the wood. Now they live in hedgerows and gardens.

One legend of how the robin got its red breast is he burned himself on a fire he fanned to keep the baby Jesus warm.

According to another legend—

"...the robin’s breast is red because of his association with Christ’s death and crucifixion. When Jesus was on the road to Calvary it is said that a robin plucked a thorn from Christ’s temple and a drop of Jesus’ blood fell on the robin’s chest, turning it red."

That story is a reminder that the babe whose birth we celebrate on Christmas Day was himself rejected by the people to whom he came. He was forsaken by his disciples and his friends. He was nailed to the hard wood of a cross and there suffered an agonizing death.

Before we do anything else on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, let us ask God’s forgiveness for any unkindness that we have shown to anyone or any wrong that we have done them.

The one whose birth we celebrate came into the world not only to put things right between God and ourselves, but also to teach us to love others, to treat them as we ourselves would wish to be treated, to do good to them and not to do harm, and to be faithful reflections of himself, forgiving others, and showing them same love as he has shown us. He gave his disciples a new commandment:

“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35 NRSV

Christina Georgina Rosetti, a nineteenth century English poet and author wrote this poem. It was later set to the Irish traditional melody, GARTAN, and now is sung as a Christmas hymn.

Love came down at Christmas,
love all lovely, Love divine;
Love was born at Christmas;
star and angels gave the sign.

Worship we the Godhead,
Love incarnate, Love divine;
worship we our Jesus,
but wherewith for sacred sign?

Love shall be our token;
love be yours and love be mine;
love to God and others,
love for plea and gift and sign.

“Love shall be our token.” A token is a thing that serves as a visible or tangible representation of something else. Love is what marks us as disciples of Jesus. In his letter to the Corinthians the apostle Paul gives us a description of the kind of love that is to set us apart from the rest of the world.

"Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 NRSV

It a good description of the kind of love against which we can measure the love that we show not only our brothers and sisters in Christ but also all people.

One other thing besides asking God’s forgiveness for our unkindnesses and wrongdoings, which we may wish to do before anything else on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day is to take stock of how well we are doing at showing love to others—forgiving them, being kind to them, being patient with them, being generous with them, showing caring and concern for them, being thoughtful of their feelings.

Would the love that we show mark us as disciples of Jesus?

What can we do to be more loving?

Heavenly Father, you have shown your love for us by the birth of the Holy Child at Bethlehem, help us to welcome him with gladness and to make room for him in our lives; so that we may live in peace with one another, and in good will with all people; through the same your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

May Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace give you his peace, and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be with you and remain with you for ever. Amen.

Saturday Lagniappe: 'Living Alone' And More

Living Alone

Regardless of how people themselves may feel about their housing situation, the research has been deemed unequivocal: people aging alone experience worse physical and mental health outcomes and shorter life spans.

What Is a Smaller Church? What Is a Larger Church? Part 1: The Surprise (Shock?) of this New Data
Thom Rainer looks at new data from Lifeway Research that powerfully depicts the changing landscape of American congregations, particularly in terms of size. In part 1, he tries to grasp the meaning of these new categories.

How To Know If Your Church Should Be Adopted by Another Church – Part 1: The Often Tough and Unspoken Issues in a Church Adoption
In the past, a severely struggling church typically only had one option: the church had to close. Now we know that many churches are being successfully adopted or acquired by another church. In this three-part series, Thom Rainerand Mark Clifton examine and discuss the process and accompanying issues of a church adoption. In this first episode, they look at the tough issues in a church adoption.

Keith Getty on dangers of modern worship, tells pastors: 'Love your people enough to care about what they sing'
At a time when deconstructing one’s faith almost seems trendy, hymn writer Keith Getty is emphasizing the important role theologically sound, biblically-grounded hymns play in strengthening the next generation of believers.

How to start a revival in your youth group
... what is our role in seeing revival break out in the midst of the deadness? Can we do anything about it? The answer is a resounding “YES!!!” Here are 5 action steps you can take to unleash the force of revival in your youth ministry.

Top 10 Ideas for a First Small Group Meeting
Any time you’re starting a new small group meeting, a great first meeting is very important. I include these ideas on a simple handout inside every new small group meeting leader’s packet.

All Hallows Evening Prayer for Christmas Day (December 25, 2022) Is Now Online

 

All Hallows Evening Prayer for Christmas Day uses The Service of Light and Order for Evening Prayer in the Anglican Church of Canada’s The Book of Alternative Services (1985). This is a very adaptable pattern of worship and can be used in a variety of settings ranging from a log cabin to a cathedral.

The Scripture readings are Isaiah 65: 17-25 and Philippians 2: 5-11.

The message is “A Reflection of Jesus.”

The link to this service is—

https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2022/12/all-hallows-evening-prayer-for.html

Please feel free to share the link to the service with anyone whom you believe might benefit from the service.

When you open the link to a video in a new tab, check auto-play to make sure it is in the off position. Otherwise, a second video with a different song will follow the first. If an ad plays when you open a link to a video in a new tab, click the refresh icon of your browser until the song appears. If a song begins partway through the video, click pause, move the slider to the beginning, and then click play. An ad may follow a song so as soon as the song is finished, close the tab.

Previous services are online at

https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/

May these services be a blessing to you.

Friday's Catch: 'Why Did Jesus Come to Earth?' And More

Why Did Jesus Come to Earth?
In his incarnation, Jesus left his eternal experience of God’s perfect love to demonstrate God’s perfect love so that he could welcome us into his own eternal experience of God’s perfect love.

Why Such a Lowly Birth?
Jesus was born when “the time came.” The time came, not just for the fulfillment of Mary’s pregnancy, but for the fulfillment of God’s pre-world plan to become a divine human being.

Christmas Isn’t Pagan 

If we turn back the pages of history and look into the first-hand sources, none of the modern traditions associated with Christmas today turn out to be some lost trapping of a long forgotten and profane past.If you tried to get to the origin of these accusations you would find that their beginnings prove more modern than ancient.

Regrettably pastors who should know better are a frequent culprit for spreading the mistaken notion that Christmas was originally a pagan festival. I had the good fortune of hearing one of Prof. Talley's lectures on how the early Christians calculated the date of Jesus' birth and it was very illuminating.

How to Deal With People Who Don’t Like You
Rejection is powerful. How do you deal with it?

Teens Need These 6 Things From Church and Youth Group
Asking what teens want from church is the wrong question. What teenagers desire from a faith community doesn’t compare to what they need. So let’s look at the topic from that angle.

4 Ways to Spread the Gospel
Believing the gospel comes with an obligation to the gospel. In light of that truth, here are four practical steps every Christ-follower can take to be obedient to God’s call to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth.

All Hallows Christmas Day Service (December 25, 2022) Is Now Online.

 

All Hallows Christmas Day Service is modeled on the basic pattern of worship recommended for Sundays and other occasions in The United Methodist Book of Worship and incorporates liturgical material from various sources. It is a pattern similar to those used for worship on Sundays and other occasions in Anglican and Lutheran Churches.

The Scripture readings are Isaiah 52:7-10 and John 1:1-14.

The message is “An Assist from God.”

The link to this service is—

https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2022/12/all-hallows-christmas-day-service.html

Please feel free to share the link to the service with anyone whom you believe might benefit from the service.

When you open the link to a video in a new tab, check auto-play to make sure it is in the off position. Otherwise, a second video with a different song will follow the first. If an ad plays when you open a link to a video in a new tab, click the refresh icon of your browser until the song appears. If a song begins partway through the video, click pause, move the slider to the beginning, and then click play. An ad may follow a song so as soon as the song is finished, close the tab.

Previous services are online at

https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/

May these services be a blessing to you.

 

 

All Hallows Christmas Eve Service (December 24, 2022) Is Now Online

All Hallows Christmas Eve Service is modeled on the basic pattern of worship recommended for Sundays and other occasions in The United Methodist Book of Worship and incorporates liturgical material from various sources. It is a pattern similar to those used for worship on Sundays and other occasions in Anglican and Lutheran Churches.

The Scripture readings are Isaiah 9: 2-7 and Luke 2: 1-20.

The message is “A Baby in a Manger. God’s Greatest Gift to Humankind.”

The link to this service is—

https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2022/12/all-hallows-christmas-eve-service.html

Please feel free to share the link to the service with anyone whom you believe might benefit from the service.

When you open the link to a video in a new tab, check auto-play to make sure it is in the off position. Otherwise, a second video with a different song will follow the first. If an ad plays when you open a link to a video in a new tab, click the refresh icon of your browser until the song appears. If a song begins partway through the video, click pause, move the slider to the beginning, and then click play. An ad may follow a song so as soon as the song is finished, close the tab.

Previous services are online at

https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/

May these services be a blessing to you.

Thursday's Catch: The Importance of Small-Town Ministry

The Importance of Small-Town Ministry

Ministry in small places is often slow and not regarded highly in the world’s eyes—whether the unbelieving world or the evangelical world. Rural churches need skilled, solid, vibrant gospel ministry just as much as suburbs and cities do.

Getting your church ready for Christmas
Christmas is a wonderful time of year, but with the special events and services, extra visitors and festive decorations in your church, it can mean a little extra planning in order to keep everyone safe.

Christmas Music: A Witness For Us or Against Us
While this music is everywhere during this season, how many people realize that the words on their lips are serving as a witness against them?

Christmas Carols: 5 Songs With Rich Theology
Some of the top Christmas songs are distinctly Christian carols filled with rich theology for this season—and every season.

5 Simple Ways to Prevent Youth Pastor Burnout and Turnover
We’ve all heard the scary statistic that the average stay of a youth pastor is around 18 months. Although I can’t confirm this exact number, it’s clear that youth pastor burnout and turnover is a real thing. Typical youth leaders, in the typical church, don’t stay long.

What Is Digital Ministry, Really?
Digital ministry uses digital platforms to reach, connect, serve and empower others with the Good news of Jesus and his people. It is not merely a broadcast of your services. It is the infusion and administering of community, devotion, and mission.

About Your New Website
es, this is about your new website. Why? Because you probably need one. Just like we did. Our church’s website, Mecklenburg.org, just went live with a new design following a complete rebuild that was in development for more than a year.

5 Great Christmas Gift Ideas for Your Small Group Leaders
Mike Mack shares are a couple things he has learned over the years and a few ideas for us.

How Not to Gossip During the Holidays
There can be a fine line between storytelling and gossip.

Clearing Up Christmas Confusion: Jesus’ Birth, Not His Beginning

Pastors should use Christmas as an opportunity to communicate and explain truths about the Trinity and Jesus’ birth and divine nature.

By Aaron Earls

Christmas celebrates Jesus’ birth, but most Americans, including many in your church, may be confused about what exactly that means.

More than half of Americans (55%) believe Jesus is the first and greatest being created by God, according to the 2022 State of Theology study. This belief reflects an early church heresy, which, appropriately enough for the season, Saint Nicholas confronted.

In the early church, Arius began teaching that Jesus, as God the Son, had a beginning, unlike God the Father. The First Council of Nicea condemned the teaching, which became known as Arianism, as heresy in A.D. 325. Later councils would continue to debate the position before, finally, the orthodox position of the Trinity rooted out Arianism. But this belief is not confined to church history. It’s also in our church pews.

Among Americans who attend church at least weekly, 70% believe Jesus is the first and greatest being created by God. Ironically, only those who never attend church are more likely to disagree than agree (49% to 28%), though they probably have a different reason.

Most Black Protestants (78%), Catholics (71%), evangelicals (61%), and mainline Protestants (61%) say Jesus is a created being. Non-Christians, who again have other reasons, are split (41% agree, and 43% disagree).

Almost 3 in 4 Americans who hold four key evangelical theological beliefs (73%) believe Jesus is the first and greatest being created by God, while those without such beliefs are less likely to agree (51%). Read More

Closed for Christmas

By James Emery White

Many churches, when finding that Christmas falls on a Sunday, choose to scale back their services or even cancel them in light of the holiday.

Is that right or wrong?

The rhetoric decrying it has been strong. “Soft doctrine congregations close on Christmas,” one seminary professor proclaimed. “Sound doctrine churches will be there to scoop those folks right up.” A pastor in Boca Raton snarkily quipped, “In some places the magi might show up for worship and find the doors locked.” (Honestly, this doesn’t even make sense because the Magi didn’t come with their gifts for months, even years, after Jesus’ birth.)

As a pastor of a church that will not be holding services on Christmas Day nor New Year’s Day for that matter (though our Online Campus will be operating in full force), what in the world am I thinking?

Several things, actually. Read More

Why Churches Resist Change from New Pastors (and What You Can Do About It)

By Sam Rainer

“It’s my first week. What should I change here?” Perhaps new pastors don’t vocalize the question, but I know they think it. The default setting to change something is only natural for a good leader. Having a vision means being dissatisfied with the status quo.

“The search committee said they were bringing me on to make needed changes. Why is the church resisting the obvious?!”

Why have so many pastors’ honeymoons ended after the first few months? Resistance to change is one of the largest hurdles in leadership. I once had a handful of pencils launched toward me when my tweaks to a potluck dinner were discovered. I learned not to mess with potlucks. Luckily the pencils weren’t that sharp. No blood, no foul.

Every church leader has been there. We’ve all met the resistance. Here are a few reasons why people resist change. Read More

All Hallows Evening Worship for Wednesday (December 21, 2022) Is Now Online.

 

Evening Worship for this Wednesday is adapted from the service provided in A New Zealand Prayer Book (2020) for those occasions of public worship for which there is a need for a Service of the Word. The service is loosely modeled on Morning and Evening Prayer from The Book of Common Prayer.

The Scripture reading is Malachi 2:17-3:12.

The message is “Refined as Gold and Silver”

The link to this service is—

https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2022/12/all-hallows-evening-worship-for_20.html

Please feel free to share the link to the service with anyone whom you believe might benefit from the service.

When you open the link to a video in a new tab, check auto-play to make sure it is in the off position. Otherwise, a second video with a different song will follow the first. If an ad plays when you open a link to a video in a new tab, click the refresh icon of your browser until the song appears. If a song begins partway through the video, click pause, move the slider to the beginning, and then click play. An ad may follow a song so as soon as the song is finished, close the tab.

Previous services are online at

https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/

May these services be a blessing to you.

Tuesday's Catch: 'How to Reach a Culture Not Interested in the Gospel" And More

How to Reach a Culture Not Interested in the Gospel
It’s time we face the music. That day we’ve heard about … it’s here. Our culture doesn’t care about Jesus. I know, it sounds irreverent—but it’s true. The prevailing posture of our nation is rapidly equalizing on this issue, especially in a post-COVID world. As we all know, the coronavirus has only accelerated changes that were already in motion. Even in places formerly known as “religious,” mindsets about Christianity and Christ are shifting at an unprecedented rate. Sure, the Wild West and the Chilly Northeast have an edge. Still, we all need to understand how to navigate the new normal.

3 Dangers Present When Pastors Espouse Anti-Therapy Rhetoric
It’s no secret that we are in the midst of a mental health crisis. According to research conducted by Barna across 25 countries, 40% of adults ages 18-35 struggle with anxiety, loneliness, and isolation. Many of these young people who are plagued by mental health concerns sit in our pews at church every weekend. Nevertheless, many Christians, including some influential pastors, are not only suspicious of mental health interventions such as medication and therapy, but actively campaign against them.

10 Folks to Remember at Christmas
As we look forward to Christmas this year, don’t forget that Christmas isn’t easy for some folks. Here are some to pray for (and even reach out to) this year. Your gift of love might make a difference.

12 Ways For Worship Leaders to Serve Your Pastor Well The relationship between the pastor and the worship leader (or organist, or choir director, or music minister, or all of the above) is notoriously tricky. Today, I want to offer a few lessons I’ve learned over the last decade on how to serve your pastor well and to make this tricky relationship a bit less … well … tricky.

The intriguing history of 'O Holy Night'
The story of “O Holy Night” is as dramatic as when the popular Christmas carol crescendos to the verse that rings out, “Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices! O night divine, O night when Christ was born!” Scandal, politics and ground-breaking moments power the history of the popular Christmas song. While sorting out fact from fiction may leave a narrative less spectacular than legend, the popularity of “O Holy Night” has never waned across the centuries.

How Can Pastors Help Their Congregations Read the Bible Better Next Year?
The church needs to establish a strategic pattern for giving people basic training in how to read the Bible better.

10 simple youth ministry hacks to grow your youth group numerically and spiritually!
Healthy things grow. It’s true of babies, plants and youth ministry. If you want a healthy youth ministry then you have to discover ways to get your youth group to grow, both with new believers and in spiritual maturity. Here are 10 simple youth ministry hacks to get your youth group to grow....

Four Reasons Your Wealth Is a Spiritual Liability
Jesus made a lot of striking statements during his ministry. And a great deal of them had to do with money. This makes us squeamish, but it’s reality: Jesus spoke about money more than heaven and hell. It’s not that he considered money more important than heaven. He simply knew that the way we treat our wealth is a massive barometer for the direction of our hearts. Compared to Jesus’ original hearers, most of us have a lot more money. So these striking statements are as relevant as ever.

Monday's Catch: 'Five Major Developments for Churches with an Attendance Under 250' And More

Five Major Developments for Churches with an Attendance Under 250

Churches with fewer than 250 in average worship attendance account for 92 percent of all churches in the United States. At Church Answers, we call these congregations “standard churches” because they represent all but 8 percent of churches. It is incumbent upon us, therefore, to discern what important trends and developments are taking place that have direct bearing on standard churches. Here are five major developments.

What is Most Important for a Church Guest Services Team?
...this is THE most important responsibility of a guest services team...

Pastors urge congregations to see the 'darkness,' 'waiting' of Christmas season
While many consider December a time of winter celebrations, presents and parties, some pastors are urging their congregations to focus on the "darkness" and the waiting of the Advent season.

In praise of a quieter Christmas
For some, Christmas can be a difficult time of memories, and of loss. So increasingly churches in the UK, US and other countries are recognising this by holding 'Blue Christmas' services for those who may be mourning.

UMC Discipleship Miistries offers ideas and resources about how to plan such a service for your setting. The link is https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/blue-christmaslongest-night-worship-with-those-who-mourn. This material is adaptible to the context of other denominational and non-denominational churches.

9 Common Myths Christians Believe At Christmas
Here are nine common myths Christians believe at Christmas....

3 Ways Pastors Can Experience the Joys of Christmas Too
Christmas creates leadership challenges for pastors. Here are three practices to make this season the most wonderful time of the year.

7 Suggestions For Pastors And Christmas Services
Ron Edmondsson shares 7 suggestions for churches to consider.

5 Best Practices For Leading Worship For Christmas
How do we lead worship for Christmas?

Dan Wilt makes some good suggestions in this article. However, I disagree with him on two major points. Advent is NOT the beginning of Christmas. It is a separate season from Christmas with its own focus, hymns, songs and traditions. Too often we allow Christmas to overshadow Advent. His formula for the use of Christmas carols on the Sundays of Advent turns Advent into an extension of Christmas and in my considered opinion makes a church's Christmas Eve and Christmas Day celebrations anti-climatic. At the same time I recognize that in the four weeks leading up to the Christmas Season churches may feel a need to sing Christmas carols. This need, I believe, can be met outside a church's regular services on the Sundays of Advent. Churches can have an evening Christmas carol sing toward the end of the Advent Season. They can have a chili supper one evening and then church members can go caroling in the neighborhood or community, returning to the church building afterwards for hot chocolate. Church members can visit a nursing home or retirement independent living facility and sing Christmas carols for the residents.

Elements of Effective Groups
Allen White digs into what makes an effective small group.

How to Maintain Devotional Habits During Christmas Break
We know Christ’s birth should be the heartbeat of our Christmas, yet simple habits of praying and reading the Bible get squeezed out.

UMC pastor suspended after Arkansas Conference rejects second disaffiliation vote
A regional body of the United Methodist Church has suspended the senior pastor of an Arkansas congregation that held a second vote to disaffiliate from the second-largest Protestant denomination in the country amid the schism over homosexuality.

Single, non-religious young adults are most unhappy Americans post-COVID-19: report
Young adults under 35 who are single and non-religious report the highest levels of unhappiness since the COVID-19 pandemic began and since 1972, when the General Social Survey began measuring levels of happiness among Americans, a new analysis from the Institute of Family Studies suggests.

All Hallows Morning and Evening Worship for Sunday (December 18, 2022) Is Now Online

 

This Sunday's Morning and Evening Worship is adapted from the service provided in A New Zealand Prayer Book (2020) for those occasions of public worship for which there is a need for a Service of the Word. The service is loosely modeled on Morning and Evening Prayer from The Book of Common Prayer.

Morning Worship begins at the top of the page. Scroll down the page for the beginning of Evening Worship.

Morning Readings: Isaiah 7:10-16 and Matthew 1:18-25

Morning Message: “Joseph, Descendant of Kings, Surrogate Father to Jesus”

Evening Reading: Romans 1: 1-7

Evening Message: "Messengers of Salvation"

The link to this Sunday’s Morning and Evening Worship is—

https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2022/12/all-hallows-morning-and-evening-worship_17.html

Please feel free to share the link to the service with anyone whom you believe might benefit from the service.

When you open the link to a video in a new tab, check auto-play to make sure it is in the off position. Otherwise, a second video with a different song will follow the first. If an ad plays when you open a link to a video in a new tab, click the refresh icon of your browser until the song appears. If a song begins partway through the video, click pause, move the slider to the beginning, and then click play. An ad may follow a song so as soon as the song is finished, close the tab.

Previous services are online at

https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/

May these services be a blessing to you.

Saturday Lagniappe: 'Boy’s removal from church service spurs debate in UK on welcoming those with autism' And More

Boy’s removal from church service spurs debate in UK on welcoming those with autism

According to the National Autistic Society in the U.K., more than a quarter of people with autism and their families have been asked to leave a public place because of behavior linked to their autism.

Loving People Where They Are
Evangelical Free Church leaders also learned what it means to serve the community when it joined with other churches and Christian leaders to form the “Love Singapore” movement, which focused largely on praying together as one church.

How to Motivate Lazy, Disengaged and Disconnected Team Members
While it’s true that the passion of the team will never exceed the passion of the leader, it’s also true that a passionate leader can have a passionless team. The challenge is to get your passion for the mission to transfer to the team.

Have Popular Carols Lost Their Sense of Worship?
Even with today’s nonstop Christmas soundtrack, churches can still embrace the storytelling and nostalgia that comes with seasonal hymns.

Rather than singing Christmas carols during the Advent Season on Sundays or whenever the weekly church services are held, I suggest considering the options of having a special Christmas carol service near the conclusion of the Advent Season, having a carol sing in which those attending the sing pick their favorite carols from a list of carols and sing them, and having a chili or soup supper, then going carol singing in the neighborhood or community and then having hot chocolate afterwards. At the church which I attended as a teenager and in whose choir my mother sang, the late night Christmas Eve service was preceded by a medley of familiar Christmas carols and Christmas carols were sung on the first Sunday after Christmas.

How to find the right kind of worship pastor
A few years ago, I was contacted by a church for its open worship pastor position. After a short phone conversation, we moved to the next step. Rather than auditioning my musical skills, they asked me to answer 10 questions. This questionnaire provided clear proof that churches desire worship leaders to be able to do more than lead music.

What Muslim Women See in Jesus
Muslim women long to be known and loved by a God who sees them deeply and understands them intimately.

Chan’s Wisdom Tips for Evangelism
If you believe in evangelism (and you probably do), then having gospel conversations with people who are not yet believers is an important skill to develop.

All Hallows Evening Worship for Saturday (December 17, 2022) Is Now Online

 

Evening Worship for this Saturday is adapted from the service provided in A New Zealand Prayer Book (2020) for those occasions of public worship for which there is a need for a Service of the Word. The service is loosely modeled on Morning and Evening Prayer from The Book of Common Prayer.

The Scripture reading is Matthew 18: 21-35.

The message is “The Path of Forgiveness”

The link to this service is—

https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2022/12/all-hallows-evening-worship-for_16.html

Please feel free to share the link to the service with anyone whom you believe might benefit from the service.

When you open the link to a video in a new tab, check auto-play to make sure it is in the off position. Otherwise, a second video with a different song will follow the first. If an ad plays when you open a link to a video in a new tab, click the refresh icon of your browser until the song appears. If a song begins partway through the video, click pause, move the slider to the beginning, and then click play. An ad may follow a song so as soon as the song is finished, close the tab.

Previous services are online at

https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/

May these services be a blessing to you.

Friday's Catch: 'Try This! 100 Outreach Ideas for the Post-Pandemic Church' And More

Try This! 100 Outreach Ideas for the Post-Pandemic Church

We asked churches of all sizes from across the country to submit their best outreach ideas. Take a look at their suggestions—you may find a few (or more) new outreaches that your church can adopt.

Giving to Christ at Christmas
Since 1994, those who attend Mecklenburg Community Church (Meck) have made it our mission to honor the gift God gave us in the birth of Jesus by beginning our gift giving at Christmas with Him. This simple idea has become known as our annual “Giving to Christ at Christmas” effort.

Fight the Cost of Your Christmas Feast (While Supporting Those Who Feed Us)
In the weeks ahead, we have an opportunity to secure our nation’s food supply and press for bipartisan reforms for our farmworkers, farmers, ranchers, and other food producers.

Christmas Urban Legends: Shepherds as Outcasts
Christians around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas, but how much do we really know about the biblical story?

5 Ways We Can Misuse Our Spiritual Authority
Let’s take a look at some common ways this can happen with insights toward prevention.

12 Keys To Picking Great Songs For Worship
Picking great songs for worship is one of the most important skills a worship leader needs to learn.

Top 25 Worship Posts
Mark Cole's blog, Worship Leaders University, has a wealth of infomative posts for pastors and worship leaders.

Facing Episcopal Church Decline after COVID
The Episcopal Church has been in decline for some years. So what is the impact of COVID? New data for 2021 has just been released and, together with other research, it enables us to begin to answer that question.

Mark Rivera, a former Anglican lay pastor, found guilty of felony child sexual assault
The decision has been a long time coming for the family of Cherin Marie, whose young daughter originally reported being sexually abused by Rivera in 2019.

Thursday's Catch: Why Plant New Churches?' And More

Why Plant New Churches?

Planting churches is part in parcel to fulfilling the Great Commission.

The Most Common Lies People Believe About Jesus
These two lies many Christians believe remind the church to frequently return to the basics of what we believe about Jesus Himself.

Why Our Church Canceled Christmas Day Services
Like many church plants, we meet in a shared space. We can’t just roll up on Sunday, flip a few switches, and be ready for a church service.

Today’s Secular College Campus Is More Open to Faith Than You Think
It’s possible we will be silenced. It’s also possible we’ll be invited to speak. Are we ready for that? We have to be.

Why Student Ministry is Failing in Most Churches
Here’s the big problem: Most churches either don’t value the student ministry enough, or they value the wrong things. And because of this, far too many young people are abandoning the church after they graduate.

The difference between natural kindness and Christian kindness
Are you a kind person? If so, what motivates you to be kind to others?

Data show membership falling 10 per cent each year during 2020 and 2021: church statistician
The Anglican Church of Canada is shrinking faster than it was in the years before a much-discussed 2019 report, recently collected data suggest.

Wednesday's Catch: 'Unitarians and Episcopalians Created American Christmas' And More

Unitarians and Episcopalians Created American Christmas
But evangelicals have rightly made it more gospel centered.

Most Churches Plan to Open on Christmas and New Year’s Day
More than 5 in 6 U.S. Protestant pastors (84%) say their church plans to have services on Christmas Day.

The Shape of Things That Have Come
The current generation sees no need for new expressions to compete with traditional churches, but rather to see microchurches and megachurches existing in a blended ecology.

Online Community Engagement – What’s the Secret?
...instead of trying to force our traditional Sunday worship into a new space, why don’t we rethink this time together for this new paradigm?

James' Encouragement to Us: Leave Distraction and Cultivate Faithfulness
Distraction, maybe even more than rebellion, is often what gets in the way of us living out our faith.

Growth of religious 'nones' appears to be slowing: Gallup report
Americans who identify as religious unaffiliated appear to be slowing in their population growth, according to a recent analysis from the prominent polling organization Gallup.