The losses we’ve experienced due to coronavirus are both horribly easy to count — 465,000 dead in the United States alone — and yet invisibly painful. Especially for communities of faith, the relational losses often go unreported. Yet in conversation…
5 things I learned from visiting 50 online churches during the pandemic
When the reality of not being able to meet in person hit almost a year ago, the small staff of our small Baptist church did what most small churches were doing —we started winging it. As a second-year seminary student…
Q&A with Michael McMahon of the Hymn Society of North America
The Hymn Society has had its work cut out for it in the COVID-19 pandemic, trying to help music ministers, choirs, composers and others adjust to virtual worship. But 2021 is likely to be challenging, too, said J. Michael McMahon,…
Why you should cancel your in-person indoor Christmas Eve service
I’ve heard all the arguments and understand most of the data. Yes, I know there are regional differences and special circumstances from community to community. And I understand that you think your bubble is safe, that you are the exception….
Live from Fort Worth, it’s a more global church than ever before
When was the last time your church had 200 people show up for a Wednesday night book study? Before COVID, that never would have happened at Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, said Senior Pastor Ryon Price. But recently,…
Hybrid church is probably here to stay, but some things don’t translate well to digital
If you’re wondering whether the pandemic and online church will have a lasting effect on how churches operate, new research from Barna indicates the answer is a definitive yes. While most churchgoing Americans long to be back in their physical…
Mark Dever says in-person worship is essential to biblical Christianity
While national attention has been focused on the West Coast battle between pastor John MacArthur and Los Angeles County over public health restrictions, a new challenge has emerged on the East Coast by another prominent Calvinist pastor, Mark Dever. Only…
Worship event on National Mall illustrates merger of evangelical music and politics
It was billed as a worship rally, but it could have been a political rally. Last Saturday, Sept. 26, nearly 100,000 evangelicals gathered at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., for the stated purpose of worshiping God. They were led by Vice President Mike…
Four ways parents should nurture children during COVID
“Opportunity” often gets described as the opposite side of “crisis.” While the coronavirus pandemic continues to be a crisis for our nation and our world, it also presents parents with unique opportunities, what Robert Havighurst called “teachable moments.” First, model…