Thursday, September 28, 2023

Thursday's Catch: 'Embracing an Aging Congregation' And More


Embracing an Aging Congregation
There is a stigma that an aging congregation is a dying congregation. If you were to ask a pastor if you want to go to an aging church with a building with a host of deferred maintenance, many would run in the other direction. Who would blame them?

You Can’t Fix What You Can’t See – 6 Steps to Define and Redesign Your Church
Here's a question you must answer: If an outsider saw your ministry model, would it appear intentionally designed to move people along a discipleship journey?

What Smaller Churches Get Wrong When They Look at Bigger Churches
What things do smaller churches get wrong when they look at bigger churches? Here are eight suggestions....

The History of Evangelical Innovation
The story of Christianity is the story of those disciples of Jesus Christ who were driven to do well with the time given to them. The history of Christianity is marked by seasons of advance and decline. Those seasons of gospel-driven advance focused on reaching people for Christ. Movements spawned innovation driven by a conviction of the authority of Scripture and that burden to reach people for Christ.

Practicing Christians more likely to be 'spiritually open' than non-Christians, study finds
As America's religious landscape grows more syncretic and the population's connection to Christianity continues to weaken, data from a recent Barna study shows that practicing Christians are more spiritually "open" or interested in exploring other spiritual traditions than non-Christians or Christians who don't practice their faith.

Hispanic students report highest levels of discrimination in some educational institutions
In post-pandemic America, in a world dominated by anti-immigrant rhetoric, Hispanic students report higher levels of discrimination than any other ethnic group, according to new data from Gallup and the Lumina Foundation.

Biotech’s repugnant new advance is worthy of everyone’s critical attention
Scientists have swapped human reproduction for a different process entirely.

5 Things at the Heart of a Pastoral Visit
Pastoral visitation is a powerful means of spiritual encouragement and a tangible demonstration of the love of Christ to his people. It is a ministry which can reap slow but rich dividends in the lives of individuals and the life of the church and provides an opportunity for genuine fellowship between Christians.

The Physicality of Faithful Worship: Why We Bend Knees and Lift Hands
Whether you lift your hands high on Sunday mornings or keep them below your waistline, God gives us at least three reasons why it’s important to display the worth of Christ with our bodies.

How to Study the Bible Online
May books and resourcs are now oline and are available free if you know where to ook.

Five Blessings of Marking Up Your Bible
Kevin Halloran explains why he chooses to marks up his Bibles.
I do not mark up my Bibles. I keep a notebook in which I jot down notes on passages that I am studying. This enables me to examine a passage each time with a fresh perspective, one not influenced by my previous study of that passage. I find writing out a passage in a notebook helpful in understanding and interpreting it. Unmarked Bibles also last longer. 
2 Common Pitfalls to Avoid When Evangelizing Muslims
We are called to bring the gospel of hope to our Muslim neighbors, but there are some mistakes that Christians can make—intentionally or unintentionally—that we should avoid.

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