Tuesday's Catch: '4 essentials to leading change in a rural church context' And More

4 essentials to leading change in a rural church context
This article is an excerpt from the book Four Essentials - Leading Effective Change in a Rural Church Context.

7 Encouraging Trends in Global Christianity for 2023
Even if many U.S. churches are facing challenges, global Christianity is advancing in ways previous generations could have only imagined.

What Does It Mean to Love Your Neighbor?
...are there any limits on the ways that Christians should pursue relationships with nonbelievers?

Living into Baptism through Diakonia
A article on the diaconate from a United Methodist perspectve. In the United Methodist Church the diaconate is a lay order.

5 Qualities to Seek in the Heart of a Leader
The heart of a leader is more important than any other characteristic.

All About That Tenor: Why Men Don’t Sing in Worship
Music experts say we don't need more "manly songs," but we do need to help lower voices find their place.

If you do not have a CT subscription, you can read this article by copying the page and then pasting it in a Word document.

It Will Be Well – PDF’s & Postcards From 700 Years Ago
Free post card ad Instagram images to use to encourage congregatios and frieds.

Reaching Gen Z Students Before They Graduate
...how can we as Christ-followers individually, and our churches corporately, begin to reach the Gen Z teens where we are? Here are seven steps you can take to make an impact and shift the tide of a generation back to Jesus.

7 Tips for Leading Small Group Worship
The two most significant barriers to having meaningful worship in small groups are musical leadership and the misconception that worship is synonymous with music. Biblical worship is, of course, more than music and is not synonymous with it (see Romans 12).

Disciples of Christ lost one-fifth of its membership from 2019-2022: report
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has lost about one-fifth of its members from 2019 to 2022 as the mainline Protestant denomination's membership is only a fraction of what it was in 2000, according to a new report.

Monday's Catch: 'Four Reasons Why Church Giving Is Up While Attendance Is Down' And More

Four Reasons Why Church Giving Is Up While Attendance Is Down

In the midst of significant challenging news for churches, the level of giving remains remarkable. What is taking place? How is giving increasing while attendanceThese attitudes and commitments are vital for any worship team! Each has a corresponding question we can all ask of ourselves that will keep the culture of our worship teams healthy and thriving!
continues to decline? As we work with churches across America, we see four compelling reasons.

On the other hand, research on giving and declining churches done in the last century found that declining churches frequently experience a period of increase giving. This increased giving, however, is a common reaction to declining membership and attendance figures and not evidence of a rebound or a healthy church.

Combating Abuse Is Central to the Mission of the Church
Seeking to pay careful attention to the sexual abuse issue is not a distraction from the gospel mission of the church.

Signing On
...how do you experience the rewards of the new community? By joining one!

Why do I still go to church? It’s a good question.
There's more to it than community or spirituality or even wanting to raise my kids right.

5 Life Changing Things You Can’t Do In A Hurry
Escaping the tyranny of hurry requires an intentional cultivation of margin and the discipline to use that time wisely.

10 Attitudes And Commitments Of A Healthy Worship Team
These attitudes and commitments are vital for any worship team! Each has a corresponding question we can all ask of ourselves that will keep the culture of our worship teams healthy and thriving!

Public Pulpit Prayers
...how can you prepare for public prayer?

PRAY For One Another And Watch God Do AMAZING Things!
When we pray for others, we’re asking our all-powerful God to take action. We’re asking God to do what we can’t. Praying for others should be our first action, not our last resort!

Bringing up children in a post-Christian world
...millions of Christian parents have themselves not been adequately discipled in their faith, and as a result haven't a clue how to pass the faith onto their children. Parents either do a bad job or just desert the field all together and leave the education of their children up to others – whether schools, media, youth groups or Sunday schools.

How Can I Respond to Coworkers Who Think Christianity Is Bigoted?
...how should we respond to coworkers who’ve taken offense not over our own actions but over those of other Christians?

Sundays at All Hallows (Sunday, September 17, 2023) Is Now Online

Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows.

In J. K. Rowling's fantasy novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the "deathly hallows" are three powerful magical objects. But "hallow" also has other meaning from the one used in Rowling's novel. We find it used in the Lord's Prayer, "...hallowed be thy name...," we pray, "... holy is your name."

In "All Hallows," "hallow" is an old English way of saying "saint" or "holy one," and refers to those who in the words of the apostle Peter have been called out of darkness into God's marvelous light to proclaim God's goodness. In other words, all who are followers of Jesus Christ.

We celebrate Halloween, the eve of the feast of All Hallows, or Hallowmas, on October 31st and the Feast of All Hallows on November 1st every year.

Readings: Genesis 50:15–21, Romans 14:1–12, and Matthew 18:21–35

Message: The Teachings of Jesus: Forgiveness

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2023/09/sundays-at-all-hallows-sunday-september_16.html

Please feel free to share this link with anyone who may be interested.

If you are new to Sundays at All Hallows, you may find these directions helpful:

-When you open the link to a video in a new tab, check auto-play to make sure it is in the off position. Otherwise, a second video with a different song will follow the first.

-If an ad plays when you open a link to a video in a new tab, click the refresh icon of your browser until the song appears.

-If a song begins partway through the video, click pause, move the slider to the beginning, and then click play.

-An ad may follow a song so as soon as the song is finished, close the tab.

May Sundays at All Hallows be a blessing to you.

Saturday Lagniappe: 'Keeping Our Eyes on the Mission in Divided Times' And More

Keeping Our Eyes on the Mission in Divided Times

What may be the greatest challenge for US Christians in this century is getting and staying focused on the Great Commission. US Christians appear to be quite open to letting other things distract them from the chief task our Lord entrusted to his discples.

Embracing the Risk of Being Bold for Christ
Everything in life involves some risk.

Is Yours an Equipped Church?
Church leaders who claim to be serious about leading a disciple-making church aren’t going to get very far with such a claim if their flock isn’t equipped. But the equipping of the saints for ministry is one of the greatest failures among church leaders today.

7 Things that Happen when Church Leaders Don’t Pray Much
Here are some things that happen, though, when we church leaders don’t pray much....

6 Simple Strategies That Help Me Pray More
Here are some more practical ways that help Chuck Lawless. Maybe one of these ways will help you, too....

Survey: Mainline clergy are more liberal than their congregants
Mainline clergy are more supportive than their congregants of LGBTQ rights, more likely to have opposed the overturn of Roe v. Wade and less likely to believe America is in danger of losing its culture and identity.

Survey Shows Political Divides Between Mainline Clergy and Churchgoers
A new national survey report provides insight into the ways mainline Protestant clergy are politically distinct from white mainline Protestant churchgoers. The report, “Clergy and Congregations in a Time of Transformation,” considers the perspectives of more than 3,000 mainline Protestant clergy from the seven largest mainline Protestant denominations on the cultural and political divides facing the nation, and how such divides are impacting their own congregations.

The latest US Census figures show the harm done by letting poverty programs expire
The success of COVID-era programs followed by an immediate reversal after they ended makes clear that the persistence of poverty is a political choice.

Friday's Catch: 'Two Areas of Ministry in the Church Where the Pastor Needs to Be the Champion' And More

Two Areas of Ministry in the Church Where the Pastor Needs to Be the Champion

Hint: Most pastors are not the champions in either area. Thom discusses this challenge and opportunity.

Why Playing It Safe Is Not a Good Idea
The sustained pressures of unanswered questions, unsolved problems, and an unknown future can cause leaders to pull back, hesitate, and, in many cases, play it safe.

Confronting Pluralism: Can Salvation Be Saved?
We can’t explicitly preach about pluralism each week, but we can enrich our church’s gospel soil so its weeds don’t take root.

VOICES: 4 dualistic teachings that undermine the effect of the Gospel
Dualism is a theological focus that inadvertently separates the physical and spiritual realms. It also dissociates heaven from earth. Within this inappropriate viewpoint, the Gospel’s ability to engage and influence the earth becomes limited.

We Are Repaganizing
Christians have always been unusually vehement in their disapproval of the killing of infants, whether born or unborn, and their legal regime prevailed until the mid-twentieth century when we experienced a religious shift that will probably be understood by future historians as a Second Reformation. Christians are no longer in charge, and their prohibition of abortion—unlike their prohibition of infanticide, at least so far—is regarded by most pro-choice secularists as archaic, illogical, and misogynist.

Understanding India’s Fascination with Prosperity Gospel Teachers
The prosperity gospel does not honour the basic tenets of historic Christianity. What then explains India's growing fascination with prosperity teachers?

5 Ways to Spot a Skilled Worship Musician
... why is skill in musicianship on the decline in church? Why is it that we are not teaching music to our next generation—theory, technique and performance?

Christian parents are failing to pass on the faith to their children, says Christian researcher
Millions of uncommitted Christians are causing a "catastrophic decline in biblical worldview in America" because they have been poorly discipled in their faith and often don't know how to pass on biblical values to their children, research in a new book from veteran Christian researcher George Barna shows.

Kids Ask: If Jesus Is God, Why Did He Pray to God?
Adults ask this question too.

Blessing of the Animals as Community Outreach
An animal blessing is a wonderful opportunity to invite those who have not been in worship in a while as well as those who are unchurched.

The Three Biggest Keys to Becoming an Evangelistic Church. Key #1: The Pastor Champion
Church Answers has incredible research on evangelistic churches. In this three-part series, Thom looks at each of the three main keys they have discovered.

Also see: The Three Biggest Keys to Becoming an Evangelistic Church. Key #2: The Prayerful Jump Start and The Three Biggest Keys to Becoming an Evangelistic Church. Key #3: The Consistency Factor.

8 Reasons Why Non-Believers Don’t Always Listen to Us
Chuck Lawless shares some of the reasons he's hearing non-believers don't want to listen to believers when we try to share the gospel.

Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (Thursday, September 14, 2023) Is Now Online.

Welcome to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows.

It has been observed that the pace of life is slowing down in North America, and it is a good time to adopt the habit of beginning and ending each day with prayer (if we have not adopted that habit already.) It is also a good time to revive that habit if it was our practice at one time. Beginning and ending the day with prayer will help us keep our hearts and minds on God and to walk humbly with God throughout the day.

Reading: Matthew 9: 14-17

Message: Bigger Holes and Burst Wineskins: A Lesson for Today

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2023/09/thursday-evenings-at-all-hallows_14.html

Please feel free to share this link with anyone who may be interested.

If you are new to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows, you may find these directions helpful:

-When you open the link to a video in a new tab, check auto-play to make sure it is in the off position. Otherwise, a second video with a different song will follow the first.

-If an ad plays when you open a link to a video in a new tab, click the refresh icon of your browser until the song appears.

-If a song begins partway through the video, click pause, move the slider to the beginning, and then click play.

-An ad may follow a song so as soon as the song is finished, close the tab.

May Thursday Evenings at All Hallows be a blessing to you.

Thursday's Catch: 'Change Your Church’s Scorecard' And More

Change Your Church’s Scorecard
Each week, pastors stand in the pulpit and look out on half-empty sanctuaries, preaching the Word with power and conviction, but fewer and fewer people are hearing the message. While pastors and lay leaders fear the future, they must begin to recognize that with God, they can overcome any challenge and obstacle that is before them. It starts by seeing Jesus in those around them. Realize there is not a lack of people but a lack of sowing into the gospel field as a missionary for Christ.

Ed Stetzer: Thoughts on the Megachurch
...megachurches, which is the group represented by the largest churches list, are neither the answer to the problems in the church in America nor are they the sole source of them. Are there unhealthy, even ungodly, ways to grow a church? Certainly. But are all growing churches inherently unhealthy? Hardly. We all know better.

Three Ways a Disorganized Leader Holds Back a Team
Some great leaders are simultaneously good managers and gifted in administration. But not all leaders are. At the same time, leaders must reach a threshold of organizational skill or their disorganization becomes a debilitating weakness and holds back the team they are leading. It is bad leadership for leaders to shrug their shoulders and laugh about their disorganized leadership. Here are three ways a disorganized leader holds back a team....

Christian nationalism: How evangelical Christianity became a political religion
If you’ve been paying attention to the news over the last six years, you’ve probably noticed the phrase “Christian nationalism” being tossed around with increasing frequency. This is due to the fact that there has been a surge in the number of people who identify as Christian nationalists. Their influence as a voting bloc has wielded huge influence on the direction of politics in the United States.

Death and Dying: A Catechism for Christians
We present this catechism (or primer) on death and dying by Dr. Ewan Goligher and pastor Kyle Hackmann. With the advent of MAID or euthanasia becoming legal in Canada, Christians need to re-examine how they think about death and dying. To that end, we hope that this catechism will help you and your church more clearly understand what the Bible says about death and dying—especially as the eligibility criteria for MAID continues to expand. Soon mental illness alone will make one eligible for MAID (March 17, 2024). The pastoral challenge will be (and is) immense. This catechism is one resource to help you meet this challenge.

Why We Are Tempted Not to Pray
Many Christians struggle with prayerlessness. From here does prayerlessness arise?

10 First-timer Tips for New Small Group Leaders
If you had 2-minutes to share a handful of tips to help a brand new group host / leader get started in building community, what would you say? Here are some great tips for new small group leaders.

The Global Future May Be More Religious
A global survey in 26 countries found Generation Z is often more religious than baby boomers and frequently in surprising nations.

Wedesday's Catch: 'The Neighborhood Church Returns: Making the Comeback a Reality' And More

The Neighborhood Church Returns: Making the Comeback a Reality
...what might it look like if such a comeback were to occur?

What Does the Church Have to Offer Those Who Live Alone?
More than a quarter of Americans live alone. What does the church have to offer that’s better than the comfort and freedom of being alone?

Developing a Strategic Plan for Your Church
Church Consultant Gavin Adams has a series of articles on strategic planning at his site Transformation Solutions. This is the second in a series of four artciles on developing a strategic plan for your church.

You’re Not the Only One Stretched as a Leader
...learning to balance the tensions of leadership may determine the level of success a leader can sustain. If a leader leans too far one direction – their leadership effectiveness suffers.

The Geneva ‘Réveil’: An Almost Unknown Evangelical Awakening
Not many English-speaking evangelicals are aware that shortly after Napoleon’s defeat in 1815, there began at Geneva an evangelical awakening.

At Sing! Global, a Faithful Pushback To the Spread of Megachurch Praise Music
For more than a decade, American worship services have started to leave traditional hymns behind...Those who gather in Nashville are in part a bulwark against the takeover by megachurch music, known as “praise and worship” songs.

Church Fined for Copyright Infringement – Could Yours Be Next?
The possibility of being a church fined for copyright infringement is a vital question for church leaders who set policies and procedures regarding copyright infringement.

How to Pray in a Busy World
Since the pace of the world is not slowing down, we must build regular rhythms of prayer into our lives.

Raising young people in faith takes more than parents, study finds
A new study from the University of Georgia (UGA) has underlined the important role that engaged congregations and strong faith communities play in helping with the spiritual development of children.

7 Ways to Create a Culture of Invitation
Personal invitation is at the core of church outreach. A common challenge is figuring out how to get your congregation on board with inviting friends and family to explore Christianity. A couple of church leaders we work with here at Alpha shared how they’ve approached this challenge and how they’ve developed not only a habit but a culture of invitation.

Study reveals key role of faith-based organisations in treating substance use
Religious groups have long played a role in reaching out to those in need, and according to a new study from the University of Kansas (KU) and Georgetown University, their place alongside the most vulnerable shows no signs of diminishing.

Most Americans say Confederate memorials should be left in public; blacks disagree: study
Despite ongoing racial reconciliation efforts in some churches and society in general, a yawning divide still endures between black and white Americans over how Confederate memorials should be treated, a new study from the Public Religion Research Institute finds.

Tuesday's Catch: 'Virtual Mission Field' And More

Virtual Mission Field

The Church has entered a new era—a post-Christian, digital age. But simply having a website, social media, and an online campus should not be our only forays into a digital post-Christian world. We should enter the virtual mission field.

Pews, Not the Pulpit Drive Preference for In-Person Worship
For those who prefer in-person over online worship, the sense of connection to other people drives them, according to Pew Research.

Man Shall Not Live by Online Bread Alone
According to Trevin Wax, But there is a downside to toay's boom in online worship services. We become vulnerable to a cultural malady of “substitutism.”

Millennial Parents: 7 Ways To Reach Young Families Today
Lifeway Research found that many young adults leave the church because they don’t find it relevant. That trend can’t continue! The good news is that church leaders can slow this decline. Use these tips to reach millennial parents and develop them into kingdom builders.

God Is Not Limited by Our Lack
What does your church lack? How long have you felt like a failure with the fear of your church closing? Don’t give up. Keep using whatever you have while you focus on listening and following God’s lead. If you don’t know what to do next, just go where you are invited. God is going to link you to someone with a need. Let them in and listen to their heart. When you do, you just might hear God’s.

The Bible and the Civil Rights Movement
Many chapters in the story of the civil rights movement have been forgotten, modified, or intentionally misrepresented. White Americans tend to imagine the movement as less controversial than it was, white resistance as less violent than it was, and the resolution more final and satisfying than it was. Many Americans also forget—or ignore—the significant role that religion played in motivating and strengthening both the movement and its opponents. The Bible unsurprisingly played a significant role.

When my high school was desegregated, it was bombed. The faculty lounge was targeted and the vice-principal injured in the blast. The school later burned down under mysterious circumstances.

Five Common Hindrances to Bible Reading
What often keeps us from engaging with Scripture? See how many of these five hindrances apply to you.

A Simple Way for Leaders to Start the Day with God
Chuck Lawless offers a simple way we can turn to God every morning.

How Do You Prepare to Share Jesus?
...before you move from the pew to the street to share the gospel, know why you are doing it. Before you ask someone to come to your church, understand why they should and why they should stay.

Uncommitted Christians causing ‘catastrophic decline in biblical worldview in America’: Barna
Millions of uncommitted Christians are causing a "catastrophic decline in biblical worldview in America" because they have been poorly discipled in their faith and often don't know how to pass on biblical values to their children, research in a new book from veteran Christian researcher George Barna shows.

4 in 10 Evangelicals Say They’ve Been Visited by the Dead
Despite Scripture’s warning against communication from beyond the grave, most consider hearing from loved ones to be a comfort in their grief.

Renewed Fellowship, New Staff Bring Growth
When the Very Rev. Dane Boston returned to Trinity Cathedral in Columbia, South Carolina, this time as dean in January 2021, he found a very different church than the one he had previously served as canon for adult formation for five years.

Monday's Catch: 'Five New Challenges for the “Post-Post” Pandemic Church' Ad More

Five New Challenges for the “Post-Post” Pandemic Church

We are now entering a new era beyond the post-pandemic phase. We are in a “post post” pandemic era. It is significantly different than the months after churches regathered in-person. Most church leaders and members, however, have not adjusted to the rapid pace of changes accelerated by the pandemic and its aftermath. This reality can best be explained by five new challenges confronting churches today.

These obervations must be tempered by the growing awareness that COVID-19 is not seasonal like flu. It continues to mutate into new variations and surges of infections can occur at any time during the year. Churches cannot take a dismissive attitude to the virus as is sometimes taken on social media. Such a atttude is irresponsible where the health, safety, and well-being of a local church and the community or neighborhood to which it ministers is concerned.

It’s Time for a Relational Inventory
It has been said that what you will be like in five years is based on two things: The books that you read and the people you spend time with. It is difficult to underestimate the impact of the people who surround you.

A House-Going Parson Makes a Church-Going People
In all the talk about how to reverse the Church’s decline, there is rarely much about the need to revive dependable, effective, and attentive pastoral visiting among clergy. Invariably our debates center on styles of worship or models of local ministry (usually limited to structure and governance), as though what clergy do outside of Sundays or within their office is immaterial. Indeed, when pastoral visiting is mentioned it’s often as one of the more obvious jobs that can be done by the laity and so is left for them to do alone. This is fundamentally to misunderstand the purpose of pastoral visiting.

When I was a teen, two members of the clergy regularly visited my home, the priest of the local Episcopal church and the pastor of a local Baptist church.My grandparents, my mother, and I attended the Episcopal church. My older brother attended the Baptist church.

Who exactly is the pastor?
The pastor can be a friend of sorts, but not a buddy.

What belongs on the Lord's table?
What belongs on the Lord’s table? The short answer to the question is: “Whatever is needed for the celebration of the sacrament of Holy Communion, and little or nothing more.”

Whatever the denomination with which they may be associated, the communion table in too many churches is cluttered with things that are not necessary to a celebration of the sacrament of Holy Communion.

8 Elements Common to Answered Prayers
The fictitious gods of the Greek pantheon were unbelievably capricious and vindictive. The true and living God of the Bible is the exact opposite. He tells us what to ask for, and even when we ask amiss, he grants us only that which is good for us and for his glory.

Convenience or Connection: What’s Our Ministry Motivation?
Is there an alternative to the now-traditional approach to Sunday mornings and mid-week that would utilize the budget (whatever it is) in an impactful way, reduce the reliance on reluctant volunteers, and increase the significance of the ministry within the congregation?

How A Pastor Can Feed the Flock Every Day on Social Media
Pastor, what if there was a way to triple the number of people in your church who: read the Bible each morning… pray daily for the church and its mission… remember and apply what they hear during your sermons… without adding a ton of work to your already busy schedule?

Why We Should Keep Sharing Christ, Even With the Same People
Has someone you love not become a Christian despite your best evangelistic efforts? Are you feeling like a failure? Keep sharing Christ! Below are reasons why perseverance in evangelism is right.

Three dozen NC churches have agreed to leave the UMC under approved plan
After a judge dismissed their lawsuit, the 36 churches in the Western North Carolina Conference agreed to leave under the denomination's exit plan. They will formally exit in November.

Sundays at All Hallows (Sunday, September 10, 2023) Is Now Online

 

Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows.

This Sunday we have two Scripture Readings, one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament. A Gospel Canticle and an Affirmation of Faith, the Apostles’ Creed, follows the readings and precedes the Prayers. An Anthem introduces this Sunday’s Message, which is followed by a Prayer of Dedication, a Benediction, a Closing Hymn, and the Exchange of the Peace.

Readings: Ezekiel 33: 7-11; Romans 13: 8-14

Message: Living the Second Great Commandment: Loving Others

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2023/09/sundays-at-all-hallows-sunday-september_9.html

Please feel free to share this link with anyone who may be interested.

If you are new to Sundays at All Hallows, you may find these directions helpful:

-When you open the link to a video in a new tab, check auto-play to make sure it is in the off position. Otherwise, a second video with a different song will follow the first.

-If an ad plays when you open a link to a video in a new tab, click the refresh icon of your browser until the song appears.

-If a song begins partway through the video, click pause, move the slider to the beginning, and then click play.

-An ad may follow a song so as soon as the song is finished, close the tab.

May Sundays at All Hallows be a blessing to you.

The Boundary Markers of Anglican Belief and Practice

By Robin G. Jordan

In ancient times boundary stones and natural features of the landscape—trees, streams, ponds, rivers, lakes, and the like, were used to mark the boundaries of land which a tribe, clan, or other kinship group claimed. Moving a boundary stone or a cairn used to mark a land boundary was considered a serious offense.

The boundary markers of the beliefs and practices of the reformed Church of England may be organized into four main categories. In the first category are documents like John Jewel’s Apology of the Church of England. They represent the earliest attempt to establish the boundaries of the Church of England during what is called the “English Reformation.” In the second category is the two Books of Homilies and the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion. In the third category is the Prayer Book and the Ordinal. In the fourth category is the Canons of 1604.

During the nineteenth century the Catholic Revival not only moved a number of these boundary markers but also removed many of them. As one writer sympathetic to the Catholic Revival put it, the movement broke down the hedge between the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church. It not only revived a number of pre-Reformation medieval Catholic beliefs and practices in the English Church, but it also introduced many post-Tridentian continental Roman Catholic beliefs and practices into the English Church, beliefs and practices which had never been an element of pr-Reformation medieval English Catholicism. Their introduction would divide proponents of the Catholic Revival into two groups.

One group wished to restore a number of pre-Reformation medieval practices of the English Church, believing that their restoration would enrich the worship of the Church. They believed that these practices had antecedents and precedents in the practices of the early Church. The other group, however, wished to Romanize the English Church and to bring it back into the orbit of the Roman Catholic Church. They claimed that the English Church would have adopted the beliefs and practices that they were introducing if the English Reformation had not occurred.

The Catholic Revival movement quickly crossed the Atlantic to the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean islands. In the Protestant Episcopal Church its proponents made no distinction between pre-Reformation medieval English beliefs and practices and post-Tridentian continental Roman Catholic beliefs and practices. It would influence many American clergy to the point that they turned their backs on the English Reformation and the Protestant heritage of their church.

The mid-nineteenth century saw the emergence of the Broad Church movement which championed the acceptance of a wide diversity of opinion in the Church of England and its daughter churches. While this movement is generally associated with modernism and liberalism, its thinking is evident in a number of the breakaway churches, particularly the Anglican Church in North America and the Reformed Episcopal Church.

Among the most vocal of the members of these church we find a number of voices who advocate a continuing reformulation of Anglican beliefs and practices as the difficulties of the times may seem to require, even to the extent of discarding beliefs and practices which are integral to the Anglican Church’s Protestant heritage. ACNA’s first archbishop, Robert “Bob” Duncan has gone on record as saying that Anglicans should reject the English Reformation and the Elizabethan Settlement as no longer useful or desirable and return to the beliefs and practices of the pre-Reformation medieval Church.

Other voices describe the Anglican Church as an amalgam of Protestant and Catholic beliefs and practices in which elements of disparate theologies have converged to form a cohesive whole. Their thinking is reminiscent of that of Frederick Denison Maurice, a nineteenth century Anglican minister and theologian who is associated with the Broad Church movement and whose lectures, sermons, writings elicited one of two reactions. Some regarded him with “the reverence due a great spiritual teacher.” Others took a dimmer view of Maurice.

John Ruskin regarded him as “by nature puzzle-headed and indeed wrong-headed….” Aubry Thomas de Vere compared listening to Maurice to "eating pea-soup with a fork." Matthew Arnold observed that Maurice was "always beating the bush with profound emotion, but never starting the hare." M. E. Grant Duff after hearing Maurice on 30 to 40 occasions wrote in his diary, that he (Duff) had “never carried away one clear idea, or even the impression that he (Maurice) had more than the faintest conception of what he himself meant. John Stuart Mills concluded that more intellectual power had been wasted in Maurice than in any other of his contemporaries.

Maurice proposed a more dynamic theory of the supposed Anglican via media, or middle way, than John Henry Newman's. Newman would ultimately rejected his own theory as untenable. Maurice envisioned an evolutionary process in which a future Anglican Church would come to incorporate elements from the various branches of Christianity and in which all Christians would finally be united as one body. Maurice may be considered the father of the convergence view of the Anglican Church which is popular in some quarters of the Anglican Church in North America.

A number of voices in and outside the Anglican Church in North America champion what they describe as a “New Oxford movement.” The purpose of this movement is to extend the nineteenth century Catholic Revival and its beliefs and practices into the twenty-first century. This movement has its proponents in the Continuing Anglican Churches as well as in the Anglican Church in North America.

Some voices seek to move the Anglican Church closer to the Eastern Orthodox Churches while other voices seek to move the Anglican Church closer to the more conservative Lutheran Churches. A number of voices would move the Anglican Church closer to the more conservative Presbyterian and Reformed Churches.

If they have not already moved or removed the boundary markers of Anglican belief and practice, this highly vocal segment of the worldwide Anglican Church is prepared to move or remove them. They are not satisfied to leave well enough alone and leave the boundary markers where the first two centuries of the reformed Church of England placed them.

In upcoming articles I plan to look at where these boundary markers were placed and what their location means for those who identify themselves as “Anglicans” in the twenty-first century.

Saturday Lagniappe: 'Eight Ministry Staff Recruiting Flags' And More

Eight Ministry Staff Recruiting Flags

As staff recruiting in ministry world continues to evolve and become more competitive and sophisticated in recent years, churches and recruiting firms have developed a keen sense of red flags during the recruiting process that relate to whether a candidate is a good fit for your church or not. Those red flags may be a bit different from church to church but there are many red flags that are fairly consistent across the board.

Why we aren’t as bad as we could be
Why is that? It’s all a matter of perspective....

How Can I Become a Humbler Calvinist?
While we all are prone to hubris, excessive pride, Joh Piper examines why Calvinists may be more susceptibe to this sin and what they can do about it.

Make Jesus Christ, Not Pop Culture, the Heart of Sunday Worship
It looks like movie-based services are back on the church marquee—and producing new debates among Christians who feel these outreaches are either great spiritual conversation starters or else too frivolous for Sunday mornings.

I Set My Hope (Hymn for a Deconstructing Friend)
A new hymn by Keith & Kristyn Getty, Matt Boswell; Matt Papa.

How To Be A Great Backup Singer
It’s one thing to have a great voice. It is quite another to possess the skills it takes to make your worship leader want to schedule you as often as possible. Here are some solid tips on how to improve as a backup singer.

Digital Resistance: Three Habits for the Internet Age
Analog resistance simply means practicing habits that accord with our fundamental needs as God-created persons.

A Simple but Radical Shift in the Purpose and Format of Small Groups
Every once in a while a new discovery comes along that changes everything. Change experts call these paradigm shifts. A paradigm shift is a fundamental change that radically changes how we approach and do things.

Friday's Catch: ' 'How the Nature of God Shapes the Organization of the Church' And More

How the Nature of God Shapes the Organization of the Church

If the church loses the personal touch of intimacy, we lose integrity. If we lose a sense of generations and eternity (infinite), we underestimate what God has in mind. 

4 Steps to Launch a New Ministry in Your Church
Launching a new ministry is often easier than we think.

‘The Great Dechurching’ explores America’s religious exodus
A new study looks at why millions of Americans left church — and what might bring them back.

The long-awaited release of 'The Great Dechurching' has arrived.

5 Ways to Serve Those Who Are Deconstructing Their Faith
When someone is deconstructing their faith, there are at least five ways your church can walk alongside them and help them.

And Can it Be?
Charles Wesley, pastor, missionary, and hymn writr, younger brother of John Wesley, came to faith in Christ while listening to the singing of a psalm. The psalm was Psalm 130, De profundis.

Pastors, There’s a Ministry in Staying Put
One of the best gifts you can give your church is not leaving too soon.

Prayers said on first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's death and King Charles' accession
Prayers are being said in churches on the first anniversary of the late Queen Elizabeth II's death, and King Charles' accession to the throne. Queen Elizabeth died on 8 September 2022 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland aged 96. Charles, who was formerly the Prince of Wales, became King Charles III upon her death.

It only seems like yesterday that her Majesty the Queen departed this life and entered the nearer presence of God.

Queen was at peace and reflecting on her faith in final days
The late Queen was at peace and spent her final days reflecting on her Christian faith, according to a Church leader who was with her. Friday marks the first anniversary of the death of Queen Elizabeth II at Balmoral Castle in Scotland at the age of 96.

Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (Thursday, September 7, 2023) Is Now Online

 

Welcome to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows.

It is an ancient custom of the Church to light a lamp and to sing a hymn in praise of Christ as the Light as dusk settles over the community and the lights of evening begin to shine. Lighting a lamp or candle at the beginning of a time of prayer can be a symbolic act, setting apart that particular time of the day for prayer. After we have concluded our devotions, the lamp or candle can then be extinguished. Such acts help us to focus our attention on God.

Reading: Matthew 8: 23-27

Message: Jesus Calms the Storm

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2023/09/thursday-evenings-at-all-hallows.html

Please feel free to share this link with anyone who may be interested.

If you are new to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows, you may find these directions helpful:

-When you open the link to a video in a new tab, check auto-play to make sure it is in the off position. Otherwise, a second video with a different song will follow the first.

-If an ad plays when you open a link to a video in a new tab, click the refresh icon of your browser until the song appears.

-If a song begins partway through the video, click pause, move the slider to the beginning, and then click play.

-An ad may follow a song so as soon as the song is finished, close the tab.

May Thursday Evenings at All Hallows be a blessing to you.

Thursday's Catch: '9 Challenges to Church Planting' And More

9 Challenges to Church Planting
Like any movement, challenges exist that threaten the vitality and longevity of church planting. We must consider how to address them.

Involving Ourselves in Every Controversy?
Part of the pernicious underbelly of the internet is that many allow themselves to be drawn into controversies about which they have no need to involve themselves.

3 Essentials to Resolving Conflict Well
Nobody likes conflict. Yet, it’s inevitable in life.

Disabling Idolatry
Pandemic pressures are exposing among us an idol called ableism.

The Three Sacred Ministers: An Outmoded Concept
Ever since medieval times, a typical practice of Western Christendom has been the employment of three sacred ministers to mark the solemn celebration of the Holy Eucharist. Referred to as priest, deacon, and subdeacon, or as celebrant, gospeller, and epistoler, these three hieratic figures have long been characteristic of Western worship at its best.

Praying With Kingdom Authority
The enemy wants to make us prayerless so we never turn on the switch, even though the wiring for kingdom authority is in place.

5 Reasons Not to Follow Your Heart
The ‘freedom’ of our day is far more limiting. You have one option when it comes to your heart—follow it.

10 reasons why youth ministry matters now more than ever
Greg Stier lists 10 reasons why youth ministry is critical in our time.

Wednesday's Catch: 'Giving is up at churches and people are back....' And More

Giving is up at churches and people are back, but clergy are still thinking about quitting
While life at local congregations has returned mostly to normal, the future remains uncertain.

5 Encouraging Church Trends Right Now
A recent report presents five trends that can give church leaders and members hope that the post-pandemic reality continues to improve.

The New Golden Handcuffs for Pastors (It’s Mortgage Rates)
The real estate market is encouraging some pastors to stay put. For now.

Bad Church Stewardship Ideas: 4 Mistakes Churches Make
As we seek to cast a vision for real generosity, we need to first begin by asking ourselves if what we are doing is working. Are we treating the symptoms or addressing the heart?

4 Ways to Talk About Money in Your Church
How do you talk about money in your church? Talking about money is not always easy. This sensitive topic often gets brushed under the rug in the church. The truth is that we need to have conversations about money if we want to keep our churches running. It’s important to be willing to talk about finances openly and honestly. But how do you do it? How do you break the silence?

New Mohawk translation of the Bible published
The completion of the Bible in the Mohawk language is being celebrated in Canada this month. The Mohawk translation was carried out mostly by Harvey Satewas Gabriel, of Kanesatake, Quebec, and took over 17 years to complete.

Can It Be Forgotten?
We may well worry about decline in religious affiliation or the moral failures of our Christian communities, but what if there is an additional, more intimate problem in the life of the church — a failure in our adherence and attention to the sacred page?

Why Youth Group Involvement Is Down (and What to Do About It)
When kids don’t attend consistently, it’s hard for youth ministers to connect relationally, build community, or disciple effectively.

Bike Ministry on a roll at Sarah Jane Johnson UMC
The Bike Ministry grew from a summer youth outreach effort 16-years ago that included workshops where participants worked on their own bikes, side-by-side with volunteers from the Southern Tier Bike Club, gaining repair and regular maintenance skills. While many were reached and served that summer, church and bike club leadership saw first-hand just how many children are without bikes. In talking with folks from other outreach ministries, they learned about the benefits bikes would be for some adults too

Two Reasons Why Our Evangelism Isn’t Working
One in five Americans don’t believe in a deity. Less than half of the population attends religious services on a regular basis. Our evangelism isn’t working. People simply find our evangelism unbelievable. Why? While a person’s response to Christ is ultimately a matter that rests in God’s sovereign hands—something we have no control over—a person’s hearing of the gospel is a matter we do have control over and responsibility for.

American belief in fixed binary gender is growing
The percentage of Americans who believe only two fixed genders exist is steadily increasing, and more than a quarter claim young people are being coerced into being transgender, according to new polling data from Public Religion Research Institute.

NJ challenges Ocean Grove Christian group’s limit on private beach access on Sundays
Ocean Grove, a New Jersey community in Neptune Township founded by Methodist ministers in 1869 as a “Christian seaside resort” has been warned by state officials that their longstanding tradition of limiting access to their privately owned beach before noon on Sundays during the summer months to accommodate church services and maintain the character of their community is a violation of state law.

Tuesday's Catch: '5 Misconceptions About Dechurching in America' And More

5 Misconceptions About Dechurching in America
We’re currently living in the largest and fastest religious shift in U.S. history.

Every Culture Welcome: How Growing Churches Are Reaching Different Ethnic Groups
Churches on the Outreach 100 Fastest-Growing Churches list are unique and varied, but one characteristic they share that often goes unnoticed is that many of them are reaching different ethnic groups. While these churches’ stories are as diverse as their members, the principles they follow can help a church, no matter its size, reach its entire community.

5 Vision Killers
Casting vision is a key role every pastor must fill. Yet sometimes corporate attitudes and unhealthy cultures can get in the way.

Pastors, churches still struggling in throes of ‘uncertainty and unsettledness’ post-pandemic: study
In a time of “uncertainty and unsettledness” following the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns, churches are still struggling to attract young people to the pews, address concerns about aging clergy and congregants, and commit to doing what it takes to ensure their future survival, a new study conducted by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research at Hartford International University shows.

The latest research findings indicate that COVID-19 is not seasonal like influenza and RSV and outbreaks of the disease and surges in infections may occur at any time in the year, pointing to a need for the United States to change its vaccine development and vaccination strategy and churches to modify their contigency plans.

On the other side of the pandemic, the report from America’s churches is mixed
Increases in attendance, giving and participation, and a decline in internal squabbling, may signal America’s churches are emerging from the dark days of the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, new research shows. But the study — “Back to Normal? The Mixed Messages of Congregational Recovery Coming Out of the Pandemic” — also found Mainline, evangelical, Black and multiracial churches in the United States are not out of the woods yet when it comes to the lingering consequences of the coronavirus outbreak.

When ‘liberal talking points’ are the gospel
When the gospel can be interpreted as “liberal talking points” there’s trouble brewing.

Standing Firm in a Culture of Gender Confusion
Our culture is confused about gender, but so are our churches... Amid such gender confusion and warfare, how should pastors respond and engage?

Want to grow your faith? Read Psalms
For thousands of years, the Psalms have provided Jews and Christians with a guide for their faith. They have been a powerful worship and prayer tool giving life direction. Here are three reasons the Psalms have been so influential and how they can be used by you to grow your faith.

5 Ways to Deepen Your Prayer Life
Prayer can be hard work. But it is also a joyful and rewarding practice. As we continue to deepen our life of prayer, we’ll find that we crave it when the busyness of life has edged it out.

A Place to Grow
The church has a unique opportunity to allocate its precious resources to teaching our children the spiritual disciplines they need to grow in faith and service. Kids’ ministry programs can provide the foundation for the teaching, mentorship and preparation kids need to stand, crawl, walk, run and finally fly from childhood, through their youth, to become spiritually mature adults. There are many ways to do this well, and one of those ways is by creating dedicated spaces to help kids truly absorb and experience God’s love.

4 Ways Missions Discipleship Shapes the Children in Your Church
Children who experience these areas of missions discipleship learn to take ownership of how they serve others in the community and world.

10 Ways to Ignite Fervent Prayer in Your Small Group
Praying in a small group can be intimidating for those who haven’t done it before. You’d be surprised how many people are not used to praying out loud with other people around them listening in. This is an essential spiritual practice for all believers to develop because agreement in prayer among two or more believers sparks the outworking of God’s will on earth as it is in heaven and strengthens the community of His Church (Matthew 18:18-20). As the small group leader, you can ignite a passion for prayer in your group by engaging in these practices....

Top Video Cameras for Broadcasting Church Services
What is the best camera to use for live streaming?

Standing by the Door
If you are a Christian, how did you become one?

SOM Begins Again
"The purpose of the School of Ordained Ministry in the Diocese of Northwest Texas (SOM) is to provide a quality theological education for the formation of priests and deacons. It focuses this education on talented students, who for various reasons cannot attend a residential seminary." After a 2-year hiatus, SOM has begun again with a new group of 5 students who gathered the last weekend in August at the Hulsey Episcopal Center in Lubbock to begin/continue their theological education.

Monday's Catch: 'Do I Really Need to Be a Member of a Church?" And More

Do I Really Need to Be a Member of a Church?

This question and its ensuing discussion continues. Do I really need to be a member of a church?

How to Be a Missional and Confessional Church That Motivates People for Faithful Ministry
In this final episode of season three of As in Heaven, hosts Jim Davis and Michael Aitcheson welcome Irwyn Ince to discuss the value of churches that seek to be both missional and confessional. When churches hold both in harmony, they become places that people won’t want to leave.

Thirteen Characteristics of the Holy Spirit
The Scripture provides a number of phrases that describe the characteristics of the Holy Spirit.

9 Things You Should Know About the Prosperity Gospel
A recent survey finds an increasing number of churchgoers in the United States subscribe to beliefs associated with the prosperity gospel. “In the last five years, far more churchgoers are reflecting prosperity gospel teachings,” says Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, “including the heretical belief that material blessings are earned from God.”

Getty’s Sing! Conference seeks to highlight role worship music plays in spiritual formation, Great Commission
Worship music plays a significant role in both personal spiritual formation and the Great Commission — and it’s key to discipling the next generation in an increasingly dark world. That’s according to modern hymn writer Keith Getty, who in an interview with The Christian Post reflected on the pivotal role of music in biblical teachings and the need for Christians to stay rooted in their faith amid societal changes.

Are You a Lover of Good?
There seems to be something embedded within our sinful human nature that makes us quicker to see evil than good. There is something that draws our attention more naturally to sin than to righteousness, more easily to what is ugly in other people than what is beautiful.

Don’t Miss Gen Z’s Missionary Potential
What if God has ordained certain Gen Z traits to be used for his redemptive purposes?

How to Rethink Your Short-Term Trips
Here are some ideas for avoiding the mistakes that are common to short-term trips and helping redeem short-term trips to be more effective.

Church of England called to be faithful after Times survey
Church of England clergy who have "lost confidence" in the Bible and biblical ethics should resign or be removed, the head of Christian Concern has said. Andrea Williams was responding to a survey of CofE priests by The Times that found over half (53%) support priests being allowed to conduct same-sex weddings if they wish. 

Sundays at All Hallows (Sunday, September 3, 2023) Is Now Online

Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows.

Jesus told his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.” Whatever our circumstances, Jesus calls us to follow him with the same words, “…give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.”

In the ancient Roman world in the time of Jesus a man carrying a cross to his place of execution was considered a dead man. Whatever life that he may have had, it ceased when he hoisted that cross onto his shoulders.

Whatever life we may have had also ceases when we respond to Jesus’ call to follow him. We are dead to that life and the life which we live from that point on is the life we live in Christ.

Reading: Romans 12: 9-21

Message: Walking in Love

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2023/09/sundays-at-all-hallows-sunday-september.html

Please feel free to share this link with anyone who may be interested.

If you are new to Sundays at All Hallows, you may find these directions helpful:

-When you open the link to a video in a new tab, check auto-play to make sure it is in the off position. Otherwise, a second video with a different song will follow the first.

-If an ad plays when you open a link to a video in a new tab, click the refresh icon of your browser until the song appears.

-If a song begins partway through the video, click pause, move the slider to the beginning, and then click play.

-An ad may follow a song so as soon as the song is finished, close the tab.

May Sundays at All Hallows be a blessing to you.

Saturday Lagniappe ´Songs Are Discipleship´ And More

Songs Are Discipleship
If a mist in the pulpit is a fog in the pew, the same is true of the songs we choose and sing congregationally.

Sharing Jesus in a Digital World
T...e Church has entered a new era—a post-Christian, digital age. But simply having a website, social media, and an online campus should not be our only forays into a digital post-Christian world. We should enter the virtual mission field.

7 Things NOT to Say When You’re Leading People Through Change
Leading change requires a skill set. And the good news is that skill set can be learned.

3 Steps for Church Planters to Build a Healthy Team
What steps should church planters take to build an intentional culture from the ground up?

6 Ways the Team Reflects the Leader
...here are six ways the team reflects the leader....

What’s Leaving Your Wallet? Financial Changes Impacting Your Congregation
Changes in saving, spending, and giving are impacting your congregation, but do churchgoers notice the financial tradeoffs they are making?

The Hallmark of Genuine Christianity
What is the hallmark of genuine Christianity? What is the outward sign that a person is truly Christian, or that a community of Christians is the real thing? What is the inevitable fruit of obeying the gospel? There are many potential hallmarks....

Deconversion is Apostasy
Apostasy is the act of giving up your religious beliefs and leaving a religion. This is what people do when they deconvert from Christianity. They apostasize.

What Kind of Kid Disciples Are in Your Church?
When discipling young people, it is essential to understand their personalities to reach them most effectively.

‘In Old Age They Still Produce Fruit’
Yes, as a whole Church, we need to put greater effort into reaching the Next Generation; and our resources for church leaders are largely focused on that. But the population of older adults in need of discipling is nearly unlimited in the foreseeable future.

The extreme summer weather that scorched and soaked the world
Heat. Wildfires. Torrential rain. Typhoons and hurricanes. Much of the northern hemisphere has been battered by extreme weather this summer.

Texas churches pray for rain as dogged drought conditions linger
“We believe that it is the time of rain in our region, so we are asking/petitioning the Father for rain.” 

Whether they are connected to human activity or natural causes, this century's changing weather patterns and the resulting extreme weather are going to cause human suffering and local churches need to make realistic plans on how they are going to respond.

Historic Gardiner church seeks to fix tower that houses Revere bell
A historic Gardiner church with a bell crafted by Paul Revere & Sons is working to save a piece of history.

A number of Episcopal churches are historic sites and a part of the nation's history. Whatever we may think of the Episcopal Church, these buildings are worth preserving.

Friday's Catch: 'No More Generations? When Labels Limit and Differences Divide' And More

No More Generations? When Labels Limit and Differences Divide
Pew Research recently published in article in which they shared that they will be moving away from using generation-specific language in sharing their findings with the general public.

Gen Z Needs a Place at Your Kitchen Table
Perhaps the constant current of entertainment that Gen Z lives beneath has left them waterlogged, even drowning. My generation is gasping for something real.

Gen Z Will Not Save the World
Gen Z sees themselves as the generation that’s woken up to the evils of their elders.

We need encouragement in sermons, not only challenge
What do you expect from a sermon when you go to a church service? What is it that you need to hear, and what is important to be included?

What are Harvest Festivals and why do we have them?
Through September and October, British churches of most denominations have a Harvest Festival, but the modern Harvest Festival is mainly a Victorian development based on biblical themes.

One Simple Yet Crucial Decision College Freshmen Need to Make
o be a Christian is to be a part of the body of Christ, and the body of Christ is to be made visible.

Before You Share Your Faith! How to Be 'Evangelism Ready'
Are you ready to tell someone about Jesus? How can you be prepared? Matt Smethurst, author of Before You Open Your Bible and companion book Before You Share Your Faith, outlines seven tips for becoming “evangelism ready.”

3 Encouraging Trends I See in the UK’s Churches
Ed Stetzer shares 3 observations about the church in the United Kingdom.