Friday's Catch: "With strawberries and goats, a ‘farmastery’ reaches out to its neighbors" And More

With strawberries and goats, a ‘farmastery’ reaches out to its neighbors

Part of the new monastic movement began three decades ago among lay Protestants, Spring Forest is a model for how Christians can work, eat and worship as a community.

Global Christian community invited to gather in 25 hours of prayer and worship
In what is shaping up to be a pivotal moment in the mission of the global church, Christians from around the world will make use of the latest advances in technology to gather together from all the corners of the Earth. On 1 March 2025, believers from every denomination and every continent will join together in prayer, worship, repentance, and commissioning across a 25-hour period.

Heat Action Day to Focus on Awareness of Extreme Temperature Risks
Summertime for churches can be a season of more relaxed worship, fun outdoor activities and the ever-popular ice cream social. Thanks to the global climate crisis, however, summer is now a time of extreme heat that threatens the health of many in church and community. "Heat Action Day" on June 2 will focus on awareness of how extreme heat affects both humans and the environment. Founded by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the world’s largest humanitarian network, the observance aims to prepare individuals and communities to #BeatTheHeat.

5 Ways You (and the People in your Church) Will Grow This Year
Here are five ways God will grow you and the people in your church through weakness....

Navigating Seasons of Feeling Unseen
Once we sit with the pain of feeling unseen and meditate on the truth that God hasn’t forgotten us, we can move forward in hope and healing.

How stupidity is an existential threat to America
Although the term "stupidity" may seem derogatory or insulting, it is actually a scientific concept that refers to a specific type of cognitive failure. It is important to realize that stupidity is not simply a lack of intelligence or knowledge, but rather a failure to use one's cognitive abilities effectively.

Spiritual Gifts Are How Jesus Continues His Ministry
Jesus promised that after he was gone, he would continue to build his church. By his Spirit. Through his disciples. Both of those phrases matter. But for some of us, we skip the Spirit and chug along our merry way. It’s as if we imagine that when Jesus was physically here on earth, he did the work by his power; but now that he’s gone, we do the work for him. Nope. The same Spirit is at work in both: Just like Jesus was doing the work when he walked around Jerusalem, so now he’s doing the work through us, by the Spirit.

A Key Role Every Pastor should Fill each Sunday
...if you are a pastor, put on not only your leading hat or your teaching hat this Sunday. Put on your cheerleader hat as well.

To All Graduates
God has a plan. He will pursue you. He will use you mightily—just trust him.

Tech and Faith: Integrating Technology in Sunday School
Do tech and faith go together? Can we tell the “old, old story” in ways that connect with digital natives? In the 21st century, using technology at church seems inevitable. Sunday school teachers who use technology in ministry can boost engagement and learning. So let’s see how modernizing children’s ministry fosters deeper faith.

Leaderless Small Groups
The number of groups any church can launch and maintain is limited by the number of leaders available. It’s simple. If you have a leader, you have a group. If you don’t have a leader, then no group. The problem is most churches can’t recruit all of the leaders they need to meet the demand for groups. The problem goes even further because most people don’t regard themselves as being any kind of a leader. Without more leaders, how do you launch more groups?

We Are All Late Bloomers
Though we often relegate our use of “late bloomer” to describe a child, the anxieties remind me of ones I face myself and hear from those I counsel. It’s mostly anxiety about spiritual growth and development.

Imperfect Vessels: God’s Glorious Plan to Use Us All
You don't need to be perfect for God to use you. God uses imperfect people.

UMC Faces Turbulence Over LGBTQ Bans' Removal
What was the editor of United Methodist Insight expecting to happen?

Image Credit: RNS photo/Yonat Shimron

Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (Thursday, May 30, 2024) Is Now Online

Welcome to Thursday evenings at All Hallows.

This Thursday is the second Thursday in the Season after Pentecost and the first Thursday in Trinitytide, depending on the liturgical calendar used in a church. This season of the church year also known as the Green Season since green is the liturgical color most commonly used for paraments during this season in the Western Church.

In this evening’s message we take a look at one of the hard sayings of Jesus.

Reading: Matthew 5: 43-48

Message: A Hard Saying of Jesus

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2024/05/thursday-evenings-at-all-hallows_30.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: 'Gen Z more likely to reject traditional morality, less likely to see people as 'basically good': poll' And More

Gen Z more likely to reject traditional morality, less likely to see people as 'basically good': poll
Although Generation Z is more likely to reject viewpoints associated with traditional morality, the youngest group of American adults is less likely to embrace the idea that humans are "basically good," new research suggests.

People Aren’t Rejecting Jesus. They Just Don’t Care
An encounter with a European media producer stopped Phil Cooke in his tracks. He explains.

Understanding the Metamodern Mood
Metamodernism is a worldview as wide open and consumer friendly as the smartphone. Take or leave what you want, follow or unfollow, swipe right or left: it’s your iWorld, so make it a good one.

A New Reformation
In this article, Jane Ellen Nickel, a retired United Methodist pastor, presents her view of recent developments in the United Methodist Church and other mainline denominations.

Special Needs Ministry Remains an Untapped Opportunity for Many Churches
Those with special needs may not feel welcome unless churches take active steps to find and remove any hindrances.

Building a Village of Support: Clergy and the Care of the Grieving
As clergy leaders, you’re there offering support for your people throughout a range of emotional times and experiences. One of the most difficult of these is dealing with death, the loss of a loved one.

Big Plans for Small Spaces
Planning for expansion makes a lot of sense. Church plants that neglect this kind of planning are likely to discover that this oversight can negatively impact their growth.

Finding God’s Plan for Your Life
As a college professor, I cannot begin to tell you the number of times students have asked me the question, “How do I find God’s plan for my life?” As much as I would like to say there is an easy step-by-step approach to finding that answer, there simply is not. However, I do believe there are a few ways that God has revealed His plans in my own life.

Recognize and Overcome One of the Enemy’s Greatest Weapons: Shame
Have you ever made a mistake and been so embarrassed by it, that it made you feel humiliated, unacceptable, unworthy, unlovely, or even unlovable? Or did it, perhaps, make you feel like a mistake?

Wednesday's Catch: 'The Great Dechurching Will Hurt Poor People' And More

The Great Dechurching Will Hurt Poor People
Members of mainline denominations as a percentage of the US population have dropped to the single digits. That’s bad news for the poor and vulnerable.

3 Touchstones of Welcoming Newcomers Today
What was once perceived as welcoming may no longer resonate with the unchurched of today. How can congregations extend hospitality to the unchurched? Brett DeHart shares three touchstones of modern hospitality: safe place, people matter, and joyful energy.

7 Tips for Connecting New Church Members
...what do people feel in your church? Do they leave your church no better than when they walked in the door? Do you have lots of new people and yet your church doesn’t grow? Do just as many people walk in the door as those that walk out the back door? Take a look at these seven tips and ask yourself where you rate in each area, 1 to 10.

The Big Ask
There’s only one thing worse than going to church and listening to the pastor talk about money: being the pastor who has to talk about money.

Working through the Stages of Grief when Cutting Your Budget 

Dan Pezet says a major alignment in a church’s budget can be accompanied by all the classic stages of grief—denial, anger, bargaining, and depression. By acknowledging these phases and allowing people to come to grips with their emotions a church will ultimately find its way to the final stage of grief—acceptance.

A Step Toward Full Communion with the United Methodist Church
The Episcopal Church and the United Methodist Church (UMC) are moving toward full communion between the two bodies. The Methodists are moving faster than the Episcopalians.

While the United Methodist Church and the Episcopal Church may agree on some things, they do not agree on others. For the UMC to adopt TEC's position on a number of issues would be a serious mistake that would adversely affect the UMC, already weakened by the disaffiiation of more than a quarter of its churches.

The Challenges and Opportunities of Intergenerational Leadership
Due to longevity, it’s not uncommon for four distinct generations of adults to be vying for leadership within our churches, says Melissa Cooper. She explores how the church can be a place of unity and reconciliation that uses the gifts of every generation.

The Universal Experiences of Preachers
Reuben Bredenhof reflects what preachers can learn from their shared experiences.

“The Benefits of Intergenerational Christian Formation” featuring Holly Allen
How can bringing different generations together in worship, learning, and community promote faith formation? Holly Allen discusses the benefits of a more intergenerational approach to ministry and strategies for helping young and old journey together in faith.

Blessings for Pets — and Police
Episcopal parishes may be accustomed to the occasional K-9 officer receiving blessings on St. Francis Day. St. Katherine’s Episcopal Church in Williamston, Michigan, took matters a step further on October 4, adding two police officers to the day’s blessings.The blessings were an extension of the church’s participating in Faith & Blue, a national effort to “build bridges and break biases” between police and the communities they serve.

A Coward’s Guide to Evangelism
J. Mack Stiles offers seven suggestions for you to keep in mind as you consider how to get started in evangelism.

Nearly 40% of Christians prefer not to tell people about their faith: survey
A new survey has revealed that nearly 40% of British Christians prefer not to disclose their religious beliefs. The findings reflect a broader trend of religious reticence in the U.K., which experts attribute to various factors, including a rise in antisemitism and a “self-confidence crisis” among British Christians.

To what extent is religious reticence a problem in Canada and the United States?

Tuesday' Catch: 'Understanding the Places Your Called To' And More

Understanding the Places Your Called To

The stories of news media and Hollywood often focus on major coastal cities. But God is at work everywhere and the small towns and rural communities of North America are a testimony to God’s goodness. In this interview, Brad Roth, Mennonite pastor and award-winning author, shares about the importance of place, people watching and recognizing people for who God believes they can be.

Dear Pastor, You’re an Apologist
Scripture envisions churches full of apologists, led by apologists. Pastors must reclaim the biblical mandate of being an apologist.

Defending the Gospel Truth
When it comes to apologetics, many church leaders avoid it altogether. This is unfortunate, especially considering the current climate of doubt, deconstruction and dechurching metastasizing across the American church landscape. Reasons vary as to why they resist apologetics, but here are four common excuses I have heard throughout my ministry career....

12 Things Not To Say in a Small Group
You know what you should say. You know what you need to talk about, but you’re not so clear on what you shouldn’t say.

Church membership
We do not join a church to “buy” ourselves services or rights. We join to commit ourselves to serving those to whom God himself has committed himself in his love.

6 Ways to Find Green Grass in the Desert
Chuck Lawless explans how to find green grass in the spiritual dry places.

Old Age Syndromes to Avoid
Barbara Lee Harpr wh says she's been aroound the bock a few times describes some beahviors she wants to avoid.

The Power to Obey the Great Commission
...s important as it is to understand what Jesus calls us to, knowing how we are able to obey this calling is perhaps the most important part of the Great Commission. Before and after the text quoted above, Jesus gives us two important truths, truths without which we would have no hope of accomplishing the task he has given us.

Monday's Catch: 'Gradually, And Then All of a Sudden" And More

Gradually, And Then All of a Sudden
The phrase “gradually, then all of a sudden” describes a process or change that occurs slowly and incrementally over time, often without noticeable impact initially, but then reaches a tipping point where the change becomes rapid and dramatic. This concept can be applied to various contexts, such as personal experiences, societal changes, technological advancements, or economic events. And to churches. Unfortunately, too many churches today.

De-sizing The Church: Why The Gap Between Big And Small Churches Is Growing
An obsession with church attendance has been with us for a long time. But it’s a bigger deal today because we’ve become really good at it.

The Three Characteristics Every Church Planter Needs
In 45 years of helping church planters and planting a church myself, I’ve seen certain characteristics that are true of most successful church planters. So what are the characteristics I look for in church planters? I start with these three.

8 Warning Signs of a Tornado
Don't get caught outside when a tornado strikes. Listen to weather warnings, and look for these signs.

Are You Caraway or Cumin?
The farmer knows how best to bring forth fruit from the land, and the Lord knows how best to produce his spiritual fruit in us.

4 Practical Insights to Strengthen Your Confidence as a Leader
Confidence in what you can do is different than confidence in who you are. You can’t separate the two, but confidence in who you are must always take first place.

Three Ways to Grow While You Wait
Don’t waste your waiting time. Let God help you grow into the leader he wants you to be on the other side of the door.

How to Slam the Door in Satan’s Face
Demonic oppression and demonic possession both have some biblical foundation. But there’s a third way demons operate, one that is far more common in Scripture. This third category provides a more accurate and full view of how demonic forces work against the lives of believers. This third way is occupation.

Sundays at All Hallows (Sunday, May 26, 2024) Is Now Online

Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows.

This Sunday, the First Sunday after Pentecost, is called in the church calendar of the Western Church “Trinity Sunday.” It celebrates one of the core beliefs of the Christian faith—the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. In an article on the CRU website, “Understanding the Trinity: How Can God Be Three Persons in One?” Matt Pearson summarizes the doctrine of the Trinity:

“The doctrine of the Trinity means that there is one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons — the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Stated differently, God is one in essence and three in person. These definitions express three crucial truths: (1) The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons, (2) each Person is fully God, (3) there is only one God.”

Today’s message is about one of the roles the Holy Spirit plays in our salvation and sanctification.

Readings: Isaiah 6: 1-8, Romans 8: 12-17, and John 3: 1-17

Message: Born of the Spirit

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2024/05/sundays-at-all-hallows-sunday-may-26.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 Laniappe: 'Intergenerational Ministry for the Post-pandemic Church' And More

Intergenerational Ministry for the Post-pandemic Church
Lewis Center Director Doug Powe says siloed age-level ministries often prevent congregations from worshiping together around one common table. But the pandemic provided an opportunity for us to rethink our concepts of place and space and to reimagine what it means for us all to be together.

Why the UMC took a historic stand and condemned Hindu nationalism
The United Methodist Church is saying that we will not stand by silently while people are persecuted because of their faith and their conscience.

Parents, Are You Raising Angry Partisans?
Children will not only adopt the hostile attitude of their parents toward those who hold different political and social views from them but they will also direct this hostility toward their peers whose parents do not not share their parents' political and social views, gossiping about them and bulling them.

The strange afterlife of the John the Baptist Movement
My church once printed a New Year Motto Card that committed the community to "Prepare the hearts of the people and the structures of the church for the next great move of God." As a Bible-believing evangelical fellowship, we were not expecting any radical new revelation. Rather we knew – as members of a 2000-year-old faith – that while core beliefs stand firm over the centuries, emphasis, structures and strategies can change – and change radically at times. The key is recognising the "move of God" in our particular time. Which raises the subject of John the Baptist and his followers.

The Asbury Outpouring: What We As Worship Leaders Can Learn
Dan Wilt shares what he learned from has come to bekown as the "Ashbury Outpouring." Among the things that he learned is that simplicity and proximity matter in worship.

4 Steps To Balancing Structure And Spontaneity In Worship
How do we create a healthy balance between structure and spontaneity in worship?

Mix It Up! How Mixed-Age Groups Improve Your VBS
When it comes to organizing kids at your VBS, mixed-age groups may seem like a good idea…but how do you actually pull it off? Read on to hear one former VBS-director-turned-Group-editor’s discovery of how mixed-age groups can make all the difference.

How to Spread the Gospel the Jesus Way
Why youth pastors should go from chucking seeds to training farmers to building greenhouses.

Friday's Catch: 'What Does Declining Attendance Portend for Congregations and Their Leaders?' And More

What Does Declining Attendance Portend for Congregations and Their Leaders?

A sustained decline in worship attendance is afflicting most American congregations. Drawing on findings from the Lewis Center’s Religious Workforce Project, Lovett H. Weems Jr. outlines ways congregations can respond to declining attendance and how the trend impacts the deployment of clergy and other congregational leaders.

The Chemistry of Church Growth
When churches plateau, you can usually find an inhibitor or two that stands in the way of growth. The only way to get those churches moving again is to introduce a catalyst. When I look at most plateauing churches, I see four inhibitors that are impacting their future growth. But I also have good news. Each has a catalyst that can help you overcome them. Here are those four inhibitors I see most often.

Close Generation Gaps, Deepen Relationships
How can congregations close generation gaps by building intergenerational relationships and ministries? Laura Buchanan offers several ways congregations can create opportunities for people from different generations to build relationships, serve together, and mentor one another.

Excessive Heat Poses Hazards for Churches
Heat waves can be deadly for older adults: An aging global population and rising temperatures mean millions are at risk.

As a service to the community and as a form of outreach, churches may wish to operate as a cooling center in the hotter months, particular during times of extreme heat. They can also purchase and distribute electric fans, help to pay utility bills, and compile and disseminate information on how to avoid heat stroke and to beat the heat.

A Better Conversation
Like it or not, the 2024 presidential election is on the way, and many pastors and church members are already feeling a sense of dread. Since the 2016 presidential election, a survey found that nearly a third of people have stopped talking to a friend or family member due to political disagreements. There are reasons to think that the 2024 election will be even worse.

Strength in Leadership: How Gentleness Changes Everything 

Too many leaders today, even Christian leaders, believe that gentleness is equivalent to weakness. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, leading with gentleness has at least eight benefits that make you a better pastor, not a weaker one.

Resisting Physician-Assisted Death Is a Gospel Imperative
We’re too weak, too frail, too vulnerable to circumstances for our self-regard to be a firm foundation for our value and significance. And this is a burden we need not bear, for God tells us how valuable we are over and over (Ps. 139; Isa. 43:4; Matt. 6:26; 10:29–31; John 3:16). Yet the tragedy of the human condition is that we’re prone to forget how much we matter.

The Weighted Vest of Pastoral Ministry
They tell you if you have trouble sleeping to count sheep. Pastors can’t sleep because they are counting the sheep.

The Overlooked Leadership Skill of Expressing Emotion
How can you, as a leader, express what you’re really feeling in a healthy way? Here are a few ideas.

What I’ve Learned About the Power of Music
Music is the number one positioning factor in your church. No music reaches everyone, but every style of music will reach someone. The kind of music you use will greatly impact who you reach. Music is a powerful tool for evangelism.

In surveying unchurched people who had bgun to attend a church Thom Rainer found that it was not the style of music used in the church's services of public worship that was a factor in their decision to attend a particular church but the quality of the music. The attention which the church gave to the quality of the music it used in worship formed the basis on which the people he surveyed concluded that the church took seriously the worship of God and was one of the main reasons they gave for attending that particular church. This is not to say that its music style is not a reason why people may decide to attend a particular church but rather the quality of the music plays an important part in their decision.

An Epic Formula For Making A Band Sound Great
No matter our sound – whether we have a hard rock, a soft rock, a gospel or a liturgical type of sound – we have to start with some basic principles when we’re thinking about arranging a large band. Using these 5 ingredients, you’ll have an epic formula for making your band sound great.

7 Ways to Support Your Group When They’re at Camp
There are some key ways pastors can undergird their kids or student group camp experience and be seen as enthusiastic supporters.

Impressive ‘Xp.’ YouTube Series Seeks to Reach Unchurched Youth
This Australian video course is of a world-class standard and fills a niche few evangelistic resources currently serve.

4 Reasons Why Every Pastor Should Lead a Small Group
I’ve been in full-time ministry for 35 years. During that time I’ve served in a number of different roles such as a missionary, senior pastor, associate pastor and missions pastor. No matter what role I have been in, I am almost always leading a small group—sometimes more than one group. There are four reasons why every pastor should lead a small group....

The Fallacy of One-Size-Fits-All Discipleship
You can mass produce many things—cars, furniture, plastic bottles, etc.—but you can’t mass produce disciples. One-size-fits-all simply doesn’t work when you’re trying to help people become more like Jesus. God wired each of us with a unique SHAPE. The Bible says, “You shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13 MSG). Our creator specially designed each and every one of us. The unique ways God made us affect everything about us—including how we fulfill God’s purposes.

How to Turn Misery Into Ministry
Your suffering might be the best opportunity you have to point others to Jesus. When you go through suffering with hope and joy, people will be curious, and they will ask you about it. You should be ready in that moment to give a defense of what you believe.

Thursday's Catch: '3 Steps to Reach Your Community' And More

3 Steps to Reach Your Community
If your local church struggles to reach the community, let me encourage you to pause, pray, and participate where God is leading. By joining with the community, the church can reconnect with lost people and help the people inside the church to see and meet their needs through Christ-love.

Cal Thomas is the latest to promote false claim of evangelical church growth
Church attendance is falling in the U.S., but some evangelicals continue to comfort themselves with the false idea that their churches alone are still growing. 

See Evangelicals Are Losing More People than Gaining for the First Time in 100 Years. To access this article membership in Church Answers is required.

4 Ways to Build a Groups Culture That Fuels Ministry
Would your church benefit from a groups culture that regularly releases people to serve? Begin by changing the culture to fuel ministries.

What is Your Signature Ministry?
In their book Small Church Check Up, Kay Kotan and Phil Schroeder say stable, smaller churches can remain vital by focusing on a “signature ministry,” providing one key ministry with excellence, rather than trying to be everything to everybody.

See also: Fairmont UMC grows, develops signature ministry

Do We Live Out Our Beliefs?
We are not called to a life of fame, worldly greatness, and fortune. Jesus is calling us to live what we know is right, to step out and do what we say we believe; to live our faith. One person who acts on their beliefs is worth more than 10,000 with beliefs they only chatter and babble about. We should be people of integrity and action, where what we say and what we do are synonymous. There should be no difference between what we say we believe and how we live.

Don’t Let Your Spiritual Senses Atrophy
In other words, use it or lose it.

Satan’s Four Snares
It’s extremely significant that in the one place in the Gospels we see Jesus and Satan do battle directly, the focal point is on identity.

What is the Mission of the Church?
The heart of the Great Commission is found in the command to “make disciples.

Have the nones jumped the shark? Maybe
Since the mid-2000s, the fastest-growing religious group in America has been the so-called nones. The percentage of Americans who claim no religious affiliation nearly doubled from 2007 (16%) to 2022 (31%), becoming a force in American culture and one of the largest segments of the religious landscape, according to Pew Research. But all things pass. And the skyrocketing growth of the nones may be fading.

Woman defrocked from UMC over same-sex relationship reinstated
A former United Methodist Church pastor who was defrocked about 20 years ago for being in a same-sex romantic relationship has been reinstated by the mainline Protestant denomination .The UMC Eastern Pennsylvania Annual Conference voted overwhelmingly during a closed session of around 200 clergy on Tuesday evening to readmit Beth Stroud.

See also: Defrocked pastor reinstated after LGBTQ bans lifted

UMC megachurch won't host same-sex weddings despite denomination's rule changes
A Texas megachurch affiliated with the United Methodist Church will continue to prohibit same-sex wedding ceremonies on its property even after the denomination recently voted to allow such marriages.

Historic assembly sets United Methodists on new path
General Conference brought big changes, particularly the removal of constraints on ministry with and by LGBTQ people. Now The United Methodist Church’s challenge is to remain a big-tent denomination that can evangelize in diverse communities and countries. United Methodists already are preparing to move beyond denominational infighting and reach people long disconnected from church.

How these changes will impact the United Methodist Church "only time will tell," as the saying goes. If what has happened to other mainine denominations which have adopted similar changes is anything to go on, the changes have not arrested te decline of these denomination. How much they have accelerated their decline is open to debate.

Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (May 23, 2024) Is Now Online

Welcome to Thursday evenings at All Hallows.

This week is the first week in the season of the church year known as “the Season after Pentecost.” The Season after Pentecost lasts from Pentecost to Advent. In some Christian traditions, the period after Trinity Sunday, the Sunday after Pentecost, is known as Trinitytide. It lasts from Trinity Sunday to Advent. With the Season after Epiphany, or Epiphanytide, the Season after Pentecost comprises what is called “ordinary time” because it is not a festive or penitential season.

This evening’s message is an invitation to walk more closely with God.

Readings: Isaiah 1: 1-4, 16-20; Romans 8: 1-8

Message: How Is Your Walk with God?

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2024/05/thursday-evenings-at-all-hallows_23.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.

Wednesday's Catch: 'Church Growth: How to Reach 100 New Guests This Year' And More

Church Growth: How to Reach 100 New Guests This Year
Most churches want church growth. Most churches want to reach 100 new guests. They take the Great Commission seriously and want church growth to make a positive difference for the Kingdom. At the same time, we’re coming to grips with the fact that fewer and fewer people are attending church. Even regular members show up more infrequently than in years gone by.

Where are they now?
...the No. 1 challenge I see — at our church and your church — is trying to figure out who’s missing. We are four years out from the start of the pandemic and most churches have not figured out how to keep track of people in the new environment.

10 Church Growth Myths That Ruin Pastors
There’s a lot of discussion that goes on about church growth: what causes it; how to generate it; prepare for it; launch it; build it; cultivate it and even, to some degree, manufacture it. Many of the discussions are helpful, but there are a number of subtle beliefs that still creep up that aren’t healthy. In fact, they’re downright superstitious and, at times, dangerous to the church. They are church growth myths.

Travel Sports Create Issues and Opportunities for Families and Churches
Based on their perspective on missing services for travel sports, many churchgoers see the potential impact differently than their pastors.

How to Create Effective On-Ramps for Church Engagement
Struggling to increase church participation? Discover why traditional engagement methods aren't working and how you can create easy, effective on-ramps to grow engagement.

13 Signs Your Organization Has A Healthy Learning Culture
Let’s combine two leadership concepts. First is culture. Seth Godin says, “Culture is 11 words – This is who we are and this is what we do.” Second, is continual learning. Smart leaders are passionate about personal growth and part of growth is constant learning. Combining these two fundamental leadership concepts results in the creation of a learning culture.

9 Reasons People Aren't Singing in Church
Worship leaders around the world are sadly changing their church’s worship (often unintentionally) into a spectator event, and people aren’t singing anymore.

Are Worshippers Looking for More Authentic Worship Void of High-Production Elements
As worship leaders/planners, we need to identify and eliminate as many distractions as possible so that we can create an environment that helps people to connect with God. Further, we, as worship leaders, must see ourselves as prompters, or guides, that are helping the people to participate in offering their worship and praise. We should never envision ourselves as performers and the congregation as an audience–we should help the people experience God without calling attention to ourselves.

3 Crucial Church Website Objectives
There are three primary church website objectives (and numerous secondary objectives) that you need to consider and then put into your church website. Those objectives are to: attract, inform, and inspire.

Few Churchgoers Actively Engaged With Prison Ministry
Churchgoers express interest in prison ministry that outpaces their actual ministry experience in this area.

7 simple and surprising ways to help accelerate your teenagers’ spiritual growth
Greg Stier shares seven simple and surprising ways to acclerate your teenagers’ spiritual growth.

Tuesday's Catch: '5 Tips to Keep the Summer Vibe Warm and Welcoming' And More

5 Tips to Keep the Summer Vibe Warm and Welcoming
Hey everyone! Summer’s here, and that means things at church might loosen up a bit. Schedules aren’t quite so full, long-awaited vacations come to fruition, and sometimes church attendance dips.But don’t throw away the welcome mat! Summer is the perfect time to open your church doors even wider and create a space that feels inclusive.

George Barna: Most Christians don't know what a disciple is
Churchgoing and discipleship are not the same. ne can be a churchgoer without being a disciple of Jesus.

See also: George Barna identifies biggest threats facing the Church: 'We've reached a time of Christian invisibility'

Bishops Call GMC to Stop Coercing UMs
"The mission of the church to make and nurture disciples of Jesus Christ is enhanced when various bodies of Christ collaborate in a mutual ministry of grace and respect. Likewise, the mission of the church is harmed by the denigration of one body at the expense of another. To that end, we call upon the members of the Global Methodist Church to formally recognize The United Methodist Church as an authentic and valid denomination and to cease all efforts to coerce members of The United Methodist Church to join their fellowship. Likewise, we commit ourselves to the same standard of respect and grace."

Former Anglican bishop deposed over 'inappropriate relationships with women,' interactions with minors

A former bishop of the Anglican Church in North America has been removed from ministry after being found guilty of multiple charges, including “inappropriate relationships with women.” ACNA announced Monday that Todd Atkinson, formerly the bishop of the Via Apostolica Missionary District based in Alberta, Canada, was “removed from ordained ministry following the conclusion of his ecclesiastical trial.”

4 Ways to Elevate Ministry to Women in Your Church
What can pastors and leaders of churches of any size, location, or scope of ministry do to elevate ministry ministry to women more?

Byte-Sized Generosity
Now more than ever, churches are adopting digital giving methods over traditional ones like passing the plate. In fact, technological advances have made giving so simple and easy, it leaves little reason why members can’t be generous with what they have.

Common Courtesies: 5 Small Group Guidelines to Follow
There should always be small group guidelines that everyone can agree upon. This helps people know what to expect from others and what others will be expecting of them. It also promotes give-and-take interaction and encourages a sense of equality among group members, so no one person becomes more or less important than another.

If Gen Z is Awakened, Equipped and Unleashed
If Gen Z is awakened, equipped and unleashed they will change the way we do and view ministry forever.

Monday's Catch: 'Five Reasons Why Large Churches Are Having Difficulty Finding Millennial Pastors' And More

Five Reasons Why Large Churches Are Having Difficulty Finding Millennial Pastors

Attention church members of congregations with an average attendance of 400 or more: If you are happy with your current pastors, hold on to them. You will have a challenge finding the successor to your pastor, especially if you want them to be 35 to 45 years old and with at least ten years of lead pastor experience.

Background checks are essential for kids’ ministry. No one knows how many churches do them.
Many denominations have passed new policies and procedures to make their churches safer for kids — few check to see if churches follow them.

The story of the women of Pentecost
Women played an important role at the original Pentecost, which St Peter felt obliged to explain to the crowds. This is the story....

The Gospel According to the Fellowship Hall
The Ten Commandments and the Great Commandment remind us that our sin sets us in hostility with God and with our fellow man. Therefore, the gospel of Jesus Christ must bring reconciliation on both of these levels too.

Stop Swiping, Start Serving
"I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that in the past few weeks, you have probably not gotten rip-roaring drunk nor participated in a debauched drinking party. You have probably not given yourself over to rampant sexual immorality or a life obsessed with sensuality. At least, I hope not."

10 Things You Should Know about the Fruit of the Spirit
This article is part of the 10 Things You Should Know series.

7 Good Questions to Shepherd Leaders in their Spiritual Life
We are first Christians by faith through grace, our (spiritual) leadership follows by calling through gifting. The order of priority helps us live out our values.

Do People Need an Exciting Sunday Worship Service?
Strictly speaking, God never says the goal of the church gathering is excitement. It’s edification for God’s glory. We meet to stir up one another to love and good works, not simply to have an emotionally electrifying time. We meet to behold God’s glory in Christ through his Word, responding in ways appropriate to his self-revelation (Heb. 10:24; 2 Cor. 3:18).

4 Truths the Next Generation Needs to Know About the Church
Rather than complain about the church’s faults and criticize those who leave, we need to disciple students to stay and love the church.

How to Make Youth Camp Count
Greg Stier shares 5 simple ways to ensure summer camp is a life-changing experience for teens.

Healthy Small Group Prayer: 5 Simple, Christ-Centered Practices
If you know God is present with you and his power is with you when you meet, how would you pray differently than you do now?

6 Things That Aren’t Discipleship
Sometimes it’s helpful to define what something is by thinking about what it is not. Here are six things that aren’t discipleship.

Saturday Lagniappe: 'Tool Belts and Seminaries' And More

Tool Belts and Seminaries
We need seminary. But in fairness to a seminary education, there are certain things it will never be able to impart, even if it tries.

Does it Matter Whether Seminary Education is In-Person or Online?
Does a residential experience really still matter?

The 11 Beliefs You Should Know about Jehovah’s Witnesses When They Knock at the Door
The following is a brief overview of what Jehovah’s Witnesses believe, along with what the Bible really teaches, printed among the many articles and resources in the back of the ESV Study Bible....

The Absence of Trust: 4 Keys To Rebuild When It’s Broken
When it comes to team failure (or the failure of any relationship for that matter), the absence of trust is the “first domino”; all the rest of the dysfunctions—fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability and inattention to results—flow out of that fractured foundation.

5 Things That May Be Hindering Your Prayers
Here are 5 things that can keep our prayers from getting through to God....

What is the vision we have for the children connected to our local churches?
It's an important question to ask. The danger is that we sometimes think that we need to entertain the kids, so that we can properly help the adults go deeper with God but the writer of Proverbs explains, "Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it" (Proverbs 22:6, NIV). My hope is that most churches want their children to become resilient disciples who choose to follow Jesus for themselves.

Getting the most out of parent and toddler groups
A new resource has been launched to support church toddler group leaders in supporting young children's faith and preparing them for school. The booklet, titled 'It's not just a parent and toddler group', has been created by Joanna Gordon, CEO of children's ministry Daniel's Den, Andy Frost of Share Jesus International, and David King, of the Gather Movement.

Free Bible Lesson: The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost
In this free Bible lesson, kids discover the significance of the Pentecost as they color an activity page and discuss the Scripture.

Leadership Challenges in the Horseshoe
One of the core concepts we have returned to regularly in our diagnostic writing about this cultural moment is that online networks have supplanted in-person institutions as the dominant forms of social belonging for most of our neighbors. One of the problems that follows from this is that online networks actually are better at spreading negative emotions than positive emotions. We are more incentivized to act online when we encounter content that makes us feel rage, fear, anxiety, and so on as opposed to when we encounter content that causes us to feel content, calm, or happy.

Sundays at All Hallows (Sunday, May 19, 2024) Is Now Online

Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows.

This Sunday is the Day of Pentecost. On this Sunday many churches celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus’ disciples in fulfillment of his promise and the birth of the Church.

In a number of denominations, it is one of four traditional baptismal Sundays in the church year. The other three are Easter Sunday, All Saints’ Sunday, and the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord (the First Sunday after the Epiphany).

In some Christian traditions, those which practice the rite of confirmation, young people and adults who were baptized at an early age make a public declaration of their faith in Jesus Christ on this Sunday and receive the prayers of the church with the laying on of hands.

This Sunday’s message is about how to experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit’s presence and power.

The section of the service in brackets [ ] may be omitted.

Readings: Acts 2: 1-21; Romans 8: 22-27; and John 15:26-27; 16: 4-15

Message: How to Experience the Fullness of the Holy Spirit’s Presence and Power

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2024/05/sundays-at-all-hallows-sunday-may-19.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.

Friday's Catch: 'What is a Gospel Centred Church?'

What is a Gospel Centred Church?
A gospel-centred church is marked by its Christ exalting worship, grace-filled community, and missional presence in the world.

Make Your Church a Safe Sanctuary
In a perfect world, churches would serve as true sanctuaries of safety and peace for all who enter their doors. Unfortunately, the reality of abuse within faith communities reminds us that constant vigilance is necessary.

How can the church help youth struggling with mental illness?
With the demands of social media and the stress and challenges of greater social isolation as evidenced during the COVID pandemic, youth today are facing significant pressure with limited support.

Don’t Fall for Flat Earth Theology
Why you can't just "love Jesus" and be done.

Hold to Christ and loosen your grip on the rest
The noted Cambridge historian Herbert Butterfield in his book Christianity and History, closes with the words: “Hold to Christ, and for the rest be totally uncommitted.” Those may be words most needed these days when we are tempted to place one ideology or another, right and left, ahead of or alongside Christ.

5 Major Truths in John’s Brief Letters
The timeless themes of John’s letters serve to equip the church in the midst of today’s cultural challenges.

God Forgives Because God is Faithful
Grace is such a tough concept for us to embrace. It’s simple enough to define – God’s undeserved favor – but nearly impossible to internalize for most people.

Vatican to weigh in on the supernatural, Marian apparitions
This Friday, the Vatican will release a document with new norms for discerning Marian apparitions and other supernatural phenomena, the first time those norms have been updated since 1978.

10 Ways to Connect with Today's Kids
"Today’s kids are not yesterday’s kids. If we are going to reach today’s kids,we must understand them."

5 Principles of Making Disciples and Enabling Spiritual Growth
Spiritual growth of believers should be the goal of any church. We are to reach unbelievers and introduce them to Christ, but the end goal according to the command of Jesus is making disciples. It would even make sense then, that as much as we count the offering or attendance on Sundays, if we want to know we are being successful as a church, we have to somehow “count” our success at making disciples.

Reflecting the Character of God
We reflect attributes of our parents for reasons of both nature and nurture. Many of our characteristics are genetic and hereditary (nature). We also become more like our parents in time, as we are impacted by their example (nurture). In the same way, you reflect your Father’s attributes because of nature and nurture.

Thursday's Catch: 'Why Are Churchgoers Disenchanted With Your Church?' And More

Why Are Churchgoers Disenchanted With Your Church?
Of the churchgoers who left the church for a reason other than a residential move, 1 in 4 (26%) simply became disenchanted with the church.

Church Planters: How Do You Find The First 50?
Experienced pastors share the keys to launching a new church....

Acts of Kindness Aren’t Random
...kindness is one fruit of the Spirit that we can’t practice in isolation. We might experience peace in our own hearts and minds or exercise self-control when we’re alone, but we demonstrate kindness in relationship. As Zechariah 7:9 illustrates, kindness isn’t something we show to ourselves; it’s something we show to one another.

Fostering Community: Group Activities for Children’s Ministry
Fostering community within your children’s ministry and church is like planting seeds in a garden. With loving care, attention, and welcoming activities, faith flourishes while friendships bloom. While fostering community among kids, parents, and guests, you nurture an environment where everyone learns and grows.

Summer Church Activities: 7 Faith-Builders for Families
Looking for summer church activities for families? Then check out these easy, inexpensive, yet powerful suggestions. The ideas are sure to spark great conversations about faith.

How to Create Your Own Small Group Curriculum
Good small group curriculum is written to the needs of a particular group. It causes that group to grow. It causes that group to stretch. It causes that group to think. It makes that group a little more like Jesus.

6 Reasons Our Discipleship Strategies Miss the Mark
If your church is like mine, your mission or vision or purpose probably includes some aspect of the Great Commission. Many of us have even gone a step further and proclaimed that we are in the business of making disciples and we’ll know we are succeeding when we make some amount of more and better disciples. So . . . if we’re all trying to hit the same target, why are so many of our discipleship strategies missing the mark?

It's time for a new thing in global Christian missions
When Jesus gave His command to His disciples to "...go and make disciples of all nations...", (Matthew 28 16-20 NIV), the only way then to reach people was to physically go into new areas and find places they congregated. This digital era in which we live presents different opportunities to reach people globally, and many would argue faster than ever before.

Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (Thursday, May 16, 2024) Is Now Online

 

Welcome to Thursday evenings at All Hallows.

Many churches conduct baptisms and confirmations, professions of faith with laying on of hands and prayer, on this coming Sunday, which is the Feast of Pentecost. It is also known as Whitsunday or Whitsun, so named after the white robes the newly baptized donned after they were baptized.

Today’s message takes a look at one of the principal ways Christians as disciples of Jesus are to differ from other people. Today’s prayers include intercessions for those who will be baptized or confirmed or both this coming Sunday, for all new believers, and those who do not yet believe.

The section in brackets [ ] may be omitted.

Reading: Ephesians 4: 17-32

Message: How Christians Are to Differ from Everyone Else

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2024/05/thursday-evenings-at-all-hallows_16.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.

Wednesday's Catch: 'The Power of Story' And More

The Power of Story
...here are a few guidelines for sharing stories of faith in a way that really connects with people in our world today (and helps us avoid pitfalls and off-ramps)....

“Engaging in the Public Sphere” featuring Kevin Slayton
How can church leaders better engage the public sphere and expand their prophetic witness? We speak with Kevin Slayton, a pastor with a passion for public policy and prophetic preaching, about building relationships, engaging in politics, and his book Politically Preaching, Why Politics Are Local to the Black Church.

ECFA's new standard seeks to combat burnout, ‘integrity failures’ among ministry leaders
As pastors and ministry heads face rising exhaustion and as each day seems to bring another leader facing allegations of misconduct, the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability is developing a new "leadership standard" for member ministries in the hopes of combating burnout and "integrity failures" in churches and charities.

Does Jesus' View of Grace Offend You? The Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard
Where is grace? Real grace. True grace.

The Real Unforgivable Sin
Do you know what the unforgivable sin is?The only unforgivable sin is rejecting the forgiveness of God.

11 Questions for Getting to Know a New Congregation
Robert Harris shares a method for interviewing congregational leaders and others to help an incoming pastor learn about a new congregation. He recommends interviewing a broad representation of leaders and encourages pastors to be relaxed and curious during the interviews.

7 Ways to Ensure You Miss Out on a Restful Summer
As we enter the often busy summer months, here are seven foolproof ways to ensure your summer is anything but restful.

Sing Your Heart Out, Christian
Just because we are not great singers doesn’t mean we shouldn’t sing. To the contrary, the Bible tells us explicitly to “make a joyful noise to the Lord” (Ps. 100:1). Joyful doesn’t necessarily mean pretty — but full of joy!

Why do religious teens engage in less risky behavior? A psychologist explains
Research suggests that a clear understanding of what is right and wrong contributes to engaging in less risky behavior.

Children, Hope, and Our Declining Churches
All of the beauty and majesty of the church’s past is remembered through our liturgy, our architecture, our tradition. And yet for many parishes and many places, there is no future because there are no children. Thus, the focus changes from handing on the gospel to fiddling with canons and prayers and slowing the decay of sanctuaries until the last gray head in the congregation is laid to rest.

Is Jesus Your Lord or Your Advisor?
If we only obey Jesus when he makes sense to us, then he’s not our Lord; he’s our advisor.

The number of religious ‘nones’ has soared, but not the number of atheists – and as social scientists, we wanted to know why
Social factors, from wealth to politics, may shape whether people who do not believe in God identify as an atheist.

Tuesday's Catch: 'A Small Church Is Still Part of the Big Mission' And More

A Small Church Is Still Part of the Big Mission
Don’t let the size of the mission overwhelm your church or distract you from it. The source of the mission is found in Christ alone.

What happened in the ten days between Ascension and Pentecost?
Between Ascension and Pentecost, the surviving eleven apostles replaced Judas and appointed the 13th apostle. This is the story....

Former Trump official Elizabeth Neumann wants to combat Christian extremism
'We've reordered, if you will, in the incorrect order: Politics is the premier as opposed to our trust and faith in Jesus,' said the extremism expert.

15 Misperceptions about Ministry 

Forty-three years ago last month, I began full-time ministry. Looking back, I realize now how many misperceptions I had about ministry then. Here are some of them—without much elaboration, since they’re usually self-explanatory....

Pastors and the Paradox of Being Resented and Revered
Here are three truths about the paradox of being resented and revered.

9 Tools for Leading a Life-Changing Bible Study
Having the right tools available can open a conversation around God’s Word that will eventually lead to discipleship. You don’t need seminary training to lead a great Bible study. All you need is some planning and a few tools.

An Unequally Yoked Small Group
About 14 years ago, Mun Kit Au and his wife, Josephine, a Malaysian Christian couple, left their small group to try a new small group approach to reaching non-believers. In this article Sarah Eekhoff Zylstral tells their story.

Dignifying the Digital Ordinary
What does it mean to be a prism of God's light on social media? In what ways do our digital "doors" point people to the cross?

Living and Drifting when in Transition
What is it about the middle? Don’t you find that we often quit in the middle? We get scared, and then we quit. We run out of money, and then we quit. We run out of time, we’re not serious enough, we lose interest, we settle for being mediocre, or we just focus on the short term instead of the long term…and then we quit. And doesn’t all of that usually happen when we’re in the middle?

10 Things You Should Know About the Fruit of the Spirit
Just as physical fruit is a delight to our senses, spiritual fruit is a delight to our souls. Through the Spirit working within us, God produces a harvest of good fruit that can be shared with others. As we anticipate his harvest, here are 10 things we can savor about spiritual fruit, from the authors of our new devotional, Fruitful: Cultivating a Spiritual Harvest that Won’t Leave You Empty.

Monday's Catch: 'The Hidden Reason Churches Nail Worship' And More

The Hidden Reason Churches Nail Worship
The hidden reason churches nail worship is because the pastor leads out in worship.

5 Results Every Pastor and Church Desires From a Building Project
No matter what size of building project, what the scope of work, or what the budgetary constraints, every renovation, expansion, or new construction project has challenges and potential pitfalls. The responsibility of your building partner is to help you navigate all the hurdles, obstacles, and challenges with as little interruption to your main focus – ministry – as possible. A building partner who understands this responsibility and takes it seriously, will deliver a project that meets or exceeds these 5 criteria.

A Christian view of suicide and assisted suicide
In thinking about the proposal to legalise 'assisted dying' from a Christian perspective there are two preliminary points that need to be noted.

10 Big Things Jesus Said That We Keep Forgetting
I apologize for the title. Everything our Lord said was “big.” It’s just that some of His statements in particular seem to have been muted in recent years. See what you think.

Empowerment in Ministry: Unleashing the Power of Delegation for Pastors
Delegation has transformative potential for you and your local church, unlocking new levels of impact in your ministry and church.

8 Blessings of Studying Your Bible
Between the “already” of your conversion and the “not yet” of your final home going, few things are more important in the Christian life than a practical and functional level of biblical literacy. One of the Father’s most important gifts to his children in the here and now is the gift of his Word. Without studying your Bible you simply won’t be what God has called you to be and consistently do what God has commanded you to do. Studying your Bible gives the ability to draw wisdom and insight out of the pages of his amazing Book.

How to Plan a Pastoral Hospital Visit
Showing kindness to the sick from a distance—paying bills, meal trains—is surely not wrong, but what is interesting about the biblical command to visit the sick is the emphasis Scripture places on embodied presence.

12 Easy Ways to Improve Your Listening
True listening isn’t just hearing words but selflessly seeking understanding. It’s the quietest way to shout, “I love you.”

The 'E-Word'
Episcopalians are not the only churchgoers for whom the topic of evangelism is toxic. Researcers tell us that just 6% of the churches in the United States engage in evangelism.

Practicing Christians, Scripture engaged more skeptical of AI than general public: poll
Practicing Christians and Scripture-engaged believers are more skeptical of artificial intelligence than the American public as a whole, according to a new survey.