As a youth minister I have spent countless hours driving our church bus, Big Rhonda. She and I have a love hate relationship that started with a six hour drive back from a mission trip in July with no AC….
The ‘next America’ demands change from churches
The headline for this column is misleading. The “next America” actually is the “now America.” To paraphrase the late cartoon character Pogo, “We have seen the future, and it is here.” And it means most Baptist congregations and their denomination…
‘Christ has no body but yours’
By Molly T. Marshall Contrary to the many who speak about the church dying, I think it is actually a time of rebirth. We are actually in the process of tossing out some old stuff that wasn’t necessary and finding…
Confusing race with faith sent Christians down painful path
By George Henson Christianity in the West has been infiltrated by values and attitudes of race, challenging efforts to heal racial and social divisions and for Christians to experience authentic connections with Christ, an expert on faith and religion said…
The alternative to a senior pastor
I never wanted to be a senior pastor. Well, that’s not the whole truth. When senior pastors would introduce me by saying, “this is my education man,” it crossed my mind to be senior pastor – in an alternative way!…
Instead of a Coffee Shop How About a Laundromat?
Many years ago my church was pondering how to create a “third space” in our neighborhood. A third space is a place where people can mix on a regular basis, a place that is relaxed and non-threatening. A lot of…
Missing Church: Why I’m not a “Done” (Even If I Want to Be)
A couple of months ago, I posted about the experience of taking a break from attending church. It somehow garnered a lot more attention than I expected, enough that it prompted a follow-up question: Why go back? It’s a question that…
Scar-friendly places
Scars have a bad reputation. They’re branded as the bullies on the playground, the bad apples in the barrel, the “Debbie Downer” of the party. We ban them from our conversations. We send them to sit in the corner by…