Friday's Catch: 'Died: Reiji Oyama, Bible Translator Who Repented for Japan’s Wartime Sins' And More

Died: Reiji Oyama, Bible Translator Who Repented for Japan’s Wartime Sins

The humble pastor made the Word easy to understand for modern Japanese and sought to heal the "bitter enmity" with Korea.

Why I’m investing my inheritance in women in ministry
Carol McEntrye tells her own story as a Baptist pastor and explains why she is investing in women in ministry.

12 Ways to Get Rid of Your Worship Leader
No one is trying to get rid of your worship leader, right? This tongue-in-cheek guide offers 12 surefire, guaranteed ways to make sure your worship minister never comes back.

9 Vital Bible Reading Tips
Jarrid Wilson shares a few vital Bible reading tips he has learned.

Keeping the Faith
Here are 4 steps to help seniors thrive spiritually after graduation.

Parents Are Key to Youth Ministry
What if, far from ruining youth ministry, parents are a secret, indispensable ingredient for its health and success?

Social Media and Parenting: 5 Ways Pastors Can Help Parents
Parenting pre-teens and teenagers who offer endless requests for social media access is not easy, even if the data and wisdom are clear.

Pastor: Define Small Group for Your Church
The term “small group” is a very confusing term. It’s confusing because it creates so many different mental images. That’s why every pastor must define small group.

How to Practice Hospitality
Here are five practical ways to practice hospitality.

How to Up Your Evangelism Game This Summer
D. Scott Hildreth explains how Christians can place themselves at God’s disposal, praying for opportunities, and then “develop a rhythm of life that focuses on your spiritual formation as a witness” in the summer.

Elevation Church withdraws from SBC cooperation
After more than two decades of affiliation, Elevation Church in Matthews, N.C., says they no longer desire to cooperate with the SBC. The church informed the SBC Executive Committee of their decision by letter dated June 26.

Elevation Church has not offered a public explanation of why it has decided to withdraw from cooperation with the Southern Baptist Convention. Whether its withdrawal from cooperation is fallout from the SBC's recent annual meeting is anyone's guess.

Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (Thursday, June 29, 2023) Is Now Online

Welcome to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows. This evening we continue our series on Jesus’ teaching. We will be looking at what Jesus taught about trees and the fruit they bear. Yes, Jesus taught about trees and fruit. He often used the commonplace to illustrate spiritual truths and principles.

Reading: Matthew 7:15-20

Homily: Jesus’ Teaching about Trees and the Fruit They Bear

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2023/06/thursday-evening-at-all-hallows.html

Please feel free to share this link with anyone who may be interested.

If you are new to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows, you may find these directions helpful:

-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.

May Thursday Evenings at All Hallows be a blessing to you.

Thursday's Catch: "Why the ‘Active Decline’ in US Church Attendance Is ‘Urgent,’ but Not Without Hope" And More

Why the ‘Active Decline’ in US Church Attendance Is ‘Urgent,’ but Not Without Hope

“We are currently in the largest and fastest religious shift in the history of our country,” said Jim Davis, speaking last week with his colleague, Michael Graham, on “The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast.” A study Davis and Graham commissioned has found that 40 million adult Americans, 15 million of whom are evangelicals, are no longer attending church, a situation the two describe as “bleak.”

Church attendance still below pre-pandemic levels despite slight uptick, new data shows 

Religious worship service attendance in the United States is still below pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels despite a slight increase in the last two years, with a slightly steeper decline among Catholics than Protestants, survey data suggests.

Her Body is a Border: We Need to Better Protect and Provide For Women and Girls
Women migrants and refugees face additional challenges, both from individual interactions with others and from lack of structural support.

John Piper says women shouldn’t lead parachurch organizations
Notable theologian, author and Bible teacher John Piper argued this week that women should not hold spiritually authoritative positions in parachurch organizations, believing that this runs afoul of "God-ordained differences" between men and women.

7 Church Hiring Mistakes That Could Cost You Thousands
According to Brian Orme, "If you take these recruiting tips and apply them—and avoid the hiring mistakes—I firmly believe you will save thousands of dollars in the long run. Of course, the reverse is also true. If you ignore these pro tips for hiring, you could end up paying out a lot more than you ever imagined. But please don’t."

7 Unique Traits of Spiritual Leaders
A spiritual leader is more like this: An authentic human being, who genuinely seeks to live their life by Jesus’ example, filled by the Spirit, and leading in alignment with God’s will, purpose and plan. So, what are the unique distinctives of a Christian spiritual leader?

8 Ways Pastors can Refresh Their Tired Souls
Consider these 8 ways to refresh your tired soul....

The pastor who teaches the congregation to pray
Granted, none of us do it very well. Even the great Apostle Paul said, “We do not know how to pray as we should” (Romans 8:26). So, we are not saying any of us do it as well as we should, only that we know enough to be able to help others. Here are some thoughts on the subject....

Small Church Stage Lighting: You Can Do It!
Even a small church stage can be dramatical improved by good lighting–and you can do it!

Your church does not have to have a stage to benefit from better lighting.

7 Tips for Asking Really Good Questions
"When it comes to evangelism, if we can learn to ask good questions, I believe we will find it much easier to have helpful, more relaxed, and more fruitful conversations about our faith in Jesus. That said, here are seven tips for asking really good question...." writes Andy Banister.

How Christians Can Respond to Gender Dysphoria
We are Christ’s ambassadors, messengers entrusted with good news for those with gender dysphoria. He offers wholeness.

The Episcopal Church Must Be Made Stronger in the Hinterland
Chip Preh may have said more than he realized when he described how he destroyed fire ant mounds. All the work a colony of fire ants put into the construction of a mound destroyed by someone who does not welcome their presence. Isn't that to some degree what has happened in the Episcopal Church?

The Episcopal Church has had many opportunities to not only strengthen existing churches but also to plant new churches. It has failed to take advantage of these opportunities. The last decade of the twentieth century was declared "a decade of evangelism." Numerous Episcopal clergy announced, "This is the Episcopal Church. We don't do evangelism!" 

In the first decade of the twenty-first century my bishop launched a new church planting initiative in the diocese. It met for a large part with indifference and disinterest from the diocese's clergy. In my own deanery one church asked the bishop not to plant any new churches in the deanery although the deanery had a rapidly growing population and could have supported two or more new works. 

The bishop initially complied with this request but later changed his mind when the Anglican Mission in America announced that it was planting a new church in the deanery. The new work was supplied by clergy from the bishop's old deanery because the clergy of the deanery refused to have anything to do with the church plant.

The events of 2003 would effectively kill that work and a second new work in the bishop's old deanery. Chip Preh may have indeed said more than he realized!

Wednesday's Catch: 'Pentecostals: How Do They Keep Growing While Other Groups Are Declining?' And More

Pentecostals: How Do They Keep Growing While Other Groups Are Declining?
Some denominations, such as the United Church of Christ and The Presbyterian Church (USA) have experienced steady decline, waning by 52% and 58% respectively. For others, such as the Southern Baptist Convention and the United Methodist Church, the rate of decline has accelerated in recent years. But throughout the last several decades of falling membership numbers among Protestants, one consistent outlier has bucked the trend: Pentecostals. Why aren’t Pentecostals following the same pattern of other denominations?

Why Your Congregation Is Likely More Optimistic about the Future Than You Realize
"Over 80% of churchgoers predict a promising future for their churches. Is this figure what you would expect? Until I saw the research, I would not have guessed optimism was so high among churchgoers," Sam Raier writes.

How Christians Can Help Heal Cuts From a Broken Society
Many live with this perspective on society: The world around me is broken, the deck is stacked against me, and nobody powerful is on my side.

Psychologists and sociologists who have researched this particular mindset in which individuals see themselves as helpless victims who have no control over their lives have found that it is not necessarily based in reality but rather in how individuals with this mindset perceive reality. They display a strong tendency to blame others for their circumstances and to discount their own contribution to these circumstances. In helping these individuals, it is important to be aware of this tendency.

Is This Church Ready for Rebuilding?
When Rebekah Simon-Peter talks about "embracing society," she is talking about connecting with the community. I have seen churches that have negligible connection with the community in which they are located go into steep decline and eventually disband because they were no longer viable. They had isolated themselves so well from the community that very few, if any, people in the community knew that the church existed. They were practically invisible to the community.

What God’s Micro Communities Should Be For
"If I’m going to be known or listened to, I want it to be because of what I’m FOR, not what I’m against," writes Brandon Cox.

Southern Baptists say no to women pastors. But what does the Bible say a pastor is?
The expulsion of Saddleback Church and other congregations for having women pastors led to national headlines. It’s also prompted questions about thousands of other churches where women serve in roles such as children’s pastor or music minister. Can the role’s title get a church in trouble with the SBC?

When the Sermon Fizzles Instead of Sizzles
None of us can force the Spirit to so “possess” and overtake us that he divinely empowers our words as we preach. That can only be called down, pleaded down, prayed down.

8 Ways to Maximize Bible Impact upon your Life
Most believers want to grow spiritually. But often we stumble in our efforts to grow. Is there a key or a silver bullet that catalyzes our spiritual formation? Willow Creek’s Reveal survey of several thousand churches revealed not a silver bullet, but the number one catalyst that believers said contributed most to their growth: Bible reading and reflection. The great leader Nehemiah shows us 8 ways to engage with God’s Word for maximum impact.

PTZ Cameras for Church — or Camcorders?
When it comes to houses of worship and the cameras they use to film or live-stream their sermons and other events, nearly all of them at one time used basic camcorders. Although these are excellent cameras, more and more of these organizations are switching to PTZ cameras for church (pan/tilt/zoom cameras) instead. Known as PTZ cameras, they have a lot of the same advantages as camcorders but offer perks those cameras just don’t have.

Youth Leaders and Volunteers Need These 6 Characteristics
According to Josh Evans, "Youth leaders must understand the importance of recruiting and developing volunteers. It isn’t rocket science, but so few people do this the right way. Why? I believe we recruit people but not always the right people."

“Seeing God’s Beauty:” Local church to construct trail system for the community
A new trail system will soon be available to the public, thanks to the efforts of members of St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church in Chelsea. Volunteers from St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church in Chelsea recently began work on a new community project involving the construction of a trail from King’s Ranch to the church.

Churches can form connections with their communities with projects like this one. Involving other members of community in a project is one way to build relationships with these members of the community. .

Estonian churches leave United Methodist fold
Churches in the nation of Estonia have completed the needed steps to leave The United Methodist Church. The churches are forming their own denomination, the Estonia Methodist Church. United Methodists in the Northern Europe and Eurasia Central Conference met earlier this year to approve a process allowing the churches to disaffiliate. Already, United Methodist and Estonian Methodist leaders have signed an agreement of mutual recognition.

Tuesday's Catch: "Is Christianity Becoming a ‘Dead Wire’?" And More

Is Christianity Becoming a ‘Dead Wire’?

In his 1896 lecture “The Will to Believe,” philosopher William James described religious beliefs as either “live” or “dead” wires.

Sharing the Gospel with Apatheist Friends and Neighbors
Have you ever tried to strike up a conversation about faith with someone who didn’t care about God? Perhaps you asked a question like, “What are your thoughts on faith?” And they replied with a deflated “meh.”

How We Stay in Church Matters as Much as Why
Spiritual abuse survivors who join a new congregation still need to heal from their hurt.

One-Third of Americans Never Attend Church
For the first time in the history of the General Social Survey, more than 1 in 3 Americans say they never attend church.

Get Free Mental Health Resources at the 2023 Church Mental Health Summit
Participants will be equipped with practical tools, engage with Biblically-based resources, and learn research-developed strategies to support mental health.

Church Leaders Urged To ‘Not Give In and Not Give Up’—Study Finds Pastors Suffering Overall Health Decline
After tumultuous years of political unrest, social and cultural shifts, and a pandemic, pastors are among those feeling the effects. A 2022 Barna study found that “pastors across the country are experiencing an alarming decline in mental and physical health....

No Longer Depleted

Serving Jesus in the local church, a Christian nonprofit or any ministry setting is challenging. Even when we rely on the amazing power of the Holy Spirit, we can still hit times when we need to recharge. How do we fortify our body, soul, mind and heart? What can we do to make sure our ministry batteries don’t run low?

A Comeback Story
Jessica Hanewinckel tells the story of how Mount Vernon Missionary Baptist Church in Jamestown, Kentucky rebounded after a period of serious decline.

Transgender Teens, Pronouns, and Preferred Names: Youth Pastors Grapple with New Questions
In evangelical churches, Gen Z is forcing a discussion on LGBT hospitality.

6 Ways to Build on Student Camp Experiences
There are some tangible ways student leaders in your church can continue fostering relationships they built with students while at camp.

UMC conference with lesbian bishop approves disaffiliation votes of 38 congregations
A Colorado-based conference of the United Methodist Church led by a bishop in a same-sex marriage has approved the disaffiliation votes of 38 congregations leaving the denomination amid a schism over the denomination's stance on homosexuality.

This article and the next one reports on how two United Methodist Church annual conferences have reacted differently to churches seeking to dissafilate themselves from the deomination. One of the more progressive of the UMC anual conferences voted to allow the dissafiliationof 38 congregations, permitting these congregations to take church buildings and other property with them. Progressive Methodists realize that the more conservative clergy and congregations disaffiliate from the UMC, the less the opposition there will be to the changes they desire to make in the denomination. On the other and, the second annual conference appears to be motivated by a desire to hang o to what it sees as valuable church buildings and other property.

Judge Rules in Favor of Arkansas Conference in Jonesboro Case
In a ruling announced from the bench in Jonesboro, Arkansas, on the afternoon of June 22, 2023, Judge Gary Arnold stated that he intends to enter an Order directing the issuance of a Writ of Possession to place into the possession of Arkansas Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church, Inc. by August 1, 2023, the numerous properties in downtown Jonesboro, Arkansas, formerly owned by First United Methodist Church of Jonesboro, Arkansas and presently occupied by a group that departed from The United Methodist Church.

Monday's Catch: 'Need Encouragement? 6 Invisible Things Church Leaders are Doing Really Well Right Now' And More

Need Encouragement? 6 Invisible Things Church Leaders are Doing Really Well Right Now
...in the hopes of encouraging you and your team, here are some rather invisible things you’re doing really well right now as you’re leading.

Creating Church Experiences Worth Experiencing
Welcome to the Experience Economy. Actually, we’ve been living in it for a decade or two, even if you and I haven’t realized it. Most of us are old enough to remember the previous service economy. The economic progression away from the service economy has been evolving for quite some time and has real implications for your church. Let’s chat for a minute about this economic progression to better understand how it affects our churches.

How To Design Successful Goals For Your Worship Ministry
Are your worship ministry goals designed for success?

Can the Layperson Understand the Bible for Themselves?
Can’t a ‘regular,’ untrained believer connect the dots? What about ‘ordinary’ believers understanding the text? Reading the Bible isn’t rocket science. Though it is far more important. Aren’t we actually discouraging people from getting into God’s word?

Love and Truth
Greg Stier shares 4 key principles to help your teenagers engage lovingly, biblically, and boldly around LGBTQ issues.

Intergenerational Ministry: Strive for Understanding, Connectivity
For churches of all sizes, intergenerational ministry is a necessary and worthwhile undertaking.

How to Stay Open-Handed & Generous as a Family
...here are three ways that your family can stay open-handed during the upcoming seasons of Thanksgiving and Christmas....

Aunts and Uncles, Don’t Overlook Your Calling
Parents may have chief responsibility, but they don’t teach their children about God alone.

Multiplying and Planting New Small Groups
Multiplying a group or sending members out to start a new one still aren’t easy or simplistic endeavors. But this process has enabled dozens of fruitful multiplications and new groups.

13 Places to Discover New Group Leaders
Looking for group leaders in your church can be like looking for Waldo. We know they’re out there, but they’re not always instantly recognizable.

With Friendship in Decline, Belonging Is a Powerful Apologetic
“How to Help Our Neighbors Meet Jesus” is a series that asks notable thinkers and theologians to answer this question: “What is the most important thing the church must do right now to help our neighbors trust Jesus for their salvation?”

Gospel-Patterned Friendship
...what begins as easy and natural as kids somehow becomes murky and difficult with age. Sure, we have acquaintances all around us. Coworkers and neighbors, even fellow church members, with whom we exchange pleasantries, inquire about the other’s kids, and talk about our vacation plans. But a true friendship—a relationship that goes deeper than any of that and takes on the form of true life-sharing—that’s rare. It’s also difficult.

25 Outstanding Discipleship Resources
Every pastor (and every church) benefits from access to excellent discipleship resources. We’ve gathered some vintage discipleship resources that may not turn up on the first page of a Google search. Perhaps this collection of 25 discipleship resources could become your reading/viewing list for the next few months?

Anglican Attendance Strongly Rebounds
Anglican congregations in the United States, Canada and Mexico are reporting a significant attendance increase of 17,228 persons following a widespread return to regular worship services post-COVID. The Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) is also reporting modest growth in both membership and total number of churches in 2022.

What I have noticed is that this rebound is occurring primarily in regions in which church attendance is still valued by a large segment of the population and where the many Methodist churches have disaffiliated from the United Methodist Church over fears of that denomination taking a more permissive stance on same sex marriage and the ordination of sexual active members of the LGBT+ segment of the population. These factors to my mind call for a careful analysis of who comprises this rebound.

Church attendance has its limitations as a statistical measure. It does not show whether a particular individual counted is a full-fledged disciple of Jesus Christ but only that they go to church. It does not measure the impact that a church has on its community nor the size of the church's foot print in the community. A church can have a large attendance but produce few disciples who are capable of replicating themselves and making more disciples.

One consequently cannot assume because a church has a lot of warm bodies in its pews that that it is effectively making disciples and those warm bodies are full-fledged disciples of Jesus Christ.

Unitarian Universalists elect first woman of color, openly queer president
A womanist theologian, ethicist and minister, the Rev. Sofía Betancourt previously served as interim co-president of the UUA in 2017.

Sundays at All Hallows (June 25, 2023) Is Now Online

Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows. The Northern Hemisphere’s summer solstice fell on Wednesday of this week, and summer officially began on that day. This Sunday is the first Sunday of the summer. If you are homebound or on the road or you cannot attend a local church for any other reason during the summer, All Hallows will be offering a service on Sundays throughout the summer.

Reading: Matthew 10: 24-39

Homily: A Lesson in Discipleship

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2023/06/sundays-at-all-hallows-sunday-june-25.html

Please feel free to share this link with anyone who may be interested.

If you are new to Sundays at All Hallows, you may find these directions helpful:

-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.

May Sundays at All Hallows be a blessing to you.

Saturday Lagniappe: 'Why Baptists Can’t Be Theonomists' And More

Why Baptists Can’t Be Theonomists
Two recent events highlight that being a Baptist is incompatible with being a theonomist or Christian nationalist.

5 Lies Preachers Believe About Preaching A pastor’s normal excessive scrutiny about his preaching is bad enough, but it is made worse when these five lies about preaching are believed.

10 Ways to say “You Are Welcome!”
When we talk about including all ages in corporate worship times or discipleship spaces, we need to take into consideration the substance and structure of the church service or class.

12 Community Service Projects Kids Can Do in Small Groups
Do you ever wish your church offered more service projects in your community? Do you wish you could go to your community rather than just trying to bring your community to you? This can seem like an issue for your Senior Pastor and other adults in your church, but it’s actually much easier to begin service projects with the kids at your church.

6 Steps to Become an Effective Witness for Jesus
Ashley Hunzicker humbly offers a few simple suggestions to get you from 'hello' to 'in the beginning...."

At PCA General Assembly, Voters Address Gender, Sexuality, and Sexual Abuse
At its 50th General Assembly last week, the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) debated and voted on several overtures, or church-legislation measures, related to women in ministry, sexuality, and sexual abuse response. Leaders and representatives of the Atlanta-based denomination met in Memphis, Tennessee, to celebrate the body’s silver anniversary and to conduct church business.

Friday's Catch: 'Small-Town Pastor, Look at Christ’s Heart' And More

Small-Town Pastor, Look at Christ’s Heart

If we hope to lead like Jesus, we must learn to love like him.

Praise for the 'bog standard' church leader: why average and unfashionable can be good for ministry
The bog standard vicar was celebrated in the 2010-2014 BBC TV series 'Rev', with Tom Hollander playing a very average Anglican vicar in an inner-city parish. He was portrayed as a man full of doubt and moral indecision, his prayer life apparently mostly taking place while on the toilet, his congregation very eclectic and very small.

Can churches spread the gospel of solar in coal country?
Nationally, churches install an outsized share of the solar market — houses of worship host a solar array at three times the rate of other non-residential buildings, according to a report by the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. Across the country, nearly 2 percent of congregational buildings have installed a solar energy system. But in the region where coal has permeated identity for over a century, churches are slower to buy in.

A Complementarian Case for Women as Pastors
The evangelical world has been abuzz over whether or not it is biblical for a woman to be called a pastor. This came to a head once again at the recent annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in Anaheim, California...It’s important that we spend some time looking at how the NT actually makes use of the noun “pastor” or “shepherd” and the verb “to pastor.” You may be surprised by what you see.

The Reformers Weren’t Innovators
To be Protestant is to be catholic. But not Roman.

An Election Is Coming. Are Pastors Ready?
As much as pastors shouldn’t avoid the election, they also shouldn’t be obsessed with it. The body of Christ needs pastors, not pundits.

6 Traits People Value in Online Faith Communities
Few people are asking the most important question: What do people need from churches right now? And how might digital technology be best used to meet those needs?

Like that new church worship song? Chances are, it will be gone soon.
A new study found that the lifespan of a hit worship song has declined dramatically in recent years.

For church worship teams, Auto-Tune covers a multitude of sins. Especially online.
The boom in livestreaming and the ubiquity of Auto-Tune and other technologies have led churches to up their game when it come to sound technology. But has it gone too far?

8 Important Steps To Take After VBS
Once VBS is over, there are some important steps you can take that will help you maximize the after effects of the event. Let’s look at 10 important steps you can take after VBS.

Dale Hudson lists only 8 steps in the article. His reference to 10 steps is a mistake that he did not correct.

Support for Same-Sex Relationships Stalls
Support for same-sex relationships in the U.S. has plateaued among some groups and even declined among others.

Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (Thursday, June 22, 2023) Is Now Online

Welcome to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows. This Thursday evening we continue our series on Jesus’ teaching. We take a look at what Jesus taught about prayer.

Reading: Matthew 6: 5-15

Homily: What Did Jesus Teach about Prayer?

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2023/06/thursday-evenings-at-all-hallows_22.html

Please feel free to share this link with anyone who may be interested.

If you are new to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows, you may find these directions helpful:

-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.

May Thursday Evenings at All Hallows be a blessing to you.

Thursday's Catch: 'God Has Good Things Planned for You' And More

God Has Good Things Planned for You
The biblical reality is that no matter the circumstances you go through, good things are always coming for you. As long as we are following Jesus, the best is always yet to come.

Churchgoers Still Watch Livestream Services, at Least Occasionally
Churchgoers believe some reasons for watching a livestream service rather than attending in person are more valid than others.

Directing for Church IMAG Screens
Today, thousands of churches have multiple cameras but they aren’t producing for television – they’re producing for live stream audiences and the IMAG screens (image magnification) in the sanctuary.

How to Survive Summer with Kids
Jen Oshman shares a handful of her favorite tried and true rhythms from over two decades of parenting during the summer months.

Who’s the Hero Here? How to Tell Kids a Bible Story: Jared Kennedy
How to tell a Bible story seems straightforward. But children's ministry expert Jared Kennedy suggests wiser methods to point kids in the right direction.

3 Facebook No-No’s for Small Group Leaders
The Internet in general, and Facebook in particular, offers the greatest communication opportunity since the printing press. Nothing in the last 400 years compares. Let’s think about how to use it wisely. More specifically, let’s think about what NOT to do.

A Story Worth Telling
Storytelling is a powerful way to articulate values and reinforce desired behaviors in society, organizational life or a community. A group’s values shape and define their language and narratives—how they talk about what matters most to them. This is true of churches, too, and is why guests can discern so much about a church’s true values in one visit.

Gospel Clarity in an Age of Gender Confusion
The gospel is the best response to people living confused realities and alternative lifestyles related to gender and sexuality.

Wednesday's Catch: 'Who Will Be the Missionaries to Western Culture?' And More

Who Will Be the Missionaries to Western Culture?
Western culture present a great challenge to the global church and that challenge calls for a missionary response.

Fresh Expressions, yes! But…
Michael Adam Beck lists sixteen common questions and a brief response to each, procured from over a decade of leading fresh expressions trainings.

We’re Called to Make Disciples, not Simply Converts
Jesus gave a mandate to the church of all ages not simply to evangelize but to make disciples.

The Top Ten Next Steps for New Church Members
Congratulations! You joined a church. Now what? While every church has a different procedure for church membership, there are some simple things you can do to honor God in your decision. These items apply to everyone.

Sam Rainer has put together a helpful list for new church members but he does neglect to mention one thing. Going to church is not the same as becoming a disciple of Jesus. Neither is joining a church. Doing what Rainer urges new church members to do is certainly a part of a life of discipleship as is going to church and joining a church. A disciple of Jesus also patterns their life on the teaching and example of Jesus and with the help of God's grace follows Jesus' teaching and example in every area of their life.

Should You Even Bother Worrying About Church Growth?
...we are only one generation away from complete extinction. With that in mind, we all need to worry about church growth.

Soft Complementarians: Holding to Headship and the Gifting of Women
The place of women serving, leading, and teaching in the Church is frequently a topic of discussion, seemingly heightened in 2023 as Christian denominations such as Christian and Missionary Alliance (CMA) and the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) have made national news over their discussions and decisions regarding the role of women in a local church. The CMA has adopted a “soft complementarian” position where women can be given the title of “pastor,” and the SBC has voted to disfellowship two churches for women serving in pastoral roles.

This article and the next article offer different perspectives of women as pastors.

"Pastor" is derived from the Latin noun pastor which means "shepherd" and is derived from the verb pascere – "to lead to pasture, set to grazing, cause to eat." Both in ancient and medieval times and even today in some parts of the world, both men and women tend flocks of sheep. It is not exclusively a male profession. Lesbia Scott's hymn, I Sing a Song of the Saints of God," contains a reference to "the shepherdess on the green."

A Southern Baptist pastor's wife responds to the 'women pastor' issue
“Don’t ever think you’re going to use those gifts of a pastor in the Southern Baptist Convention.”

Appeal for Religious Liberty to a Culture Embracing Pride Month
Most of our countrymen don’t understand us. They view our opposition to the revolution in human sexuality as a conservatism they can defeat through enough activism and pressure.

It's Too Darn Hot!
What can your church do to help relieve summer heat for vulnerable people?

Churches Can Help Beat the Heat
Saving lives from extreme heat: Lessons from the deadly 2021 Pacific Northwest heat wave.

Well-being of pastors drops significantly, especially in having true friends: study
In key measures of well-being such as physical, mental, emotional, and overall health, pastors have suffered significant declines over the last seven years, especially when it comes to having true friends a new report from Barna Research shows.

Pastors Who Lack Close Friends: 5 Reasons Why
Barna Research discovered that 61% of pastors are lonely and have few close friends. The loneliest people in churches are often pastors. Why is this so?

Don't Fall Into Ditches When It Comes to Preaching
Darryle Dash sees the danger of falling into one of two ditches when it comes to preaching. He believes that we e do well to avoid both.

You Missed a Spot: The Big Hole in Some Churches’ Outreach Strategies
...a lot of churches have missed a spot when it comes to reaching their communities. They’ve missed out on college students.

8 Outreach Ideas for This Fourth of July
Consider how these drive-by projects and Fourth of July events can help your church foster connections with unchurched people.

Tuesday's Catch: 'World Refugee Day: Christian groups honor plight of the persecuted' And More

World Refugee Day: Christian groups honor plight of the persecuted
Christian organizations across the globe are highlighting the plight of refugees and displaced individuals worldwide in honor of World Refugee Day, which comes amid an exponential rise in people forcibly displaced from their homes over the past decade.

Caring for Refugees Starts with Going: Stories From Two HDI Alumni
Both stories are rooted in a deep love for Christ and His work to bring reconciliation here on earth.

Gen Z, Let’s Love Our Neighbors
Following Jesus’s command to love our neighbor can be challenging for all of us, but Gen Z may struggle in different ways than other generations. One simple reason is that we don’t know our neighbors. We can order anything we need from Amazon instead of asking the family next door.

‘God Is Greater Than the Southern Baptist Convention,’ Says Pastor Whose Church Was Ousted
After the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) disfellowshipped her Kentucky church for having a female pastor, Linda Barnes Popham has been doubling down on her disagreement with the denomination’s interpretation of Scripture.

The point has been made that the word, "pastor" appears only once in Scripture and in a passage that makes no mention of gender. This is the passage: "Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ." (Ephesians 4:11-12, NLT) It is noteworthy that this passage refers to Christ's gifts to the local church, not to officers of the local church like elders and deacons.

An SBC Pastor Responds to the Decision on Women in Ministry
Bob Bender, a long time Southern Baptist pastor in Oklahoma and Colorado spoke on the floor of the Southern Baptist Convention and said to the roughly 12,000 messengers, “What does it say when we’re slow on the take on sexual abuse of women but quick on the draw to disqualify them from non-lead pastor roles?”

Biblical conservatism and women pastors: A Southern Baptist pastor's understanding
Can you be biblically conservative and have women as pastors in the church you pastor or are a part of leading?

3 Traits of Great Pastors
The greatest pastors aren’t necessarily the ones leading the largest churches or getting featured at the leadership conferences or in Christian publications. They may or may not be great preachers or revolutionary organizational leaders. More often than not, they are actually quite unassuming. But they possess traits that only characterize people who have spent a lot of time with Jesus.

Technology and Its Place in Your Facility
Ministry technology can be the biggest help or hindrance to your church and its mission. Here are some common problems and their solutions, and ideas for every church to use technology to make ministry easier.

Monday's Catch: 'How Christians Can Celebrate Juneteenth' And More

How Christians Can Celebrate Juneteenth
Juneteenth is an occasion to celebrate African American heritage and culture, not unlike Martin Luther King Jr. Day or Black History Month.

5 Facts About Juneteenth
As Christians, we desire freedom for everyone, as this is the mission of Christ. And Juneteenth is an opportunity to celebrate freedom.

Juneteenth isn’t about the past. It’s about our future.
We can’t just remember the evils of our past.

5 theologically conservative denominations that allow women to serve as pastors
Although the SBC has opposed having women serve in the office of pastor, other theologically conservative denominations have embraced the idea, including one earlier this month. Here are five examples of theologically conservative Christian denominations that allow women to become pastors.

Get Free Mental Health Resources at the 2023 Church Mental Health Summit
Participants will be equipped with practical tools, engage with Biblically-based resources, and learn research-developed strategies to support mental health.

4 Traits of Leaders Who Thrive in Developing Volunteers
Why do some leaders seem to be more natural at developing volunteers while others struggle? The good news is that this is not a mystery, and the principles and skills can be learned....

Why Your Sunday Setlist Matters
Here's why....

Comparing Your Church’s Current Data to 2019
Numbers ... like a thermometer, can be a rough gauge of our current health. In that regard, looking at churches’ data can be a good exercise. Though the data is not determinative, it can be an indicator of health or the lack of health.

4 Tools To Help Understand Your Church Data
According to the Barna organization only 35% of Americans attend church weekly. In the article "Christian America is in Decline," authors, Anthony B. Pinn and Tom Krattenmaker explain, “One reason so many are opting out of religion, or never opting in to begin with, is that churches are addressing the wrong questions.”

4 Essentials for a Small Group Pastor
Gina Abbas shares four not-to-miss-steps for this brand new groups pastor.

5 Questions About Homosexuality
This article is part of the Questions and Answers series.

It is noteworthy that the Gospels tell us that Jesus, while he affirmed the authority of the Old Testament, also considered his own words, including his interpretation of the Old Testament, as authoritative for his disciples. "So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?"(Luke 6:46 NLT).

Christian Reformed synod orders church to rescind deacon in same-sex marriage
The CRCNA has been dealing with tensions over questions of sexuality since last year's synod, when delegates affirmed that 'homosexual sex' should be considered sinful.

Sundays at All Hallows (Sunday, June 18, 2023) Is Now Online

Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows. The order of service for this Sunday and the next several Sundays is adapted from Ecumenical Services of Prayer (1983). This worship pattern has been adopted by a number of denominations for Services of Morning and Evening Prayer and Services of the Word.

Reading: Romans 5: 1-8

Homily: What Are the Implications of God Meeting Us in Our Brokenness?

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2023/06/sundays-at-all-hallows-sunday-june-18.html

Please feel free to share this link with anyone who may be interested.

If you are new to Sundays at All Hallows, you may find these directions helpful:

-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.

May Sundays at All Hallows be a blessing to you. 

Saturday Lagniappe: 'Church Journeys: Clear Communication Matters' And More

Church Journeys: Clear Communication Matters

How often do you and your leadership team have discussions about connecting and communicating? One of the most glaring issues unearthed during the pandemic was how churches weren’t generally prepared to communicate outside the normal space of Sunday services and worship guides. Our digital age compels us—and allows us—to connect with people at a variety of levels through a number of tools.

Why People Lose Their Religion (and How Churches Can Support Those Struggling with Faith)
Discover the psychological secrets behind why people are leaving behind their faith and quietly quitting church as we sit down with esteemed guests Dr. Aaron McLaughlin and Dr. Daryl Van Tongeren. In our eye-opening conversation, we dig into their recent study “Losing My Religion ,” funded by the John Templeton Foundation, which aimed to understand the religious “dones” (individuals who once held religious beliefs but have since walked away from their faith).

Inexpensive Ideas to Tell Volunteers Thanks: 18 Great Gifts for Helpers
Inexpensive ideas show kidmin volunteers how much you love and appreciate them. Read on to discover 18 practical, heartfelt gifts of appreciation.

Next Generation Evangelism: 6 Necessary Shifts
After scores of similar conversations with unprepared audiences, our team has been shifting its approach to evangelism. By no means are we proposing that we shift away from clear biblical teaching on important truths such as our legal guilt before God. We are merely saying that shifting intuitions may require new starting places in evangelistic conversations and discipleship relationships. Here are six shifts we believe are critical to meaningfully engage the next generation.

Want to Be a Great Commission Christian? Rely on the Holy Spirit
Don’t run ahead of the Holy Spirit. Wait for his power.

The SBC in the Big Easy: What Happened?
In his summary of what happened at the annual meeting of the Souhtern Baptist Convention in New Orleans, Deny Burk neglected to mention that the SBC became the first denomination to make an official statement on the challenges of Artifical Inteligence and to present a theological and ethical grid for dealing with this complex issue.

Friday's Catch: 'Southern Baptists Start Constitutional Step Naming Only Men as Pastors' And More

Southern Baptists Start Constitutional Step Naming Only Men as Pastors
Baptists were divided Wednesday about whether the amendment was necessary or would cast a poor reflection on the ministry work of its women members.

Saddleback’s SBC Removal Upheld; Rick Warren Believes He Sinned by Not Allowing Women To Be Pastors
“They are arguing over a word that isn’t even in the New Testament English Bible,” Warren said of the SBC. ”The single word, the English word, pastor—singular—you can’t find it in any English translation of the New Testament. It’s not there. You can only find the plural word, one time.” Warren referred to Ephesians 4:11, where he says the use of the word can be found.

How We Can Maintain Unity Without Uniformity in the Body of Christ
The biblical call to unity within the body of Christ is not just for people who believe as we do on every single point.

Barnabas Piper: Why a Culture of Belonging Has To Start With a Church’s Leaders
Barnabas Piper joins “The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast” to share why church leaders are responsible for creating a culture of belonging and practical ways they can do so.

10 Reasons Why Small Churches Stay Small (Part 1)
First, an explanation or two, then a definition. Then, finally, 10 reasons small churches stay small.

10 Reasons Why Small Churches Stay Small (Part 2)
This is part 2 of a two-part article, reason 6 through 10 on why small churches stay small.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Meaningful Family VBS Experience
As churches begin to focus more and more on ways they can bring the family together, Vacation Bible School has increasingly been viewed a place where that can happen. The number of churches offering Family VBS where the family attends, learns, and plays together is on the rise. 

Jessie Cruickshank: What the Western World Is Missing About Discipleship
Jessie Cruickshank joins “The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast” to share how brain science supports what the Bible reveals about how people are truly transformed–and what is lacking in the approach many church leaders take toward discipleship.

Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (Thursday, June 15, 2023) Is Now Online

Welcome to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows. A disciple of Jesus may be defined as a person who believes in Jesus and his teachings and who seeks to live according to Jesus' teachings. Disciples then are basically students, learning from the one they call teacher and putting into practice what they learn. Beginning this Thursday evening and for the next several Thursday evenings we will be examining what Jesus taught and what his teachings means for us as his followers and would-be followers in the twenty-first century. Jesus taught not only by word but also by example. We will be looking at both his words and his example.

Reading: Matthew 5: 20-26

Message: What Did Jesus Teach about Anger?

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2023/06/thursday-evenings-at-all-hallows_15.html

Please feel free to share this link with anyone who may be interested.

If you are new to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows, you may find these directions helpful:

-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.

May Thursday Evenings at All Hallows be a blessing to you.

Thursday's Catch: 'Ouster of Saddleback and Fern Creek from SBC over women pastors is affirmed' And More

Ouster of Saddleback and Fern Creek from SBC over women pastors is affirmed
Saddleback, whose case was argued by founding pastor and best-selling author Rick Warren, had been ousted for naming a woman to its pastoral team.

See also: Messengers deem Saddleback, two other churches not in friendly cooperation with SBC and SBC upholds ousting of Saddleback Church over woman teaching pastor

Motion to amend BF&M passes, task forces approved
Messengers voted to amend the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, the statement of faith of the Southern Baptist Convention, to clarify the role of pastor Wednesday, June 14, at the 2023 SBC Annual Meeting in New Orleans. The convention also approved the appointment of a task force to study the impact of the Great Commission Resurgence recommendations adopted in 2009 and a task force to study how the Convention should regard churches “in friendly cooperation.”

SBC task force granted another year to combat sexual abuse, unveils online database prototype
The Southern Baptist Convention's Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force (ARITF) has been granted another year to fulfill mandates outlined by SBC messengers last year to help churches combat sexual abuse within their ranks.

Alabama megachurch votes to remain with UMC amid schism on homosexuality
As thousands of congregations have voted to leave The United Methodist Church since last year, one megachurch in Alabama has voted to stay with the second-largest Protestant denomination in the United States.

Four ways to leave your denomination: How churches are disaffiliating from the UMC
To date, 5,550 of the United Methodist Church’s approximately 30,000 US churches have disaffiliated from the country’s second-largest Protestant denomination since 2019.

As Methodist Exits Hit 5,500, Some Churches Find Paths Blocked
The costs and complications of UMC disaffiliation are leaving many congregations stuck.

Subscription to Christianity Today may be required to read this article.

America Doesn’t Have Enough Churches
How large would denominations be if they managed to grow at the same rate as the general population of the United States?

Reversing the Shrinking Share of Americans Who Regularly Attend Church
An increasing percentage of Americans say they never attend church, indicating a shift among those who previously attended services regularly.

‘Conscious Uncoupling’ from Church Is the New Temptation
Dones and “umms” are leaving the sanctuary or loitering outside the door. But when have they actually left?

Subscription to Christianity Today may be required to read this article.

There are No Solo Heroes in the Kingdom of God
None of us are meant to travel our journey alone. Foundationally, discipleship is a community endeavor. You cannot disciple yourself. Literally, it takes two people!

Wednesday's Catch: 'The Presbyterian Church in America Has an Abuse Crisis Too' And More

The Presbyterian Church in America Has an Abuse Crisis Too
Women thought the PCA, with its robust system of governance, might provide some accountability. They found that was not the case.

Love Where You Live: Evangelism in Disorienting Times
...it would be a mistake to view the decline of cultural Christianity in North America as signaling the decline of Christianity as a whole around the globe. Nevertheless, the North American church does have unique challenges to confront.

Has Your Church Skipped Over Your Own Neighborhood?
Most churches are ineffective at reaching the lost in their own backyard. How effective is your church?

5 Key Elements of Leaders Who Develop Other Leaders
Dan Reiland shares five practices of leaders who develop leaders.

10 Traits of a Great Church Member
God builds the church, but He uses people to build it. So, a good question might be, what kind of church member does God use to build a great church?

4 Things Your Church Email Newsletter Must Do Every Time
Your church email newsletter helps you know how many are reading it and what they’re interested in. Here are four things to keep in mind.

Southern Baptists end first day of annual meeting with key questions hanging
The nearly 13,000 messengers left the convention hall not knowing the fate of Saddleback Church, which is appealing its removal from the denomination, or about the future of abuse reforms.

Barber reelected SBC President
Texas pastor Bart Barber was reelected to a second term as president of the SBC on Tuesday, June 13, at the 2023 SBC Annual Meeting in New Orleans.

Also see: SBC messengers reelect Texas pastor Bart Barber to a second term as president, ‘Theological Transgenderism’—SBC Presidential Candidate Mike Stone Preaches on Female Submission to Male Authority Ahead of Annual Meeting, and Stone addresses crowd at Conservative Baptist Network breakfast

Rick Warren, other church leaders appeal Southern Baptist ouster at annual meeting The historic debate — which has been fought over social media, via documents and through a website campaign spearheaded by Warren — came to the floor of the two-day meeting.

Also see: Rick Warren Pleads for Messengers To ‘Act Like Southern Baptists’; Al Mohler Rebuts Saddleback Appeal and Rick Warren makes impassioned case to Southern Baptist messengers on women pastors

Tuesday's Catch: 'How to Lose A First-Time Guest in 10 Minutes or Less' And More

How to Lose A First-Time Guest in 10 Minutes or Less
It’s hard to believe, but according to people who study these things, first-time guests to your church make up their minds whether they’re coming back or not in the first ten minutes of their visit. Think about that.

When Churches Want a Pastor Who Can “Bring In Young Families” . . .
Instead of seeking a Pastor who can bring in those vaunted Young Families, we need to call a Pastor who knows how to shift congregational culture. The culture in which we live and move and have our being has changed, but we are killing ourselves trying to maintain a dated congregational culture.

Vexed by quailing attendance, sex abuse and internal feuds, SBC takes on women pastors
More than 12,000 local church representatives, known as messengers, will gather in New Orleans, ready to do their denomination's business.

Also see: SBC Messengers To Vote on Constitutional Amendment Banning Women Pastors and Executive Committee forwards Law amendment to messengers, elects new officers

4 Types Of Thinking That Will Sabotage Your Leadership
Chances are a big chunk of what you’re going to do today in leadership is think. Add a crisis or instability into the mix, and your thinking can easily get tripped up into some well worn but dangerous directions. After all, thinking is a big slice of what any leader is paid to do.

The Hidden Ministry Temptation That Can Pull Us Away From Christ
We come to think worldly spotlights and platforms make us happy. But this craving for attention is the opposite of what we’re called to be.

Presenting Like a Pro
One thing that is true of churches around the world is that each one has its own unique context, problems and budget. While all of this individuality is great, it also can create a challenge when it comes to worship presentation software and equipment.

Be Prepared: Build Your Dream Ministry Gear List Before You Need It
Building a dream ministry gear list starts with this reality: “Most people don’t plan to fail, they just fail to plan.” ~ John L. Beckley

How to Overcome Obstacles to Prayer
According to an early historical document called the Didaché, the first-century Christians maintained regular prayer meetings three times per day (third, sixth, and ninth hour). But a century later, the Christians held their prayer meetings only twice per day-Sunrise and sunset. It seems like the passion for prayer started slowly decaying, even up to this present day where statistics say that 20% of church members never pray and the vast majority only do so occasionally. What obstacles to prayer do we face?

We Still Get the Bible Wrong When It Comes to Judgment
Simplistic and lazy interpretation is damaging our prophetic witness in today’s culture. 

How to Encourage Someone
Aaron Joseph Hall shares three powerful ways tat we can encourage someone today.

Delayed justice: 3 states remove all time limits on child sex abuse lawsuits
More survivors are pursuing cases as states increasingly consider repealing time limits for child sex crime lawsuits.