Looking into the Future: The Top 10 Changes for the American Church 10. Less Real Estate Over the past fifty years, churches have sought to acquire more land and build more buildings as a growth strategy. For the average church, excepting office space and school space, most of the square feet within their campuses are used only a few hours a week. The cost to maintain these large campuses is significant. Any honest consideration of human resource (custodial Read More …
Discipleship
The Changing Church – Looking into the Future (#0025)
The rate of change in the America culture is often far more rapid than within the American church. The church, however, must proactively and strategically consider and act to enable it to live into its purpose now and in the future. I created a Top 10 List of the changes I believe will be most helpful over the next several years. I revisit and revise the list often. The latest revision follows: Looking into the Future: The Top 10 Changes for the American Church 10. Read More …
Reaching 20-Somethings (#0019)
It is widely accepted that different generations hear and respond differently to the same invitation to participate in the Christian faith. Most church leaders and those involved in making decisions about reaching out to those not yet a part of the faith community are well beyond their twenties. For those over 30, myself included, Scot McKnight's recent article The Gospel for iGens (Leadership, Summer 2009) is an important read. If you are not familiar with McKnight, Read More …
Ministry and Modern Technology (#0013)
In the July/August edition of Collide, Stephen Presley writes a thought provoking article: A Biblical Definition of Ministry in a Technological Age. Presley defines ministry as "a personal commission from God that labors toward the reconciliation of others to Christ through the gospel." He suggests it includes both personal and interpersonal elements, but that while it involves people its purpose is communicating the gospel. As technology continues to change and is utilized Read More …
Middle School Students and Mission Work (#0012)
Last week I had the privilege of participating in a Week of Hope alongside a group of eighteen middle school students and two adults from my church. We were a part of a larger team of eighty-seven participants (middle school students, high school students, and adults) from five churches across the country affiliated with three different denominations. This short-term mission opportunity is open to middle and high school students across the country and is facilitated by Group Read More …
What is the Purpose of a Sermon? (#0010)
Scot McKnight's latest blog entry invites discussion: What is the Purpose of a Sermon? McKnight, a New Testament scholar as well as a prolific author and blogger, asks the question as he follows those who are live blogging about a preaching conference at Mars Hill with Rob Bell, Pete Rollins, and Shane Hipps. So What? Share your answer to the question: What is the purpose of a sermon? For me a part of the answer must be in the so what. If I hear what sounded like a great Read More …
To Twist or Not to Twist (#0008)
In the July/August edition of Youth Worker Journal, Patton Dodd wrote an article about twisting Scripture in Children's Ministry. He and his wife taught Sunday School for a four and five year old class and were surprised to learn that the lesson on John the Baptist instructed them to "teach the main point that John the Baptist told the crowds, 'Jesus is God's Son,' as John the Baptist did, and telling them that they, like John, are supposed to carry that message into the world." The Read More …
Obama’s New Church (#0007)
Have you ever wondered how a President selects which church to attend? Apparently many more people are concerned with what church Obama chooses than the selection or discernment process leading to that choice. Back in February, Andrew Santella wrote, "Since before Election Day, Washington pastors have been lining up to invite the first family into their flock, and outlets from PBS to the Wall Street Journal have taken their turn handicapping the many contending congregations. Read More …
The End of the Bible? (#0005)
The Digital Possibility For many years churchgoers have carried a Bible to church, but with the increasing popularity of electronic options it is no longer necessary to carry an extra item to church in order to have access to Scripture. Tim Challies has written a number of recent posts on his blog in a series titled Don't Bring Your Ipod to Church. Of greatest interest to me is his June 12 entry in which he writes about the "disturbing trend—Christians coming to church Read More …
Changing Beliefs (#0002)
Survey Says A recent study by the Barna group found that 71% of U.S. adults develop their own religious beliefs rather than accept the teachings of a particular church or denomination. That statistic goes hand in hand with 45% who are "willing to try a new church" and 64% who are "completely open to carrying out and pursuing your faith in an environment or structure that differs from that of a typical church". So What? These statistics suggest that we are living in a Read More …