When we talk about opening our corporate worship times to all ages, we need to take into consideration the substance and structure of our service. Frankly, a traditional church service format is often difficult for kids to engage with. Kids…
Can we still look at one another and talk?
Most Sundays, I make my way to a local shop and pick up the Sunday edition of The New York Times. Admittedly, the Sunday Times is a paperweight in comparison to most newspapers. This past Sunday’s edition was no different,…
Sharper than the sword: The power of God’s word
In October, Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond had the privilege of hosting all seven volumes of the Heritage Edition of the Saint John’s Bible on our campus. For those not familiar with the project, The Saint John’s Bible is the…
Understanding the role of your pastor
Creative destruction and disorienting missional engagement transform congregations
Creative destruction and disorienting missional engagement are essential practices for congregations after the first generation of their journey. Focusing on these two things will positively impact the vitality and vibrancy of congregations. When the first generation of the journey of…
My kid doesn’t ‘get’ anything out of church
One common concern I often hear from parents and other adult church members about including children in the corporate worship setting is that kids won’t “get” anything out of the worship or the sermon. From an adult perspective, there are…
Exodus, exile and truly human resurrection: Living beyond tribalism and individualism
The beauty of the Bible has as much to do with what it tells us about human nature as it does to do with what it tells us about God. Indeed, the story of salvation only makes sense when we…
Churches on the chamber of commerce list
Economic development. Networking. Community engagement. These phrases may come to mind when someone thinks about chambers of commerce. Varying in size and capacity, they mobilize businesses and organizations in order to promote economic growth. And, yes, they’re known to engage…
The No. 1 reason teens keep the faith as young adults
The holy grail for helping youth remain religiously active as young adults has been at home all along: parents. Mothers and fathers who practice what they preach and preach what they practice are far and away the major influence related…