Wednesday's Catch: 'The Solution for Church Decline is Not Mega Church' And More

The Solution for Church Decline is Not Mega Church
...the church in America, for the most part, operates with the Christendom paradigm. We are attempting to navigate the post-Christian, postmodern, late capitalist challenges of the twenty-first century with a pre-modern, pre-Enlightenment, 1700-year-old European template of the church.

Also See: The Solution for Church Decline is Not More of the Same

4 Practices to Help Small Church Stay Nimble and Open to Change
Pastors in small-membership churches often face frustration when trying to implement change, but these churches also possess unique adaptability. Allen Stanton notes that small churches can be surprisingly nimble, responding quickly to needs and opportunities. He identifies four practices to help small churches stay flexible. By nurturing these practices, small churches can remain adaptable, leveraging their relational strengths to foster meaningful change while staying true to their mission.

What’s Good about That?
Dan Hotchkiss writes that churches need to ask themselves “What’s good about that?” in relation to established programs and ministries. He shares an example of a church with a strong music program whose purpose was rooted in the past instead of the present.

What was the Welsh Revival and why should you know about it?
The Welsh Revival of 1904 was anything but quiet, leading to the worldwide Pentecostal and charismatic movements. This is the story....

“Disasters are a human choice”: Texas counties have little power to stop building in flood-prone areas
Camp Mystic, the private summer camp that now symbolizes the deadly Central Texas floods, sat on a tract of land known to be at high risk for a devastating flood. Nearly 1.3 million Texas homes are similarly situated in parts of the state susceptible to dangerous floodwaters, according to a state estimate. A quarter of the state’s land carries some degree of severe flood risk, leaving an estimated 5 million Texans in possible jeopardy.

State inspection two days before deadly floods found Camp Mystic had emergency plan in place
Two days before deadly Central Texas floods killed at least 27 people at Camp Mystic, a state inspector visited the youth camp and certified that it had an emergency plan in place and that its cabins and other buildings were safe, records obtained by CNN show. The inspector with the Texas Department of State Health Services confirmed on July 2 that the Christian camp on the banks of the Guadalupe River had a state-mandated plan “for emergency shelter and for evacuation” in case of a disaster.

How Americans think the government should respond to natural disasters, according to recent polls
Most of the U.S. adults who have experienced major flooding in the past five years think climate change was at least a partial cause, according to polling conducted earlier this year, before the deadly Texas floods. But while Americans largely believed the federal government should play a major role in preparing for and responding to natural disasters, an analysis of recent AP-NORC polls shows less consensus about whether the government should be involved in combating climate change to try to keep extreme weather from getting worse.

Immigration policy has become a question of character
The United States is beginning to look like a dictatorship seeking to divest itself of anyone who is poor and speaks Spanish.

Also See: DHS Border Protection Video Citing Isaiah 6:8 Sparks Cries of ‘Blasphemy’; Florida Conference Denounces 'Alligator Alcatraz'

The Big Beautiful Bill is the 'final burial of compassionate conservatism' 

A lot has changed in the GOP over the last quarter century.

IRS Files Motion To Allow Churches To Endorse Political Candidates
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will not impose restrictions on the ability of churches to endorse political candidates, the agency said in a recent court filing.

Also See: Churches can endorse politicians, IRS says in court filing; Trump administration says it won’t enforce Johnson Amendment; IRS Opens Door for Pastors to Endorse Politicians; and IRS says pastors endorsing political candidates doesn’t violate Johnson Amendment

Religious Extremism
What is the ‘Seven Mountains Mandate’ and how is it linked to political extremism in the US?

Residents fight Andrew Wommack’s takeover
Andrew Wommack is finding it’s harder to “take over” a Colorado city than he originally believed, following the failure of his recent efforts to recall members of the Woodland Park City Council.

Most Churches Still Pass the Offering Plate 

When it comes to collecting an offering, most churches pass a plate, but they may also have a basket waiting for you as you walk out the door.

Behind the Pulpit: Pastors’ Hidden Struggles
Many pastors carry some hidden struggles below the surface that they don’t feel they can share with others. Here are four.

Entertainment Fatigue – Are People Tired of Church ?
When a local congregation creates a culture of church entertainment in an attempt to build a congregation, it will only be a matter of time before they begin to experience the negative consequences that emphasis will bring. Call it entertainment fatigue.

Summer Synergy
Moving ranks right up there with the most stressful life events. And with nearly 60% of moves happening between May and August, chances are you’ve got some new and overwhelmed families in your neighborhood right now.

Teaching Kids To Pray: 7 Great Ideas for Connecting with God
Teaching kids to pray helps them get to know God on a heart level. Children talk naturally with their friends and family. Wouldn’t it be exciting if we could teach kids to pray and talk to God just as easily? The good news is that we can!