Thom Rainer draws attention to a critical factor in determing whether first-time guests return--"something deeper—something memorable, something personal, something that quietly says, 'You need to come back,'” must happen during their first visit.
The Essential First Steps to a Healthy Small Church
The biggest problem with small churches is not that they’re small. It’s that we think being small is a problem.
Ordering the Church for Ordinary Growth
Most pastors agree on what spiritual health looks like. Christians should grow in holiness, love God’s Word, participate in the life of the church, give generously, serve faithfully, share the gospel, and invest in one another. The difficulty is not defining the goal, but ordering the life of the church so that members actually pursue and achieve it.
How Church Structure Fuels Disciple-Making
Polity can play a significant role in disciple making in the local church. Church polity—or simply the way a church is structured—can either hinder or motivate disciple making.
Why It Might Be Good That Your Church Isn’t Growing
Caleb Davis encourages pastors to consider God’s good purposes in not growing their church rather than being discontent with their church’s size. God may be helping a church’s leaders to focus on the flock that is there and equip them to carry out his mission. A season that feels stagnant may be an opportunity for self-reflection, and it should lead to greater dependence on God.
3 Ways to Cultivate a Congregation That Exercises Faith
According to Lifeway Research, a mature believer exercises faith as opposed to living by their own strength.
Median US worship attendance rebounding after pandemic
Median in-person worship attendance in U.S. congregations has increased for the first time in a quarter century as post-pandemic church shows signs of rebounding, according to a new study by Hartford Institute for Religion Research.
Remaking the UMC brings ‘aura of hope’
When The United Methodist Church was formed in 1968, eminent theologian Albert C. Outler preached an opening sermon in which he extolled “an aura of hope” for the new denomination despite its challenges.
Facing new challenges today, United Methodist leaders recently announced several proposed innovations that many clergy and church members say rekindle an aura of hope after years of dissension and decline.
Joint Statement from Bishop Owensby and Bishop Duckworth on Gun Violence in Louisiana
"We, the Episcopal Bishops of the state of Louisiana, grieve with you in the wake of the recent shootings in Shreveport and Baton Rouge, and give thanks for our law enforcement who successfully averted a potential attack in the city of New Orleans. Our hearts are broken for those who have died, for those who are wounded in body and spirit, and for the families and communities whose lives have been forever altered...."
7 Ways to Transform Your Church’s Children’s Moment
What if the most overlooked four minutes in your worship service hold some of the greatest potential for formation? Erin Reed Cooper provides us with seven intentional shifts that can transform the children’s moment into a theologically rich experience for the entire congregation.
AI Is Coming For Your Systematic Theology
I want you to know about these books because I want you to be aware that this is happening. I want you to know it’s happening because it’s likely that things will get far worse before they get any better. I’ll first introduce you to this slop theology, then discuss the threat these books represent, and then tell you how you can identify them.
Artificial intelligence flatters users into bad behavior
Artificial intelligence systems tend to excessively agree with and validate users, even when those users describe engaging in harmful or unethical behavior. People who interact with these highly agreeable chatbots become more convinced they are right and less willing to apologize during interpersonal conflicts. The research, published in Science, points to an emerging societal risk as millions turn to technology for everyday advice.
'The end of an era': St. Paul's Church gets deconsecrated
On Sundays, when the pews should have been packed, the Rev. Dennis Morgan would walk into St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Vienna and, at most, see two parishioners prepared for sermon.
That is until Sept. 21, when the parish had its final service and St. Paul’s closed its doors for good. The church’s closure was not the town’s first this year.
Image Credit: St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Vienna, Maryland/Facebook
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