A guest walks into the worship center with a cup of coffee. An usher smiles, but then gently says, “I’m sorry, you can’t bring that in here.” The guest nods, takes another sip, and steps back into the lobby to finish it.
Nothing harsh was said. No one intended harm.
But something subtle shifted.
The issue isn’t coffee. It’s culture. Many churches would never say, “We care more about our building than people.” But sometimes, policies quietly communicate exactly that. A simple sign about food or drinks can reveal deeper priorities. And that’s where the concern begins.
Loving the Unengaged in Your Church
What could it look like for your church to intentionally love those who’ve become unengaged from the life of the church?
What Is a Pharisee? Here Are 12 Signs You Are One
Nobody sets out to become a Pharisee. It happens gradually, usually while you’re trying to do everything right.
The word gets thrown around a lot in church culture, almost always about someone else. The judgmental relative. The rigid elder. The pastor down the street who preaches more rules than grace. But Pharisaism was never really about them. It’s a pattern that can grow in any heart that starts measuring its righteousness instead of receiving it.
The Marxist Who Understood Sex Better than the UMC
The United Methodist Church (UMC) has removed Asbury Theological Seminary from its list of institutions approved to train its ministers. Hardly a bastion of right-wing Protestant fundamentalism, Asbury has nonetheless run afoul of the UMC. Why? The seminary has had the temerity to uphold the traditional Christian teaching on sex and marriage. Asbury’s conviction looks potentially costly, but what price should we place on such matters? Sexual morality isn’t just about behavior; it’s about the essence of human nature and society, involving the profoundest questions about personal relationships, social structures, and teleology—what human beings are for.
Could smartphones be behind falling birth rates? Study suggests iPhone plays major role
The introduction of the iPhone may have contributed substantially to America's falling birth rate, suggesting smartphones changed social behaviour in ways that led to fewer pregnancies, researchers have argued.
Exorcisms and The Episcopal Church: A 2024 Survey
The Episcopal Church has a curious, distanced relationship with exorcisms. Buried deep within The Book of Occasional Services is a page titled “Concerning Exorcism.” It includes a three-paragraph description that cites the church’s historical use of exorcisms and guides clergy and others to contact the bishop’s office for more information. But behind this paper wall exists a long tradition.
I have recently been compiling data from my survey of Episcopal bishops and diocesan officers about their use of exorcisms. The research results show how the Episcopal Church addresses exorcisms. One bishop stated that the ministry is unlike Hollywood portraits that influence our cultural views.
Lay Preacher Training Informational Webinar
The role of lay preacher has been an important part of the church from its earliest days. As the clergy shortage grows and churches are under increased financial strain, the need for licensed lay preachers grows each year.
New guidance published to help churches use AI wisely
Churches across the UK are being encouraged to take a more intentional approach to artificial intelligence following the launch of new guidance designed to help Christian leaders navigate the opportunities and risks of the rapidly developing technology.
Leaders Who Survive AI Won't Be the Most Skilled
61% of pastors are now using AI weekly or daily. I'm one of them. But here's what I keep thinking about. When AI can generate a polished sermon outline, a compelling vision statement, and a confident leadership take in seconds, the competency bar just got a lot easier to clear for everyone. Including people who haven't done the work you have.
So if competency is no longer the differentiator, what is?
So We’re Unmarried but Living Together—What’s the Big Deal?
The couples who show up already living together are not usually people testing your rules. Many are barely connected to church life at all beyond Sunday morning. That disconnect is actually the opening. A couple willing to sit down with you about their living situation is a couple willing to let you into their life. Handled well, this conversation becomes the doorway into real community, not just a lecture they endure once and avoid repeating.
There is no template that fits every couple. Two people who moved in together out of financial necessity are not in the same position as two people who did it to test-drive the relationship. Counsel the couple in front of you, not a category.
John Newton on the ABC’s of Progressive Sanctification
As a biblical counselor, I often work with people struggling with the slow process of sanctification. Believers trapped in the idea of total, instantaneous transformation wonder why it’s so hard to shed the baggage of their old life. The tension usually arises from confusion about Paul’s statement, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Cor. 5:17).
The process of sanctification often feels more like slogging through mud than experiencing instantaneous change. There’s no question that Christ calls us to change through the Holy Spirit’s power. It’s true the Holy Spirit often uses our responses to experiences to help us grow. Life happens, we respond, and patterns emerge. In those patterns, we can see spiritual progress but also persistent weakness, which often points to sin. Confession and repentance of that sin leads to growth. Yet change is often gradual and, like all things that take time, frustrating.
Invite As Many As You Find
How free should we be with the gospel? How broad is the call of salvation? Who should be evangelized? There is a wedding feast coming, and there will be guests. And who will those guests be? It won’t be those who self-righteously decline the offer (Matt 22:3). It won’t be those who try to come in without being clothed in the righteousness of Jesus (Matt 22:11). So who then should we invite? Jesus clarifies this for us: “invite… as many as you find.” As many as you find. What a sweet word.
No comments:
Post a Comment