Monday's Catch: 'What Young Adults Look for in a Church' And More

What Young Adults Look for in a Church

Many of the frustrations surrounding our failure to reach young adults are less about them and more about the church.

Rick Warren lists 10 action steps through the book of Acts to help church leaders 'finish their race'
In his 54th year in ministry, Rick Warren, founder of Saddleback Church, declared at the Fourth Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization that he would spend the next 10 years of his life continuing to help church leaders "finish their race" and fulfill the Great Commission in their lifetime.

Can a Church or Ministry Do Anything About an Employee’s Negative Social Media Posts?
Several major churches and ministry organizations have a social media policy in place, but not many. Besides, are those policies legal? Can a church censor those posts, or fire the employee? What about freedom of speech?

Negative social media posts can not only harm the reputation of a local church ad affect its ability to reach and engage its community, they can also damage the general public image of Christians and Christianity.

4 Ways to Involve Your Small Groups in the Great Commission
If you want your church to balance God’s purposes and grow in a healthy way, your small groups must lead the way.

Four Reasons Why “Evangelism” Is Often Misunderstood in Churches
Why are some churches evangelistic and others are not?

No Excuses: Spark Your Church to Live on Mission
Want to ignite those you lead with a fire for the Gospel? First embrace this simple truth: It starts with you.

Related Articles: How to Spread the Gospel the Jesus Way and Everyday Evangelism for Everyone

Street Ministry Ideas: Tips for Youth Evangelism and Outreach

Street ministry ideas for youth ministry let teens put feet to their faith. Heading outside their comfort zone helps young people mature spiritually while sharing the Gospel. Through street ministry, your youth group can interact with and serve others. Engaging with the community this way might seem intimidating. But it is transformative when done with intention and preparation.

Sundays at All Hallows (Sunday, September 29, 2024) Is Now Online

 

Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows.

The Holy Scriptures, the writings of the Old Testament and the New Testament, contain everything that we need to know for our salvation and to live a godly and holy life pleasing to God. In this Sunday’s message we take a look at what we can learn from the Letter of James to improve our prayer life.

Readings: Numbers 11: 16-29, James 5: 12-20, and Mark 9:38-50

Message: The Way to a Better Prayer Life

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2024/09/sundays-at-all-hallows-sunday-september_28.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:

-It is recommended that after reading or hearing each lesson to take time to reflect on what you read or heard during the period of silence which follows each lesson. It is also recommended that you do the same thing after reading or hearing the message.

-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 Lagiappe: 'It’s Getting Crazy (Again) for Pastors and Politics' And More

It’s Getting Crazy (Again) for Pastors and Politics
Should pastors address politics from the pulpit? Or in any format that flows from their platform as spiritual leaders?

How the US government can stop ‘churches’ from getting treated like real churches by the IRS
New developments, including the increasing diversity of faith communities and the advent of worship through streamed services, have rendered the IRS definition of a church outdated.

Anglican Church of Southern Africa rejects blessings for same-sex couples
The Anglican Church of Southern Africa has rejected a proposal to allow bishops to approve blessings for couples in same-sex unions in parishes that want to offer them.

After a crackdown on sexuality, two dozen CRC churches head for the exits
At its 2024 synod in June, the Christian Reformed Church instructed LGBTQ-affirming congregations to repent and comply with the denomination’s beliefs on sexuality. Some are now choosing to leave.

‘A constant trickle … until there’s little or nothing left’
Massive loss of cultural wealth feared as cash-strapped churches struggle to preserve buildings.

Related Article: Parish vows to rebuild historic Toronto church destroyed by fire—and keep it a home for Canadian art

How the numbers connect declining birth rates and fear of immigrants
Al Mohler is obsessed with declining birth rates, and Donald Trump is obsessed with villainizing immigrants. It turns out there’s a connection between these two ideas.

Rome’s Seven Deadly Errors
John Piper explains why we should be seriously concerned with Roman Catholic teaching.

Three Game-Changers for People-Pleasing Leaders
Emotionally healthy leaders are fueled by healthy motivations.

The joy of being home in the local church
Being part of your own local church family is wildly different from hopping from church to church. Many Christians visit a range of different churches but don’t settle in one. Others travel to different church sites in the virtual world to experience different preaching and worship. While the actual content you might absorb in church hopping or from different online preachers might be great, it is no substitute for being part of a local church where people know you and you know other people.

Friday's Catch: "Rick Warren at Lausanne 4: ‘Part of finishing the task is re-evangelizing the Church’" And More

Rick Warren at Lausanne 4: ‘Part of finishing the task is re-evangelizing the Church’
Ahead of his speech Saturday at the Fourth Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization, Rick Warren, founder of Saddleback Church in California, warned believers must re-evangelize nominal Christians to fulfill the Great Commission, adding that some Christians have traded "spiritual power for political influence."

Breaking down the barriers to evangelism
For the past 25 years, I've been working alongside local churches and individual Christians who are eager to become more effective in sharing their faith. During this time, I've come to realize that while many believe evangelism is important, they often feel like someone else is better suited for the task.

The Religion of America's Young Adults (And how the gender gap could be the story going forward). 

The gender divide among younger Americans is one of the most hotly discussed topics right now among social scientists...For decades, folks who study religion have always assumed that women exhibit higher levels of religious devotion and attachment. This Pew Research Report is worth perusing on that point.

VOICES: People are tired of Church drama
The decline of Christianity in the United States has been a significantly reported trend over the past few decades. Several major studies and surveys have illustrated this decline. I think that what has contributed to this trend the most in the United States is that most Christians are tired of church drama.

Proposed deal with Vanderbilt could keep a struggling Episcopal seminary in NYC afloat
An earlier plan to partner with a music school with ties to a conservative Catholic donor fell through. The new lease, if approved, could help GTS through a fiscal crisis.

Related Article: General Seminary to Lease Campus to Vanderbilt University

What your faith community needs to know for Suicide Awareness Month
While Suicide Awareness Month is a good time to talk about mental health in church, it is a relevant topic year-round. With world tragedies on constant social media display — often coupled with traumatizing images or videos — and the typical milieu of day-to-day life stressors big and small, it’s safe to say church members everywhere have experienced some kind of psychological anguish or pain. And moving out of September, there are many ways ministers can be present to these issues throughout the year.

Related Article: Ohio church’s suicide loss support group offers families, friends a place to grieve

Six types of people today’s church leaders have to try to shepherd in a single congregation...
When you think of your local church, you probably conjure up a picture of a group of people that has little variation to it. But the truth is, when describing any group of people, including a local church, you’re actually dealing with a conglomerate of individuals, complete with their own temperaments, their own personalities, their own characters, and lots (and lots!) of individual opinions. You might say shepherding a local church is kind of like herding cats ... just harder!

The Uncarnation of Christ?
One of the devil’s greatest ploys is to distance us from the realness of Jesus. While heresy is a handy tool for the evil one, an orthodoxy wielded and tilted at the wrong angle can also do his work.

Many Tongues: Worship for World Communion Sunday
A celebration of World Communion Sunday need not be odd or uncomfortable for people with a limited experience of languages and cultures other than their own (see p. 3). Any time we plan worship, we need to ask, What is the authentic “language” (ethos, perspective, culture) of the congregation? In what forms can the gospel be heard most clearly, and in what language(s) can the congregation glorify God most freely?

Related Article: A Taste of Reality: Celebrate World Communion Every Sunday

The Beauty of Scripture’s Word Pictures
Have you ever paused and considered God’s incredible gift of language? Through words we communicate, understand, and connect with each other. They have the power to encourage and exhort; to make ourselves known and to know another. Words matter to God, for He chose to reveal Himself through them–through Scripture, the “Word of God,” and ultimately through His Son, Jesus, who is called simply “the Word” in John 1:1. God is the ultimate wordsmith.

Creating Community
Disciple making is not merely a transfer of information. It’s not simply making better choices. Disciple making is certainly not a process. After all, you’re not manufacturing widgets. And, as I’ve written before, sermons don’t make disciples. Character is formed in community. How is community formed? Here are some ways to connect your congregation into community....

Beyond the Classroom: Outdoor Activities for Kids’ Spirituality
Beyond the classroom and church, faith can flourish. Outdoor activities offer powerful opportunities for children to connect with God. Sunday school teachers and parents can encourage spiritual growth out in nature in many meaningful ways.

Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (Thursday, September 26, 2024) Is Now Online

Welcome to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows.

The message for this Thursday evening is the first in a series on Paul’s Letter to the Colossians. We will be unpacking what Paul wrote in this letter and considering what lessons it offers for Christians living in the twenty-first century.

Reading: Colossians 1:3-14

Message: Prayer

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2024/09/thursday-evenings-at-all-hallows_26.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:

-It is recommended that after reading or hearing a lesson to take time to reflect on what you read or heard during the period of silence which follows the lesson. It is also recommended that you do the same thing after reading or hearing the message.

-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: 'Responding to the Lausanne Seoul Statement' And More

Responding to the Lausanne Seoul Statement: We Need a Greater Focus on Evangelism’s Place in the Holistic Mission

Ed Stetzer explains why he believes that the Seoul Statement needs a greater call to prioritize evangelism.

Related Article: Lausanne Daily Dispatch: Powerful Worship and a New Seoul Statement

Lausanne amends Seoul Statement sections on homosexuality after criticism
After releasing the Seoul Statement just before the start of the Fourth Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization held in Incheon, Korea from September 22 to 28, the document's editorial team adjusted two paragraphs that speak to the issue of the Church's response to homosexuality. A spokesperson commented that more minor changes are possible.

Churches must be ready to respond biblically to sexual revolution, Lausanne Congress hears
Christians must not be silent as the "victory" of the sexual revolution spreads across the world, but neither should they condemn others, the Fourth Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization has heard.

After a crackdown on sexuality, two dozen CRC churches head for the exits
At its 2024 synod in June, the Christian Reformed Church instructed LGBTQ-affirming congregations to repent and comply with the denomination’s beliefs on sexuality. Some are now choosing to leave.

Child-free spaces, dirty looks on planes and ‘breeders’: Why people seem so annoyed by kids
In some corners of society, there appears to be a shift in the way people talk about kids.

This negative attitude toward children manifest on the internet is a development which warrants the attention of pastors and other church leaders as it may have ramifications for the church.

New Study: Evangelical Giving Is Down
According to a recent study, the proportion of evangelicals giving to church fell 13 percentage points from 2021, constituting a 17% decrease in giving.

Eric Geiger: What To Do ‘If You Want Values To Actually Drive Behavior’
Eric Geiger is the senior pastor of Mariners Church in Irvine, California. Eric has authored or co-authored several books, including “Designed to Lead: The Church and Leadership Development” and the bestselling church leadership book, “Simple Church: Returning to God’s Process for Making Disciples.” Be sure to keep an eye out for his course, Designed to Lead, which will be on RightNowPastorsPlus.org.

Disagree and Commit
Desmond Barrett explains how this three-word phrase can transform a negative situation into a positive one.

Are Christians Prohibited from Getting Tattoos? (Leviticus 19)
Sometimes people read a statement about tattoos in the Old Testament and wonder if it applies today.

Different Pastors Are Wired Differently (Part 1)
Pastors are not clones of one another. On the contrary, their personalities and preferences can be dramatically different. In this first episode, Jess and Thom examine eight different personality styles of pastors and how they affect their ministries. They discuss the first four of eight typologies of pastors.

Different Pastors Are Wired Differently (Part 2)
Pastors are not clones of one another. On the contrary, their personalities and preferences can be dramatically different. Jess and Thom examine eight different personality styles of pastors and how they affect their ministries. In this episode, they discuss the second four of eight typologies of pastors.

Why Are the Pianist and Organist Paid Positions in Many Churches?
Our team at Church Answers frequently examines church budgets. It is common for the pianist to be paid, while other music positions are not. Thom and Jess examine the history and cultural relevance of this reality today.

10 Commitments for a Healthy Small Group Ministry
Over the years we have been asked for guidance about starting, leading, and sustaining a healthy small group ministry. Trust me when I tell you, we haven’t always done it right, nor have we figured it all out. Together our ministry team came up with these commitments to keep us on target. These aren’t just for me as the small group point person; I make sure they serve to guide all leaders throughout our ministry. Once you’ve chosen the commitments that will guide your ministry, make sure your whole small group ministry team knows and owns them.

Wednesday's Catch: 'Church property conference offers congregations more than prayer to keep their buildings' And More

Church property conference offers congregations more than prayer to keep their buildings
Congregations facing hard choices about what to do with underutilized, high-maintenance sacred structures heard from real estate experts at a recent conference on the future of church buildings.

Lausanne Movement celebrates 50 years with renewed urgency to take the Gospel to a digital world
The Church must embrace every technological tool at its disposal to engage with today's digital world or else lose the next generation, the head of the Lausanne Movement has said.Dr Michael Oh laid out the vision for the global evangelical movement during its 50th anniversary celebrations in Incheon, near Seoul in South Korea, on Tuesday night.

Is There an Ideal Age for Clergy?
Lovett H. Weems Jr. looks at shifting age patterns among United Methodist clergy through the lens of history and newly available clergy age data for 2024. Recognizing that clergy of different ages bring different gifts and perspectives, he maintains that congregations and the denomination benefit from having a pool of clergy broad in its age distribution and representative of the general population.

Does an Aging Population Explain High Clergy Ages?
For most traditions, the disproportionate aging of clergy is a crucial challenge. Lovett H. Weems Jr. highlights some of the findings in the National Congregations Study and names some of the challenges facing denominations today.

How to Become a Pastor
While Scripture lays out the qualifications of a pastor, there’s no template for becoming a pastor. So how do you become one?

Why Small Church Pastors Can Drive a Revival of Discipleship
Church growth strategies have been tough on small church pastors. They often focus on scaling systems, producing high-quality content, and creating large worship experiences that can’t be rivaled. But a small church pastor is uniquely positioned to drive a revival of discipleship in ways that larger churches and celebrity pastors simply cannot replicate. Why? Because discipleship requires some things that don’t scale well.

The None-bers Game With Ryan Burge
An in-depth statistical look at American religion and culture with Ryan Burge; the convergence of gun idolatry and white Christian identity with Jay Michaelson.

“Engage Polarization with Kindness” featuring Cathy Bien
How can church leaders address polarization? We speak with Cathy Bien about the Campaign for Kindness and how church leaders can lead out of their faith to engage polarization in their communities with kindness.

What Volunteers Want From Your Church
... here are 5 things that the people who volunteer at your church want from you. They may or may not say it—but they want it. And if they don’t get it, it will probably keep them from volunteering at your church....

Do You Believe in Miracles?
Do educated people believe in God more or less?

Best Advice for New Worship Leaders
Jeremy Gonzales offers some helpful pointers from what he has learned as a young worship leader.

Faith, Tech and AI: What People Want from the Church
We are living in a period of tremendous, magic-like digital revolution. Christian leaders need to be prepared to help people think and live faithfully for Jesus amid these trends.

How to Choose a Nursery Pager System
What is a Nursery Pager System and how can it help you? A nursery pager system can be used as a telecommunications tool. Although it functions more like a radio, it is much easier to use. Pagers, chargers and transmitters are all part of paging systems. The radio signals are received by the pager from a particular paging network. The pager will either blink or vibrate depending on the signal it receives.

How Can I Get Back On Track Spiritually?
It is important to recognize that the Christian life can be a series of ups and downs, confidence and doubts. However, the faith that God gives us in Jesus Christ is (praise God!) not based on our feelings or even on our faithfulness. Neither is God’s love toward us. This is important to remember, because discouragement is one of the most effective tools in Satan’s bag of tricks.

Tuesday's Catch: "Introducing the Seoul Statement' And More

Introducing the Seoul Statement
The Seoul Statement, alongside The State of the Great Commission report, is being released at the beginning of the Fourth Lausanne Congress to be an informative and inspirational tool for the global church during the Congress.

The Nuts and Bolts of Starting a New Church Site
The multisite church movement continues to grow. Today, more small churches start new sites than larger churches. Thom Rainer talks with Jess Rainer about the very practical steps of starting a new site. Jess has started three churches himself.

Are Megachurches Bad? 5 Unfair Criticisms It’s Time To Drop
When you think of large churches and megachurches, what comes to mind? Do you have a problem with megachurches?

Ed Stetzer: All Shapes and Sizes Each year, when we publish the Outreach 100 issue, it fosters some debate. Is there value in continuing to track the largest and fastest-growing churches? Why create such lists?

Undivided: How Regular Churchgoers Cultivated Racial Unity
hese days, it’s hard to avoid the divisive rancor that characterizes so much of our public life. In times of deep contention, how can church leaders equip people to bear witness to the gospel in a deeply convictional way, yet still be a source of unity—so that their communities can continue to grow and multiply? Navigating these turbulent times is no easy task for anyone in leadership.

Navigating a Massive Shift to Part-Time Clergy
Having a full-time paid priest serving one congregation used to be the norm in the Episcopal Church, but not anymore. Sixty-four percent of Episcopal congregations don’t have a paid, full-time priest. That’s up from 40 percent in 2015, according to the most recent Office of General Convention data from 2022. This massive, cost-lowering shift is having far-reaching ripple effects on congregational leadership, including who practices it, how leaders train, and what forms leadership takes.

The Episcopal Church should give serious thought to licensing lay pastors to not only preach sermons and to provide pastoral care but also to preside at celebrations of the Holy Eucharist and to administer the sacrament of Baptism--a step both the United Methodist Church and the Methodist Church in Britain have taken.

Clergy Age Trends in the United Methodist Church: 1985-2024
Any report on changes in clergy numbers and ages must acknowledge clergy leaving as a result of the disaffiliation process between 2019 and 2024. While this is a factor in declining clergy numbers, it is difficult with the information we have at this point to identify the specific impact of disaffiliation on various age groupings of clergy.

Pulpit Abuse: What It Is And How To Stop It
Do your sermons always circle back to your favorite topics? If so, you might be practicing pulpit abuse.

River baptisms revive faith on Bodmin Moor
Bodmin Moor, an iconic and rugged landscape in North Cornwall, has recently become a site for inspired Christian renewal through outdoor river baptisms.Earlier this month, on Sunday 15 September, an enthusiastic congregation of about ninety gathered at Delphy Bridge on the De Lank River to witness a series of baptisms, marking the second such Christian ceremony this year.

Getting the Most Out of Scripture Writing
Research has shown that writing things out by hand is more beneficial than we might have thought. It helps your memory more than typing...and writing by hand has also been shown to help you learn and retain knowledge....

How Pastors Who Feel ‘Overwhelmed’ by AI Can Engage With It Well
There are church leaders who want to ignore artificial intelligence (AI) completely and there are those who find it intriguing, but regardless of pastors’ feelings about the technology, it is essential that they engage with it. Experts whom ChurchLeaders spoke to at Gloo’s second annual AI and the Church Hackathon offered encouragement and practical steps for how pastors can do so well.

Effective Young Adult Ministry Depends on Small Groups
No matter your church size or context, there are things your ministry can do to engage the young adult population in your community.

Monday's Catch: 'Apostasy and the Rise of the Nones' And More

Apostasy and the Rise of the Nones
Can someone commit apostasy? It’s an important question facing the church in light of our entry into a post-Christian world, one where increasing numbers are claiming to have once been Christians and now claim to be “nothing.” This rise of the nones raises not only cultural questions, but also theological ones. How should we view a newly minted “none”?

Getting Your Church Recession Ready Without Killing Your Ministry
Here is the bottom line: There is a 50/50 chance you need to budget for a recession in 2025...Since 1950, the United States has experienced a recession approximately every 6.5 years on average. These recessions have varied in duration, lasting anywhere from two to 18 months, with the average recession lasting around ten months.

Among the factors which might contribute to a recession are the economic proposals of one of the candidates in the 2024 presidential election. They would only benefit the wealthy if enacted into law while significantly increasing the cost of living for Americans in the middle or lower economic bracket, according to economists, and could have serious disruptive effects on the economy.

Everything Communicates
In a recent staff meeting, we went over a simple but profound idea. It’s not a new one, but it is one that needs constant re-emphasizing. “Everything communicates.”

We do not always appreciate this truth.

The Man Who Made Global Methodism Possible
Keith Boyette prepares for retirement as the denomination gathers formally for the first time.

‘Who is my neighbor?’
"What I am most interested in around this rhetorical dustup about immigrants has to do with Christian responses to it," writes Greg Garrett. "Reliable news media have fact-checked this story into oblivion, since even Republican officials in Springfield and in Ohio are saying it isn’t reality. But what I’m observing on social media is an amazing — if alarming — debate between varieties of Christians about how Christians should or should not respond to this story."

The Bible is not silent on the treatment of foreigners: “You must not mistreat or oppress foreigners in any way. Remember, you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt." Exodus 22:21 “You must not oppress foreigners. You know what it’s like to be a foreigner, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt." Exodus 23: 9 “Do not take advantage of foreigners who live among you in your land. Treat them like native-born Israelites, and love them as you love yourself. Remember that you were once foreigners living in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God." Leviticus 19:33-34 "Native-born Israelites and foreigners are equal before the Lord and are subject to the same decrees. This is a permanent law for you, to be observed from generation to generation. The same instructions and regulations will apply both to you and to the foreigners living among you.” Numbers 15:15-16 "“Be careful to obey all these commands I am giving you. Show love to the Lord your God by walking in his ways and holding tightly to him." Deuteronomy 11:22 "Be merciful just as your Father is merciful." Luke 6: 36

2 Realities That Often Stifle Conviction for Developing Leaders
Until one holds a deep conviction to develop younger or emerging leaders, leadership development will not happen. Conviction is necessary. How do you know if you have a conviction?

7 Ways to Earn and Keep Trust
People follow leaders they trust. So, building and maintaining trust is critical to good leadership. Thankfully, there are ways to earn and keep trust as a leader.

The Trinity Is Not a Team
The word communion might bring to mind the Lord’s Supper that Jesus instituted before his death and has been practiced by Christians ever since (Luke 22:7–23; 1 Cor. 11:17–34). For now we will discuss the idea of communion more generally. Here is a simple working definition for communion in Christian theology: the sharing of fellowship among God and his people.

Why We Need to Start Preaching and Teaching the Basics of Christianity
In 2016, Lifeway Research revealed a study which indicated that the ignorance of American Christians has grown to the point that the majority could actually be considered heretics.

Seminaries prompt students to ask: Can AI write a sermon?
From divinity school hallways to organized seminars to governing bodies, professors of the art of preaching are considering about what AI means their students.

10 Personal Discoveries I Made While Preaching
Ben Reed discovered that sometimes the very first person to be helped by the sermon is the preacher himself.

The Next Worship Leaders
People gather in homes, churches and pubs saying “Where, when can I go and meet with God?” The “worship leader” of every age says “What about here, what about now?” and lights the candles of music, visual art, design, architecture, sacramental actions and other languages of worship for the gathered community of faith.

How to Increase Biblical Literacy in Your Church
You must create a strategic plan of study and discipleship for your church that promotes spiritual growth and biblical literacy.

While Christians need more than a passing acquaintance with the Bible, they also need to know how to interpret and apply what it teaches, to avoid the common mistakes in interpretation and application, and to use commentaries and other Bible study tools. Reading and studying the Bible is not just about being well-informed but mor importantly it is about being transformed.

24 Smart Ways to Get Kids With Different Learning Styles Into the Bible
Use these 24 smart Bible study idea designed to help kids get into the Bible—made exactly for them.

The Five Marks of Spiritual Maturity
One of God’s five purposes for your church is to help your congregation grow in spiritual maturity. But there’s a lot of confusion about what Christian maturity looks like. As you’re making disciples, it’s important that you are clear about what it means to grow more like Jesus.

Exposed to Hope: The Evangelism of Welcome
“Are you a Christian?” Kathy asked me in the school cafeteria, feet swinging under the cold benches. What was a Christian? I wondered. “I don’t know,” I mumbled around my sandwich. “Well, have you asked Jesus into your heart?” she demanded. I didn’t have the faintest idea what she meant. Who was Jesus? And how do you ask him, or anyone, into your heart? It sounded like a foreign language to my ten-year-old ears. And it was. She had been encouraged to evangelize, and she did her job well. The problem was that her methods didn’t match my needs.

Sundays at All Hallows (Sunday, September 22, 2024) Is Now Online

Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows.

The Holy Scriptures can be very challenging. The Holy Spirit not only inspired them but also speaks to us through them.

In this Sunday’s message we weigh what the Holy Spirit is saying to God’s people in this Sunday’s readings.

Readings: Proverbs 31: 10-31; James 3:13 - 4:8a; and Mark 9: 30-37

Message: Friends of God or Friends of the World?

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2024/09/sundays-at-all-hallows-sunday-september_21.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:

-It is recommended that after reading or hearing each lesson to take time to reflect on what you read or heard during the period of silence which follows each lesson. It is also recommended that you do the same thing after reading or hearing the message.

-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 Lagniappe: 'Church in Wales earmarks £10m for mission and growth' And More

Church in Wales earmarks £10m for mission and growth
The Church in Wales is to invest nearly £10m in a number of new projects aimed at increasing church attendance. Multi-million pound grants will be split across projects in north-east Wales, Swansea and Monmouthshire. The grants are part of the Church in Wales' wider £100m investment in schemes to boost evangelism as it grapples with declining attendance.

Wisconsin community mourns church’s closing, celebrates decades of ministry and memories
In the terminology of the sparsely populated rural communities that span Wisconsin’s northern half, Lugerville is known as unincorporated. The nearby city of Park Falls, population 2,400, could be considered a crossroads community, but Lugerville is more like a wide spot in the road – an identity the community clearly embraces.

As Thom Rainer observed in a podcast to which I posted a link yesterday, as people age, they are less likely to attend church. He also observed that Boomers, particularly affluent white empty nesters, also do a lot of traveling once they have retired. In a future article I hope to look at a number of factors that have contributed to the decline of the Episcopal Church since it first began to decline in 1967.

Free Church bishop doorsteps pregnant woman with police after sacking vicar husband for popular free speech videos
The Rev. Brett Murphy was sacked by the Free Church of England (FCE) following a series of ‘scattershot’ allegations that left him and his family, including his pregnant wife, on the verge of homelessness.

Related Articles: Wardens’ statement from Emmanuel Morecombe and Outspoken pastor fired from Free Church of England over social media ministry

Chattanooga’s largest United Methodist church rejects disaffiliation after survey and votes
Chattanooga's largest United Methodist Church will not leave the denomination after leaders and members overwhelmingly voted the idea down. Christ United Methodist Church on East Brainerd Road had in recent months mulled splitting off from the United Methodist Church, which at a spring meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina, lifted bans on openly gay-clergy and church sanction of same-sex marriage.

Pay attention to what Trump lies about most
Outlandish? Yes. Farcical? Absolutely. But also sinister and revealing.

Related Articles: Opinion: Nobody's ever talked the way Trump does. It's like no one before. Or so it seems and Springfield nonsense is part of plan to dehumanize immigrants, UnidosUS president warns

The GOP’s slow turn from American evangelicalism
‘America First’ is at war with ‘a shining city on a hill.’

In a World of Misinformation: Tools for the Ethical Truth-Seeker
Misrepresentations, half-truths and outright lies are common in any political season. But this year, the numbers have exploded beyond anything ever experienced. Add in new evidence of election interference from Russia through RT (Russia Today) — the Kremlin’s media arm — plus absolute lies about immigrants eating pets, one must ask: How can anyone know what is true or not? Part of the problem is that so many people now live in an echo chamber of their own opinions thanks to social media. New journalism-sounding websites cropping up can fool some people who do not check to make sure the information is true.

Holiness in an Age of Worldliness
...many Christians seem scarcely interested in holiness and little concerned by Scripture’s warnings for those who do not pursue holiness. It is easy to get Christians passionate about family matters, or cultural issues, or political concerns. But some Christians have actually argued that part of “knowing what time it is” in our cultural moment is recognizing that virtues like obedience, truth-telling and purity of speech are unnecessary obstacles to defeating our political enemies. More commonly, churches or pastors that lean hard into the Bible’s exhortation to holiness are likely to be called pietistic, legalistic and unloving.

Hospitality in the Bible: Following Jesus’s Hospitality of the Cross
The Gospel of John tells us that on the night that he was betrayed, Jesus knew—at the outset of the evening—that “the Father had given him all things into his hands” (13:3 LEB). This is marvelous and strange and a loaded biblical image.

Extending Your Leadership Mileage as a Pastor
Both Josh and Sam have been in ministry for a combined 42 years. Along the way, they’ve learned a few things about extending your mileage as a pastor. What can you do to stay the course for the long term? The co-hosts have some thoughts.

Declining vocations and clergy shortages in a number of denominations nt only mean that pastors need to extend their mileage but also these denominations may need to rethink the role of the laity.

4 Ways to Develop an Irresistible Culture in Your Ministry
Culture is your brand. The way your team greets people, deals with challenges, ministers to kids and families, and even says goodbye. The look and feel of your ministry comes from the brand you create. So you can’t leave it up to chance. Here are four key ways to develop the culture you want.

How do we transition children from Sunday School to service?
For those of you who, for whatever reason, have concluded Sunday School is a helpful thing in your context, the question remains. If we’ve got one, how do we help our kids transition from Sunday School to main service? What I’m going to say here isn’t the way to do it, just a way that we have tended to find helpful.

Friday's Catch: 'Reading Between the Lines: Navigating Church Politics with Insight and Wisdom' And More

Reading Between the Lines: Navigating Church Politics with Insight and Wisdom
Effective church leadership involves navigating the politics of ministry beyond practical skills. Doug Powe and Jessica Anschutz emphasize that leaders must learn to read between the lines, listen carefully to what is said and unsaid, observe body language and emotions, understand relationships, and identify power players. Mastering these skills helps leaders handle complex church dynamics successfully.

4 Characteristics of Citizens of the Kingdom of God Who Inhabit the Political World
Christian faithfulness can inspire various political approaches, but they must reflect our primary identity as citizens of the Kingdom of God. Miranda Zapor Cruz finds Kingdom citizens are most faithful when they are salty, prophetic, separationist, and pluralist. She maintains that faithful Christians engage the political realm with a distinctively Christian perspective that prioritizes God’s values over partisan allegiance.

Putting Christian political participation in proper place
“Christian nationalist” (or its synonym “MAGA Christians”) has, at times, been applied to any Christian who expresses a political opinion or votes Republican. Yet not every Christian who votes or is otherwise involved in politics is a Christian nationalist. Such a broad application can discourage Christians from participating in U.S. politics. While we should resist the broad application of the term, we also should recognize that Christian nationalism is both real and problematic for the church.

Keeping Our Sacred Trust: Assuring Financial Integrity
Learn practices to prevent fraud and financial misconduct in your church.

VOICES: 10 warning signs of an abuser: How the Church can recognize abuse and save lives
Domestic violence is not always easily recognized, even for the survivor of the abuse, and especially when the abuse is not physical or sexual in nature. But there are warning signs individuals can look for in suspected abusers.

Is stigma in the church hindering the path to addiction recovery?
While many are turning to alcohol and drugs at alarming rates, it’s time for our churches to reconsider their understanding and approach to recovery.

Only You Can Stop Boring Preaching
Holly, a 7-year-old in a church I pastored, turned to her mother in the middle of my sermon and said, “Mother, why does Doctor Joe think we need this information?” Every preacher should have such a child listening to every sermon and giving such feedback. What boring preaching does–without exception–is answer questions which no one is asking.

An Epic Formula for Making a Band Sound Great
How do we arrange a large band? 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.

Stop Transgender Identification from Breaking Your Family
The announcement “I’m trans” can lob a grenade into the family, throwing everyone into chaos. Transgender identification strains relationships with siblings and extended family members and drives a wedge between those who applaud it and those who don’t. Young siblings of trans-identified kids have specific and special needs that parents must recognize. In addition, separated parents may experience a harder time working together on the issue—if they even want to. In some sad cases, one parent affirms the trans identity to capture the child’s loyalty and oust the other parent from the relationship.

Should Your Church Have Gender-Specific or Co-Ed Groups?
If you want your church to grow by reaching new people, it may be beneficial to offer gender-specific groups and co-ed groups simultaneously.

Being, Rather than Doing, Daily Devotionals
How did a practice that promised so much daily peace, purpose and joy become a source of guilt to me and many Christians I know? Perhaps the problem is not with the discipline itself, but our view of it.

Go into All the World and Make Friends
This is the horizontal side of friendship in missions; not only does God gain new and eternal friends but so do we.

Thursday's Catch: 'Growing From the Ashes' And More

Growing From the Ashes
To rise from the ashes through revitalization, each team member (pastor, board member, and lay member) must be committed to understanding the problem, capturing the vision and willing to implement the steps to turn the church around.

They Knocked Down a Church in My Neighborhood
This week, construction crews finished destroying a church building in my neighborhood. I drove past last weekend to mourn one final time. The white columns and colonial steeple still stood. But the sanctuary, offices, classrooms, and fellowship hall had already been chewed into dust by excavators.

Embracing Creative Outreach in Your Ministry
I believe every church should embrace creativity to reach new people with the gospel. Any church can learn to do this if they live out these five principles.

Churches Less Likely Than Before to Provide Help for Those With Opioid Addiction
Compared to five years ago, pastors are less likely to say their churches provide help for people dealing with opioid addiction.

Church Members Who Do This One Thing Will Be Your Most Committed Members
Thom and Jess examine factors that predict church member commitment. You might be surprised that one factor predicts commitment more than others.

Can We Predict Future Church Attendance by Race, Age, Gender, Education, and Income?
While Americans' demographics can't always predict future church commitment, a couple of areas are beginning to show some correlation. Jess and Thom examine these two areas.

The Global Methodist Church will meet in Costa Rica. Sexuality is not on the agenda.
The new denomination, with 4,715 congregations, will meet to adopt a constitution and iron out its governance structure.

‘Seven Hypotheses’ Stir Debate in Canadian Church
The Anglican Church of Canada has seen precipitous decline in recent decades, and a church commission says it needs to change its structures “to enable a greater capacity within the church to proclaim the Gospel.” “Reimagining the Church,” a report from the Primates’ Commission on Proclaiming the Gospel in the Twenty-First Century released in August, lays out seven “hypotheses” that mostly focus on colonialism, structure, and expenses, and commends them for churchwide discussion.

Losing Motivation 

As a pastor, if you have discovered your motivation has taken a vacation and left you behind, you are not alone. Many others are in this place, and it’s challenging to regain a sense of direction, motivation, and stamina once you’ve entered burnout mode. The good news is, you can rediscover your motivation. It might take a little thoughtful creativity, but we have some tools to help get you there.

10 Questions Every Small Group Leader Should Keep in Their Bible
Picture this. It is 90 minutes before small group. You just got in from mowing the lawn and are in bad need of a shower when you get this text: So sorry I won’t be able to teach tonight. Can you lead group for me? Thanks! If this ever happens, you will be glad you have these ten questions tucked in your Bible. They can be used for any Bible passage—kind of like an already-prepared-meal. Simply read this week’s Bible passage and ask these ten questions. Obviously, some will apply better than others to any particular passage.

Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (Thursday, September 19, 2024) Is Now Online

Welcome to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows.

Christians have a long tradition of offering prayer and praise when night falls and lamps are lit. What may be the oldest Christian hymn outside those found in the New Testament is the Phos hilaron. We are blessed with many different translations of this hymn.

We praise God in many different ways. Among these ways is singing hymns, psalms, canticles, and worship songs; reading aloud the Holy Scriptures; living lives that honour God and serving Christ in others.

In this evening’s message we look at one of the ways that we can serve Christ in others—by offering them spiritual first aid in times of crisis.

Reading: Acts 16:25-40

Message: Spiritual First Aid

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2024/09/thursday-evenings-at-all-hallows_19.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:

-It is recommended that after reading or hearing a lesson to take time to reflect on what you read or heard during the period of silence which follows the lesson. It is also recommended that you do the same thing after reading or hearing the message.

-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 Real Reasons the Unchurched Do Not Attend (What Your Church Can Do About It)' And More

The Real Reasons the Unchurched Do Not Attend (What Your Church Can Do About It) 

The Church Answers Research team conducted a large, national study. After comparing the church with the unchurched, we found new, surprising insights. The unchurched don’t attend mainly because of indifference and not because of busyness or antagonism.

Incurably Churchy
A recent article in USA Today noted that as millions leave organized religion, they can’t quite let go of organized “religiony” things.

9 Surprising Challenges You’ll Face When Your Church Grows
It’s easy to believe that there will come a day when your church or organization will never struggle and you’ll never struggle as a leader. As tempting as that is to believe, it’s just not true. Every church struggles. And every leader struggles. And—yes—even growing churches struggle.

5 Very Real Tensions Every Small to Mid-Sized Church Leader Feels
If you lead a small to mid-sized church, you face struggles leaders of large churches don’t.

5 Things Hispanic Churches in Your Community Wish You Understood
Anglo churches may struggle to reach out to their communities, but Hispanic churches can be incredible allies for the mission of the kingdom.

Separation of Church & State
With much wisdom and foresight, the founders of America built a “wall of separation” between Church and state. Thomas Jefferson was adamant that the state has no business forcing religion on anybody, and that state-sponsored religion is a bad idea. I would say the Church was the true winner (if we consider the demise of government-run churches in Europe...)! While we don’t want some religion dominating government, we sure don’t want government telling religion what to do.

A Call for Tradition from an Unlikely Place
“I am not afraid that the people called Methodists should ever cease to exist either in Europe or America. But I am afraid lest they should only exist as a dead sect, having the form of religion without the power. And this undoubtedly will be the case unless they hold fast both the doctrine, spirit, and discipline with which they first set out.” – John Wesley

What We Should Know About Satan in Urban India
A practical, biblical view of Satan can protect us from becoming cynical or naive about spiritual warfare.

What If No One Prayed for You
...how many people we walk past every day who don’t know a single soul in this world that prays for them? Imagine the devastation of a man who loses his mother when he also understands that the one person who cared enough to pray for him is no longer on the planet.

 10 Ideas for Better Conversations
If you don’t have ideas on how you can improve your conversation skills, you won’t.

Tuesday's Catch: 'Frequent Porn Use Is Linked to Negative Mental Health Among Gen-Z and Millennials' And More

Frequent Porn Use Is Linked to Negative Mental Health Among Gen-Z and Millennials
A swathe of laws in states across the country have been adopted to require that individuals who wish to access pornography sites provide verification of age. These laws are premised upon the fact that pornography is inappropriate for children and profoundly harmful to the mental health of users, especially with frequent use. The former claim is not a matter of controversy. But what about the latter claim—that porn use is damaging to the mental health of many impressionable young Americans?

Related Article: Frequent porn use leads to depression, loneliness among young Americans: survey

Trump and Vance’s Springfield lie is ‘another test for Christian America,’ Russell Moore says
The Republican Party lie about Haitian immigrants eating family pets in Springfield, Ohio, is another test for Christian America, according to Russell Moore. Moore, editor of Christianity Today, wrote an op-ed for The Atlantic about the false claims of Donald Trump, JD Vance and other Republican influencers that an influx of Haitian immigrants has threatened the peace and safety of a small Ohio town. These incendiary lies have led to bomb threats and harassment in Springfield.

The Bible warns us about those who spread lies and half-truths for their own ends. For example Proverbs 6: 12-14, "What are worthless and wicked people like? They are constant liars, signaling their deceit with a wink of  the eye, a nudge of the foot, or the wiggle of fingers. Their perverted hearts plot evil, and they constantly stir up trouble." God's commandment against bearing false witness applies not only testimony in court but to all areas of life.

New survey points to correlation between Christian nationalism and authoritarian views
A large majority of Christian nationalism supporters scored high on authoritarianism assessments.

Both Mainline Christians and evangelicals lost relevance by seeking power, podcast emphasizes
White evangelicals have swapped cultural and religious relevance for political power in the hope of creating a society made in their own image, author and historian of religion Randall Balmer said. But faith groups enmeshed in authoritarian causes like Donald Trump’s MAGA movement typically lose their soul along the way, Balmer said during an episode of the Interfaith Alliance “State of Belief” podcast.

The One Simple Move a Church Can Make to Increase Its Giving by 20% or More
Thom Rainer and Art Rainer share a “secret” that very few church leaders know. Acting upon this information, the church is almost certain to increase its giving by 20% more.

Free Webinar — Assessing Your Church’s Staffing Pattern
What does research reveal about typical church staffing patterns and expenditures? And how can you know if your staffing level is right? Tuesday, October 8, Noon-1 p.m. Eastern

Jesus’ Disciples Served the People First, Not Themselves
Whenever I revisit the narrative of Jesus feeding the 5000 with five loaves and two fish, I contemplate not just the miracle itself but its administration (John 6:1-15). The disciples served the meal immediately after Jesus had blessed and multiplied it (John 6:11). So I always ask myself: who benefited first from the miraculous ‘manna’? Was it Jesus; his disciples; or the crowds? The Bible hints that the meals were first served to the multitude. The disciples and our Lord ate later, if at all (John 6:12-13).

If You Want People to Grow Spiritually Teach Them to Meditate on the Bible
I love to study the Bible, but recently my Bible study led me to a surprising conclusion: We should quit telling people to study the Bible, and start telling them to meditate on the Bible and delight in it.

Storytelling: The Parenting Tool You Didn’t Know You Needed
What if I told you there’s another tool you can add to your parenting tool belt? One that wouldn’t replace any of the other tools but, like a corkscrew, would make some hard jobs easier? Parents, let me recommend to you the art of storytelling.

3 Secrets of Best Practices for Church Websites
Whether you’re building a church website for the first time or updating it for the 10th time, you might feel in over your head. There is a lot to keep in mind when it comes to building a truly great church website. But for now, focus on best practices for church websites big-picture guidelines, and you’ll be much closer to a church website that is welcoming to visitors, helpful for members, and true to your church.

Should We Share the Gospel with Our Co-Workers?
Christians are called to share the gospel both in the work place and outside the work place.

Monday's Catch: 'The One Thing We Don’t Hear about Multisite Churches' And More

The One Thing We Don’t Hear about Multisite Churches

The multisite strategy is ingrained in the American church culture. While the majority of churches will never use a multisite strategy, they are no longer perceived as aberrations and outliers. But something has been taking place steadily that engenders few, if any, conversations.

What Changes When Your Attendance Breaks 200?
Put simply, the church size changes the nature of the relationship between those who attend. How you lead a church of 75 is, in many important ways, different from how you lead a church of 250.

7 Paradigms Often Necessary for Church Growth
Go and make disciples really is the plan for church growth. To be clear, God grows the church. It’s not about us. But God uses people to do His work.

Women with disabilities pressured to choose assisted suicide in Canada, evangelical body warns
The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) has urged Canadian authorities to repeal euthanasia laws for mental illness, highlighting a negative effect on women with disabilities, and to create a new anti-human trafficking strategy – in a nine-page submission to the United Nations.

Christian groups warn against 'dangers' of assisted suicide after 'citizens jury' backs changes 

A Christian advocacy group has cautioned against proposals to legalise assisted suicide and called instead for society to prioritise suicide prevention and "life-affirming care". The warning came as the results of a "citizens jury" on assisted suicide were announced.

‘Haitians are not eating pets’: Springfield faith leaders stand with embattled migrants 

'It was a tough week,' said Harold Herard, a Haitian community leader in Springfield and visitor at Central Christian Church on Sunday. 'But today, we feel free.

I grew up in Springfield; here’s the real story on what’s happening there'
My old hometown rarely makes the national news, but Springfield, Ohio is in the spotlight thanks to Donald Trump, his running mate and former Buckeye JD Vance, and fact-challenged social media posters who have exploited an influx of Haitian immigrants and the tragic death of a child for political gain.

NAR prophets still declaring Trump is God’s man, scholar warns
Among the most ardent Christian nationalists today is a subgroup most Americans are not aware of but that is having an outsized influence on conservative politics and culture. That group, the New Apostolic Reformation, is a focus of research done by Matthew Taylor, senior scholar and Protestant scholar at the Institute of Islamic, Christian, Jewish Studies, where he specializes in Muslim-Christian dialogue, evangelical and Pentecostal movements, religious politics in the U.S. His new book, The Violent Take It by Force: The Christian Movement that is Threatening Our Democracy, will be published Oct. 1.

Related Articles: Lance Wallnau, first to ‘prophesy’ Trump’s presidency, is back to vanquish anti-Trump demons and Trump’s prophets ratchet up attacks against Harris after presidential debate

Lessons from the World of Narnia
Jacob York shares seven choice theological pickings from his recent re-read of The Chronicles of Narnia—one from each book.

I have read and reread The Narnia Chronicles numerous times since they were originally published, the first time I read them. If you have not read them, it is time you did. They are available online with his other works at the Project Gutenberg Canada website. Scroll down the page to "Lewis, C. S. [Clive Staples] (1898-1963) [Irish critic, novelist, poet, and theologian]."

Pastor, Love Even Difficult People Restoratively
The difficult person in your life may come across to others as a godly prayer warrior, diligent student of the Bible, and devoted volunteer. But for whatever reason, he has determined you’re “bad for the church.” Such difficulty can be painful, exasperating, paralyzing, and disheartening. But even if you’d go so far as to describe him as toxic, you’re never free not to love him. The question is how to love a difficult person restoratively. Consider the following insights gleaned from David’s relationship with Saul in Psalm 57.

What Not To Say at the Beginning of a Worship Service
Afew weeks ago Jared Wilson wrote an article titled “3 Things to Be Careful About Saying at the Start of Your Service.” In his article he offered some common service-starting cliches that are “worth weighing in terms of their helpfulness to the congregation’s worship.” They were, “How’s everybody doing this morning?”; “I can’t hear you. I said, How’s everybody doing?”; and “Where is everybody?” I’ve heard all three of these many times and expect you have as well. And I fully agree with Wilson that even if none of them are objectively wrong, they also aren’t particularly helpful. We can do better, and in his article he offers some superior alternatives.

Related Article: 3 Things to Be Careful About Saying at the Start of Your Service

Why Christians Won’t Stop Singing
There are at least three reasons why it’s impossible to stop God’s people from singing.

In too many US churches, however, congregational singing has fallen on hard times. What you do hear is not the congregation singing but a small group of vocalists--either a choir or a worship band. Rather than leading and supporting the congregational singing this group of singers has supplanted it.

8 Keys To ‘Next Level’ Sunday Worship
Here are a few things Mark Cole as learned from leading church worship teams at home and around the world for over thirty years.

I would add choose songs that are Biblically sound in their theology, have lyrics that a visitor can understand, and pitch-wise are in a comfortable range for the average singer in the congregation, and repeat them several times until the congregation has learned and mastered them and then use them frequently enough so that the congregation does not forget them.

Parents Are Stressed. The Church Can Help.
If we care about children and the general welfare of our society, we ought to be deeply concerned about parents’ mental health. The surgeon general suggests “the American public can do more to support parents and caregivers,” and I’d add that the church, specifically, has an important role to play.

Sundays at All Hallows (Sunday, September 15, 2024) Is Now Online.

Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows.

You may have had the experience of a child coming home from school in tears because a classmate was spreading rumors about them and their other classmates were giving them the cold shoulder because of these rumors. Or perhaps you heard or read about a teenager who committed suicide because a group of other teenagers ganged up on the teenager on the internet and were bullying them. One of the other teenager’s mothers even joined in the bullying. These are just two examples of how words can be used to harm others.

In this Sunday’s message we take a look at what the Bible says on the topic of using the tongue and words for good and for evil and how it applies to Christians.

Readings: Isaiah 50: 4-9a, James 3: 1-12; Mark 8: 27-38

Message: How to Use the Tongue: The Choice Christians Face

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2024/09/sundays-at-all-hallows-sunday-september_14.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:

-It is recommended that after reading or hearing each lesson to take time to reflect on what you read or heard during the period of silence which follows each lesson. It is also recommended that you do the same thing after reading or hearing the message.

-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 Lagniappe: 'Aging Graciously in an Anti-Aging Culture' And More

Aging Graciously in an Anti-Aging Culture
Geriatrician Louise Aronson believes there is a “disconnect between the reality of old age and our beliefs about it.”[i] She describes society’s negative view of old age: “to look at old age and see only bodily decline, forgetting that inside the body is a fellow human being.”[ii] Aronson invites us to foster a worldview toward older adults that says: “We still see you, and we still like, love, respect, admire, and are inspired by you, both for who you were and who you are….”[iii] When older adults believe that they are seen, known, and loved, they live fully and graciously as they age. Aronson is not a Christian, and yet, her words challenge Christians to consider what it means to age graciously in an anti-aging culture.

Hearing loss advocate urges churches to 'learn from Jesus' to reach deaf communities for Christ
An advocate for the d/Deaf community challenges churches to re-evaluate their approaches to fellowship and evangelism to better serve the distinctive needs of this sizeable people group, which has its own cultures and languages.

4 Simple Ways to Build Momentum in Your Organization
Who Is Your Mephibosheth?
We aren’t children on account of our genes or deeds but solely by grace through faith in Christ.

Is Your Preaching God-Centered?
Our preaching is a reflection of our theology. If the Word is theocentric (God-centered), how can our preaching be anything other than theocentric?

7 Ways to Make Church Visitors Comfortable in Worship Services
Making church visitors feel comfortable about visiting and attending your church is a key ministry component to consider. While the pastor is responsible for delivering the sermon and possibly helping with the service order, the worship director handles the sound, music selections, and stage designs, the communication director handles the website and communication on stage–all these things work together to make church visitors comfortable in worship services. In this article, we’ll look at seven ways to make church visitors comfortable in worship services....

9 Ways A Worship Leader Can Become More Sensitive To The Holy Spirit
One of the most important aspects of effective worship leading is cultivating our responsiveness to the Holy Spirit’s guidance during a worship set. If we don’t care about having a collaborative experience of worship that invites God to bring his “in the moment” touch to what we are doing on a Sunday, then we are song leading – not worship leading.

Helpful Principles for Writing Public Prayers
Begin with Christ. How does one best begin writing? Start with a posture of humility. Light a candle. Seek the mind of Christ. Pray to be ushered into the mystery of co-creating with God, a grace-filled process surpassing our understanding. Acknowledge this as a holy privilege to which God has called us.

Prayer Is the End of Preaching
My goal is to show that when “Praying’s the end of preaching,” prayer is not an escape from the terrifying realities of here and now to a privatized piety, but rather prayer is a different mode of being and doing that engages us with the world in ways that can start and sustain the impulses of transformation.

Living Prayer
God’s best for us goes beyond the prayer elements of adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication–beyond simple listening, and into the kind of living, breathing prayer that is life itself. Let’s explore how to take the apostle Paul’s words seriously and practice praying “without ceasing.” The following five points come from Michael C. Voights’ book, The Fourth Degree of Prayer.

Everyday Monks: Holding the World in Grace
Over the last ten years, I have adopted the practice of praying daily a form of the prayer hours. I don’t do seven offices each day, nor do I get up at 3:30 a.m., but I am consistent with two, morning and evening. I use a simple liturgy along with daily Psalms and scripture readings. I have a journal to write gratitude and concerns, and then finish with the Lord’s Prayer. It is first thing I do each morning, after getting my cup of coffee, and if I have something scheduled for early morning, I get up earlier. My morning prayer office is the threshold of the new day.

A Guide to Praying the Daily Offices
n this article I offer a basic guide to praying the Daily Offices. The four offices with which Anglicans and Episcopalians in North America will be most familiar are the services of Morning and Evening Prayer, the service of Noon Day Prayer, and the service of Compline, or Prayer at the End of the Day. Some may be familiar with the Lucenary, or Lamp-Lighting Service, called the Order for Worship in the Evening in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer; others may be familiar with the Litany, or General Intercession, used as a separate service.

Clean-Up Campaign Ideas for Youth: Help Teens Practice Their Serve
Clean-up campaign ideas are for more than just service hours. These projects guide teens toward lives of service and caring. When kids serve, they give back to their communities and churches. Plus, they develop teamwork and grow in faith.

Set the Pace!
The best way to get kids and teens to share their faith is to show them how it’s done.