Donald Miller is the author of several books including A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing my Life (2009) and Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality (2003). To connect with him, read his blog, like him on Facebook, or follow him on Twitter. This past week, he posted, "Is Church Life Stifling Your Creativity?," which concludes with these words: Here’s the point of this blog post: There is a difference between what “the church” Read More …
Discipleship
Studying the Beatitudes in Real Time (#0238)
A few days ago, I blogged about my ongoing quest to learn more about Jesus. In that post I suggested that 2011 may be a year I devote considerable time to examining Jesus' preaching via the Sermon on the Mount. Since that time, I learned of a unique opportunity to study the Beatitudes, which lead off Matthew's account of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3-12). Kimberly Knight, Circuit Rider and web admin for the Beatitudes Society, recently blogged about a new interactive live Read More …
A Year With the Sermon on the Mount (#0236)
For the last few years, I have been studying the life and ministry of Jesus in an attempt to more fully answer the question: “Who is Jesus?” A few months ago I wrote series of posts sharing areas of emphasis in my study of Jesus over the last several years: prayers, parables, priorities, and creed. Recently, I read a blog that has led me to ponder the possibility of spending some time focusing on preaching. That blog, "A Year With the Sermon on the Mount," encourages Read More …
Atheist Billboards and Christian Responses (#0233)
Billboards are big business. According to the Outdoor Advertising Association of America, they produced $4.4 billion dollars of advertising revenue in 2008. While religious billboards account for an insignificant portion of the market, they often generate publicity that extends to an audience far greater than those who drive by and personally view the sign. Take for example two recent billboards paid for by the American Atheists: This billboard ad (pictured above) appeared in Read More …
Vision & Strategy Trends (#0232)
Will Mancini is the founder of Auxano – a church consulting group with a unique approach to developing a church’s vision frame before providing traditional consulting services. He is the author of Church Unique: How Mission Leaders Cast Vision, Capture Culture, and Create Movement (read my review here). Mancini's first blog post of 2011 is packed with relevant information about trends in vision and strategy for churches. He sees eleven trends for 2011 and beyond: Read More …
The Priesthood of Believers NOT of Staff (#0224)
Adam McLane of Youth Specialties recently blogged about an all too common functional reality: the priesthood of the believers being in embraced in theory, but not in practice. He writes: Most people on church staff have no idea how to turn the reigns of their ministry over to the church. It seems counter-productive to lead without holding the reigns. The attitude is generally that church staff are the experts, seminary trained, denominationally ordained and battle-experienced to do the Read More …
Why People Choose Your Church (#0223)
According to the Faith Matters Survey (2006) of 3108 people, the top reasons people chose their current congregation (according to reasons they indicated were "very important) are Theology or religious beliefs (60%) Liturgy or style of worship (45%) Marriage, spouse, or partner (40%) Family [other than spouse] (40%) Clergy (39%) Location (32%) Childhood congregation (27%) Friends Political or social views So What? Liturgically speaking today is the first Sunday of Christmas, Read More …
Why the Incarnation Matters (Part 2 of 2)
Yesterday, I shared what others wrote in response to the question: “Why Does the Incarnation Matter?” Today, I offer my own answer (following the same guidelines of responding in 100 words or less): The Incarnation is the story that reminds us how God is with us (Emmanuel), a story which begins with a baby born in the house of bread (Bethlehem) who is the Bread of Life. The Incarnation is intentionally too rich and filled with possibility to be fully conveyed with human language. Modern Read More …
Why the Incarnation Matters (#0222)
In a culture that emphasizes consumerism and family togetherness as the marks of Christmas, we need to be reminded that Christmas is a celebration of the Incarnation. At Patheos, the mainline Protestant portal features the answers given by twelve pastors and scholars to the question: "Why Does the Incarnation Matter?" Each respondent was asked to write an answer in 100 words or less. Two of the responses were especially helpful in my quest to refine my own answer to the question: In Read More …
Rethinking Spiritual Formation (#0216)
Ben Witherington is the Amos Professor of New Testament for Doctoral Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary and on the doctoral faculty at St. Andrews University in Scotland. Considered by many to be a leading New Testament scholar, Witherington has written over thirty books and six commentaries. For more information, view his faculty profile page or read his blog. Recently he listed his concerns with contemporary views of spiritual formation: Monastic models of piety frankly don't Read More …