Being healthy is a requirement for Christians who see their bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit. But there is an additional, more down-to-earth, motivation for connecting faith and fitness, says Matt Rollins, minister of spiritual formation and outreach at…
Refugees — also known as family members
As I write this Wednesday, Oct. 5, the mandatory evacuation of 1.1 million people from the coastal low country of South Carolina has begun. People seeking to escape the arrival of Matthew the Hurricane are being told to move at…
Churches urged to talk to Millennials and nones, not just read about them
The news just never seems to get better for American churches. A poll released this month confirms statistically what clergy and congregations are hearing anecdotally and through the media practically all the time: the percentage of U.S. adults who are…
Congregational postcards from the edge of Christianity
Some years ago I had the opportunity to consult with a congregation with a great history and reputation for having at least one — if not more — internationally known pastors who delivered sermons of great fame and lasting popularity….
‘Secret church shopper’ reports quality of welcome determines if guests will visit a second time
Greg Atkinson is one of those guests who give churches the chills. Whenever he visits a congregation for the first time, he loiters around the parking lots and restrooms, sizes up ushers and security and lurks around the nursery and…
Passion, not money, needed for vibrant young adult ministries, study shows
Younger Americans are abandoning organized religion in ever greater numbers and it’s no shock that churches can’t control the underlying social forces driving that decline. But they aren’t totally powerless, either, says Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi, director of the United Church of Christ’s…
Are moderates/progressives confusing the ‘e’ word with the ‘E’ word again?
Many years ago my mother told me about a trip she took with a group of people to attend a national denominational training event. If you knew my mother, you would know she could hardly tell it without laughing. The…
Pokémon Go has old, young generations talking. Will the conversation last?
No wonder churches are struggling to understand Pokémon Go, the smartphone-based augmented reality game whose lexicon includes terms like combat power, gyms, incubators, lucky eggs, Lure Models and PokeStops. Pokémon Go is bewildering to the non-player.
The Baptist World Alliance: Truly global?
It takes increased finances for the Global South to participate in the global Baptist family. Adequate finances are often beyond its current capacity.
Human rights advocate elected to top NABF leadership role
Human rights activist Elijah Brown has been elected general secretary of the North American Baptist Fellowship, succeeding congregational leadership coach and author George Bullard, the organization has announced. Brown is the executive vice president of the Falls Church, Va.-based 21st Century…
Do only black football players sexually assault coeds at Baylor?
This is a big month in race relations among Baptists. This week at the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, Jerry Young, president of the National Baptist Convention USA Inc. was a speaker, and a participant with SBC president…
Is music a religion — and should the church be worried if it is?
If the fans of Star Wars and Dr. Who can have religions based on those franchises, then why can’t music be a faith tradition? That’s what country singer Maren Morris explores in her top-10 hit “My Church,” in which she…