By Ircel Harrison On any given Sunday, there are more people outside the walls of the churches than within, and few of these will be in Christian worship at any other time during the week. Some leaders see starting new…
Yo Facebook, are you losing it?
Facebook started as a college student sharing site. It was new. It was edgy. It was young. It was better than MySpace. Now your mom, dad, and grandma are already your ‘friends’. That’s not cool according to some young people. Young…
Resistant or resilient?
By Bill Wilson Two of the more important words for a congregation to ponder in the 21st century are resistant and resilient. Which of those two words better describe your congregation may well determine whether your congregation is viable in…
Resistant or resilient?
By Bill Wilson Two of the more important words for a congregation to ponder in the 21st century are resistant and resilient. Which of those two words better describe your congregation may well determine whether your congregation is viable in…
Preaching peace in a timid church
When ministers are afraid to speak prophetically about peace they fail to be a voice for the Prince of Peace. At the 2012 William Self Preaching Lectures at the McAfee School of Theology, “Preaching Peace in a Crumbling Empire,” Brian…
Tebowing, faith and culture wars
By Marv Knox How should Christians express their faith in a pluralistic world? This is the vital question implicit in – but overshadowed by – professional athlete Tim Tebow’s decision to speak, and then not to speak, at First Baptist…
The forgotten message of Lent
I’m a part of a lot of peer groups. As a matter of fact, probably too many. I have a group I meet with weekly on Thursday evenings. I have another group I meet with every fourth Thursday. I have…
Knowing what not to say
By Amy Butler Those who don’t really care about the suffering of others may be excused. But anybody who feels they must comment from the sidelines on an occasion of human pain ought to have some training in pastoral care….
Wisdom of staying put
If you are like me, you are probably always looking for the next great adventure around the corner. How can I get a better job? What can be changed in my routines to give me more peace? How could I…
Renewing compassion
By Molly T. Marshall As governing structures lurch from one fiscal crisis to another, it is not easy to move beyond self-protective responses. Whether made “redundant” by a job lay-off, deemed “expendable” by a curtailed health-care provision, plunged “underwater” because…
Renewing compassion
By Molly T. Marshall As governing structures lurch from one fiscal crisis to another, it is not easy to move beyond self-protective responses. Whether made “redundant” by a job lay-off, deemed “expendable” by a curtailed health-care provision, plunged “underwater” because…
Real hope for tough times
You can sustain a lot of losses in your lifetime, but when you lose hope, life can become depressing and your previously strong faith can become as weak as stump water. During tough times, hope becomes the fuel that energizes…