Christian Piatt includes fear on his list of five things that are holding Christianity back. He suggests that "too often, our actions in church are governed principally by a response to what we fear might happen, rather than faithfully discerning what God is calling us to do." Reality Check Most congregations are risk averse. When boards engage in decision making in risk averse organizations the possibilities for the future often look a lot like the successes of the past Read More …
WHCB: Church Boards (#1191)
Christian Piatt includes church boards on his list of five things that are holding Christianity back. He suggests that church boards tend to attract and retain the same small group of leaders, and favor a style that relies heavily on a democratic vote for decision making. Reality Check Most congregations have term limits for those serving on the church boards and standing committees. While those rules help ensure no one person remains a part of such a group for decades, Read More …
WHCB: Worship (#1190)
Christian Piatt includes worship on his list of five things that are holding Christianity back. He suggests that we have "gotten off track" in several ways, including the tendency to continue to see worship as a primary entry point into a faith community. Reality Check In my experience, the first way folks prefer to encounter a local community of faith varies widely. While no one factor can adequately serve as an across the board filter, age is perhaps the best option. Read More …
Sermon: Reuniting Old Friends (#1189)
Sermon Text Ephesians 2:19-22 Sermon Excerpt The so-called religious right has sought to make their version of Christianity the only authorized American version. While many within this group market a message that suggests a literal approach to the Bible is the only correct approach, the general public are not embracing that news. In fact, only 3 in 10 people approach Scripture with a highly literal interpretative framework, and an understanding that it is the actual word of Read More …
WHCB: Denominations (#1188)
Christian Piatt includes denominations on his list of five things that are holding Christianity back. He suggests that with so many denominations the "distinction from others like them are so minute that even the members within a given denomination can’t tell you what makes them unique." Additionally, he argues that "with the trend toward personal and local autonomy taking hold in many Christian communities, there is increasingly less of a reason to keep such hierarchic Read More …
WHCB: Church Buildings (#1187)
Christian Piatt includes church buildings on his list of five things that are holding Christianity back. He suggests that "they have become an albatross rather than an asset." Reality Check Most American congregations own buildings. The costs associated with maintaining these structures is significant. In congregations that are in the midst of extended periods of plateau or experiencing years of declining membership, the percentage of the annual budget needed for their upkeep Read More …
What’s Holding Christianity Back? (WHCB) (#1186)
Christian Piatt is the author of multiple books, including Banned Questions About Jesus and Banned Questions About the Bible. Recently, he shared a list of things he feels are holding Christianity back: church buildings, denominations, worship, church boards, and fear. So What? Piatt labels these items as "the five biggest things I’ve seen that tend to keep us from doing our best work as the living, breathing body of Christ in the world today." While Read More …
Online Learning in Congregations (#1185)
Over the last decade online learning has grown from a niche market to something that touches nearly everyone. Increasing numbers of students take online courses as part of their educational programs in K-12 and higher education, and employers continue to shift more and more of their training to online formats. Given these shifts, it is logical to assume that the future of education in the context of congregations will include online learning. The Rt. Rev. Kirk Smith, bishop of Read More …
Common Pastoral Mistakes (#1184)
Eric Geiger, Vice President at LifeWay Christian Resources, recently shared three common mistakes pastors make: not offering clarity, underestimating the power of culture, and switching strategies too frequently. So What? This short list can serve as a helpful tool for those interested in sincere introspection. If you serve in pastoral ministry, which of these three areas is most challenging for you? How might you focus on strengthening your competency in that area Read More …
Liking = Protected Speech (#1183)
According to a court decision made last week, clicking "like" on a Facebook post or page is now considered to be free speech protected by the First Amendment. This ruling by Judge Traxler of the U.S. Court of Appeals in Richmond, VA overturns the earlier ruling, and has significant implications for employment (the matter at hand in this case) and beyond. So What? The online world has grown and evolved at a rapid rate. Laws developed before the internet expansion often do not Read More …