We need more congregations on the edge of Christianity who avoid becoming a churched culture congregation, but rather focus on the edge where the “gones”, dones, and nones dwell. In a previous post entitled Are You Really as Progressive a…
Recover the balance between service and evangelism, urge theologians
By Vicki Brown Before the government offered social services, the church — Christians who ministered to the whole person, meeting physical needs and sharing the good news of God’s grace and mercy — did so. Tension sometimes still arises between…
Don’t plan any funerals for religion just yet, Baylor scholars say
By Ken Camp Reports about the imminent death of religion, the rise of secularization and the growth of atheism largely ignore facts or rely on faulty research, scholars from Baylor University’s Institute for Studies of Religion said during a recent conference. Reports…
The sacredness of doubt
It is unfortunate that the Johannine Thomas has come to be known by many Christians as “doubting Thomas.” Thomas, however, is no different than the rest of the disciples or for that matter, you or me. In the broader narrative…
Baptist pastors: power up, don’t water down, Easter message for Millennials
By Jeff Brumley Easter, it turns out, may be just what the church needs most in luring Millennial and other young Christians into their sanctuaries, some Baptist pastors say. “If there is a Sunday that should resonate with people who…
As Easter nears, some Baptists say its time to contemplate Good Friday observances
By Jeff Brumley A group of teachers in Rhode Island, where Catholicism is the prevailing faith, sued their school system earlier this month, demanding they get the day off for Good Friday. The Associated Press reported that the teachers’ union…
What Easter means (and why what literally happened on Easter morning is irrelevant)
What matters most is not what historically happened on Easter morning to the body of Jesus but what the Easter story means. The Easter stories in the Gospels are religious/spiritual/theological stories, not historical reports. That is not to say there…
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…
The spiritual practice of taking the next step
By Jayne Davis “The road emerged only as I walked it.” — Jurgen Moltmann One of the most exciting things for me in a coaching conversation is listening for the next question. Rather than coming in with the expert hat…