Christian Piatt includes church boards on his list of five things that are holding Christianity back. He suggests that church boards tend to attract and retain the same small group of leaders, and favor a style that relies heavily on a democratic vote for decision making. Reality Check Most congregations have term limits for those serving on the church boards and standing committees. While those rules help ensure no one person remains a part of such a group for decades, Read More …
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Sermon: Reuniting Old Friends (#1189)
Sermon Text Ephesians 2:19-22 Sermon Excerpt The so-called religious right has sought to make their version of Christianity the only authorized American version. While many within this group market a message that suggests a literal approach to the Bible is the only correct approach, the general public are not embracing that news. In fact, only 3 in 10 people approach Scripture with a highly literal interpretative framework, and an understanding that it is the actual word of Read More …
WHCB: Church Buildings (#1187)
Christian Piatt includes church buildings on his list of five things that are holding Christianity back. He suggests that "they have become an albatross rather than an asset." Reality Check Most American congregations own buildings. The costs associated with maintaining these structures is significant. In congregations that are in the midst of extended periods of plateau or experiencing years of declining membership, the percentage of the annual budget needed for their upkeep Read More …
Online Learning in Congregations (#1185)
Over the last decade online learning has grown from a niche market to something that touches nearly everyone. Increasing numbers of students take online courses as part of their educational programs in K-12 and higher education, and employers continue to shift more and more of their training to online formats. Given these shifts, it is logical to assume that the future of education in the context of congregations will include online learning. The Rt. Rev. Kirk Smith, bishop of Read More …
Sermon: Life-Giving Wind (#1182)
Sermon Text Acts 2:1-22 Sermon Excerpt Journey with me into the story. . . Step back and ask yourself, “If I had all the power in the world and wanted to enable a huge crowd of people from different parts of the world to speak to one another, wouldn't I just give them a common language?” And, if I foreknew that the occasion was to go down in history as the birth of a religion, wouldn't I choose a brand new language with a catchy name that would make the jobs of marketing and Read More …
Church without God (#1145)
Dan Merica's recent post, "Church without God - by design," explores gatherings of the Humanist Community at Harvard University, which is the brainchild of the school's Humanist chaplain: Greg Epstein. After meeting for the last several years in a "small three-floor walk-up off the bustling streets of Harvard Square," the community will transition to "a nearly 3,000-square-foot community center with an event space for nearly 100 people." So What? Epstein sees the transition in Read More …
Fatherhood: Churches over Bars (#1144)
University of Virginia sociologist W. Bradford Wilcox, recently wrote an article that overviews how fatherhood transforms men. These changes, however, do not impact all fathers equally. In reality, the positive changes associated with fatherhood apply only for men who live with or in close proximity to their child(ren). Those fathers who do not live with their children consistently share more in common with childless men. Fathers who live with their children are Read More …
Overcoming Consumerism (#1132)
Much has been written about the need for churches to move beyond consumer based approaches to ministry and mission. Philip Nation, Director of Adult Ministry Publishing at LifeWay Christian Resources, recently suggested three different ways to name transition from a consumer approach to a missional one: From window shoppers to community, From gym membership to covenant, and From consumer-shaped bazaar to mission-shaped community. So What? Sometimes it is quite difficult Read More …
Boring Church (#1125)
Anonymous blog posts rarely interest me. Thom Turner recently published an anonymous entry on his Everyday Liturgy blog that is an exception to that rule: "The Boring Church that Loves Jesus." The writer is an active member of a local congregation, and wants that body to thrive. In considering why her/his own church experience is boring, the writer concludes: "It’s boring because the worshipers seem bored." So What? In most congregations more people participate in worship than in any Read More …
Do You Like Church? (#1116)
Scott Cochrane, Vice President- International of the Willow Creek Association, recently blogged about what he understands to be the most awkward question any church leader can be asked: do you like church? So What? I think every prospective member of a board, committee, or work group within a congregation should be asked this awkward yet important question. If the answer is "not really, but" would that disqualify someone from serving in a leadership role in your congregation? Read More …