It was a cold winter morning sometime before my 10th birthday. I distinctly remember the anticipation as I listened to the sound of leaves crunching with every step of my new boots. I knew where we were going; I had…
TRENDING: Lessons from Argentina, part 3: The humble
Time in Argentina will give you a snapshot of the world that is coming to North America. The trend will be that our culture becomes increasingly multicultural (and multilingual) and highly urbanized. Like the current global south, the North American…
VITAL SIGNS: Why your church building-use policy matters
I know firsthand how utterly boring and laborious creating a building-use policy can be. Every church I have ever served has entered into a major building project. The debate around building use has been a constant. It also has evolved…
OUT LOUD
“Evangelicals sat on the sidelines in the civil rights discussions but we must not this time!” Bill Hamel The president of the Evangelical Free Church of America made a statement supporting an “immigration prayer challenge” to encourage Christians to support…
LEADERSHIP LINK: Deacon ministry to the homebound
Among those church families most needing ministry are those who can leave their homes only with difficulty. These “homebound” members often find their worlds have shrunk to their immediate surroundings and are sometimes desperate for human contact and news of…
LEADERSHIP LINK: The family needing ministry most may be your own
“Servants in the church are to be committed to their spouses, attentive to their own children, and diligent in looking after their own affairs.” (1 Tim. 3:12, The Message) In the list of deacon qualifications (1 Timothy 3:8-13), Paul makes…
VITAL SIGNS: Staff-led or staff-controlled?
One of the key predictors of strong congregational health is the type of leadership the ministerial and paid staff of a congregation offers. When the staff of a congregation functions out of strong spiritual and organizational health, the entire faith…
OUT LOUD
“Worshiping communities that pay attention to the waxing and waning that we find in Scripture … are the healthier for it.” Richard Wilson The professor of Christian theology at Mercer University in Macon, Ga., was discussing the value of following…
WINN RECOMMENDS
The Evolution of Adam, by Peter Enns (Brazos Press) In the area of human origins, the theological debate currently brewing is over whether or not the creation story demands a literal, historical Adam and Eve (verses Adam and Eve as…