Tuesday, January 24, 2023

Tuesday's Catch: 'What Story Does Your Facility Tell?' And More


Among church leaders, the art of sacred storytelling has traditionally been confined to the pulpit and children’s classrooms. But today’s world is becoming increasingly post-Christian; placing story in sacred silos alone isn’t an option any longer. Instead, our churches must embody successful storytelling from branding to building, and beyond.

The Church Was Meant to Enjoy Its Diversity, Not Wish It Away.
America is set to be minority white by 2045. Evangelicals need to stop thinking that’s a bad thing.

4 Reasons to Pursue Unity, Not Political Alignment in Your Church
Man’s kingdoms are not God’s kingdom. Here are four reasons pursuing political alignment is not the same as pursuing church unity.

11 Christianese Words and Phrases We Should Retire
Our language can alienate those outside of our faith tradition or church community. We should take care to ensure that our peculiar words and phrases never obscure the lifesaving message of Jesus.

Faith-based organizations urge Biden not to enact ‘asylum ban’
The proposed policy 'borders on a wealth test for some of the most vulnerable children and families,' said one advocate.

The worst kind of Christianity
Lukewarm religion. Passionless Christianity. The worst kind.

10 ways to make your worship space less ableist
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to ending ableism, but disability activists spoke with RNS about where religious communities can start.

How to introduce new worship songs to your church congregation
New worship songs can added a fresh perspective during our times of worship on a Sunday morning, but it takes time for your congregation to own the song themselves and make it their own prayer. This is a look into my thought process when it comes to adding new songs into rotation, some things to keep in mind and some things to avoid.
I definitely recommend this video. I also recommend insisting that those who plan and lead worship at your church view this video several times and then giving them a pop quiz on its contents to make sure they were paying attention. I learned not to overwhelm a congregation with too many new songs in a service years ago, but in many churches that lesson appears to have gone unlearned. Songs are not chosen for their accessibility to the congregation, and the congregation is given little or no opportunity to learn and master the songs , much less to own them.
Do You (Inadvertently) Treat Youth Pastors Like Second String?
Here are three reasons to start treating your youth pastor like a “real” pastor.

Parent Safety Expectations—A Personal Perspective
Whether you are a small church plant or a large, established program, child safety is the key to attracting new families and giving peace-of-mind to the families you already serve. Here are some concerns from a parent’s perspective on what happens when a church neglects to prioritize the safety of the children in their care.

5 Ways to Follow-Up Digitally
We work hard to follow up after major events, but it's a struggle to follow up digitally. All is not lost! Here are five strategies you can use to follow up with people digitally.

Using Google to Share the Gospel
J. D. Greear points out that we do not need a public speaking course or a seminary degree to share the gospel.

More Americans say they want to grow spiritually amid growing openness to other faiths: study
Despite a growing rejection of organized religion, with fewer than 50% of Americans holding formal church membership, spiritual openness is on the rise, with a majority of U.S. adults saying they believe in God or a higher power and want to grow spiritually, new data from the Barna Group suggests.

‘Not a real schism’: Four years later, UMC exodus less a gush, more a trickle
An analysis of departing churches suggests the country’s second-largest Protestant denomination will be weakened, but it is unlikely to break.

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