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Saturday, November 30, 2024

Saturday Lagniappe: 'Is Christianity on the Cusp of Resurgence?' And More


Recently there have been signs of growing cultural interest in Christianity. I’ve written about some of this interest myself at Christianity Today.

7 Strategies + Ways to Grow Your Church
How can you grow your church? Discover and eliminate the barriers that keep your church from growing. Whether you're a church planter or pastor of a 30-year-old church, these 7 strategies for church growth can be implemented in your church.

Alpha Jesus and the Bro-ing of the American Church
Exploring the rise of “alpha male” Christianity with Katelyn Beaty, co-host of Saved by the City, as Gen Z men flock to evangelical churches and women leave in record numbers.
While Amanda Henderson's reaction of apparent amusement in response to a number of Katelyn Beaty's observations struck me as inappropriate in a discussion of such an important subject, Katelyn Beatty's observations merit attention, particular what she said about how some pastors are presenting Jesus as someone who at times resorted to physical violence. In Jesus' time, a whip fashioned from knotted cord was used to drive livestock. This reimaging of Jesus resembles the Jesus the warrior reimaging of Christian nationalists and is not an accurate representation of the Jesus of the New Testament.
. Who was St Andrew and why is he patron saint of Scotland?
The 30th November is St Andrew's day. Who was St Andrew and why is he patron saint of Scotland? This is the story....

James Isn’t as Strange as You Think
The letter of James can be a disorienting book. It sounds so different from other parts of the Bible, and we may not understand how it fits within our theological system. Yet if we know what to look for, we’ll find familiar biblical “faces” that help us get our bearings and navigate James’s five chapters.

The Nine-Year Mark of Tenure as a Pastor (Here’s What I’ve Learned)
What changes after leading a church once you hit the nine-year mark? Sam shares his insight about shepherding the same congregation for several years. The issue of trust is settled. The sheep shuffling slows down or stops. Casting a vision becomes more challenging, not easier, because it’s easy to start cruising when a church is stabilized.

How Do Pastors Recover When Something Unexpected, Funny, or Even Tragic Happens During a Worship Service? There are 375,000 churches in America that have approximately 26 million worship services a year. Something unexpected is likely to happen every week. And the unexpected does indeed happen. Jess and Thom share some of those stories and tell how pastors respond (or should respond). At the end of the podcast is their favorite on video.

A Few Thoughts On Picking Songs For The Church
As the music coordinator at our church, I submit a list of songs to our elders yearly to be included in our song list. Someone recently asked me how I pick the songs to submit to our elders, and I wrote out a list of things I consider when picking the songs.

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