Meet the Author Ross Douthat is an op-ed columnist for the New York Times, and the film critic for the National Review. Previously, he was a senior editor at the Atlantic. He is the author of Privilege: Harvard and the Education of the Ruling Class (Hyperion, 2005) and Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics (2012), and the co-author (with Reihan Salam) of Grand New Party: How Republicans Can Win the Working Class and Save the American Dream (2008). Book Basics Douthat effectively Read More …
Spong on Building the Church (#0749)
Bishop John "Jack" Shelby Spong was a recent guest on Chris Yaw's ChurchNext. In this one hour interview, Spong shares how humility and acceptance are key foundations for building the church. Since "the mainline churches are in a statistical free-fall" continuing on the same course is not a realistic option. Going forward, church leaders must repackage the faith in ways that make sense for their context. More specifically, Spong says Part of our job in the Read More …
Membership & Worship Attendance (#0748)
Len Wilson just started a new job yesterday in "an executive creative and communication position" at Peachtree Presbyterian Church (Atlanta, GA), one of the largest Presbyterian congregations in America with an average worship attendance of around 7,000. Recently, he blogged about attendance and membership patterns in the United Methodist Church. In a rather comprehensive piece, he compared the ranks of the top twenty-five conferences by both membership and worship attendance. Read More …
What’s Missing in Your Church? (#0747)
Shawn Murphy, principal consultant at Achieved Strategies and co-founder of Switch and Shift, recently blogged about what is missing in organizations. Murphy suggests, "Too many of our workplaces have become a place where employees plug in, do their work, unplug and go home." In response, he offers a list of ways to improve this all too common situation: Optimism Freedom Paradox Cooperation So What? As an organization, the local church can also become a place where Read More …
Top 10 Most Read Books (#0746)
Jared Fanning recently made an infographic that has been making its way around the web. Fanning constructed the visual using data from a list compiled by freelance writer James Chapman that provides the number of copies each book sold over the last 50 years. So What? Saying that the Bible was the most sold or most read may be true, but understates its dominance. Together the books ranked #2 through #9 would yield a #2 book that would have only half the Read More …
Ministry Job Musts (#0745)
Adam McLane, a Partner at The Youth Cartel and Principal at McLane Creative, recently blogged about two things youth ministers needs to consider in order to retain their current employment: metrics/measurables and donor relations. Speaking bluntly he suggests that by managing these two areas well one can eliminate "90% of the reasons my friends have gotten fired." So What? Like any type of employment, ministry positions involve (or, at least should involve) periodic evaluation. Read More …
Trinitarian Language (#0744)
Long before I knew much about the word Trinity, I regularly heard the classical Trinitarian formulation in worship on a weekly basis: Father, Son, and Spirit. I didn't give much thought to this formulation until I was engaged in my theological studies. In the years since, I have moved away from language that many associate with gender. While I think variety is essential for both practical and theological reasons, I find myself using one formulation more often than Read More …
Review of Viral (#0743)
Meet the Author Leonard Sweet is the E. Stanley Jones professor of evangelism at Drew University and visiting distinguished professor of Evangelism at George Fox University, was voted one of the 50 Most Influential Christians in America, and continues to write and speak prophetically about the church. An ordained United Methodist pastor, Sweet has authored over 20 books and 600 articles, and is perhaps best known for his forward thinking ideas about the church. For Read More …
Life-Giving Wind (#0742)
Earlier today, I had the privilege of preaching a Pentecost sermon based on Acts 2:1-21 at Naples United Church of Christ. Sermon Text Like many of you, I grew up in the church. More specifically, I grew up in one congregation – the First Presbyterian Church in Arlington, Texas. I quickly learned my way around the church – from playground to pew. After attending worship for years, participating in Sunday school, and completing confirmation, I was sure I knew what it meant to be Read More …
Rethinking Teaching Online (#0741)
Margarita A. Mooney, Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Faculty Fellow in the Carolina Population Center at the University of North Carolina, recently blogged about her experience with rethinking how best to teach online. She writes: . . . I have flipped the order in which I present material to students and it definitely captured their attention better than before. I used to assign heavy readings, give a lecture, and then Read More …