Sunday morning, I attended worship at a nearby church. The people were warm and gracious. The music was beautiful, led by a gifted musician who moved seamlessly between organ and piano. The service itself was carefully and thoughtfully choreographed —…
A very Baptist identity crisis
When I was in my late teens, the Soul Survivor summer festival craze was in full swing, and for several years I attended with friends and church groups — often also participating in the New Wine conferences to combine and…
At Pentagon, Hegseth prays ‘every round find its mark’
Pete Hegseth’s creation of evangelical worship services at the Pentagon already is controversial; now he’s used one of those services to invoke God’s favor on the U.S. attacks on Iran. Speaking to staff gathered for worship at the Pentagon March…
AI is coming for your pastor and your trust
In this new year, an unexpected presence will slip into many church sanctuaries, quietly and almost politely: A line in the sermon that began as a chatbot prompt. A prayer drafted by an AI tool because the volunteer who normally…
12 things a pastor should not say Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve is one of my favorite services of the year. As a pastor, I’ve had a few more verbal gaffes than I care to admit. It’s a busy season for everyone, including church staff. For some, in addition to…
What is ‘the church’ and what is ‘Communion’?
Much ink has been spilled over the last decade revealing the ways white evangelical Republicans have descended into the abyss of authoritarianism. But while they claim to be the most committed to Christ and the church, their empathy-starved embrace of…
Creating welcoming church spaces for families
This is the second in a series on making churches family friendly. Through our research and experience with churches and families, we have come to learn how busy families are. When families attend church, they make an intentional choice…
In temples and churches, sensory rooms remove barriers for neurodivergent worshipers
From organ blasts and incense to forced hugs and handshakes, for folks who struggle to process sensory input, houses of worship can quickly feel anything but holy.
Suggestions for family friendly worship
Through Empowering Families for Spiritual Formation research and experience with churches and families, we have come to learn worship is an integral piece of engaging faithful families and encouraging spiritual formation. However, we also have learned churches can grow in…
When worship becomes an act of cruelty
Why are white evangelicals so conditioned for cruelty? After all, the debacle that was Donald Trump’s first day in office included ending birthright citizenship, erasing transgender and intersex people, threatening to colonize our neighbors, lying about the 2020 election results,…
The Christmas Eve that went so wrong it was right
To begin with, we didn’t make enough bulletins for the large crowd that attended. So, 3 minutes before the service began, I found myself in the church office running off additional bulletins while simultaneously putting my clergy robe on, hooking…
ABHMS gets $1.25 million Lilly grant
American Baptist Home Mission Societies has received a $1.25 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Nurturing Children Through Worship and Prayer Initiative. Over five years, grant funds will help ABHMS establish and execute its Nurturing Children Initiative, a…