By Elizabeth Evans Hagan First Corinthians 6:11-20 can be the preacher’s worst nightmare — a passage full of directives about sex, food and all things bodily. Yet, I chose it as part of a six-part series about God’s calling on…
What is good preaching?
By Amy Butler This week I began teaching a preaching practicum at a local seminary. As a place to start, my students received and turned in the assignment of a short reflection paper on one of my favorite topics, “What…
Church administrator charged with theft
By Bob Allen A former administrator at a prominent North Carolina moderate Baptist church was arrested recently and charged with embezzling more than $136,000 in church funds over a five-year period. Robert Lahr, 49, is accused of taking $136,324.58 from…
Ministry off the list
By Amy Butler On my desk I have an old-fashioned pad of paper on which I write, every day, all of the things I must accomplish. My list is a list of those tasks that hang over me — reports…
Resolve to find God’s presence outside the church
By Chris Hughes We’ve all made the mistake Jacob did when he woke up from sleep and declared the warm stone under his head “Bethel,” the house of God — as if X marked the spot for God’s dwelling place….
Moving magi — when scholars dance
By Angela Yarber What happens when scholars follow their hearts? What does it mean for Christian worship when these same scholars move their bodies? What are most of us missing during Epiphany? The answers are found in the mystical magi….
Documentary claims age-graded Sunday school harms families
By Bob Allen A controversial new documentary movie contends age-graded Sunday school and youth ministry are doing more harm than good. In Divided, young filmmaker Philip Leclerc sets out to discover why so many people of his generation are leaving…
Can Sunday School be saved?
By Bob Allen Sunday school, a staple of Protestant church life in the United States in the 20th century, is in decline, prompting some scholars to question whether the institution has a future. The Southern Baptist Convention has reported declines…
Online Sunday school class offers ‘easy-access Bible study’
By Robert Dilday On a recent Sunday morning at First Baptist Church in Richmond, Va., conversation was lively as members of a Bible study class explored the day’s Scripture passage from the Gospel of Luke. But of the 15 people…