An increasing number of people miss church on Sundays, or other times during the week when primary worship services or small groups gather. The average number of weeks active Christians attend church is decreasing. The benchmark of at least 48…
Impacting tomorrow is not a goal for many congregations
Congregations seeking to be vital and vibrant ten years from now are congregations seeking to impact tomorrow. Congregations hoping tomorrow will bring a return of the past are seeking to praise yesterday. Too few congregations are in the former category….
Enon Tabernacle Rocks!
I thought if I arrived for worship about 20 minutes before the service was scheduled to start I would be there in plenty of time. I was wrong. Even though Enon Tabernacle, which can be found at www.enontab.org, has a…
Church gun giveaways send wrong message
A local church in Troy, NY is promoting a gun giveaway and its not the first church to do so. Churches in Texas and Kentucky have offered gun giveaways. The practice of a church gun giveaway sends the wrong message. Is it wrong…
Proof being a pastor is a tough job
As I’m shaking hands with church goers after worship one Sunday, I talk with a congregant about meeting him during the week. His reply? “I thought pastors only worked one day a week!” Truth be told, we full-time (and part-time…
Overly churched culture congregations should change prayer focus
[Note: This is the fourth in a series of posts on the overly churched culture congregation. To see the full series go to Author Archives: George Bullard.] The first transitional action an overly churched culture church can take to bring…
Many congregations are stuck in an overly churched culture
In the midst of a region of the world where the impact of a churched culture is fading, many congregations in North America are stuck in an overly churched culture perspective. As a result these congregations become insulated, isolated, and…
Shopping and the Erosion of Sabbath
I’ve grown accustomed each Thanksgiving to shaking my head in disbelief at how early stores open up the day after and how many people are willing to get up in the middle of the night to get the best deals….
Reclaiming congregants
In a recent article in The Christian Century, Phyllis Tickle recounted what many of us have believed over the years: “The old saw is that after they married and had children, people would come back to organized faith. It is…