Faith Matters. Does Yours?
Church v.2020 - Ten Changes: #8 More About Following – Less About Membership When compared with the American church of 2012, the future church (v.2020) will focus more on following and less on membership. This shift places the emphasis on following the way of Jesus rather than being a faithful member of a local church. Toward this end, likely changes include: An approach to belonging and deepening individual's connection to the faith community that values assimilation into a Read More …
As the semester draws to a close, students are increasingly interested in grades. I have received several inquiries about grades, and expect to hear many more this week. So What? Most of those reading this blog are not currently pursuing a degree or enrolled in any type of educational pursuit for which they will earn a grade. We are, however, all heading toward the end of another year. Take a few minutes and grade yourself on 2011: How faithfully have you sought to pursue Read More …
One of my many roles during this season in life is as Director of Adult Education at Naples United Church of Christ. The document below is my first attempt at what I intend to become an annual brochure. The 2012 edition features events in January, February and March. I welcome your feedback (if you happen to be in Southwest Florida, I hope you will join us for one or more of these events). Open publication - Free publishing - More adult Read More …
Eric Van Meter's recent commentary, "Can Our Denomination Overcome its Fear of Failure?," considers the decades old struggle facing mainline denominations: reversing the trend of declining membership. Van Meter writes, "We United Methodists have launched one initiative after another in the past four decades, only to watch our churches decline in every measurable category, except average age." Well aware of the many initiatives, past and present, undertaken by his denomination and the Read More …
Meet the Author Kathleen A. Cahalan is an associate professor of theology at St. John's University School of Theology-Seminary, which is a Catholic and Benedictine school that educates both ordination candidates and lay ecclesiastical ministers. Previously, she taught at Christian Theological Seminary and as an evaluation coordinator for the religion division of the Lilly Endowment. Cahalan is the author of three books: Introducing the Practice of Ministry (2010), Formed in the Read More …
Meet the Authors Jason Locy is founder and Creative Director of FiveStone, a multidisciplinary design studio whose client list includes MTV, Chick-fil-A, Q, and Catalyst. Timothy Willard is a full-time writer who earned a Master of Arts in Christian Thought from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Veneer: Living Deeply in a Surface Society (2011), which they co-authored, is each author's first book. Book Basics Jason invited Tim to join his men's small group. Based on Read More …
Meet the Author Kyle Idleman is the teaching pastor at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY, which is the fifth largest church in America. After attending Ozark Christian College, he did an internship at Southeast Christian, planted Real Life Church in Southern California, and then returned to Southeast Christian in 2002. Idleman is the author and presenter of the award winning video curriculum H2O: A Journey of Faith and The Easter Experience. His first book, Not a Fan: Read More …
Happy 2nd birthday to sowhatfaith.com! Over the course of the last two years, a great deal has changed in my life and with this site. I have transitioned from full-time to part-time ministry in a local congregation transitioned from serving a Presbyterian (PCUSA) parish to serving one affiliated with the United Church of Christ (UCC) started working full-time for a university Sowhatfaith.com has transitioned from posting new content twice a week (101 posts in the first Read More …
Scot McKnight, renowned New Testament scholar and professor of religious studies at Northpark University, wrote an article entitled "Full Disciple" in the February-March 2011 edition of Neue Magazine exploring the discipleship ministry of local congregations. McKnight asks his readers, "What kind of disciple is your church producing (p.56)?," before suggesting that churches would benefit from aligning their vision with that of Jesus: For Jesus a disciple is someone marked by kingdom Read More …
Meet the Author Brian McLaren served in pastoral ministry for twenty years as the founding pastor of Cedar Ridge Community Church. In 2006, he stepped down from that role to devote his time to writing and speaking. McLaren has written numerous books, including Naked Spirituality: A Life with God in 12 Simple Words (2011), Finding Our Way Again: The Return of the Ancient Practices (2010), A New Kind of Christianity (2010), and Everything Must Change: When the World's Biggest Problems Read More …
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