In this episode, Josh and Sam use a striking metaphor to talk about church health: fault lines and tsunamis. Just like unseen shifts beneath the ocean floor can trigger devastating waves, hidden weaknesses inside a church can quietly build until the damage is sudden and overwhelming. The good news? Fault lines can be repaired before disaster strikes. The call for leaders is simple: face reality now, simplify ministry, refocus on mission, and deal with issues while they’re still manageable.
A major research report from Barna Group has upended one of the most assumed doctrines in American church life: that Christians are biblically required to give 10 percent of their income. According to the findings, only one in three U.S. pastors actually holds that view.
The implications are significant. If pastors themselves are divided on whether tithing is even a command, how should churches approach giving? And what happens to generosity when the rules stop being clear?
New Texas regulations affect Episcopal camps’ summer programs after Camp Mystic tragedy
Episcopal camps in Texas are navigating new state regulations as they prepare to reopen this summer, a year after one of the state’s camps was the scene of a deadly disaster caused by flash flooding in the Texas Hill Country.
Peter Toon Lecture & Choral Evensong - Fergus Butler-Gallie: The Prayer Book and the Quiet Revival
The implications are significant. If pastors themselves are divided on whether tithing is even a command, how should churches approach giving? And what happens to generosity when the rules stop being clear?
New Texas regulations affect Episcopal camps’ summer programs after Camp Mystic tragedy
Episcopal camps in Texas are navigating new state regulations as they prepare to reopen this summer, a year after one of the state’s camps was the scene of a deadly disaster caused by flash flooding in the Texas Hill Country.
Peter Toon Lecture & Choral Evensong - Fergus Butler-Gallie: The Prayer Book and the Quiet Revival
Lecture by Fergus Butler-Gallie, Vicar, Charlbury (St Mary the Virgin) with Shorthampton
The Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces, N.M., is fighting the Trump administration’s attempt to seize a portion of its property to build a border wall.
California hit by strange weather phenomenon thanks to sizzling European heatwave
An immense high-pressure zone over Western Europe, causing a record heatwave in London, is warping weather patterns across the northern hemisphere, disturbing temperatures and winds throughout the United States - even as far as California.
Temperature milestones were shattered on Tuesday as a springtime heat surge baked portions of Western Europe, prompting official alerts about life-threatening conditions.
As snow droughts continue to threaten global food security, research calls for climate-resilient agriculture practices
Also See: The New Scriptorium (Peter Toon Collection); Pusey House OxfordCatholics fight Trump’s attempt to seize their land for border wall
The Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces, N.M., is fighting the Trump administration’s attempt to seize a portion of its property to build a border wall.
California hit by strange weather phenomenon thanks to sizzling European heatwave
An immense high-pressure zone over Western Europe, causing a record heatwave in London, is warping weather patterns across the northern hemisphere, disturbing temperatures and winds throughout the United States - even as far as California.
Temperature milestones were shattered on Tuesday as a springtime heat surge baked portions of Western Europe, prompting official alerts about life-threatening conditions.
As snow droughts continue to threaten global food security, research calls for climate-resilient agriculture practices
Global climate change is reshaping agricultural ecosystems. As warmer winters become more prevalent, snow droughts caused by insufficient snowfall are becoming more frequent. This leaves winter wheat, which relies on snow cover for insulation and water supply, vulnerable to low-temperature frost damage and water stress, posing a major threat to global food security.
New Fed report warns of ‘remarkable’ increase in households skipping meals due to food costs
There’s been a “remarkable” increase over the past few years in Americans struggling to put food on the table, and that’s likely contributing to record-low consumer sentiment readings, new Federal Reserve Bank of New York research showed Wednesday.
The New York Fed updated a 2020 analysis on the disproportionate financial effects of the pandemic with newly collected data from its closely watched Survey of Consumer Expectations.
What do Canadians in 2026 believe about God, the Bible, and salvation? Ligonier Ministries Canada and Lifeway Research partnered to find out.
12 Relationship Principles Every Church Leader Needs
The great value of relationships along with the intentional care and effort required may seem obvious. Yet when under pressure, whether personal or professional, it’s not easy to practice this on a consistent basis.
When the Church stops singing (or, What I learned from the organ bench) One of the things I noticed while playing in different churches was how dramatically congregational participation could change depending on how music was led.
In some congregations the moment the introduction ended, the singing began. The sound filled the sanctuary almost immediately. Even people who did not sing especially well sang confidently because the music supported them.
Other congregations responded very differently. The musicians played beautifully, the sound system was excellent, but the congregation remained hesitant. A few voices scattered here and there, but many people simply listened.
This shift often happens gradually and unintentionally. Churches want music to sound good. Musicians want to serve faithfully. Technology makes it easier than ever to produce polished sound. But the unintended result can be subtle: music becomes something happening at the front of the room rather than something shared by the whole church. From the organ bench, that difference is unmistakable.
AI and the Deformation of the Student’s Soul
This article on students using of generative AI in the creative task of writing is absolutely worth reading, especially if you’re a teacher or lecturer. The writer Micah Nathan demonstrates an important tension regarding what it means to be human in the world of AI. He rightly states that the value of written assignments “lies not only in the object produced but in the transformation that occurs during its making.” In other words, learning really is a spiritual discipline that AI cannot replicate. By short-circuiting the process of learning, one short-circuits their soul. One cannot experience transformation —at least not in the positive sense of the term.
Wise Decision Making in Everyday Life
How do we pursue wise decision making about questions and decisions that are not explicitly mentioned in Scripture?
New Fed report warns of ‘remarkable’ increase in households skipping meals due to food costs
There’s been a “remarkable” increase over the past few years in Americans struggling to put food on the table, and that’s likely contributing to record-low consumer sentiment readings, new Federal Reserve Bank of New York research showed Wednesday.
The New York Fed updated a 2020 analysis on the disproportionate financial effects of the pandemic with newly collected data from its closely watched Survey of Consumer Expectations.
Also See: Three out of five Americans had to alter grocery lists over high costs; 'Alarming': More than 700K kids lose food aid after Trump's big beautiful billThe State of Theology
What do Canadians in 2026 believe about God, the Bible, and salvation? Ligonier Ministries Canada and Lifeway Research partnered to find out.
12 Relationship Principles Every Church Leader Needs
The great value of relationships along with the intentional care and effort required may seem obvious. Yet when under pressure, whether personal or professional, it’s not easy to practice this on a consistent basis.
When the Church stops singing (or, What I learned from the organ bench) One of the things I noticed while playing in different churches was how dramatically congregational participation could change depending on how music was led.
In some congregations the moment the introduction ended, the singing began. The sound filled the sanctuary almost immediately. Even people who did not sing especially well sang confidently because the music supported them.
Other congregations responded very differently. The musicians played beautifully, the sound system was excellent, but the congregation remained hesitant. A few voices scattered here and there, but many people simply listened.
This shift often happens gradually and unintentionally. Churches want music to sound good. Musicians want to serve faithfully. Technology makes it easier than ever to produce polished sound. But the unintended result can be subtle: music becomes something happening at the front of the room rather than something shared by the whole church. From the organ bench, that difference is unmistakable.
AI and the Deformation of the Student’s Soul
This article on students using of generative AI in the creative task of writing is absolutely worth reading, especially if you’re a teacher or lecturer. The writer Micah Nathan demonstrates an important tension regarding what it means to be human in the world of AI. He rightly states that the value of written assignments “lies not only in the object produced but in the transformation that occurs during its making.” In other words, learning really is a spiritual discipline that AI cannot replicate. By short-circuiting the process of learning, one short-circuits their soul. One cannot experience transformation —at least not in the positive sense of the term.
Wise Decision Making in Everyday Life
How do we pursue wise decision making about questions and decisions that are not explicitly mentioned in Scripture?
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