Pages

Friday, August 02, 2024

Friday's Catch: 'East Africa: Future Face of the Global Church' And More


We’ll likely see the face of global Christianity become not simply African but decidedly sub-Saharan. In fact, it could be predominantly East African.

Can struggling houses of worship be turned into housing? Not always
...the notion that all surplus faith properties should become 100% affordable housing is carelessly simplistic. Sometimes this approach makes sense. Other times, it doesn’t. Not every faith property is suited to be converted into affordable housing. Other potential uses — and mixed-use solutions — may shout out as preferable, depending upon a wide range of factors.

The slow fade of denominational publishing
Shrinking churches means the market for Christian print resources diminishes, too.

Would a third province undercut the ecclesiology of the Church of England?
In an open letter responding to a statement from the conservative 'Alliance' grouping in the Church of England the Bishop of Oxford has declared that the creation of a conservative third province in the Church of England, as proposed by the Alliance, would be something that 'undercuts the very essence of Anglican ecclesiology.' In this article I shall set out the ecclesiology of the Church of England and then ask whether, in the light of this evidence, the bishop's claim is true.
I am not privy to the mind of Steve Croft. He may believe that the Church of England's ecclesiology is greographically-based. In that view only one jurisdiction can occupy a specific territory at a time. But that notion is a thing of the past. Two Anglican churches occupy the same territory in Europe--the Church of England and the Episcopal Church. Several denominations have overlapping jurisdictions in the United Kingdom. The establishment of a non-geographic province in the UK may be the most equitable solution to the disagreement over same sex marriage in the Churchof England.
The late Lyle E Schaller in From Geography to Affinity: How Congregations Can Learn From One Another proposed the establishments of affinity networks within denominations. An affinity network is a group of congregations that share particular goals and visions. He believed that "that allowing and encouraging the formation of such affinity networks will recognize the differences between congregations within a denominations as the strength it truly is, and will, foster a greater unity of purpose between the denomination's churches."
Lutherans, Orthodox Church reach agreement on 1,000-year debate over Nicene Creed
The Lutheran World Federation and the Orthodox Church have announced an agreement on the debate over the “Filioque” clause of the Nicene Creed, which prompted the schism between Western and Eastern churches over 1,000 years ago.
The addition of the "Filoque' clause was intended as a corrective to the Greek version of the Nicene Creed which suggests that the Son is not equal to the Father, a heretical Arian belief. A number of recent surveys of the religious beliefs of US Christians indicates that a large percentage of them have an Arian view of the Son. This suggests that the Lutheran abandonment of the "Filoque" clause may be premature.
What Does a Humble Pastor Really Look Like?
Humility is the ability to see people as God sees them and empathize with their lives. In the context of a local church, what makes a humble pastor?

Getting the Word of God to Oral Contexts
Over three billion people worldwide cannot hear or accept the gospel because no one around them knows it.

4 Tips For Rehearsing Great Worship Song Intros
How do we rehearse worship song intros in a band rehearsal?
Related Articles: 6 Power Tips for Making Music Together and 5 Tips For Rehearsing Great Worship Song Outros
7 Ways to Prepare to Share Your Faith
As I train leaders, pastors and church members all over the globe, I am learning that there are some things we need to do as part of our preparation that go beyond learning evangelism skills. Here are seven ways to prepare yourself to be a person that God can use to share his good news—and to whom others will actually listen.

No comments:

Post a Comment