Mildred is dying. Mildred’s church is also dying. She is 82 years old and has an illness that is killing her. She has attended her church for the 43 years her family has lived in the area. She is seen…
10 things Millennials DON’T say about church
By Aileen Lawrimore I have a lot of Millennials in my life: my own children and their friends, nieces and nephews, youth from churches where I’ve served, plus college students I’ve met through ministry. I Snapchat and text, Facebook and…
Congregations fix yesterday’s mistakes, hoping they will solve tomorrow’s challenges
No doubt the tragic death of 150 people involving Germanwings Flight 9525 on March 24 is of such extreme seriousness that no trite applications of what happened should be put forth. At the same time, the actions and lessons of…
Feeling or flinging in basketball and an authentic Christian lifestyle
A personal game-within-a-game I play when watching basketball games is to guess in the split second between the time when a player shoots a jump shot and it comes down in or near the basket whether or not they felt…
Church bullies
Today on Facebook, I posted Thom Rainer’s “9 Traits of Church Bullies”. The amount of reposts tells me that church bullies are growing problem in churches. Usually, we think of bullies at school but churches suffer from bullying as well.
Learning to see with God’s eyes
Last week, I spent a few days at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago, one of my denomination’s most vibrant congregations. The church’s campus, prominently located on the “Miracle Mile” in the heart of downtown, makes a bold architectural statement that…
Compete or collaborate
The Dilemma for Christian Ministries I have encountered several situations recently where it appeared Christian ministries prefer to compete rather than collaborate. They wanted the success of their own ministry or congregation or denomination rather than the significance of kingdom…
What do lay leaders say about their dying congregations?
We have often heard stories of what people say on their deathbed about the wise, not so wise, and foolish ways they spent their life. Recently I wondered about what lay leaders might say about their dying congregations. My focus…
Baptists embrace author’s effort to root out ‘poser’ Christians
By Jeff Brumley Baptist Alan Rudnick says it’s about time the 30-year-old seeker movement comes to an end. “I think it’s reached its zenith with coffee and hipster pastors and bands — there was more style over substance,” said Rudnick, the…
7 ways Lyle Schaller transformed the North American church
In the midst of the urban crisis and social upheaval of the 1960s, an interventionist who is now considered a giant among North American Protestants began to write, speak, and consult with local churches and denominations. From the foundation of…
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…