By Doyle Sager Is your congregation receiving all its spiritual vitamins and minerals? We all know how crucial a balanced physical diet is; our spirits also need a healthy mixture of “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). But before…
Vatican report a reminder evangelicalism has been hijacked
The media is abuzz with a newly published report from the Vatican regarding the inclusion of divorced Catholics, homosexuals, and those who use birth control. Traditionally, those groups of people inside and outside the Catholic Church are persona non grata of…
Seeking God through worship — and jazz
By Jeff Brumley For centuries, Baptist and other churches have sought encounters with the divine through music. The quest has led to everything from organs and hymns to guitars, drum sets and praise bands. Now there are those hoping the…
Shallow congregations only take off their shoes and socks
Since they only plan to wade into the shallow end of the pool, or a few feet into the river, lake or ocean, the typical congregational participant only needs to remove their shoes and socks. And we are not talking…
I can do more: A lament
By Barrett Owen It’s been a bad month. People are angry. Humans are dying. Cultures are dividing. These are the talking points we have to discuss: Depression is a disease. Ukraine is in turmoil. ISIS just beheaded two American journalists….
I can do more: a lament
August 2014 is a bad month. People are angry. Humans are dying. Cultures are dividing. These are the talking points we have to discuss: Depression is a disease. Ukraine is in turmoil. ISIS just beheaded an American journalist. Refugee children…
Contemporary Christian musician under fire for doubting Genesis
By Bob Allen Contrary to reports, LifeWay Christian Stores have not stopped selling music by a contemporary Christian artist under fire for stating he does not believe narratives in the early chapters of Genesis are to be taken literally. Marty…
The tears we need to shed
By Bill Wilson As a pastor, I’ve seen my share of tears. They show up in so many places: in hospitals, especially in emergency rooms, at funeral homes, in the office, in the delivery room, at the altar, during worship,…
Needed: Christian ministers who do the stuff
A dramatic story—perhaps an urban legend—about John Wimber, one of the founders of the Vineyard Movement, relates to something that happened following his conversion to Christianity around 1963. It is said that he began attending a church nearby. After several…
Ornate sanctuaries no distraction from the Word, Baptist pastors say
By Jeff Brumley You can strip a sanctuary of symbols, remove all vestiges of beauty and deny any value the aesthetic may have in worship. But experts say those elements almost always creep back into the church — one way or…
Millennials warn churches against catering to their generation
By Jeff Brumley Many American congregations are modernizing worship in an effort to lure Millennials and other young people either into church or back to church. “For some, the instinct is to radically alter the old model: out with the…
I don’t think you know what that means
A popular misconception about professional Christianity is that most of us with business cards reading “pastor” love talking about church. I can’t tell you how many breathless conversations I’ve had with people about the font size of a worship guide,…