Since relocating to the Dallas - Fort Worth metropolitan area in September 2015, I've worshipped in 52 different congregations. Denomination The vast majority (87%) of my visits have been to congregations in Mainline denominations. A complete list of denominational affiliations follows: So What? When I share the number of churches I've visited in recent years the first question I'm usually asked is "why?" My answer is always the same: "I searched for a church on relocating Read More …
Discipleship
Be the Book (#1774)
In her sermon this morning at Cathedral of Hope UCC, Bishop Yvette Flunder called on those present to follow in the Way of Jesus - the very Jesus who read the from the Book of Isaiah, sat down, and became the Book (Luke 4:14-21). Jesus' Reading Isaiah 61 (NRSV) begins with these words: The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release Read More …
TCT MLK Day of Service 2019 (#1773)
I spent the morning participating in the ninth annual MLK Day of Service - #MLKTCT - organized by Tarrant Churches Together. As a first timer, I was encouraged by the diversity of faith communities represented, impressed by the breadth of service opportunities, and inspired to continue Dr. King's work in and beyond my community. Worship Baker Chapel AME was filled to capacity for the hour long service that set the tone for the day while also inviting those present to capture or Read More …
Search for a Church 2.0 – Pastoral Transitions (#1772)
In April 2018, my wife and I started what I've been calling Search for a Church 2.0. We visited five congregations by May, and another five by June. By August we expanded our visiting to include three more congregations. Over the last several months we've focused our time in just a few of these congregations. Pastoral Transitions During our nine month search, three of the thirteen congregations have undergone or announced that they will soon undergo a change Read More …
Jesus & Justice – Red Letter Revival (#1764)
Red Letter Christianity claims It’s time for a Christianity that looks like Jesus again. It’s time for gospel preaching and prophetic witness. It’s time to return to the things Jesus said. It’s revival time! From Lynchburg to Dallas In April the first ever Red Letter revival was held over two days in Lynchburg, VA. The second - and to date only other scheduled revival - occurred this past weekend in Dallas, TX. Each day workshops covering a wide range of justice focused Read More …
First Time Visitors – Friendliness & Follow Up (#1763)
Most people have limited experience visiting churches. Until a few years ago I was part of this group. 50+ First Time Experiences Over the last three years, I've been a first time visitor in more than 50 Christian churches in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. The three reasons I've made so many visits are Relocating to Texas from Florida in 2015 - 36 churches as part of a search for a church Relocating within DFW (moving nearly 50 miles) - 13 churches as part of my Read More …
World Communion Sunday 2018 (#1758)
Last Sunday I was not able to attend a worship service as I spent the day in meetings for my primary employer. This Sunday, I was determined to attend worship and to be a part of World Communion Sunday. First Presbyterian I participated in the 11:00 a.m. service at First Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) in downtown Fort Worth. While this congregation normally celebrates Communion on the first Sunday of every month, this service had a clear emphasis on World Communion from the Read More …
The Bible Doesn’t Say That (#1756)
Yesterday, I worshipped at Cathedral of Hope United Church of Christ in Dallas, Texas. I heard the Rev. Dr. John Dorhauer, General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ preach "Everything Happens for a Reason" as part of the Cathedral's current sermon series: The Bible Doesn't Say That. The two earlier messages in this series are You've Got to Forgive and Forget Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin And, the remaining message will be "God Won't Give You More Than You Read More …
Search for a Church 2.0: Three Bonus Visits (#1751)
Our search for a new church continues. The original plan called for visits to 10 Mainline Protestant congregations relatively close to our new home. And, we did just that. I summarized those experiences in two earlier posts: First Five Visits and Five More Visits. 10 Became 13 Project planning in all areas of my personal and professional life is increasingly agile and benefits from rapid development thinking. This new search follows that sort of Read More …
We Say Yes (#1750)
I'm often discouraged by individuals, congregations, and even denominations who define themselves more by what they are against than what they are for or what they say "yes" to. Saying Yes Earlier this summer the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) approved the following statement as part of its consent agenda. As confessing Christians, we trust God, whom we know through Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray as others pray in other names. We are obligated to declare our Read More …