There is plenty of room in our churches these days. Yet there are few children. Many western “mainline” churches, especially the Anglican churches, are not unique in this regard.. We are merely following the trend. In the United States, in Europe, in Australia, in China — and in parts of Africa, too — birthrates are falling or have already fallen or will soon fall below replacement levels.
Top Leading Ideas Talks Podcast Episodes of 2024
Please share these podcasts with your colleagues, congregations, and friends.
Oldest Christian artefact north of the Alps unearthed in Germany
Archaeologists in Germany have confirmed the discovery of a 1,750-year-old amulet containing a silver scroll, now recognised as the oldest physical evidence of Christianity north of the Alps.
Examine Your Life
The media loves a good scandal, and it seems like pastors are a favorite target. Don’t get me wrong, many of the pastors who end up the subject of criticism have behaved in ways that invite public scrutiny and even judgment. This article is not a defense of pastors and church leaders who have crossed moral, emotional or financial lines. It is a heartfelt plea for all people in church leadership to realize that our witness and the witness of the church can be greatly compromised when we don’t tend to our own souls.
What to Do When People Let Us Down
Have you ever poured your heart into a project only to be let down by the very people you expected to support you? That’s quite a letdown question to begin this conversation, but it’s a reality we as leaders must face. As leaders, it’s tough to face the reality that sometimes, despite our best efforts, people just don’t show up or come through or do what we expect. People let us down.
Full Time Worship Ministry? Get a Real Job!
Now that I have your undivided attention, I do believe that full time worship ministry is indeed a worthy calling and vocation that requires preparation, education and skills. And yes, it is a real job. But what if opportunities were no longer available for you to lead worship vocationally? What if you needed to voluntarily or were asked involuntarily to step aside from full-time worship ministry for an interim or extended period of time? What if you are unable to land a worship ministry position after graduation? What would or could you do to provide for your family while still responding to God’s call? Some of us have found ourselves in that situation only to realize we are not trained or are not training to do anything else.
Helpful Hacks for Preaching from a Manuscript
The aim of manuscript preaching is to make it look like you’re not preaching from a manuscript, which isn’t easy. I’ve had my fair share of fumbles along the way. But those fumbles have taught me some things.
See also: The Frankenstein SermonWhat If We Let the Bible Form Us in 2025?
Each one of us will be formed into the image of something or someone in 2025. Whether the formation comes from CNN or FOX News, social media algorithms, or addictive substances, none of us will make it through the year unformed.
Christian anthropologist Paul Hiebert explains that the “biblical view of transformation” includes “both a point and a process; this transformation has simple beginnings (a person can turn wherever he or she is), but radical, lifelong consequences.” Hiebert continues, “It is not simply mental assent to a set of metaphysical beliefs, nor is it solely a positive feeling towards God. Rather it involves entering a life of discipleship and obedience in every area of our being and throughout the whole story of our lives.”
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