Jason Fairbanks, pastor of First Congregational Church (United Church of Christ) in Lake Worth, Florida, recently wrote a series of posts on his blog about what the church is and what it should be. In making his case for what the church should be he offered the wisdom given him by his father: A church is a hospital for those that find themselves hurting and on our doorstep. It is these that we have the opportunity to receive and to love. A church is a greenhouse for those interested in Read More …
Review of Existential Reasons for Belief in God (#0327)
Meet the Author Clifford Williams is professor of philosophy at Trinity International University's Trinity College and serves as chair of the philosophy department. His areas of expertise within the field of philosophy include free will and determinism, religious dividedness, philosophy of time, and philosophy of love and friendship. Williams' recent books include Existential Reasons for Belief in God: A Defense of Desires & Emotions for Faith (2011), The Divided Soul: Read More …
Who Do You Follow? (#0326)
Recently technology expert Scott McClellan, editor of Collide and director of Echo, asked people to answer a poll about how they determine who to follow on Twitter. As of 11pm EST on April 7, the responses show that almost all respondents (92%) follow "anyone who might add value." Interestingly, of the 116 votes cast only 10 were for another option (4 for "only people I actually know," 3 for "everyone who follows me" and 3 for "as few people as possible." So Read More …
Has Church Giving Rebounded? (#0325)
Last week the findings of the third annual "STATE of the PLATE" shows that after two years of steep decline, giving to churches increased slightly in 2010. Writing for USA Today, Cathy Lynn Grossmann summarized the research with four bullet points: Giving is up: 43% of churches saw increased giving in 2010, up from 36% in 2009. The decline has stabilized: 39% of churches said giving was down in 2010, 38% last year. December offered a boost: Christmas-time generosity often puts Read More …
Learning from Gen Y: Thoughts of a New Reformation (#0324)
Bradley N. Hill, a minister in the Evangelical Covenant Church, recently wrote an article for the Christian Century suggesting that the way most churches operate (an attractional model) will never effectively engage Generation Y (those he characterizes as being born between 1976 and 2000) for many reasons including: . . . advertisement is just part of the background white noise of our culture. No impersonal website or advertisement, no program or event flyer, poster or radio spot will entice Read More …
Mission 1: Feeding the Hungry and Confronting Food-Related Injustice (#0323)
The one million member United Church of Christ may be best known by its incredibly successful multi-year "God is still speaking" campaign. Perhaps you have heard the message: No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here. We believe in extravagant welcome. (For more information read The Language of God and Uniquely UCC then watch some of the original television commercials.) The United Church of Christ originated as the result of mergers that Read More …
Review of Captive to the Word of God (#0322)
Meet the Author Miroslav Volf is the Director of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture and Henry B. Wright Professor of Systematic Theology at Yale Divinity School. He was born in Croatia, and studied at Evangelical-Theological, Osijek, Fuller Theological Seminary and received his doctoral degree from the University of Tübingen, where he studied under Jürgen Moltmann. As "a member of the Episcopal Church in the U.S.A. and the Evangelical Church in Croatia, Professor Read More …
Radical Inclusivity (#0321)
Christian leaders make news headlines on a daily basis, but are rarely portrayed as open minded or inclusive. Jonathan Devin's "Radical Preachers Buck Mainstream Christianity" tells the story of a growing interdenominational group of pastors known as Outlaw Preachers who are bound together by their shared belief in radical inclusivity. Founded in 2008, the group has grown to 300 members and recently held their first conference, which was attended by persons representing Read More …
If Your Church Won the Lottery . . . (#0320)
Americans spend more money on the lottery than on movies and sporting events combined. Many play the lottery believing the myth that winning big will solve all of their problems, but research shows that many of the biggest winners face financial difficulties and other unforeseen hardships within a few years of winning. In reality found money, including lottery winnings, is typically handled differently than earned money. It has been suggested that many of the winners would Read More …
Frequent Church Attendance and Obesity (#0319)
A new study shows that those who attend church frequently (at least weekly) as young adults are far more likely than the population at large to be obese in middle age. Julie Deardorff begins her article on the topic for the Chicago Tribune with these words: Many religions condemn overeating and gluttony. Yet young adults who frequently attend religious activities are 50 percent more likely to turn into obese middle-agers than those with no religious involvement, according to research Read More …