One recent magical Saturday night I shared in a banquet in Charlottesville, Va. The food, table and company were gathered in celebration of creativity, imagination and art as spiritual practice. Tables were decorated with simple butcher paper painted with splashes…
OUT LOUD
“Christianity is a faith and not a musical genre.” Chad Butler The drummer in the band Switchfoot was discussing with the Dallas Observer the group's reluctance to describe themselves as a “Christian band.” “An alternate name and the election of…
VITAL SIGNS: Our hidden addiction
You know all too well that our society is prone to addictions. We do nearly everything to excess. Not just the obvious culprits: alcohol, gambling, pain-killers, sex, work. There are a multitude of things which, done in moderation, are life-giving…
LEADERSHIP LINK: Understand, don’t underestimate, investments
The term “investments” can be a scary thing for churches. With the crash and continued volatility of the stock market still fresh on your budget’s bottom line, investing may seem impossible or imprudent. And let’s be honest—if there is no…
LEADERSHIP LINK: Ministers, growing spiritually and relying on God
How do people in ministry remember that they, too, are children of God when there are so many pressures to respond first to the needs of others? How do ministers (of all kinds) learn to seek their strength primarily from…
LEADERSHIP LINK: Resources for spiritual formation
How do people in ministry remember that they, too, are children of God when there are so many pressures to respond first to the needs of others? Here are resources for spiritual formation in the Mid-Atlantic region. To read related…
LEADERSHIP LINK: Four things followers want from their leaders
Lawrence had been struggling for days. He just wanted some insight into how the leadership team could have come to him. Yes, he had been a faithful member of the church for years, but any thought of joining the ranks…
TRENDING: Three changing skill sets for preachers
What is trending from the pulpit? Here are three current indications that might inform your preaching. 1. Charismatic leadership wanes; transformational leadership waxes. John Chandler By “charismatic,” I don’t mean Pentecostal theology, but charisma-fueled ability to captivate large groups. In a…
Look beyond denominational subculture, Baylor professor urges sexuality conference
ATLANTA—Contemporary ethical debates about sexuality cannot be separated from questions about the nature of the church and whether Christians will be shaped more by covenant community or by culture, a lecturer in Baylor University’s Great Texts program told participants at…
Focus on Jesus, interpret the Bible with humility, North Carolina pastor tells sexuality conference
ATLANTA—Christians who want to hear God’s voice—particularly when it comes to difficult issues regarding sexuality—need to approach the Scriptures with humility and a desire to know the heart and mind of Christ, speakers told participants at a [Baptist] Conference on…
Christians need to formulate embodied theology to challenge traditional views, ethicist asserts
ATLANTA—Varied views on the human body in the Bible and church tradition shape modern Christians’ attitudes about sexuality, ethicist Melissa Browning told a [Baptist] Conference on Sexuality and Covenant. Christians need to formulate “an embodied theology … that is rooted…
Young ‘Millennials’ losing faith in record numbers
WASHINGTON (RNS)—A growing tide of young Americans is drifting away from the religions of their childhood—and most of them are ending up in no religion at all. One in four young adults choose “unaffiliated” when asked about their religion, according…