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Wednesday, August 21, 2024

Wednesday's Catch: '5 Ways Forward for Very Small Congregations" And More


The percentage of U.S. churches with attendance of 100 or fewer increased from 45 percent in 2000 to 70 percent in 2020. Lovett H. Weems Jr. shares relevant data while also considering the distinctive calling of very small congregations and ways they can embrace a more positive future.

Confessions of a Church Merger
A church merger is a delicate dance in which one leads and the other follows. Regardless of church size and health of two merging churches, every church merger involves a lead church and a joining church. A church mergers is usually initiated by the joining church. If there is a joining church pastor, he or she typically remains on staff post-merger, but usually not in the same role. Mergers that result in a multisite outcome typically have higher rates of success and satisfaction.

Faith abounds at the Democratic National Convention, but don’t be surprised
Trump staffers have called the left ‘godless,’ but this year’s DNC painted a very different picture.

Red Letter Christians
John Wesley, founder of Methodism, loved to gather people and ask “How is it with your soul?” One of the largest questions of this election season! No one thinks conventions, ads, parties and politics make us better, holier or wiser. What throws you off balance, what makes you crazy, what divides you from your neighbor is not of God. The risen Christ visited the fearful, anxious disciples hiding behind locked doors, trembling over the troubles of their world – and he said “Peace.” Are you at peace?

“Judge Not”
... just because people can misuse a verse does not give us a reason to throw out that verse. The fact is that Matthew 7:1 is a necessary corrective that many Christians need to hear. If we can first clear away the false claims, we will be in a position to let Matthew 7:1 shape us as Jesus intended.

The ministry of buttons
Pastoral care is not only something that pastors provide to members and attendees of their church and those outside their congregation but also something they should teach to their congregations and model for their congregations so that they can offer pastoral care to others and one another.

Do You Know the Regulative Principle of Worship?
Throughout church history, there has been a tendency for serious, theologically-minded believers (and we should all want to be serious, theologically-minded believers) to fall into the trap of being overly critical of the way in which other believers approach the adiaphora [difference in Greek] circumstances of worship. More often than not, individuals who are serious about the regulative principle of worship put everything into the categories of “good vs. bad” instead of into what we may consider to be “good, better, and best” practices. Many times, what one considers an essential aspect of the regulative principle of worship is nothing other than a preferential circumstance of worship.
Anglicans have historically applied both the regulative principle and the normative principle to worshp.
3 Key Principles for Intergenerational Preaching
What does intergenerational preaching look like? David Csinos shares that it is an emergent, experimental, and highly contextual endeavor that disrupts traditional homiletical norms. He offers three guiding principles to help cultivate the practice of intergenerational preaching: simplify the language, encourage conversation, and share the pulpit.

11% of Protestants can't distinguish between Old, New Testaments
More than one-tenth of Protestants cited a New Testament story when asked about their favorite Old Testament passage, according to the results of a new study. Lifeway Research released a report last week titled “Protestant Churchgoer Views on Bible Stories” based on responses collected from 1,008 American Protestant churchgoers in September 2023. The survey asked respondents “Of all the stories found in the Old Testament of the Bible, which one is your favorite?”
Lifeway Research Report: "Protestant Churchgoer Views On Bible Stories."
Texting: The Underutilized Tool for Churches
Have you considered using texting as your primary form of communication? Here are a few ways you can use texting to engage with your people.

How Small Groups Bring Redemptive Relationships
Scott Hollingshead xplains three ways tat small groups nurture redemptive relationships.

College Freshman, Stick the Landing
Vance Greenwald offers college freshmen advice on how to naviage their first year with wisdom.

A Strategic Campus Ministry Is All About Relationships
Here are three tips for you and your church on reaching this unique demographic with the most important message in the world.

Why Paul Is a Complicated Missionary Model
Paul didn’t only have a unique role in the founding of the church; certain historical factors also make his example rarely replicable.

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