Eddie Long has served as pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church near Atlanta, GA since 1987. A few months ago he took a leave of absence after his wife filed for divorce and former members (all male) of his congregation accused him of sexual abuse. Bishop Long, as he is called now by his parishioners, is now back to shepherding his flock. Last Sunday he returned to the spotlight again when a guest speaker, Ralph Messer, proclaimed Eddie Long a "king" in an Read More …
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Does He Speak For You? (#0621)
"Why Does MSNBC Invite Hateful, Anti-Gay Liars on TV to Represent Christians?" is a question I cannot answer and the title of Nick Sementelli's recent post on Faith in Public Life's blog. MSNBC recently responded to critics by severing ties with Pat Buchanan who has written and said things that are troubling, prejudiced, and un-Christian. They have, however, as of this writing, continued to welcome Tony Perkins as a regular contributor. Perkins is the president of Read More …
Effective Church Websites (#0619)
Dave Hakes is a software engineer who seeks to "demystify and make practical the many tools the internet offers so that you and your church can better reach people." Recently he shared 7 elements of an effective church website: Focus on those who are not yet a part of your congregation Emphasize pictures of people not buildings Remove clutter Ensure key information is in plain sight (no scrolling required) Create compelling and relevant content Include a welcome message Tell Read More …
A “Bed-In” (#0614)
Having lived in Texas many years, I am familiar with the phrase "everything is bigger in Texas." When it comes to churches, Texas has more megachurches than most would imagine. Edward Gilbreath went as far as to name Dallas, Texas as the unofficial capital of American Evangelicalism in Christianity Today. The latest news out of the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas revolves around Ed Young's Friday the 13th "Bed-in" event. Ed Young, minister of Fellowship Church, staged a 24 Read More …
Higher Education Myths (#0606)
Jay Schalin, Director of State Policy for the John William Pope Center for Higher Education Policy, shared 10 myths about academia. While most readers are likely to disagree with one or more items on his list, the following group warrants additional attention: Everybody should go to college. All faculty research is necessary and/or important. Higher Education drives the economy. So What? With the cost of higher education rising faster than inflation and even faster than Read More …
A Church Style Guide (#0603)
Since completing my formal education, I have served exclusively in large mainline congregations. Communicating well is important in all congregations, but especially so for larger parishes. Regardless of how many people may have formal job or volunteer responsibilities for specific aspects of communication, it is essential that they all operate from the same playbook. Without a church style guide to provide direction, it is impossible to ensure continuity in design standards or Read More …
Single Objective of Youth Ministry (#0601)
How would you complete the following sentence: The single objective of youth ministry is __________. Youth ministry expert Mark Oestreicher answered the question with Christlikeness. So What? Youth ministry is typically thought of in terms of what it offers its participants, especially in terms of programs and relationships. Youth ministry leadership teams would benefit greatly from taking time to explore together why they do what they do. The simple yet challenging Read More …
Within 24 Hours (#0598)
It has been several years since I made a resolution to begin a new year. This year, however, I opted to make a few resolutions. One resolution is to reply to e-mail within 24 hours. While I have generally done so, I have not always sought to provide feedback to all people within that time horizon. So What? Because I currently have multiple employers (and in boxes) and a varied schedule, e-mail is often the easiest way to reach me. Rather than use different rules to guide Read More …
Attributes of Good Junior High Lessons (#0586)
Kurt Johnston is a junior high ministry expert; he has severed in a variety of junior high youth ministry roles for over twenty years, and currently serves as Junior High Pastor at Saddleback Church. Earlier this week he shared three attributes of a good junior high lesson: Short (20 minutes or less) Interactive Fun So What? I have spent enough time in youth ministry with junior high/middle school students to understand that teaching this age group is unique. This Read More …
1 in 2 Americans = Low Income (#0581)
Over the last few days I have encountered many people talking about the same data but using very different language to do so. Some examples of what I have encountered include: 50% of Americans are now living in poverty The middle class is on its collective deathbed - people are now either wealthy or in poverty Half of the country receives food stamps or some other form of government assistance While each of these statements is false, many who proudly make the claims do so Read More …