“Is that we are called to do? Create a place where everyone knows your name? Did Jesus call us to build a Christian version of Cheers?” Those are the words of Adam Hamilton, senior pastor of the Church of the…
The art of the collapse
When I make a work, I often take it to the very edge of its collapse. — Andy Goldsworthy Churches are fragile things. Not the buildings, of course. We build those out of sturdy material. Heavy stone and thick timber…
Staffing for survival
By Bill Wilson What is the most important staff position at your church? Of course, as a former pastor, I must declare that we cannot function without a pastor. What would we do without a music/worship leader? We cannot live…
Church history: Toward the future
This is the eighth of a nine-part series on empowering a faith community to impact the world. Already theology, hospitality, evangelism, missions, ethics, Bible, and spirituality have been explored. These articles can be found at the Perspectives tab at Baptist…
May your church find its soul
It is not the church of God that has a mission, it is the God of mission that has a church. — Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury This is what the missional church movement is about: refocusing us on…
Hard sayings, unexpected grace
By Bill Leonard Fifty years ago my parents got divorced after almost 30 years of marriage. A decade or so later, my dad remarried, this time to a “widow woman,” as Southerners say, whom he’d known since childhood. They remained…
Moving into the future confidently
In his address to the U.S. Congress several weeks ago, Pope Francis noted that young people do not have a positive outlook for the future. “We live in a culture,” he said, “which pressures young people not to start a…
‘99 Homes’ asks us, What would one do to achieve the American dream?
It has been said that the American dream has to do with home ownership. Being a home owner is the goal of many of our citizens. Yet the housing crisis of 2008 changed the landscape of the dream. Set in…
Got questions? You’re not alone.
By Amy Butler Listening to a friend share devastating medical news this week, I sat listening and found myself unable to come up with any helpful or even appropriate response. Thoughts flashed through my mind as if on repeat film…