Wednesday' Catch: 'Are You Organized for Control or Growth?' And More

Are You Organized for Control or Growth?
One of the pastors on our staff was overheard saying to another staffer, “One of the things that makes Meck so different is that it is not organized for control, but rather organized for growth.” He gets it. It’s a simple but profound idea.

Leaders Tell the Story of Their Organization
Storytelling is a relatable, memorable way to convey information and engage peoples’ hearts and minds. Justin Irving says effective leaders master the art of storytelling to engage stakeholders in the mission of their organizations.

Beyond the pew: trying to reach Canadians at a time of waning familiarity with Christianity
As the Anglican Church of Canada sets the church up for a renewed focus on evangelism with a discipleship and evangelism task force, it faces a changing society—one in which familiarity with Christianity is waning. More and more Canadians, like Liu, have never encountered church before. If the church wants to reach out to Canadians today, several specialists in evangelism tell the Anglican Journal, it will need to consider how to introduce the faith to these people.

Bishop of the Arctic leaves church with predictions of renewal 

The Bishop of the diocese of the Arctic David Parsons has announced he will retire Dec. 31, 2024. In a career he describes as beginning with a small voice calling him to share the gospel despite his reluctance, Parsons today says his greatest highlight was meeting the people of the Arctic, whom he was called to share it with.

8 Risks of a ‘Pick-and-Choose’ Christianity
Literally, “à la carte” means, “at or according to the menu”—and we’ve understood it to mean choosing what we want from a smorgasbord of options. I fear that description fits how many believers live out their Christianity, too: they pick what they want and leave the rest on the counter. Here are some dangers of that approach—dangers that might also signal if we’ve moved in this direction....

Why I Am a Christian: The Problem of Evil
One of the objections that I heard and believed as a non-Christian was the objection from evil: A truly good and just God would not permit evil. The God of the Christians permits evil. Ergo, he is neither good nor just. The first (major) premise is to be doubted. The middle (minor) premise is to be qualified and the conclusion rejected.

How To Be There for Those Walking Through Grief
Pastors and church leaders are often first on the scene to provide loving comfort or grief counseling to those stricken by death’s sting.

A Unique and Fresh Approach to Bible Reading
A few years ago author and discipleship expert Bill Hull introduced me to a fresh approach to Bible reading through one of his books. He explained an ancient yet growing Christian devotional practice called lectio divina, which includes four phases: lectio, meditatio, oratio, and contemplatio. I took those four concepts and created my own acronym to make it more easily remembered: RIPE. RIPE stands for Read, Immerse, Pray, and Execute. Try reading your Bible in this way and see how it can freshen your experience. It’s also helpful to record insights you learn in a journal.

Impactful Discipleship: Fostering Spiritual Growth in Youth
Discipleship for teens is more than a Bible study series. It’s about nurturing a deep, life-changing relationship with Christ. By fostering spiritual growth, you give students a faith foundation to sustain them through life’s highs and lows. Here are practical steps for impactful discipleship with teenagers.

Special Feature: Religion, Politics, and the Rise of Authoritarianism in America 

JD Vance once worried Trump was ‘America’s Hitler’. Now his own authoritarian leanings come into view
Vice-presidential pick has said he would have blocked certification of 2020 results in key states won by Biden.

Related articles: Usha Vance's Connections to Supreme Court Justices Raises Concerns and Vance's 'Hillbilly Elegy' becomes political lightning rod

What does it mean that JD Vance’s wife is the daughter of immigrants and Hindu?
The most anti-immigrant and pro-evangelical presidential candidate in modern history has chosen as his running mate a man whose wife is the daughter of immigrants and is not Christian.

New book documents how Trump administration prioritized deporting Muslims
Average annual deportations to Muslim-majority nations also increased by 38% during the Trump administration.

At RNC, an uneven, awkward embrace of religious pluralism
As a Republican official led a Sikh prayer, images of Christian crosses flashed behind her.

"Bone chilling": Authoritarianism expert alarmed at RNC crowd reaction to bandaged Trump appearance
An authoritarianism expert expressed alarm Monday at the aggressive reactions from the crowd at the Republican National Convention when a bandaged Donald Trump entered the arena on Monday.

We can’t let political violence be used to silence concerns about rising political violence
“Vance’s disingenuous rant is a rhetorical ploy to make Trump’s critics hesitate before sounding the alarm about the dangers he genuinely poses.”

'Can you hear the dog whistles?' Project 2025's nightmare vision for Black America exposed
The Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 has faced an upsurge in scrutiny for its blueprint to transform the entire federal government into a right-wing army to do Donald Trump's bidding, including ending the independence of the Justice Department and allowing any nonpartisan worker who won't back the agenda to be fired at will. But less attention has been focused on the project's detailed plans on race relations.

Conspiracy theories are unavoidable following the Trump shooting. But social media firms are making things worse
The truth just had a real bad weekend. Social media has long played a major role in making society more conspiracy-minded, by creating filter bubbles and stimulating the virality of outrageous notions to serve a business model built on the never-ending quest for engagement. The result is what we’ve seen online following the shooting of former President Donald Trump on Saturday.

Longtime Supporter Pastor Jack Hibbs Receives Criticism for Telling Donald Trump, ‘It’s Time To Bow the Knee’ to Jesus Christ 

The day after Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt, California Pastor Jack Hibbs used his Sunday sermon to implore the former president and 2024 Republican nominee to “say that Jesus Christ is Lord.” Referencing Trump’s bloodied ear and fist raised in defiance, Hibbs said he’d next like to see “Trump on his knees with his hands lifted up to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.”

Those who claim that former President Trump has turned in repentance from his sins and professed faith in Jesus for his salvation are engaging in wishful thinking. To date Trump has shown no discernible evidence of Jesus' influence in his life. He has, however, displayed an aptitude for cynically exploiting the religious beliefs of others for his own advantage and a willingness to don the mantle of God's anointed, something from which a true disciple of Jesus would shrink.

NRA members say they’re stocking up on ammo before presidential election
Weeks before the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, three-fourths of a sample of members attending the National Rifle Association annual meeting said they would be stocking up on ammunition ahead of this fall’s presidential election.

Neo-Nazis take over Nashville streets for the second week in a row
For the second time in as many weeks, members of a neo-Nazi hate group massed in downtown Nashville, accosting passerby in Nashville’s tourist-heavy Lower Broadway entertainment district.