Like a Wild Goose: Wild Goose Appalachian Church

Three years ago, when Indian Valley Presbyterian Church closed its doors in Floyd, Va., Edwin Lacy, who had been working there as an associate minister, saw an opportunity to resurrect and transform the little country church.

“It was located in an interesting community with an eclectic mix of people, all drawn together by the Appalachian culture,” says Lacy, who suspected he might attract members if the worship service was casual, nontraditional, and one that celebrated its local flavor.

Lacy became lead pastor and renamed the church Wild Goose Appalachian Church. His first order of business was replacing the pews with donated rocking chairs. “We have 40 rocking chairs of all different shapes and sizes,” says Lacy. “Their diversity is representative of the way we welcome individuality.” Keep reading

How might your church connect with your community?

Viewpoint: Cautions Against Bi-vocational Ministry

For three years, I worked as a bi-vocational pastor. It was hard and I would do it again. There are many bi-vocational pastors all over the world whose ministry will never, as far as they can tell, be able to support them as pastors and so they willingly work in other industries and, of course, there are church planters who are sent out with small core teams and some cash and they work until the church is sustainable to support his salary.

What concerns me is the rising momentum behind bi-vocational pastoring as a strategy for mission and church planting. There are many who are worried that finances aren’t available for the kind of church planting that we should be accomplishing (See Ed Stetzer and Jimmy Scroggins). “The math doesn’t work,” says Jimmy Scroggins. It’s just too expensive, especially in urban places, where church planting is most needed. Pastors need to become more comfortable about potentially never getting a paycheck from the church. Others, like David Fitch and Geoff Holsclaw, argue that it’s more missionally strategic to be bi-vocational as a pastor and want to change the culture of pastoring in the United States. These are just a few examples. But I have some cautions. Keep reading

On Preaching: Two Articles

Is Preaching Really Foolishness?

I once asked a number of people which verses came to mind when they thought about preaching. I had already gone to one of the concordances and looked up verses where the English words preaching, preacher, or preach occur, and I found that, even in these cases, which do not reflect all occurrences of the Greek and Hebrew root words (these are also translated “proclaim,” “make known,” “speak,” and so on), there are 150 verses. But when I began to ask my question, people referred again and again to one verse, 1 Corinthians 1:21, which says, “God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.

I think that says something about the way many people regard what they hear coming from the pulpit. They think of it as foolishness. In the minds of many, the content of preaching, and perhaps even the delivery of the sermon itself, is a very foolish thing. Keep reading

Preaching through Bible has risks, pastors say

Preaching straight through the Bible has its risks, pastors acknowledged in a panel discussion held during the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting in Columbus, Ohio.

Panelists urged a balance between verse-by-verse explanation and sermons on specific topics at a June 16 breakfast meeting sponsored by The Gospel Project, a curriculum series of LifeWay Christian Resources.

Many pastors believe tackling Scripture verse by verse from the pulpit is the only acceptable approach, said moderator Ed Stetzer, general editor of The Gospel Project.

But that view may be different from the pews, the four panelists agreed. Continuity is broken if people don't attend every service -- and "I can guarantee you during football season you're going to have people who are there every third Sunday," said Chip Henderson, pastor at Pinelake Church in Jackson, Miss.

A lengthy series of sermons can leave newcomers "feeling like they're catching the movie in the middle," said H.B. Charles Jr., pastor of Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla.

Most important, Stetzer said, a demand for expository preaching may discourage pastors in developing countries who lack the academic training to analyze every verse.

"We live in a world that needs a lot more serious expository preaching," Stetzer said. "But when we hold this out as a norm across all cultures and times -- a biblical principle that must be done -- we impose a foreign model that is not found in Scripture." Keep reading

Video Streaming on a Shoestring Budget

Allow people who are traveling, home-bound, or considering your church to join the service electronically.

My church has a little less than 300 people in weekly worship attendance. We don’t have the budget to buy expensive cameras, and we don’t have the space to put up tripods. Although we have these restrictions, I wanted us to try streaming our services so our current church body could worship with us when they weren’t here. Keep reading

How Not to Fix the Discipleship Problem in a Church

Church revitalization is a big deal today – as it should be. One reason we talk about this topic, though, is the church’s failure to produce disciples. When the church fails to disciple, the result is baby believers who never grow (even though they may be placed in leadership positions). Stagnation results, and revitalization is in order. That being said, here are some ways not to fix this discipleship problem. Keep reading

Looking Beyond This Week’s College of Bishops’ Meeting

By Robin G. Jordan

On Thursday and Friday the Anglican Church in North America’s College of Bishops will be meeting to consider among other things the latest offering from the Liturgy and Common Worship Task Force, which is reported to possibly include two new Eucharistic Prayers and changes to the rubrics of the “Short Form” of the Holy Communion service in Texts for Common Prayer, as well as the final drafts of the proposed rites for Baptism and Communion. This is a good time for congregations and clergy who are presently a part of the Anglican Church in North America and who are Evangelical and low-church in tradition and committed to the Protestant and Reformed doctrine and principles of the Anglican formularies to be examining their options.

What steps can they take to secure a future for themselves within and outside the structure and organization of the Anglican Church in North America, in Canada and the United States?  

I see four steps that I believe are critical to their flourishing in North America.

The first step is to form a voluntary association of congregations and clergy who are Evangelical and low-church in tradition and share a common commitment to the Anglican formularies’ Protestant and Reformed doctrine and principles. A bundle of sticks, wrapped tightly together by a cord, is far stronger than the individual sticks in the bundle. It is much more difficult to break than the individual sticks.

Among the purposes that such an organization might serve are:

1. Help existing and new congregations which are Evangelical and low-church in tradition and committed to Anglican formularies’ Protestant and Reformed doctrine and principles to find like minded senior pastors and staff;
2. Plant and grow new congregations which share these characteristics;
3. Develop leadership training materials for existing and new congregations with these characteristics;
4. Recruit, sponsor, and form candidates for ordained ministry who share the same characteristics.

Such an association might also serve as the structural and organizational foundation of a second province within or outside the Anglican Church in North America depending upon the political climate in the ACNA.

The second step is to jointly develop and publish their own catechism, one which in its teaching is fully in alignment with the Holy Scriptures and the Anglican formularies, including the two Books of Homilies.

The third step is to jointly compile and publish their own service book, one whose rites and services in their doctrine and liturgical usages are also fully in alignment with the Holy Scriptures and the Anglican formularies.

The fourth step is to network with like-minded Anglicans in the provinces of the Anglican Communion and in extramural Anglican entities.

The time for waiting to see what the ACNA leaders do next is now past. I fully expect the College of Bishops to confirm the present Anglo-Catholic direction of the Anglican Church in North America at its two-day meeting this week. The time has arrived for Anglicans who are Evangelical and low-church in tradition and committed to the Protestant and Reformed doctrine and principles of the Anglican formularies to take independent steps to secure their own future.

Also see
Five Eucharistic Prayers - A Sampler of Prayers of Thanksgiving and Consecration Compatible with 1662 Prayer Book Theology
How to Test and Measure the ACNA Eucharistic Rites against the 1662 Prayer Book Standard
Taking the Wrong Steps Toward a New Prayer Book
Surprises in Store? College of Bishops Consider Liturgy Revisions at June Meeting

Special Events and the Church: New Research from Eventbrite

A new study commissioned by Eventbrite looks at the effects of special religious events.

I’m a stats nerd.

If you read this blog with any regularity and you don’t know that yet, I’ve failed you. I’m the executive director of LifeWay Research, so naturally I like analyzing and explaining the data we collect. But, at the same time, I love reading up on all sorts of stats and data that pertain to the local church and its mission.

Recently, Eventbrite, a “global marketplace for live experiences,” conducted a study to research how often religious groups were using their service. My friend, and well-known research Scott Thumma, emailed me some details and the data was just released moments ago (at the time of this posting).

Here is their explanation of the project.... Keep reading

3 Reasons for Church Membership

Bring up church membership and watch people squirm.

It isn’t that people in culture are against membership as an idea—Costco seems to be doing well.

Perhaps it is because church membership is not often defined well. It’s one of those things that when misunderstood seems a bit like eating your spinach—“at least try it before you decide you don’t like it.”

Makes you want to sign right up, doesn’t it?

But in the New Testament, people in churches are recognized as being in some sort of community. It’s just that the reality is how community is expressed in Scripture has fallen on hard times over the last couple of thousand years.

Membership is often misunderstood, misapplied or not applied at all. Keep reading

Eight Thoughts about Hiring Church Staff When You Have No Money

One of the more common concerns I hear from church leaders is the lack of funds to do ministry or to hire staff. The concern is often expressed as, “Our church is small; we can’t afford to do that.” But that sense of scarcity is not limited to small churches; I have heard the similar concerns from leaders of large churches.

Many church leaders would love the ability to hire more staff, but their perception of limited resources hinders them from doing so. Do alternatives exist? I believe so. Let’s look at eight thoughts about this issue. Keep reading

Clay Feet and Fallen Leaders: Two Articles

5 Reasons Pastors Fail Morally (And What To Watch For in Your Own Life)

Twice this week so far, I’ve heard of church leaders who are moving out of leadership because they had affairs.

Last weekend, another well known pastor had to step down after admitting to having had an affair. Yesterday I got a call from someone about another leader who had an affair and is stepping back.

It’s heartbreaking. Keep reading

When Leaders Fall, All Are Punished

The stories are as sad as any, and tragically too common. An effective, fruitful leader in the faith falls into some moral failure, disqualifying himself from leadership and devastating those who had followed him.

Reactions will range from confusion to disbelief to fury. Some will wonder how sin could capture the heart of someone God has used so powerfully in the church. Some will look for all the dirty details, secretly glad to see another gifted leader go down. Some will withdraw and rebel in disgust and anger, not willing to trust or submit to leadership in the church again.

Whatever else we feel and learn in the wake of the fall, we should see that the consequences of sin in leaders seep into the church, leading people astray — away from God and against him. Keep reading

5 Pitfalls to Avoid in Sermon Illustrations

Everyone loves a good story. They can be powerful, illuminating, inspiring, and, most of all, memorable. And they can really enhance the effectiveness of a sermon. No doubt some of our favorite sermons are so precisely because of their illustrations or stories.

History bears out this observation. Not only was Jesus himself the master storyteller (and illustrator), but some of the most famous sermons in history have contained them. One only needs to think of Jonathan Edwards’s sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” Edwards effectively compared the precarious situation of sinners dangling over the fires of hell to the way spiders dangle by the thinnest of webs.

But illustrations do not always turn out the way we intended. Indeed, sometimes illustrations can do more harm than good. Here are five major illustration pitfalls to avoid. Keep reading

Beginning With Impossible

One of my favorite quotes from Hudson Taylor, the very quotable pioneer missionary to China is “There are three stages in every great work of God: first, it is impossible, then it is difficult, then it is done.” Taylor knew about impossible. Impossible was going to the other side of the world to untold millions who had yet to hear the Gospel even once. To do that would take months of risky sea passage to reach them, then learning their utterly confounding language, while facing diseases that if they didn’t kill you, then the people you were devoting your life to just might. On top of all that, to evangelize such a large country of large extremes, it would take an army of Cross-bearers. Impossible.

The second and third stages—difficult and done—are not reached by Samson-like strength or Job-like patience. Hudson Taylor would be the first to correct such thinking. He said, “All God’s giants have been weak men, who did great things for God because they reckoned on His being with them.” And, he added, “Perhaps the greatest hindrance to our work is our own imagined strength.” So the three stages are God’s work from man’s perspective: impossible—difficult—done. But the men and women witnessing this tide turn are not spectators or armchair critics—they are men and women of faith. Faith is not a warm, upward thought. Rather faith is action displayed and lived out in the arena of our days to the glory of God and the advance of His Gospel. Paul described his preaching, teaching, travel—and jail trips in between—as hard labor energized by God, “Struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me” (Colossians 1:29). Therefore, faith is speaking and writing for the sake of the Gospel. It is working and risking. It is winning and losing. It is going and not always returning. It is asking, seeking, and knocking. It’s what Jesus said “moves mountains.”

Reaching vast China with the Gospel at a time when it was closed, dangerous, and distant, was never impossible for God. But who could believe this enough to follow Him and see Him work? Apparently hundreds—even thousands—could! One of the treasures I “unearthed” during the making of the most recent film in the Dispatches from the Front series, No Regrets, No Retreat, was a pristine, original edition of China Inland Mission’s annual report from 1888. China’s Millions was a year’s compilation of journal entries and reports from Hudson Taylor and his fellow missionaries. The pages recount the baptisms and the beatings, riots and new arrivals. But the most striking page in the book for me was one that resembled a high school yearbook—only older in every way. Row upon sepia-tinted row of pictures of the 100 missionaries who had left for China the previous year. Keep reading

Five Eucharistic Prayers - A Sampler of Prayers of Thanksgiving and Consecration Compatible with 1662 Prayer Book Theology

By Robin G. Jordan

I have put together a selection of five Eucharistic Prayers that I believe are compatible with the theology of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. Three prayers come from An Australian Prayer Book (1978), one from Our Modern Services (2002, 2003), and one from Common Prayer: Resources for Gospel-Shaped Gatherings (2012). They show what is possible where there is a genuine commitment to use the theology of the 1662 Prayer Book as a guide.

Due to copyright restrictions I am unable to post the texts of the first three Eucharistic Prayers on Anglicans Ablaze. However, I am providing a link to An Australian Prayer Book (1978) online and the page on which each prayer may be found.

The first Eucharistic Prayer comes from The Holy Communion, First Order in An Australian Prayer Book (1978), and is a contemporary language adaptation of the 1662 Eucharistic Prayer. The prayer begins on page 123.

The Prayer of Humble Access, which follows the Sanctus as in the 1662 Eucharistic Prayer, has been shortened. All may join in saying the prayer. The rubric preceding the Memorial of the Institution of the Lord’s Supper directs that the priest must take and break the bread in the full view of the people and likewise take the cup. This rubric mandates that priest either stand at the north side of the communion table or stand in the western position, facing the congregation across the table. Both positions are consistent with the theology of the 1662 Prayer Book.

The Memorial of the Institution of the Lord’s Supper begins with the exordium, “All glory to you, our heavenly Father….” As I noted in my previous article, this addition is not inconsistent with the 1662 Prayer Book’s theology. The priest performs the Manual Acts during the Words of Institution as in the 1662 prayer. The distribution of the communion elements immediately follows their consecration as in the 1662 Communion Service.

The second Eucharistic Prayer comes from The Holy Communion, Second Order in An Australian Prayer Book (1978) and begins on page 145. This prayer contains an anamnesis but no oblation. A memorial acclamation in which all join follows the Words of Institution and precedes the anamnesis. The prayer contains three references to the Holy Spirit but no petition for the descent of the Holy Spirit on the bread and wine. It does, however, contain a petition that God renew the communicants by the Holy Spirit. It concludes with a doxology in which all join.

The third Eucharistic Prayer comes from the Alternative Forms for the Prayer of Thanksgiving and Consecration for The Holy Communion, Second Order in An Australian Prayer Book (1978). It is substantially the second Eucharistic Prayer with seasonal additions. It begins on page 167. This prayer is also Prayer 2 - one of the Eucharistic Prayers in Holy Communion Two in the Church of Ireland’s The Book of Common Prayer (2004). In the Irish version of the prayer the memorial acclamation has been moved to a position after the anamnesis. Otherwise, the two prayers are identical.

The fourth Eucharistic Prayer comes from the Anglican Church of Kenya’s Our Modern Services (2002, 2003).  The prayer was originally drafted in 1987 and approved by the Provincial Synod for revision and publication in 1989. The prayer and the Service of Holy Communion in which it is used is an outgrowth of “recent developments in African Christian Theology and liturgical research.” The entire rite is online. According to its preface, the rite “is both thoroughly Biblical and authentically African, both faithful to Anglican tradition and refreshingly creative.”

The Prayer of Thanksgiving

The People remain standing.

Minister We remain standing for thanksgiving and remembrance. Is the Father with us?

People He is.

Minister Is Christ among us?

People He is.

Minister Is the Spirit here?

People He is.

Minister This is our God.

People Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Minister We are his people.

People We are redeemed.

Minister Lift up your hearts.

People We lift them to the Lord.

Minister Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

People It is right to give him thanks and praise.

Minister It is right and our delight to give you thanks and praise, great Father, living God, supreme over the world. Creator, Provider, Saviour and Giver. From a wandering nomad you created your family; for a burdened people you raised up a leader; for a confused nation you chose a king, for a rebellious crowd you sent your prophets. In these last days you have sent us your Son, your perfect image, bringing your kingdom, revealing your will, dying, rising, reigning, remaking your people for yourself. Through him you have poured out your Holy Spirit, filling us with light and life.

Special Thanksgivings shall be said at this point when appropriate.

Therefore with angels, archangels, faithful ancestors and all in heaven, we proclaim your great and glorious name, forever praising you and saying.

People Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.

The presiding minister performs the traditional actions of taking the bread and breaking it etc., either during the words of institution or immediately prior to distributing the bread and wine.

The people remain standing.

Minister Almighty God, Owner of all things, We thank you for giving up your only son to die on the cross for us who owe you everything. Pour your refreshing Spirit on us as we remember him in the way he commanded, through these gifts of your creation. On the same night that he was betrayed he took bread and gave you thanks: he broke it and gave it to his disciples saying, "Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me."

People Amen. His body was broken for us.

Minister In the same way, after supper he took the cup and gave thanks: he gave it to them, saying, "Drink this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this as often as you drink it, in the remembrance of me."

People Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

Minister We are brothers and sisters through his blood

People We have died together, We will rise together, We will live together.

Minister Therefore, heavenly Father, hear us as we celebrate this covenant with joy, and await the coming of our Brother, Jesus Christ. He died in our place, making a full atonement for the sins of the whole world, the perfect sacrifice, once and for all. You accepted his offering by raising him from death, and granting him great honour at your right hand on high.

People Amen. Jesus is Lord.

Minister This is the feast of victory

People The lamb who was slain has begun his reign. Hallelujah

Note the call-and-response litany form of the prayer. This is characteristically African. Note also that while the prayer contains a petition for the descent of the Holy Spirit, it is not for descent of the Spirit upon bread and wine but upon the gathered church. This is consistent with what the Scriptures teach.

The fifth Eucharistic Prayer comes from The Lord’s Supper, Form 1 in Common Prayer: Resources for Gospel-Shaped Gatherings. Form 1 is a contemporary version of the 1662 Communion Service.

15. The minister leads the people in praise and thanksgiving.

Lift up your hearts,

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

He is worthy of all praise.

Always and everywhere, it is right for us to praise you, Lord, holy Father, mighty Creator and eternal God.

On certain days a special preface (see below) is said here.

Therefore, with all those gathered around your throne in heaven, we proclaim your great and glorious name,  in words of never-ending praise:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory.  Glory to you, Lord most high.

After each of these prefaces the minister and people continue with the words “Therefore, with all those gathered etc.”

16. This prayer of preparation (or the version found on page 51) may be said by the minister alone or by all together.

We do not presume to come to your table, merciful Lord,  trusting in our own righteousness, but in your boundless goodness and mercy . We are not even worthy  to eat the crumbs under your table. But you are the same Lord, always rich in mercy.  Enable us by faith to eat the flesh of your dear Son Jesus Christ,  and to drink his blood, that we may be cleansed from sin and forever dwell in him, and he in us. Amen.

17. Standing at the table, the minister continues to give thanks. As Jesus’ words of institution are said, the minister breaks the bread and takes hold of the cup before all the people.

We thank you, our Father, that in your love and mercy you gave your only Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our salvation.

By this offering of himself once and for all time Jesus made a full, perfect and sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the whole world and commanded us to continue a remembrance of his precious death until his coming again.

Hear us, merciful Father, and grant that we who receive these gifts of your creation, this bread and this wine, according to our Saviour’s command, in remembrance of his suffering and death, may be partakers of his body and blood.

On the night he was betrayed, Jesus took bread and, when he had given thanks, he broke it, then gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat; this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’

In the same way after the meal, Jesus took the cup and, when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from this, all of you. This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’

I have omitted the special thanksgivings printed in the rite. I have substituted the alternative version of the prayer of preparation for the one printed in the rite. The latter is the same prayer as the Prayer of Humble Access in the first Eucharist Prayer in The Holy Communion, First Order in An Australian Prayer Book (1978), with one alteration: “many” has been substituted for “manifold.” The pagination of the PDF version of Common Prayer: Resources for Gospel-Shaped Gatherings is different from that of the print version. Note that the “Amen” at the conclusion of the Memorial of the Institution of the Lord’s Supper has been omitted as in the 1552 Communion Service. The rubrics of the Lord’s Supper, Form 1, also permit the use of the 1552 Words of Distribution as an alternative to the 1559 Words of Distribution. The entire rite begins on page 26 of the PDF version of Common Prayer: Resources for Gospel-Shaped Gatherings.

These five Eucharistic Prayers are just a small sample of the material that is compatible with the 1662 Prayer Book’s theology and is available to the Anglican Church in North America’s Liturgy and Common Worship Task Force.

One may conclude from what the Liturgy and Common Worship Task Force has produced to date and the College of Bishops has endorsed, that a genuine commitment to the 1662 Prayer Book’s theology is negligible in these two bodies. While individual members of the two bodies may have such a commitment, they have little if any influence upon the thinking of these bodies.

What the Liturgy and Common Worship Task Force has displayed so far is an obsession with the pre-Reformation Medieval Catholic service book, the partially-reformed 1549 Prayer Book, and various manuals known collectively as the “Anglican Missal,” which are used to transform the Anglican Communion Service into the Roman Catholic Mass.

It has also shown a reluctance to break free from the Prayer Book tradition of the Episcopal Church in the USA from which the larger part of the Anglican Church in North America broke away. One might have expected the task force to display solidarity with the GAFCON provinces and dioceses and to recognize their contribution to contemporary Anglican worship through the close adherence to the doctrine and principles of the Anglican formularies and the use of material from their service books. This, however, has not been the case.

The rites that the Liturgy and Common Worship Task Force has produced so far reflect narrow partisan interests. They show a lack of sensitivity to the theological diversity in the Anglican Church in North America and particularly to Evangelical concerns. The College of Bishops’ endorsement of these rites points to those who have the most influence in that body having similar leanings.

ACNA congregations and clergy who are Evangelical and low-church in tradition and committed to the doctrine and principles of the Anglican formularies would be well-advised to jointly produce their own service book. If the forms for the service of the Lord’s Supper in this service book are taken from Biblically orthodox, genuinely Anglican sources such as the sources for the five Eucharistic Prayers in this article, the bishops of the Anglican Church in North America cannot object to the forms of service on the grounds that they are not agreeable to Scripture and to the Anglican formularies without alienating the Anglican provinces and dioceses that produced these forms. If they do object to the forms, they would be revealing their true colors, showing themselves to be no friend of Biblical orthodoxy and genuine Anglicanism.

Also see
How to Test and Measure the ACNA Eucharistic Rites against the 1662 Prayer Book Standard
Taking the Wrong Steps Toward a New Prayer Book
Surprises in Store? College of Bishops Consider Liturgy Revisions at June Meeting

Your Small Church Is Big

The suprising secret to growth.

I want my church to grow. I want your church to grow.

But more than anything, I want the church to grow.

I want as many people as possible, all over the world, to know Jesus. The good news of the gospel can't be confined within the walls of my church, the distinctives of my denomination, the borders of my country, or the customs of my culture.

And it's precisely because I want the gospel of Jesus to reach the greatest number of people, that I am an avid supporter, promoter, and encourager of healthy small churches.

Big and megachurches are great. And they get almost all the press, both positive and negative. They deserve our prayers and support, not second-guessing, jealousy, and ridicule. But, as valuable as they are, large congregations are not where most people receive the bulk of their spiritual nourishment. Most of that is happening in millions of small congregations all over the world. Keep reading

Also see
Big News! It’s Time to Say Goodbye to NewSmallChurch.com

Karl Vaters is moving his blog to Christianity Today/Leadership Journal.

Issues in Church Leadership: Five Articles and Two Podcasts

How to Build Your Personal or Church Platform without Being Selfish—An Interview With Daniel Decker [Podcast]

So you or your church wants to establish a bigger platform to increase your audience or reach.

But how do you do it effectively without coming across as…selfish?

Daniel Decker has helped authors reach the New York Times best seller list and helped many leaders, churches and businesses build their platforms without compromising their character. Keep reading

Three Marks of a Healthy Culture

Peter Drucker famously said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” He was not diminishing strategy. He was simply recognizing the overwhelming influence culture has on people. It dominates everything else. It is constantly teaching, constantly showing people what is most important. By culture, I am referring to the shared values and beliefs that undergird all that the ministry or organization does. How can you tell if you have a healthy ministry culture? Here are three marks of a healthy culture.... Keep reading

6 Leadership Lessons from Being a Father

Yesterday was Father’s Day, and my daughters updated their “Daddy books.” With the help of their mother, each daughter has a “Daddy book” that they update each year with a letter to me and a list of their favorite things to do with Dad. It is an amazing gift and something I look forward to each year. Reading their lists caused to me think about the similarities between leading and parenting.

As the apostle Paul led people to Christ, he viewed himself as their spiritual father. He compared leading people to fathering.

I’m not writing this to shame you, but to warn you as my dear children. For you can have 10,000 instructors in Christ, but you can’t have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me. (I Corinthians 4:14-16)

Though I have an immense amount of growing to do as a leader, the Lord has used the experience of parenting to develop me. Here are 6 leadership lessons from being a father. Keep reading

4 Characteristics of “Emotionally Healthy” Planning and Decision Making

For years I believed that if I could simply identify the right planning and decision-making process, we would then make good decisions at the church I pastor. That, it turned out, was both naïve and misguided. Over a twenty-year period, however, the dramatic difference between our standard process and emotionally healthy planning and decision making became crystal clear.

The first is the foundation from which all the others follow—defining success as radically doing God’s will. Keep reading

Dealing with Power Groups in the Church – Rainer on Leadership #135 [Podcast]

Today on the podcast we discuss power groups—both positive and negative groups. I also found out something about Jonathan that I did not know before. Keep reading

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 21:36 — 19.8MB)

7 Characteristics of the Backside of Leadership

One critical part of leadership is what I like to call the “backside of leadership.”

It’s the part that is unseen. Or unknown at the time. It’s the unspoken, unclear, has-to-be-tested side of leadership.

So critical. Keep reading

A Day No Leader Wants to Face But Every Leader Must

There is a day every leader has to face. But, no leader necessarily wants to.

I have walked through this with dozens of leaders over the year sand it’s never a fun process.

It’s the day when it’s time to no longer be the leader. Keep reading

Albert Mohler, Mark Galli, and Jarvis Williams on Racism and Racist-Motivated Violence: Three Articles

The Heresy of Racial Superiority — Confronting the Past, and Confronting the Truth

Among Christians, the word heresy must be used with care and precision. Not every doctrinal error is a heresy, though all doctrinal error is to be avoided. A heresy is the denial or corruption of a Christian doctrine that is central to the faith and essential to the gospel. The late theologian Harold O. J. Brown defined heresy as a doctrinal error “so important that those who believe it, who the church calls heretics, must be considered to have abandoned the faith.”

That sets the issue clearly. Premillennialists consider postmillennialists to be in error, but they do not consider postmillennialists to be heretics. Those who deny the Trinity, on the other hand, are heretics, and the believing church must consider non-trinitarians to have departed the faith. The same must be said of those who deny the full deity and humanity of Jesus Christ. Far more can be said about heresy, but the word must be used with care and accuracy.

Protestants, rightly standing with the Reformers, have insisted that justification by faith alone is also central to the gospel of Christ and essential to any proclamation of that gospel. Martin Luther, for example, considered justification to be articulus stantis et cadentis ecclesiae — the article by which the church stands or falls, and so it is.

Today, we just recognize and condemn another heresy that has reared its ugly head in recent days, and murderously so. The killing of nine worshippers gathered at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina is a hideous demonstration of the deadly power of this heresy. The young white man charged with the killings has not, as yet, claimed a theological rationale for his acts. Nevertheless, he has been exposed as a young man whose worldview was savagely warped by the ideology of racial superiority — white superiority — and the grotesque and wretched ideology that drove him is now inseparable from the murders he is charged with committing. Keep reading

Going Deeper after the Charleston Murders

Evil like this calls for both anguished lament and better theology.

Last night after one of our editors and I were emailing about the brutal Charleston church shooting, an email appeared in my inbox with the subject line, “another new church attacked last night.” My heart sank and I blurted out “Oh no!” assuming it was a copycat crime, with another white supremacist attacking another black church.

I opened the email to read, “The new Rock Church in Hangzhou (same Zhejiang province as Wenzhou city) was demolished last night.” You can imagine my relief.

But not for long. It just reminded me that evil roams this world and often sets its laser sights on the church of Jesus Christ. In America, it’s clear that evil has taken the vile form of murderous racism, and we have to deal this particular manifestation. Keep reading

The Enduring Effects of White Supremacy in American Culture

Dylann Roof, a white male with a white supremacist ideology, shot and murdered 9 African-American Christians gathered for a Wednesday night bible study at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal church—a historic African-American church in Charleston, SC. This evil act supports that the sin and evil ideology of white supremacy still holds a grip on parts of American culture. The Charleston shooting is the recent, most violent expression of white supremacy in America. The constructs of race and racism are very complicated, but white supremacy is basically an ideology that believes the European/white race is biologically superior to the black/African-American race. White supremacy had its racist fangs in the ideology of American culture from this country’s beginning.

Thomas Jefferson, one of American’s founding fathers, believed that blacks have a natural inferiority to whites. In his day, Jefferson suggested that the black “race” was inferior to whites. In his Notes on the State of Virginia in the 1700s, Jefferson stated “I advance it therefore as a suspicion only, that the blacks, whether originally a distinct race, or made distinct by time and circumstances, are inferior to the whites in the endowments both of body and mind” (Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia, 138-143). To be fair, Jefferson’s notes do not state that he believed his views of blacks were scientifically verifiable. It is clear, however, that he thought blacks were nevertheless inferior to whites. Jefferson is the same man who signed the Declaration of Independence, which affirmed that “all men are created equal.” He, along with many other founding fathers, embraced a white supremacist ideology that believed the white race was superior to the black race. But from where did the American construct of race and white supremacy come and why does current American culture both consciously and subconsciously continue to affirm this construct?

The English term “race” first referred to human beings as a term of classification in English literature in the 16th century. In the 18th century, the term “race” was applied broadly to the diverse populations of Native Americans, Africans, and Europeans in England’s American colonies. In this historical context, the term “race” developed into a hierarchal ranking system, which reflected the dominant English attitudes toward the diverse groups of people. The conquered Indians were segregated from Europeans, exploited, or expelled from their lands for new colonists. The enslavement of Africans and their offspring was eventually institutionalized in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. By then, many Africans were identified as property and sources of wealth. Keep reading

The Confederate battle flag, which the armies and the navy of the Southern Confederacy used during the American Civil War, has become the symbol of white supremacy in the United States.

Church Security: Need Highlighted by S.C. Shooting

The massacre of nine Christians during a prayer service at Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C., highlights the need for all congregations to implement security measures, a security expert told Baptist Press.

"The biggest obstacle for churches is just not believing that [a violent attack] could happen at their churches," said Jimmy Meeks, a Southern Baptist police officer in Hurst, Texas, who presents church security seminars across America. People "don't listen to what needs to be done until they believe it needs to be done."

Since 1999, there have been at least 971 incidents in which "deadly force" was employed at faith-based organizations in the U.S., according to statistics posted online by church security expert Carl Chinn. Those incidents resulted in more than 550 deaths, with more deadly force incidents occurring in Baptist churches than among any other group, according to Chinn. Keep reading

Also see
Violence at Church
Charleston Church Attack the Deadliest in Decades

Religious Freedom in the News: Three Articles

How Will the Supreme Court Gay Marriage Decision Affect Religious Freedom?

If the Supreme Court rules in favor of gay marriage, its effect on religious freedom will depend upon how the opinion is written, according to experts.

The best possible outcome for religious freedom would be for the court to rule that the U.S. Constitution does not require all states to redefine marriage to include same-sex couples. If the court does require all states to redefine marriage, however, there are a range of options that could affect religious freedom differently.

If the court were to "elevate sexual orientation to a protected category similar to race," Erik Stanley, senior legal counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom, told The Christian Post that could have a detrimental impact on the religious freedom of groups and people who do not believe that same-sex marriage is actually marriage. Keep reading

A New Chapter for Religious Freedom in the Military?

In a landmark ruling for religious freedom in the United States, a federal district court for the District of Columbia ruled Monday that the United States Army must allow a Sikh college student to his college's ROTC unit without having to cut his hair, shave his beard or take off his turban. It marks the first time that a federal court has ruled that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), passed in 1993, applies to the United States military and the personnel serving therein.

This is a victory for the student, Iknoor Singh, as well as all those currently serving, whether they be Sikh, Muslim, Christian, Jewish or any other profession of belief, as it shows that they do not have to leave their human rights behind when they put on their uniform. Keep reading

Court Gives Unanimous Win to Small Church, Others

For pastor Clyde Reed, a win at the highest court of the land was a significant victory not only for his small church but for many Americans.

"I thank God that the Supreme Court affirmed our First Amendment freedoms and sent the message that the church's speech can't be targeted for restriction," Reed said after the U.S. Supreme Court's opinion issued June 18. "More importantly, I am blessed to have been a part of a victory for free speech that will certainly outlast us and that I pray will benefit others for many years."

The justices unanimously ruled a Gilbert, Ariz., sign code violated the free-speech rights of Good News Community Church, the small church Reed pastors. The decision not only will free Good News to set up its signs without harassment from the local government, but it could provide an important aid to the church planting efforts of the Southern Baptist Convention and other organizations that often use such signs to inform communities of their presence. Keep reading

How to Test and Measure the ACNA Eucharistic Rites against the 1662 Prayer Book Standard

By Robin G. Jordan

The 1662 Communion Service has a number of unique characteristics that reflects its Protestant and Reformed theology. The 1662 Book of Common Prayer is substantially the reformed 1552 Book of Common Prayer, and its Communion Service is substantially the 1552 Communion Service, with some additions and alterations. Dom Gregory Dix described the 1552 Prayer Book as “the only effective attempt ever made to give liturgical expression to the doctrine of ‘justification by faith alone.’” A liturgical commission guided by the theology of the 1662 Communion Service will take pains to ensure that these characteristics or commensurate characteristics are included in any order that it develops for the administration of the Lord’s Supper, or Holy Communion. Among these characteristics are the following features:

1. Gives far greater weight to Scripture than to antiquity. What is incorporated in an order for the administration of the Lord’s Supper, or Holy Communion, is clearly agreeable with Scripture. The wording of a text not only is taken from Scripture or is agreeable to Scripture but the use of the text also conforms to the plain teaching of Scripture. The same principle applies to liturgical usages. Among the implications is that in adopting a practice the first consideration is not its great age or its wide use but the consistency with Scripture of the practice and the use to which it is put.

Even in ancient times the Church was given to error and superstition. Errors and superstitious beliefs may be transmitted from one generation to the next. They may become entrenched in Church tradition but such entrenchment does not make them any less errors and superstitious beliefs. While Archbishop Cranmer applied the principle of retaining and using the old where it might be well-used, he used Scripture as his rule in determining what should be retained and used. He kept and used what was agreeable to Scripture or which could be adapted to make it agreeable to Scripture, purging from it anything that was contrary or repugnant to Scripture. Otherwise, he discarded it. He did not assume that it was agreeable to Scripture on the basis of its antiquity. He also used it in a manner that was agreeable to Scripture.  

2. Adopts a language and order that is plain and easily understood by all who are participating the celebration of the Holy Communion—the congregation as well as the ministers. Among the characteristics of the order for the administration of the Lord’s Supper, or Holy Communion, is brevity and plainness. The rubrics are few and easy. No extraneous or unnecessary elements are included in the rite.

3. Keeps ceremonial simple and to a bare minimum. Whatever ceremonial is used, it is readily understandable as far as its meaning and the use that it serves. It does not require complicated or lengthy explanation.

4. Makes the service as congregational as possible as within a particular context.  When the liturgies of the 1662 Prayer Book are compared with the seventeenth century Latin Mass and the proposals of the Puritans at the 1661 Savoy Conference, one of their outstanding characteristics is that they are far more congregational in relation to their particular context—a period in English history before the introduction of public education and the advent of widespread literacy at all levels of society.

Common prayer is by its very nature congregational. The congregation is an active participant in the liturgy, not a passive observer. The use of set forms that facilitate the participation of the congregation is one of the characteristics of common prayer.

Common prayer is shared prayer. It gives tangible expression to the priesthood of all believers. When a minister says a prayer, he is acting as the representative of the congregation, not as an intermediary or  mediator between the congregation and God. He is serving as the voice of the congregation. The congregation affirms the prayer as its own by the addition of its “Amen.”

Alterations and additions to the order for the administration of the Lord’s Supper, or Holy Communion,  which expand the role of the congregation in the liturgy, are consistent with the principles of common prayer reflected in the 1662 Prayer Book,. They include general directions that require the use of members of congregation to read the lessons, lead the general intercession, and to distribute the consecrated elements and rubrics that direct or permit the congregation to join with the minister in saying the Collect for Purity, the Prayer of Humble Access, and the Post-Communion Prayers. They also include the insertion of a congregation response after each section of the Prayer for State of Christ’s Church and the use of alternative forms for the general intercession, which give a larger role to the congregation.

5. Avoids all language and ceremonial which suggests that the Lord’s Supper is a reiteration or representation of Christ’ sacrifice or a participation in Christ’s ongoing sacrificial activity. This includes any reference to the communion table as an altar.

6. Omits the salutation, “The Lord be with you; and with thy spirit” from the entire service. This salutation has a long association with the Medieval doctrines of Transubstantiation and the sacrifice of the Mass. Archbishop Cranmer uses the salutation only once in the 1552 Prayer Book – before the second Lord’s Prayer in the services of Morning and Evening Prayer, a position where it is not open to interpretation as a prayer for the priest that the Holy Spirit will stir up the special gift that Roman Catholics and Anglo-Catholics believe is given him at ordination to confect  the bread and the wine into Christ’s Body and Blood and to offer Christ’s sacrifice on the altar for the sins of the world for the living and the dead. The 1662 Prayer Book follows suit.

7. Begins the service with the recitation of the Ten Commandments. The rehearsing of the Ten Commandments at every celebration of the Holy Communion is not only an important part of the Reformed heritage of the 1662 Communion Service but also a major evangelistic, or revivalistic, element in that service. Revisions that permit the omission of the Ten Commandments and the substitution of the Summary of Law defeat the purpose of the Ten Commandments. Their recitation initiates a sequence that lies at the heart of the 1662 Communion Service and which culminates in the commemoration of Christ’s saving work on the cross and the appropriation of the benefits of his passion and death by repentance and faith. It concludes on a fitting note of thanksgiving, self-dedication, and praise.  As J. I. Packer and Roger Beckwith point out in The Thirty-Nine Articles: Their Place and Use Today, the 1662 Communion Service emphasizes what God has done for us. Anglican churches that adopt the order for the administration of the Lord’s Supper and the doctrine of eucharistic sacrifice that the Subcommittee on the Holy Communion Service recommended to the 1958 Lambeth Conference and which the 1958 Lambeth Conference commended to the Anglican Communion emphasize what we are doing for God.

 8. Retains the Prayer of Humble Access in its 1552-1662 position—after the Sanctus and before the Memorial of the Institution of the Lord’s Supper. For an explanation of why Archbishop Cranmer moved the Prayer of Humble Access to this position in the 1552 Communion Service and the rationale for its retention in that position, see Karen Batie’s Churchman article, “The Prayer of Humble Access.”

9. Omits a petition for the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the  eucharistic elements during the consecration. Archbishop Cranmer omitted such a petition from the consecration of the eucharistic elements in the 1552 Prayer Book for three reasons. The first reason was that it suggested a change occurred in the bread and wine when they were consecrated, a change in which they became in substance the Body and Blood of Christ while retaining the appearance of bread and wine. The second reason was that he found no basis for such a petition in Scripture. What he did find was a number of instances where the Holy Spirit descended upon people, in some cases in response to prayer. But he found no instances where the Holy Spirit descended upon inanimate objects. The third reason was that he concluded from his study of the Holy Scriptures that the Holy Spirit did not work in that way. This view of the Holy Spirit is one that evangelicals share with Cranmer and the English Reformers.

Evangelical theology is different from Catholic and Orthodox theology primarily in the realm of Christian experience, which is the work of the Holy Spirit. We believe that the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of the believer is primary and immediate. Without such a work a human being cannot know that he is saved and therefore cannot really be called a Christian. It is also to say that the Spirit’s work is not necessarily mediated through other agencies like the institutional Church with its ministry and sacraments, even if these may be (and usually are) the means of grace that God chooses to use. What we mean by this is not that a person will not come to know God through the ministry of the Church but that the Church has no right to claim control over the believer on the ground that without its ministry, salvation for the individual is impossible. The practical implications of this for the doctrine of the procession of the Holy Spirit can be seen in two areas. (1) We cannot subscribe to the view that the double procession somehow increases the authority of the pope, because we do not accept that he is the Vicar of Christ on earth. (2) We do not believe that the Holy Spirit comes down into the sacramental elements by an act of invocation or epiclesis (as it is known in Eastern theology). That idea fits in very well with the mystical notion of the resting of the Spirit on the Son, but it is unacceptable to evangelicals because we do not believe that the Spirit works in that way. It is not through the ministry or the sacraments but by a direct conviction of sin in our hearts that the Spirit builds up the Church. [Gerald Bray, “The Double Procession ofthe Holy Spirit in Evangelical Theology Today: Do We Still Need It?” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 41/3 (September 1998), p. 425]

The Restoration bishops could have incorporated a petition for the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the eucharistic elements in the consecration in the 1662 Prayer Book. Bishop Cosin had drafted such a petition for possible use in that book. However, they wisely chose to make no changes in the consecration other than the addition of an “Amen” at the conclusion of the Words of Institution.

10. Omits any offering of the eucharistic elements at the offertory or during the consecration.  The Lesser Oblation and the Greater Oblation have no place in an order for the administration of the Lord’s Supper, or Holy Communion, based upon the 1662 Communion Service and its theology. Neither does the elevation of the unconsecrated bread and wine at the offertory and the elevation of the consecrated bread and wine during the consecration or at its conclusion.

11. Places the prayer of oblation after the distribution of the consecrated elements where it cannot be construed as inferring that the Lord’s Supper is a sacrifice in any way other than an offering of thanksgiving and praise for Christ's saving work on the cross and its benefits.

12. Avoids any ceremonial suggestive of Christ’s presence in the consecrate eucharistic presence and any texts associated with such ceremonial. This includes showing the consecrated bread and wine to the people while saying “Behold the Lamb of God….”

13. Avoids any reference to Christ’s presence in the consecrated eucharistic elements. Dyson Hague points out a number of significant differences between the partially reformed 1549 Communion Service and the reformed 1552 Communion Service and its 1662 revision.

In the First Prayer Book of Edward, the doctrine of the Real Presence (in the Romish sense) was countenanced, and the most objectionable expressions were employed. For instance, in the exhortation which the curate is enjoined to give to the people, he says, " He hath left in those holy mysteries, as a pledge of His love, and a continual remembrance of the same, his own blessed Body and precious Blood, for us to feed upon spiritually." In the prayer of consecration, which in the First Book came before the "You that do truly repent," etc., he prays that the "Bread and Wine may be unto us the Body and Blood of Thy most dearly beloved Son, Jesus Christ." Both in the prayer of humble access, and in the prayer after the communion, the words are used, " to eat the flesh of Thy Son, and to drink His Blood, in these holy mysteries," and, " that Thou hast vouchsafed to feed us in these holy mysteries, with the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood of Thy Son." In the revised Prayer Book, as we now have it, all these expressions are carefully avoided, the only approach to them being the unobjectionable thanksgiving to God for giving Christ to be our food in the sacrament. While not actually teaching, in so many words, the doctrine of transubstantiation, and the Real Presence, these expressions hinted in that direction, and were capable of being distorted into a direct support of these doctrines. The Reformers, therefore, carefully removed them, not by accident, or in ignorance, but because they thoroughly understood their work.* Another decided Protestant mark. [Dyson Hague, The Protestantism of the Prayer Book, pp. 46-47]

14. Avoids a protracted delay between the consecration of the eucharistic elements and their distribution. The 1552 Communion Service moved immediately to the distribution of the consecrated bread and wine following its consecration. The 1662 revision placed an “Amen” between the consecration and the distribution. Both rites avoid preceding the distribution of the consecrated elements with a series of devotions that suggests that Christ is present in under or under the forms of the consecrated bread and wine either substantively or spiritually.  The two rites do not exclude Christ’s presence but it is not localized in the consecrated elements.

15. Includes the Declaration on Kneeling in the rubrics after the service. The Declaration on Kneeling, sometimes called the "Black Rubric," is a important statement of the eucharistic doctrine of the 1662 Prayer Book.

These features are not the only ones that characterize the 1662 Communion Service. They are, however, characteristics that can be used even in a cursory examination of an order for the administration of the Lord’s Supper, or Holy Communion, to determine whether whoever drafted the rite was guided by the theology of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer.

A number of changes that Protestant Episcopal Church introduced in the the Communion Service of the first American Prayer of 1789 were consistent with the theology of the 1662 Communion Service, for example, the addition of the introductory phrase, “All glory be to thee” to  the Memorial of the Institution of the Lord’s Supper and of the rubrical permission to omit the first Lord’s Prayer and to substitute “a proper hymn” for the Gloria in Excelsis . Several changes, however, were at odds with that theology and reflected the influence of the American High Church party and Scottish Usager Non-Juror Communion Office of 1764. They included the addition of an Anamnesis-Oblation of the Elements, Invocation of the Holy Spirit, and Oblation of the Communicants to the Consecration and of the rubrical requirement that a hymn, or a part of the hymn, should be sung before the distribution of the consecrated elements. This rubric not only delayed the distribution but also permitted the singing of the Agnus Dei, which had a long association with the Medieval doctrines of Transubstantiation and the sacrifice of the Mass.

With 1789 Communion Service the Protestant Episcopal Church set off down the path that would lead it further and further away from the Protestant and Reformed doctrine and principles of the Anglican formularies. Since 1928 revision of the American Prayer Book that path has split in two directions—a liberal direction observable in the modern-day Episcopal Church and an Anglo-Catholic direction seen in its conservative counterpart, the Anglican Church in North America.

Neither of the two orders for the administration of the Lord’s Supper, or Holy Communion, which the Anglican Church in North America’s Liturgy and Common Worship Task Force has produced to date, evidences these characteristics or commensurate characteristics to the extent that the 1662 Prayer Book’s theology may be described as having guided the task force. It remains to be seen whether the task force will make an about-face under former Archbishop Duncan’s chairmanship and retreat from its present Anglo-Catholic direction. Duncan has called for the establishment of a “new settlement” to replace the Elizabethan Settlement which has shaped historic Anglicanism and in which the Anglican formularies (including the 1662 Book of Common Prayer) are grounded. During his arch-episcopate Duncan showed a decided preference for unreformed Catholic teaching and practices in the rites of the Church and its structure and form of governance.

The two new Eucharistic Prayers to which former Archbishop Duncan refers to in The Apostle’s article, “Taking the Next Steps toward a New Prayer Book” are based upon Eucharistic Prayers A and D in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. Eucharistic Prayer A is “a shorter, modern adaptation of the prayers of the previous American Prayer Books and of Prayer I of Rite One.”  Eucharistic Prayer D is “adapted from the Liturgy of Saint Basil….and an abbreviated and revised form of this lengthy prayer is one of the four eucharistic prayers of the Roman sacramentary of Paul VI.”  Needless to say neither prayer conforms to the theology of 1662 Prayer Book. One the other hand, an eucharistic prayer based upon Eucharistic Prayer D holds a strong appeal for that segment of the Anglican Church in North America which seeks to reshape the Anglican Church along the lines of the purportedly undivided Church of the early High Middles ages before the East-West schism in the eleventh century.

Also see
Taking the Wrong Steps Toward a New Prayer Book
Surprises in Store? College of Bishops Consider Liturgy Revisions at June Meeting

Anatomy of a Sick Church – 10 Symptoms to Watch

There are certain metrics and issues physicians check when we go to the doctor. They want to check our blood pressure and temperature. They do blood tests to see if there are any warning signs. They are looking for symptoms that might indicate real problems exist.

After working with churches for thirty years, I too look for symptoms that might point to greater concerns. The symptoms are not necessarily the problem; they simply provide warnings or cautions of potential issues.

While there are many potential symptoms of a sick church, I have found ten to be consistently common. These ten are not listed in any particular order.... Keep reading

Defining the Church as Evangelicals

Have we become so generous with the definition of “church” that the word has lost meaning?

I think we need to have a conversation about ecclesiology (the theological doctrine relating to the church), because in many evangelical circles there’s not a lot of clarity about what church is and why that matters.

Everyone has their own way of identifying a church. Some recognize a church because it meets together, or because it has the word “church” it in its name. But for a long time, people have wrestled with what actually qualifies as a church.

The Community of the Word – Toward an Evangelical Ecclesiology, quotes Mark Husbands on the difficulty of establishing ecclesiology in an evangelical culture.... Keep reading

How to Develop a Great Ministry Team

I first began to understand the importance of teams as a seminary student. I did a study of the 100 largest churches in the United States, and I asked them a series of questions related to staff and ministry. This may come as no surprise, but the study showed strong churches have a strong team spirit.

They do this by combining two things: a common goal with good communication.

Both of these elements have to be present. You can have people working on the same project but not communicating with each other, and they ARE NOT a team. You can have people who communicate well, but are not working toward the same goal, and that is NOT a team, even if you call them that.

Let me give you some foundation on why I think this is important.... Keep reading

16 Things You Can do this Week to Get Unstuck in Your Sermon Prep

Do you ever get stuck in a sermon prep rut? I do. Sometimes the sermon comes together like a beautifully crafted work of art. But other times I struggle to make progress in my study. It’s hard to break out of sermon prep stuck-ness. I’ve learned a few things that help me overcome these stuck times, and I want to share them with you. Here’s 16 things you can do this week to get unstuck in your sermon prep.... Keep reading

The Neglected Power of Blessing

One of the most meaningful things a pastor can do is short, sweet, and biblical.

Bestowing God's blessing is to step into a holy mystery, much like serving Communion or baptizing someone. We associate it, of course, with the benediction, the going-away gift many of us give our congregations as they prepare to leave the worship service. But I'm surprised how few pastors I've talked with use a benediction elsewhere—like at a bus stop—and some never use it at all. They're missing something precious and ducking their duty. Keep reading

Anglican archbishop’s warning on gay marriage compromise

A leading figure in global Anglicanism has warned that accommodating those who support gay marriage is an “unacceptably high” price to pay for unity in the church.

Speaking in Belfast yesterday (Friday), Peter Jensen, the retired archbishop of Sydney, said that Biblical teaching is too unambiguous to allow such “tension” to exist between the two viewpoints within the same denomination.

The retired archbishop, who is highly influential in conservative Anglican circles, was speaking at an event in Belfast’s Willowfield church.

He said: “In Scotland, the General Synod of the Episcopal Church [an Anglican church] has chosen to omit the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman from its canons, thus signalling an acceptance of so-called gay marriage.

“It is a choice to rewrite the Bible and so the Christian faith.” Keep reading