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Monday, April 22, 2024

Monday's Catch: 'Hiking, disc golf, flower arranging: UMC initiative connects people around non-church interests' And More


Hiking, disc golf, flower arranging: UMC initiative connects people around non-church interests
'Fresh Expressions' is a denominational initiative intended to connect people who may not be interested in church but are interested in learning a new skill or making new friends.

How evangelicals promoted, then abandoned environmental stewardship
Rising temperatures made 2023 earth’s hottest year on record. Climate scientists say human activity increases heat-trapping gasses that contribute to weather-related disasters, which in 2022 forced more than 3 million Americans from their homes and cost the world $360 billion in damages. But most evangelical Christians largely reject this scientific consensus, making their tribe the least likely to see climate change as a problem, according to Pew and PRRI. Many evangelical leaders use their influence to oppose climate-friendly legislation.

The nation’s future will be 'decided in the pulpits and sanctuaries of American churches': columnist
Last month, the Pew Research Center noted in an article that for much "of the last decade, observers have been trying to understand why so many highly religious Americans have a favorable view of Donald Trump, asking how values voters can support a candidate who has been divorced twice, married three times and found liable for sexual abuse." In a Sunday, April 21 op-ed published by the New York Times, columnist David French points points to the juxtaposition of "great good" and terrible evil" often on display throughout American Christian churches.

Transgender Meds for Kids? 4 Findings from New Report
This month saw the publication of “the largest review ever undertaken in the field of transgender health.” Led by Dr. Hilary Cass, a former president of the UK’s Royal College of Paediatrics, it was commissioned by Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) with the stated goal of figuring out “how best to help the growing number of children and young people who are looking for support from the NHS in relation to their gender identity.” The findings of this four-year review were written up in a 388-page report which is, as The Economist puts it, “damning of practices that were commonplace in England until recently and remain widespread in other countries, notably America.” 

Many pastors begin a new assignment and get blindsided from issues they never expected. When that happens, it can be deadly. I’ve found that creating a genogram of your church, called a family diagram in psychology, can yield much insight into how people may have perpetuated unhealthy patterns in a church. It’s simply taking a bird’s eye view of your church’s past, looking for connections, and drawing them out.

The Church Should Mind Its Spiritual Business
The calling, or mission, of the church as the church is to proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth, not to be another merely (or even chiefly) political, social, or economic institution. The church, in its full-orbed existence, may have political, economic, or social concerns that develop out of its mission, but those aspects are not what primarily mark and define it.

12 Attractive Traits for Senior Leaders
There are some attractive traits for in successful senior leaders. If a leader has these, he or she will be more likely to have loyal followers...These are some of the “best of the best” traits for those who attempt the daunting responsibility of leading others.

Counting the Cost: Why Having Children is Priceless Despite the Price Tag
Even if you pinch pennies, there’s no getting around the financial cost of having children. But what is the cost of not having children?

Why I Attend Church
Thom Rainer shares ten reasons he attends church.

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