Nearly 9 in 10 rural pastors believe their churches will be stronger 10 years from now. What fuels that optimism, and what can church leaders learn from it?
Join Carol Pipes, Lifeway's director of communications, for a conversation with Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, and Jason McConnell, director of Rural Church Institute at the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College, as they unpack findings from a nationwide study of Protestant pastors serving in rural communities. Together, they'll explore the realities rural pastors face, the relational ministry strategies making the greatest impact, and practical takeaways for strengthening churches and reaching communities for Christ.
It is my longstanding belief that Anglicans and other Christians can learn from Christians whose beliefs and practices may differ from ours. My own experience and the experience of others over four decades has validated and reinforced that belief.Churches urged to tackle loneliness by making friendship a priority
Churches are being encouraged to put friendship at the heart of their ministry as concerns grow over rising loneliness in society and within congregations themselves.
The call came during the online launch of ‘Friendship Lab for Churches’, a new six-session course developed by author and broadcaster Sheridan Voysey. The course is designed to help churches build stronger relationships among their members and address the growing problem of social isolation.
Texas megachurch votes overwhelmingly to leave the UMC
A Texas megachurch currently in litigation with a regional body of The United Methodist Church over internal changes to its governing documents has voted overwhelmingly to leave the denomination.
Highland Park United Methodist Church of Dallas held a vote Oct. 25-26 asking members whether they wanted to disaffiliate from the UMC.
Also See: Dallas megachurch overwhelmingly votes to leave UMC; Highland Park Votes to Leave UMCGathering offers 16 ideas for church future
More than 230 United Methodists from four continents joined together for the Leadership Gathering.
Near the end of the meeting, the participants unveiled 16 recommendations they hope will help The United Methodist Church flourish.
The Council of Bishops plans to share a report shaped by those recommendations to the whole denomination in January.
These proposals are ambitious, but are they realistic and doable? Most importantly will they help the United Methodist Church's numerous declining churches turn around and thrive?! Or are they disconnected from the realities of the North American mission field and comprise wishful thinking on the part of the Leadership Gathering?Lutheran synod to install first female bishop on Reformation Day
A Pennsylvania-based regional body of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will soon install its first female bishop.
The Rev. Jennifer K. Dee will be installed as the fifth bishop of the ELCA Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod on Oct. 31, Reformation Day, at the First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem. Dee began her six-year term on Sept. 1.
Catholic bishops accuse White House of manipulation over prayer video
Retired Kansas City Archbishop Joseph Naumann's office told RNS, 'The bishops were assured that no photographs would be made public. They came to have a discussion on important policy matters.'
Also See: Catholic bishops take heat for praying over Trump3 Qualities Necessary to Learn from our Critics
Nobody likes to be criticized, at least not at first. Sometimes criticism is warranted. Sometimes it’s not. And sometimes it hard to differentiate between the two. The writer of Proverbs implies that we should learn from and even seek out the beneficial wounds from our critics. Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy. (Pv 27.6) But when we need to heed a message from a critic, how can we position ourselves so that we can benefit from it? Below I suggest three ways we can do so.
7 Keys for Thriving in Lifelong Ministry
If we want to avoid the all-too-common pitfalls of burnout, scandal, and disillusionment, we must follow seven keys to pastoral perseverance rooted in Scripture and biblical wisdom.
Do Church Worship Bands Keep People From Singing?
In many churches, yes. A band in church quiets the congregation when it plays songs people don’t know, in keys they can’t reach, at a volume that buries their voices. Under those conditions, the worship time turns into a concert. The people in the seats listen and watch the stage, and only the team on the platform sings.
Navigators launch new course to teach disciple-making skills
Navigators UK have developed a new course to help ordinary Christians become effective disciple-makers.
The seven-week Alongsider Course takes as its model the relationship between Jesus and his 12 disciples.
Acknowledging that it is difficult for church leaders to invest in every member of their congregation the same time and attention that the 12 received from Jesus, the course nevertheless seeks to open up relational disciple-making to a wider group.
Attempt Small Things for God
Christians are called to faithfulness in the ordinary, everyday life rather than the pursuit of great things.
Micah 6:8: Walking humbly with God in the ordinary everyday life
How often do we acknowledge God’s presence in everything we do? Perhaps we are conscious of Him on Sunday mornings, during Bible study, at Christian events or when we are faced with a major life decision. But what about the ordinary moments? The commute to work. Cooking dinner. Eating a meal. Going for a walk. Sitting at our desks. Doing the laundry. Can God be present in these moments too?
7 Keys for Thriving in Lifelong Ministry
If we want to avoid the all-too-common pitfalls of burnout, scandal, and disillusionment, we must follow seven keys to pastoral perseverance rooted in Scripture and biblical wisdom.
Do Church Worship Bands Keep People From Singing?
In many churches, yes. A band in church quiets the congregation when it plays songs people don’t know, in keys they can’t reach, at a volume that buries their voices. Under those conditions, the worship time turns into a concert. The people in the seats listen and watch the stage, and only the team on the platform sings.
Navigators launch new course to teach disciple-making skills
Navigators UK have developed a new course to help ordinary Christians become effective disciple-makers.
The seven-week Alongsider Course takes as its model the relationship between Jesus and his 12 disciples.
Acknowledging that it is difficult for church leaders to invest in every member of their congregation the same time and attention that the 12 received from Jesus, the course nevertheless seeks to open up relational disciple-making to a wider group.
Attempt Small Things for God
Christians are called to faithfulness in the ordinary, everyday life rather than the pursuit of great things.
Micah 6:8: Walking humbly with God in the ordinary everyday life
How often do we acknowledge God’s presence in everything we do? Perhaps we are conscious of Him on Sunday mornings, during Bible study, at Christian events or when we are faced with a major life decision. But what about the ordinary moments? The commute to work. Cooking dinner. Eating a meal. Going for a walk. Sitting at our desks. Doing the laundry. Can God be present in these moments too?
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