Monday, September 16, 2024

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


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.

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