As the world reacts to the death of Nelson Mandela, we cannot help but read and understand his amazing history of peace. Fighting against injustice and apartheid in South Africa were his notable achievements, but Mandela did so much more….
Church settles lightning-death lawsuit
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist mega church in Florida has settled a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the parents of an 11-year-old boy struck by lightning on a football practice field last year. Jesse Watlington, a sixth-grade student at…
Many congregations are stuck in an overly churched culture
In the midst of a region of the world where the impact of a churched culture is fading, many congregations in North America are stuck in an overly churched culture perspective. As a result these congregations become insulated, isolated, and…
Embracing conflict
By Amy Butler No matter how seemingly functional your family system, with the holidays upon us every one of us is managing some kind of potential conflict. From deftly avoiding political conversations to strategically scheduling relatives’ visits to planning a…
Singing faith: Hymns both praise and teach
By Ken Camp Last summer’s controversy over removal of the contemporary hymn “In Christ Alone” from a new Presbyterian hymnal over doctrinal differences on how to understand the atonement illustrates the importance of church music not only to celebrate but…
Singing Faith: The great texts endure
By Ken Camp Musical tastes and worship styles come and go, but some hymns of the church endure for centuries. Worship leaders say hymns that cross denominational lines and span generations are those that people can embrace as a shared…
‘Churchy’ lingo turning off Millennials
By Jeff Brumley If there were an 11th commandment, for Millennials it might be “thou shalt ban pious slogans from thy midst.” In fact, faith-based lingo — like “everything happens for a reason” and “God is in control” — is coming…
Churches take on Palestinian issue
By Bob Allen Promoting peacemaking in the local church can be tricky when broaching conflicts about which people disagree, panelists advised Baptists in Washington, D.C., attending a Nov. 8-10 conference on “Waging Peace in Palestine and Israel” sponsored by the…
West recovery steady but painful
By Jeff Brumley At times, the citizens of West, Texas, are able to glimpse the light at the end of the tunnel in their recovery from the April factory explosion that cratered their city and lives. Slowly, homes are being…