All Hallows Evening Prayer for Saturday Evening (June 11, 2022) Is Now Online

 

All Hallows Evening Prayer is a service of worship in the evening for all pilgrims on the journey to the heavenly city.

God supplies us with abundant grace in many different ways. One of these ways is through reading and meditating on Scripture.

The Scripture reading for this Saturday is Romans 5: 1-5 Faith Brings Joy.

The homily is titled “Lectio Divina: Listening to God.”

The link to this Saturday evening’s service is—

https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2022/06/all-hallows-evening-prayer-for-saturday_11.html

Please feel free to share the link to the service with anyone whom you believe might benefit from the service.

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

Previous services are online at

https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/

May this service be a blessing to you.

Saturday Lagniappe: 'The Anger Merchants' and More

The Anger Merchants
Once angry, if the anger isn't dealt with, the anger will deal on its own. Hateful thoughts, left unattended, soon become hateful actions.

Seven Principles for Cultivating a Christian Posture toward the World
Important lessons to learn as we deal with negativity and hostility.

"Online Only? Join the Worship Committee!"
This article has some good suggestions for improving our online worship.

How to Get More Out of Church
Here are a few ways to get more out of church.

Taking the Hygh Road
When telling the church’s story, it helps to know one’s own faith story well enough to tell it succinctly and powerfully.

How the Digital Revolution Is Disrupting the Church and Forcing It out of Buildings

By Leonardo Blair

About a year ago, Andre Anderson started a group on Facebook called Barbecue Assembly of God to build “a church of people who love Barbecue and want to move forward in their faith journey.” The group has since swelled to more than 500 members, and two Sundays ago, Barbecue Church held its “first official service” online.

“You know, our thing is [we] want to help feed people biblically, spiritually and literally,” said Anderson, who announced himself as the lead pastor of Barbecue Church at the start of the service. “We’re going to do that in a bunch of different ways.”

Anderson went on to describe how different his church would be. Along with barbecue, the church would serve up sermons that are “quick, easy, [and] straight to the point.”

“We’ll put up cooking videos, training videos on how to cook different things. We’re just going to have a good time. It’s going to be different. It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be wild,” he said.

The sermon ended approximately 10 minutes after it started.

While he plans to embrace everyone who comes to check out Barbecue Church, Anderson expressed little concern over those who might not like his brand of fellowship.

“If you like it, cool. If you don’t, scroll on,” he said. “We just want the best for you and want you to find your spot. So no matter where you’re at in your faith journey, you can eat with us. We’re here.” Read More

Image Credit: Leonardo Blair/Christian Post

I found the title of this article misleading. It, however, is a very informative article and I recommend it.

Why Don’t More Churches Make Use of Their Unused Sanctuaries?

A look at the disparities—and possibilities—that currently exist between dying mainline churches and growing, ethnic congregations.

By Dominick Dutra

When Pastor Ulysses began church planting, he never imagined that his biggest challenge would be finding space for his people to meet.

From taekwondo studios to school gymnasiums, Pastor Ulysses’s Renewal Church has explored a variety of locations. Currently, his 200-person, predominantly Asian-American congregation meets in the senior center of Sunnyvale Community Center, renting by the hour. “We’re a church in a box,” says Pastor Ulysses. “We have to invest time each week setting up and tearing down.”

While Pastor Ulysses’s people continue to expend extra energy each week creating a temporary space to gather, there are hundreds of existing churches where aging congregants sit in sparsely filled pews discussing the grim state of their finances. This situation highlights two stark realities: 1) most (up to 85%) local congregations are steadily declining, and 2) churches that aren’t declining, like Renewal Church, are significantly more diverse in age and race than their older, white counterparts.

Twenty years ago, Yale scholar Lamin Sanneh predicted this shift of global Christianity away from the West, which has resulted in shrunken mainline congregations overseeing inordinate amounts of unused space. In contrast, thriving minority church plants typically can’t afford to purchase property, especially in urban contexts. While one group is left with space they don’t need and can’t maintain, another struggles to find space to accommodate and support their growth.

Underutilized church property is meant for more than mounting repairs and annual church events. In fact, it is the responsibility and privilege of these more affluent, established congregations to work to create greater equity and opportunity for minority churches. This is how the body of Christ grows and thrives– by each of us investing our talents as we’re able. The death of one manifestation of the church gives new life to the next.

“Rather than using buildings that are too big exclusively for their own congregations,” says Pastor Ulysses, “it would be amazing if those churches would consider partnering with or supporting growing churches like my own.”

But why don’t more established churches explore this option? Read More

7 Principles to Prepare Your Church for an Active Shooter

By Phil Thompson

Last week, a man shot and killed two college students on their way into a Bible study at Cornerstone Church in Ames, Iowa. Then he killed himself.

Two and a half weeks earlier, a man entered Geneva Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods, California. After chaining the doors shut, he shot into an after-church lunch gathering, killing one person and wounding five others.

In late February, a man visiting his children inside The Church in Sacramento shot and killed the three children, the visitation supervisor, and himself.

These high-profile incidents have many pastors asking, “What should I do to ensure our church can gather safely? How can we avoid an active shooter incident at our church? How can we avoid mass casualties if a shooting does unfold?”

As a former security manager, concealed weapons instructor, and church planter, I’ve found seven principles help me think carefully about these important questions.... Read More

Here are a few things that I learned at a active shooter seminar that the Marshall County Sheriff's Department hosted in the wake of the Sutherland Springs church shooting.

1. Church members and regular attendees carrying concealed weapons should be known to the church leaders and the church's security team. They should have training on how to respond appropriately in a active shooter situation. Some insurance companies insuring churches will not insure a church that permits guns on its premises. If they learn that a church is permitting guns on its premises, it will cancel the church's policy.

2. With the arrival of the police armed church members and regular attendees should place their guns on the floor, raise their hands, and move away from their guns. Otherwise the responding police officers may mistake them for the shooter or an accomplice.

3. Church leaders and security team members should famiarize themselves with what is going on in the lives of their church members and regular attendees--divorce, domestic violence, mental illness, etc.

4. All doors with the exception of the entrance where members of the security team are stationed should be locked. This may mean replacing some locks so that doors are self-locking and can be only opened with a key or from the inside.

5. Security team members should be posted in the parking lot as well as at the entrance to the church building. They should vet unfamiliar or suspicious people pulling into the parking lot. This includes church members and regular attendees who have been identified as high risk.

6. In Kentucky a security team member or other church member or regular attendee who shoots someone even in self-defense will be arrested, any guns will be seized, and the shooting will be investigated and the findings submitted to a grand jury for a determination of whether that individual should be charged with a criminal offense. If the grand jury determines not to charge them with a criminal offense, their guns will be returned to them.

7. Churches need to upgrade their first aid kits to the kind that contains bandages and sterile pads suitable for treating gunshot wounds. A church may wish to see that its members and regular attendees receive first aid training in the treatment of gunshot wounds.

8. Police officers responding to an active shooter situation will make note of anyone who is wounded. However, their first priority will be neutralize the shooter.

Study: Female Songwriters Are Dropping Off the Worship Charts

As big-label collaborations dominate church setlists, fewer Christian women are penning hits than 30 years ago.

By Kelsey Kramer McGinnis

When songwriter Krissy Nordhoff moved to Nashville in 1996, she had hoped to be guided and supported by the women who had gone before her in the Christian music industry.

Her first musical mentor was a woman—her grandmother, who inspired her to start writing songs when she was five years old. But as she found success in the industry, penning hits including “Your Great Name” and “Famous For (I Believe),” there weren’t many veteran women alongside her.

“I prayed for 15 years for a mentor, for a female, that had learned how to navigate the industry, the ministry, and the family,” Nordhoff said.

Female songwriters are significantly underrepresented in worship music, and over the past 30 years, the number of women writing or cowriting hit worship songs has substantially declined.

According to Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI)—which tracks songs licensed to sing in churches—the last time the top worship song in the country was written by a woman was April 1994. By 2018, only 4 percent of the songs on the CCLI Top 25 were written by women.

A recent study in the Journal of Contemporary Ministry tracked the drop-off for Christian women songwriters, concluding that as the industry evolved, they have struggled to break into the spheres that produce the most popular worship music.

While some of the most recognizable worship songs of the past few decades have been written by women—Jennie Riddle’s “Revelation Song,” or Sinach’s “Waymaker,” for example—these hits are anomalies. Read More

Image Credit: Illustration by Mallory Rentsch / Source Images: Seth Reese / Unsplash

3 Trends Making an Impact with Today's Kids

By Dale Hudson

Gen Z (ages 9 to 24 at the time of this writing) numbers nearly 68 million in the United States.

Gen Alpha (ages 8 and under at the time of is writing through the year 2025) will be the largest generation in the history of mankind, numbering almost 2 billion worldwide.

According to research done by the McCrindle company, there are 3 big trends that are making an impact with Gen Z and Gen Alpha kids. Let's take a look at these game changers. Read More

Why Should Pastors Avoid Online Quarrels?

By cfbcalex

I like to post pictures of my kids and family, delicious food I enjoy with my wife, a few quotes from Christian books I’m reading, and an occasional funny Christian meme on social media. But I rarely engage in online debates. Whenever I open Facebook or Twitter for my daily source of encouragement (I’m joking), I sometimes find myself angry reading a post or tweet that is theologically questionable or easily debatable. My initial instinct is to respond immediately, but most of the time I avoid responding online because in my experience I know those conversations are generally counter-productive and a poor stewardship of my time. I have yet to see someone’s convictions change through debates in a comment section. As a local pastor, here are five reasons why I generally avoid quarreling online. Read More

The Relational Joy of Small Groups

By Sean Buono

So far in our series on The Other Half of Church, we’ve established that our brains process information from the world first through the right-brain before the left-brain has the opportunity to contribute to our thoughts and feelings. Such a concept has the potential to make a large impact on the mission and vision of a church’s small group ministry. Rather than encouraging groups to meet and discuss curriculum in the hopes that they will build relationships along the way, a right-brain oriented small group ministry opts to have their groups meet and seek fellowship with one another and explore curriculum through the context of relationships. It is from here that we will continue to unpack what such a model can look like, focusing today on when small groups make the intentional effort to practice relational joy with one another.

To experience joy is to experience what God desires for us. In Psalms 16:11, David says to the Lord “You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (NRSV). Peter says that when we believe in Christ, we are “filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for [we] are receiving the end result of [our] faith, the salvation of [our] souls.” (1 Peter 1:8-9, NIV). Jesus even took a moment to explain that when we keep His commandments, we will remain in His love, His joy will be in us, and our joy would be made complete (John 15:10-11). In other words, when we remain in God’s presence, when we believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and when we follow the commands of Jesus, we end up experiencing a joy that is so pure and powerful that nothing else can be added to it in order to make it better!

Many of us are familiar with this phenomenon if we recall the season that took place shortly after giving our lives to Christ. Commonly, a new believer throws themselves into the faith and passionately dedicates themselves to these three practices. Yet as time progresses and the fleshly driven world begins to chip away at their ability to adhere to these three practices, their “joy tank” is replenished less often. Some individuals may even experience dry seasons where one or more of the practices are set aside entirely. This causes a dilemma that many believers are experiencing (especially in a post-pandemic world): if we are not independently seeking these three practices, how can we then restore joy both inside and outside of the church? The good news is that according to brain science, small groups may be one of the very best options we have that is available to us.

When discussing how our joy is impacted by the relationships that we develop with one another, authors Jim Wilder and Michel Hendricks of The Other Half of Church arrived at three important points of convergence within their studies.... Read More

Also See

Do You Have "Full-Brained" Small Groups

Proposed UMC Protocol’s Day Has Passed, Some Negotiators Claim

By Heather Hahn

A much-trumpeted plan for amicable separation unveiled in early 2020 no longer offers a path forward for The United Methodist Church, say more than a quarter of the agreement’s negotiators.

Five of the 16-member mediation team released a statement late June 7 rescinding their support for the agreement.

In the statement, they said, “we can no longer in good faith support the Protocol of Reconciliation & Grace through Separation or work towards its adoption at the next General Conference.” The denomination’s top lawmaking assembly is now delayed to 2024.

What has changed the calculus, they say, is the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the launch of a theologically conservative breakaway denomination. Read More

A number of churches have already voted to leave the United Methodist Church and to join the Global Methodist Church or become independent. Some have voted to join the Free Methodist Church. In several communities members of a church that is remaining in the UMC have migrated to a church that is leaving, significantly reducing the size of the congregation of the church which is remaining to the point that it may not be viable. The proposed protocol would have allowed conservative, centrist, and progressive churches to part company on relatively good terms. The Christmas Covenant does not do that. It would devolve authority to determine matters related to human sexuality to the regions. The split in the UMC is well under way. It would not stop the split. The negotiators who have withdrawn their support of the proosed protocol are only going to make things more difficult.

 

Thursday's Catch: You Are UP to the Task Whether You Feel Like It or Not

You Are UP to the Task Whether You Feel Like It or Not

Deep in the heart of every leader I’ve ever met lurks a daunting question that casts a shadow over every major challenge we ever face: Am I up to this?

If Gen Z Is Awakened, Equipped and Unleashed...
If Gen Z is awakened, equipped and unleashed they will change the way we do and view ministry forever. They will embrace the Gospel as the ultimate cause and rally other young people to join the movement.

6 Last-Minute Tips for VBS
Vacation Bible School season is upon us. Here are six VBS tips for turning the last-minute madness into mad fun!

How to Stoke Your Fire for Evangelism
Our fire for evangelism will not fade as we live in awe of Jesus, with eternity in mind, and expecting divine encounters.

The Catholic Bishops Support Gun Control. Why Don’t We Hear More about It?
Hardly anyone in the country knows about the strong and comprehensive position on gun control taken by the U.S. Catholic bishops.

All Hallows Evening Prayer for Wednesday Evening (June 8, 2022) Is Now Online

All Hallows Evening Prayer is a service of worship in the evening for all pilgrims on the journey to the heavenly city.

How do we know that we are growing as disciples of our Lord? John, in his first epistle, offers us guidance.

The Scripture reading for this Wednesday is 1 John 4: 7-21 Loving One Another.

The homily is titled “Live Like Jesus.”

The link to this Wednesday evening’s service is—

https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2022/06/all-hallows-evening-prayer-for_8.html

Please feel free to share the link to the service with anyone whom you believe might benefit from the service.

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

Previous services are online at

https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/

May this service be a blessing to you.

Are We Performing or Are We Participating?

With due respect to my Reformed Presbyterian friends, I think it’s difficult to make the argument that singing in the local church must not be accompanied by instrumentation. But with due respect to everyone else, I think it’s equally difficult to make the argument that singing in the local church must be accompanied by instrumentation. It seems to me that we have a lot of freedom here—freedom to sing in a way that matches our convictions and freedom to sing in a way we judge appropriate to our setting.

I tend to think the most difficult position to justify from the Bible is the one that seems to be in effect in a great many evangelical churches today—that music is at its best when there is a full band of skilled singers and musicians who play so loudly as to drown out the voices of the congregation. Where instrumentation was traditionally used to enhance the beauty of the music and help direct the singing of the congregation, today it often seems to dominate so that instead of using a band to complement and accompany the congregation, the congregation now merely does their best to sing along to a band.

A friend recently distinguished between two helpful categories: worship services that are performative and worship services that are participatory. A performative worship service is one that could merrily go on even if there was no one there but the people at the front of the room—the pastor(s) and the band. A participatory worship service is one that would have no meaning unless the congregation was present and doing their part. And while the congregation can and should participate in more than the singing (e.g. prayers, ordinances, responsive readings), they should certainly not participate in less than the singing. Yet this is the reality in so many churches today—singing is performative far more than participatory. In fact, the less we can hear the voices of the unskilled singers in the pews, the better the music is judged to be. Singing has gone from being the domain of the many amateurs to the domain of the few professionals. Read More

In my lifetime I have witnessed the transition from participatory worship services to so-called performance worship services. To my mind services in which a praise band does all or most of the singing and those not on the platform are relegated to the role of passive spectators is not a worship service.  I also seen a movement away from involving members of the congregation in various roles in the service--reading Scripture, leading prayer, serving communion, etc., to giving these roles to staff and praise team members. This is far from the kind of corporate worship envisioned in Paul's First letter to the Corinthians in which the various gifts of the whole Body of Christ, not those of just a small part of that Body, are used in the service.

Wednesday's Catch: 'New Kinds of Churches Really Are the Hope of the Future' And More

New Kinds of Churches Really Are the Hope of the Future
Michael Frost makes the case for new church models.

Americans Open to Most Churches, Regardless of Denomination
Americans have a wide range of opinions and impressions about Christian denominations, but most won’t rule out a church based on its denomination.

This Love of Guns: It’s Way Beyond Our Understanding
Christians leading communities plagued by cartels and gangs are baffled that American Christians would champion the right to own firearms.

5 Ways Covid Has Forever Shaped My Leadership
My leadership is different now than it was at the beginning of 2020. Covid has forever shaped my leadership.

5 Fascinating Lessons From a ‘Secret’ Guest in Church Worship Services
I have served as a secret guest and secret guests do notice important things that church members overlook!

Enhancing Your Church’s Video Streams with Multiple Cameras
Multiple camera can make a real difference to your video streams.

Theology Without Love is Dead
Our pastoral calling isn’t to information transfer or to practice Funko Pop Discipleship. No. Our ministry is to proclaim Christ and to fan into flame an affection for God, in order that these students would walk in his light for the remainder of their days. We want to make lifelong disciples.

What Lead Pastors Might Be Missing with NextGen Ministry
Quite frankly, it’s easy for a lead pastor to neglect the NextGen ministry. As long as volunteers are in place for the nursery and teachers are in the classrooms for children, we lead pastors tend not to dedicate much time to this area of the church.

Missing Half the Gospel
Something essential is missing from the way we typically share the gospel.

TikTok: Could ‘Algorithm-Based Evangelism’ Be a Bigger Opportunity for the Gospel Than Radio and Television Combined?
Social media has changed forever with the rise of TikTok, which is now officially the most opened and watched app in the social media ecosystem. It has become so successful that Meta, YouTube, and Twitter have altered the way they function in order to maintain their footing-and that’s a good thing for the gospel.

A Lifelong Vision for Lifelong Disciple-Makers

By Jonathan Freeman

The other day I sat down with a college student for lunch. During the conversation, he asked some great questions about being a follower of Jesus. After hearing these questions, I then proceeded to ask him when he gave his life to Christ. He grew up in the Bible belt (Arkansas, specifically) so he had a very similar story to many of the students in our ministry. He gave his life to Christ during his student ministry days, but since giving his life to Christ there has not been much fruit. Stagnant. Void of growth.

I see this problem time and time again with many students who come through our college ministry. The story is like a broken record and goes like this: I was saved at a young age, grew up in the church, attended every Sunday, but I haven’t really grown since then. For whatever reason, it seems we have boiled salvation down to a decision instead of casting the vision for what it truly means to be a lifelong disciple-maker for Jesus. Upon sharing the gospel with every student, I tell them this: Salvation is not the finish line, it’s the starting line. I want them to know that following Jesus is a lifelong decision. It’s a one-time decision with lifelong implications for their life.

J.T. English, in his book Deep Discipleship, says it another way: “Conversion is not the touchdown, it’s the kickoff. It’s the beginning of the game.”

The conversation I had with this student was heart-breaking but a good reminder to press on in the ministry Jesus has assigned every single one of us—to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20). This student didn’t know how to read his Bible, had never been discipled, but desired these things. The solution to this problem is not more programs, shallow Bible studies, or events, but deep discipleship. Read More

Sadly many older adults as well as young people have not been adequately discipled. A laissez faire attitude toward discipleship with its unwillingness to get involved in or influence the way that other people say that they are following Jesus has contributed to this lack of adequate discipling. This attitude takes the position that every Christian follows Jesus in their own way. Jesus, however, set out very clear teachings for his disciples and he himself exemplified what he taught. He further maintained that his teachings were not his own but God's and that he was fulfilling the Old Testament prophesy that God himself would teach his people and make them his disciples.

Elizabeth II’s 70 Years as Head of the Church of England

While Defender of the Faith has been, over the years, an inherited title and little more, Elizabeth II embraced it and made it her own.

By Catherin Pepinster

If you want to understand a nation, listen to its national anthem. “The Star-Spangled Banner” urges Americans to look out for the flag that waves over “the land of the free and the home of the brave.” “La Marseillaise,” the anthem of republican France, calls its citizens to arms. But the UK’s national anthem is a prayer, urging God to “save” — grant long life to — the queen.

It’s a clear sign that in Britain, the head of state, the country and faith are inextricably linked. This week “God Save the Queen” has been ringing out across Britain as the country has marked the 70th anniversary of the accession of Elizabeth II, the longest-serving English monarch.

When Elizabeth came to the throne in 1952, Britain was still being rebuilt after the end of World War II and its heavy bombing campaigns; Winston Churchill was prime minister and the country still had an empire. The young queen’s coronation suggested a new era — as the millions of television sets purchased to watch the live broadcast of the ceremony from London’s Westminster Abbey signaled. Read More

The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II took place on June 2, 1953, nine days before my fifth birthday. My family did not own a TV so we were unable to watch the coronation on the tellie like many other Britains. My grandparents lived during the reigns of Queen Elizabeth's grandfather and father and the abdication of her uncle, as well as during her reign. They survived two world wars. While my grandparents, my mother, and my older brother and I immigrated to the United States five years after Queen Elizabeth was crowned, my grandfather never gave up his British citizenship and remained a loyal subject of the queen until his death. He was buried with a small Union Jack as he had requested.  

Secularism Doesn’t Have to Be Bad

Understood rightly, it offers the best hope of keeping pluralistic societies peaceful and free.

Interview by Natasha Moore

Most Christians have a negative impression of the word secularism. Can it be rescued from its association with antireligious animus? Michael F. Bird, a theologian teaching at Ridley College in Melbourne, Australia, attempts this balancing act in Religious Freedom in a Secular Age: A Christian Case for Liberty, Equality, and Secular Government. Natasha Moore of the Centre for Public Christianity (also in Australia) spoke with Bird about the place of faith in pluralistic societies. Read More

Image Credit: Illustration by Rick Szuecs / Source images: Envato Elements / Jacky Watt / Samuel Schroth / Diogo Fagundes / Unsplash / Cottonbro / Pexels

The Unexpected Origins of the Church Growth Movement, with Dr. Gary McIntosh (Ep 27)

Can This Work in a Small Church Podcast? with Karl Vater

The origins of church growth are far different than what most of us have been taught recently, according to Dr. McIntosh. Listen to Podcast or Read Transcript

The First Lesson of Prayer

Learning to pray—and growing in prayer—begins with this simple lesson.

By J. A. Medders

Prayer is essential to our spiritual lives. That’s probably not a surprise to anyone. But what is a surprise is how many of us think we are terrible at praying. I used to think this way too. And, surprise, I don't think we are as "bad" at praying as we think we are. Now, I know I can grow. I bet you want to grow in prayer too. Three things come to mind on how to grow in praying to our Father. Read More

Also See:
Prayers That God Will Not Answer

5 Guideposts on The Road Back to Joy

By Dan Reiland

How do you wake up in the morning?

• Sunnyside up?
• A little scrambled?
• Over-hard?

Maybe you wake up cheery.

Maybe you have to warm up to cheery; you need coffee, a shower, breakfast, etc.

I have to warm up. I get there pretty quick, but it’s not automatic; I’m a little scrambled for a short while.

How about you?

We’re all different, but what we have in common is the knowledge and desire for something deeper, an inner sense of joy, and a longing for it. Read More

Overflowing with Love for God

By Brandon A. Cox

Have you ever stopped to wonder why it is that we’re capable of love?

If we’re merely animals, surviving by instinct and wit, love seems unnecessary. And the idea of sacrificial love seems pretty much an impossibility.

Yet we love. And the Bible tells us why.... Read More

Image Credit: Brandon A. Cox

The Undeniable, Irresistible Resilience Of The Small Church

To some people, small churches may look frail, weak and out of touch, but no matter what happens, we keep coming back up.

By Karl Vater

Small churches are not better than big churches. Big churches aren’t better than small ones.

The arguments we have about size are silly, dangerous and missing the point.

Everyone has something unique to contribute.

As for small churches, here are some of the most undeniable, irresistible blessings they bring to the body of Christ.... Read More

Small churches can be extremely resilent. They can also kill themselves. One way that can kill themselves is by becoming too inward-looking, catering to the preferences of the  members, and having negligible connections to the community in which they are located. I was for several years involved in one such church which has now disbanded and sold its building. If your small church exhbits these characteristics its days may be numbered. 

A Dozen Ways Ministers Can Give Some Direction to Their Ministry Rather than Be Driven by It ...

By James Scott, Jr.

A couple months ago I sent a text to a fellow minister asking if he would be available to meet over lunch to discuss something pertaining to ministry. He was happy to and said he could pencil me in … the following month!

It’s not uncommon for ministers to have calendars so overflowing it’s difficult to get any time with them, or for them to have adequate time for everything filling their calendars.

That isn’t always by design.

Many ministers feel like ministry demands drive them … because often they do. It can be easy to become so wrapped up in all the things that need to be done, along with all the things people want you to do, plus the things you think you should do, that ministry seems to sweep you away. Ministers in particular seem susceptible to the “Butterfly Effect,” something explained in this story from the Los Angeles Times.... Read More

7 Aspects of Healthy Church Leadership

How do we maintain healthy church leadership in turbulent times? Here are seven suggestions for developing a healthy culture.

By Ron Edmondson

According to Lifeway Research’s Greatest Needs of Pastors study, 75% of pastors indicated apathy or a lack of commitment from church members was top of their concerns when it comes to people dynamics in ministry. The other statistics listed in the research were equally disturbing. People’s strong opinions, resistance to change, and divisive political views make leading healthy teams harder today than ever in my career.

Not surprisingly, these challenges are true to my own experience. Sadly, the report was like a window into my soul, as a pastor leading through a pandemic and in today’s culture.

Surely it’s more difficult to maintain a healthy church leadership environment amid the current culture than ever in my more than thirty-five years as a senior leader. How do we maintain the health of our staff and volunteers in such turbulent times? Here are seven suggestions for developing a healthy church leadership culture.... Read More

5 Bad Ideas That Will Make Your Service Fake

By Rich Kirkpatrick

We have all been there. Everything may sound fantastic, look attractive and was planned with purposeful intent. But, something just doesn’t seem right. You feel fake vibes when hoping for authentic ones. Regardless, what makes a worship service fake might be boiled down to a few things even though there may be many things we can put on a list. Here are five bad ideas that promote the “fake factor” in church worship services. Read More

Mennonite Church USA Passes Resolution Committing to LGBTQ Inclusion

Delegates also repealed membership guidelines instructing pastors not to officiate same-sex marriages.

By Kathryn Post

The governing body of the largest Mennonite denomination in the United States passed a resolution on Sunday (May 29) confessing to “committing violence against LGBTQ people” and committing to LGBTQ inclusion.

In a separate vote, Mennonite Church USA also repealed instructions to pastors not to officiate at marriages between people of the same sex. The denomination’s official confession, which views marriage as between a man and a woman, remains unchanged.

Nearly 83% of the delegates meeting at a special assembly in Kansas City, Missouri, voted in favor of repealing the guidelines barring marriage for same-sex couples, while the resolution for LGBTQ inclusion passed by a narrower margin, with 55.7% in favor. Read More

Image Credit: Mennonite Church USA

All Hallows Evening Prayer for Sunday Evening (June 5, 2022) Is Now Online

 

All Hallows Evening Prayer is a service of worship in the evening for all pilgrims on the journey to the heavenly city.

For the journey God not only gives us companions but also a guide.

The Scripture reading for this Sunday is John 14: 15-27 The Promise of the Holy Spirit.

The homily is titled “A Seasoned Guide.”

The link to this Sunday evening’s service is—

https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2022/06/all-hallows-evening-prayer-for-sunday.html

Please feel free to share the link to the service with anyone whom you believe might benefit from the service.

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

Previous services are online at

https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/

May this service be a blessing to you.

All Hallows Evening Prayer for Saturday Evening (June 4, 2022) Is Now Online

 

All Hallows Evening Prayer is a service of worship in the evening for all pilgrims on the journey to the heavenly city.

Among the gifts of grace that God gives us is the Holy Spirit, God’s own indwelling presence in us.

The Scripture reading for this Saturday is 2: 1-21 The Holy Spirit Comes.

The homily is titled “You Shall Receive Power….”

The link to this Saturday evening’s service is—

https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2022/06/all-hallows-evening-prayer-for-saturday.html

Please feel free to share the link to the service with anyone whom you believe might benefit from the service.

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

Previous services are online at

https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/

May this service be a blessing to you.

When the Church Becomes a Machine

By Mike Glenn

Since Jesus gave His church the command to make disciples of the whole world, we’ve struggled to define how to best carry out what Jesus requires of us. The first problem is to understand what Jesus meant by “disciple.” In the time of Jesus, His disciples were easy to find. They were usually standing around Him. Now it’s a little more difficult to recognize a disciple of Christ. We don’t have any distinctive attire. We don’t have a secret handshake. So, how do you know?

Defining a disciple of Christ is notoriously difficult because of the terms we use to describe a follower of Christ. To begin with, terms like “love,” “grace,” and “obedience” are fuzzy terms. It’s almost impossible to nail them down with any clarity. Take for instance the command to “love your neighbor.” What does that mean? Does it mean feeling positive toward the family that lives next door to you? Or do we expand “neighbor” to mean anyone we meet? For that matter, does our love require anything more than a good feeling? Does it require action? If so, how much action? If my neighbor is ill and I take them a casserole (it’s what Baptists do), is that enough? How many casseroles do I have to take before I can say I really love my neighbor?

This fuzziness has frustrated the American church for years. Being typical Americans, we set out to remedy this. We looked at all of our corporate friends being efficient and goal-oriented so we wanted to be efficient and goal-oriented too. To accomplish this, we brought corporate strategies into the church. Now, I get it, good practices are good practices wherever they’re practiced. After all, accounting is accounting. The problem came when we tried to mechanize discipleship. We wanted to start with a sinner on one end and spit out a fully mature disciple on the other end.

We created classes to attend, selected Bible verses to memorize and prayers to quote and, if we did all of these things, we’d get a gold star and be called a disciple. The programs were usually successful as far as we could determine. Sure, we passed out lots of certificates and pins, but we rarely made a disciple. Most of the time we just ended up painting a Jesus veneer on a well-mannered church member. Read More

What's On The Web: '10 Practical Steps for Church Leaders Who Lead Leaders' And More

10 Practical Steps for Church Leaders Who Lead Leaders
There’s more to leading other leaders in the church than “vision-casting” or playing cheerleader. There are practical steps every senior leader can take to directly contribute to the success of the leaders they lead.

Preparing Your Family for Church Planting
The following questions helped prepare our family for planting. And if you find yourself in a situation similar to ours, I pray they will help you too.

2 Reasons We Ignore Our Weaknesses Instead of Addressing Them
The common leadership counsel to focus on your strengths is wise, with one important caveat. Your weaknesses must be addressed and brought to an acceptable norm or they will overshadow your strengths.

10 Characteristics of Spiritual Weak Christian Leaders
I’m hesitant to write this post because I know I probably exhibit some of these characteristics. Nevertheless, here are some of the primary issues I see in this group of leaders....

Some Previous Churchgoers Are Still Missing Post-COVID
More Americans feel the COVID-19 pandemic is over, but some Christians still haven’t returned to church services.

White Churches, It’s Time to Go Pro-Life on Guns
The Christian majority in America needs to shake off its malaise and work with Black pastors to end shooting violence.

Why We Shouldn’t ‘Move On’ From Horror
Growing numb to tragedy is a natural instinct—and one we should resist as Christians.

Four Ways the Church Can Love Her Community in Times of Crisis
The church can and should be a place of refuge and care, not just within her four walls.

Five Practical Ways to Be a #WeToo Church
Sexual abuse in the local church is not confined to one denomination.

Lead Like It Matters
Perspective hacks for the post-pandemic church leader.

Norway: Recruit From the Fringes

How a thriving church in Norway achieves an almost 80% volunteer rate.

5 Reasons Leaders Stumble and Fall
When we are aware of what causes us to stumble and eventually fall, we can be watchful, accountable, and make better decisions.

The Benefit of Ancient Creeds for the Contemporary Church
Creeds are tools of truth, they help us learn our faith, teach our faith and defend our faith.

7 Critical Supplements To Evangelistic Fervour
We need to rethink our evangelistic efforts in Africa. Something isn’t quite right.

What's On The Web: 'Tribalism's Awful Antidote' And More

Tribalism’s Awful Antidote 

We’re made to have a herd. Made to transcend it, too. 

The Number One Missing Ingredient in Church Leadership 

The number one missing ingredient in church leadership is a willingness to be held accountable. 

How Will I Find My Ministry Calling? 

Interview with John Piper 

What Can the Church Do About Child Protection? 

Our understanding of the Bible’s standards for Christian character and its demands for how we care for the vulnerable must lead to changes in the way we view abuse prevention. 

Yes, Your Church Can Start a Special Needs Ministry 

Families with special needs members are not looking for impressive programming. They are looking for people to connect with, a place that embodies Christ’s compassion and love for all. 

10 Ways to Express Your Thankfulness for Volunteers 

Here are 10 ways you can use your words to express thankfulness for the volunteers who serve in your ministry.

STOP! 8 Church Communication Mistakes You’re Probably Making 

Churches must understand and fix these church communication mistakes in order to evangelize our communities and inform our congregations. 

Help! I’m Terrified of Evangelism! 

Let’s be honest with ourselves. If something is truly important to us, we will find a way to do it. 

Keys to Reaching the Unchurched

By Thom Rainer

Outreach Magazine conducted a study of formerly unchurched Americans. What made them come to a church? What made them stay? The answers to these questions gave us insight into the mind of an unchurched person and gave us guidance in reaching the unchurched more effectively. Read More

Also See:
Here’s Why People REJECT Our Evangelism Efforts

What a GREAT Leader Is (and Isn’t)

By Michael Mack

To understand what a great small group leader is, perhaps it will help to start by looking at some potential small group leaders to show what a small group leader is not. Read More

All Hallows Evening Prayer for Wednesday Evening (June 1, 2022) Is Now Online

 

All Hallows Evening Prayer is a service of worship in the evening for all pilgrims on the journey to the heavenly city.

When Jesus calls us to be one of his disciples, he calls us not to stay as we are but to grow as his follower and to become more like him.

The Scripture reading for this Wednesday is 1 John 3: 16-24 Love One Another.

The homily is titled “Watch over Each Other in Love.”

The link to this Wednesday evening’s service is—

https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2022/06/all-hallows-evening-prayer-for.html

Please feel free to share the link to the service with anyone whom you believe might benefit from the service.

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

Previous services are online at

https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/

May this service be a blessing to you.

Church Leaders, Have We Lost Our Ability to Shepherd?

By James Scott, Jr.

My work leading an international parachurch ministry happily includes meeting and spending time with church leaders.

A while back, I was having lunch with a bright, young pastor and was using the time to get to know him better. As he described his work as a pastor and church planter he said, “What I really don’t enjoy much is shepherding.”

A shepherd who doesn’t enjoy shepherding?

It was not the first time a minister had said something similar to me.

One problem with a shepherd not enjoying shepherding is, when he must “shepherd,” he’ll do so half-heartedly or begrudgingly because he would really prefer to be doing something else. AND, the quality of his shepherding may be lacking, meaning those he shepherds often won’t get the spiritual leadership they need.

When shepherds aren’t really interested in the spiritual work that is the heart of their calling from God, the consequences of that lack of interest can negatively impact the people in the congregations they lead. Read More

Buzz Words Aren’t The Problem

By Christina Membree

I was recently part of an online discussion where the original poster expressed his concerns about a newly released curriculum using, in his words, “woke” terminology in its description. The particular words in question were the words “identity” and “curiosity.” The concern expressed was that these words were an attempt to be relevant to the culture and, regardless of the content in the curriculum which he repeatedly stated he felt was “fine”, the use of this terminology meant he “would never get near” this particular product.

As you an imagine, the discussion to follow was passionate and intense. For the most part, I watched what was taking place with a measure of frustration and disappointment. Whether or not one agreed with the original poster, the tone of the conversation was (initially) judgmental, condemning, and fear-based. And despite assurances and affirmation that the content of the curriculum as biblically-based and Christ-centered, the choice of these two words was enough to warrant the energy and passion put into the discussion about how this would impact children’s church experience and their faith.

Which brings me to the research.... Read More

When Churches Become Mafias

The recent SBC abuse report shows that churches often prioritize tribal unity and safety over “divisive” truth.

By Russell Moore

If you ever want to do something kind for me, please don’t send flowers.

If I were to see a bouquet of them at the door, I would probably have a reflexive adrenal response. That’s because, for years in my Southern Baptist context, the lore was always about a leader in the denomination—who fancied himself a sort of party boss or even bishop—who would send to those who crossed him a bouquet of flowers, with nothing but a card with his name. The flowers were interpreted to signify something along the lines of “You’re dead to me” or “I know what you did” or some such thing.

The first time I heard this, I stopped and thought, “Wait, how is this not the mafia?”

Now I don’t know how many people ever received such flowers. When younger people asked about it, the leader would grin and look away. Maybe the legend was always bigger than the reality. But when it comes to fear and intimidation, legend is really all it takes.

And behind the legend is an even larger truth—one that the rest of the world can now peek into ever so slightly, after the release of an independent investigation that describes a culture of cover-up, retaliation, and stonewalling by the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee on matters of church sexual abuse, church sexual abuse survivors, and the advocates and whistleblowers who stood with them.

Since then, many people from outside the denomination called or texted as they watched some of the official proceedings, and all expressed some variation of how creepy they found the southern politeness—with everyone calling each other “Brother So-and-so”—given the circumstances.

To some of them I passed along a tweet by religion journalist Bob Smietana: “For those who are new to SBC politics. There’s so much going on when people call each other ‘brother’ or say they want to ‘change the direction’ and say ‘I appreciate you.’ It’s all Bless Your Heart and the Bible and Roberts Rules—and behind-the-scenes knives.”

Knives, yes. And flowers. Read More

5 Reasons Why Playing It Safe Is Not A Good Idea

The sustained pressures of unanswered questions, unsolved problems, and an unknown future have caused leaders to pull back, hesitate, and in many cases, play it safe.

Here are a few statements from leaders in the past few weeks.

• I know we already committed, but I’m not sure this is the right time to build.
• Maybe we should wait to launch the next campus.
• I think I need to hold back in my preaching with all the cultural tension.
• Maybe we should not hire anyone right now.

When you are on the front lines of leadership, these are not easy decisions. Read More