10 Things You Should Know about the Priesthood
As we wait for the full descent of heaven to earth, we live as God’s priests—the body of Christ.
Our story as priests aims for the time when Christ will unite all things in himself (Eph 1:10). The heavenly Holy of Holies will descend to earth (Rev 21:2-3), and “the dwelling place of God [will fully be] with man.” Awe and intimacy, which are ours now in Christ, will be ours even more. ... Continue Reading
Manhood Ceremony for a Boy Becoming a Man
For Christians, this can be a wonderful opportunity to stimulate a young man or woman toward Christian maturity.
“Coming of age” ceremonies are not unique in the history of humankind, of course. Various communities around the world and throughout time have marked the transition of a child into an adult with rituals and ceremonies, possibly the most well-known of these being the Bar Mitzvah in Jewish communities. Historically, age thirteen is when a... Continue Reading
Our Family Story
“It seems odd, that certain men who talk so much of what the Holy Spirit reveals to themselves, should think so little of what he has revealed to others.”
In one of his many books, Spurgeon made a comment well worth hearing. It comes from the preface to his book on commentaries. He had written this book to convince pastors of the need to use commentaries and to engage in deep study for their sermon preparation. Spurgeon well knew the value of reading for... Continue Reading
Acts 29 CEO Removed Amid ‘Accusations of Abusive Leadership’
Steve Timmis was acclaimed for his model of close church community. But former members claim that inside The Crowded House, he resorted to bullying and control.
“People were and are afraid of Steve Timmis,” said Andy Stovell, a former elder who led alongside him for 14 years at The Crowded House in Sheffield. Fifteen people who served under Timmis described to Christianity Today a pattern of spiritual abuse through bullying and intimidation, overbearing demands in the name of mission and discipline, rejection of... Continue Reading
Suffering: God’s Mysterious Means for Spreading the Gospel
Are you ready to endure fiery trials or will you avoid them at all costs?
As western society moves further away from Biblical standards, we who are devoted to Jesus will become more obvious. We will be an increasingly bright light in an increasingly dark world. This is good news, really, because the hope of the gospel and the glory of God will be revealed. Where is your hope? Is it... Continue Reading
Protestants To Take Catholic Communion At Calvin’s Cathedral In Geneva On Leap Year Day
In a first since the Reformation era, Protestants are set to receive communion during a Catholic mass at a historic Cathedral in Geneva, Switzerland, John Calvin's adopted home.
Emmanuel Fuchs, president of the Protestant Church in Geneva and a pastor in Saint-Pierre, added that the invitation indicates that “the climate in Geneva is extremely favorable and fruitful with the Roman Catholic Church. We have made notable progress in terms of ecumenism, especially with the Joint Declaration, signed in 2017, which recognizes our respective... Continue Reading
4 Truths About Christian Giving
Ministry means service; service means relieving need; need means a lack of something that one cannot well do without.
The ministry of giving has many goals: spreading the gospel, sustaining the church, providing care for distressed individuals (as the Samaritan in Jesus’s story did for the beaten-up, half-dead Jew), and for distressed groups like the Jerusalem Christians, and more. The ministry of giving in all its forms aims to advance the kingdom of God,... Continue Reading
The Gospel I Knew
I was taught that I deserved a good life.
In Nigeria there are Anglicans, Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals and Roman Catholics. But the prosperity gospel has achieved the colossal task of uniting these different traditions. The greatest ecumenical force has been prosperity theology. Our differences do not really matter when we come before the God who wants us all to prosper. The prosperity gospel... Continue Reading
Dear Church—Don’t Overlook and Undervalue the Elderly
"It’s a new thing with a new mission for a new target and a new culture.”
In a message sent to the members, they were given an opportunity to attend another Methodist church some 15 miles away during the process. However, they were also informed that when the church relaunched, it would be different and the changes were intended to reach a different group of people in their community. Specifically, younger people. A recent move... Continue Reading
Why We Shouldn’t Ditch the Traditional Sermon Just Yet
Many views agree that the sermon has had its day.
Most people manage perfectly happily with our 40-minute sermons. The only people who don’t are those who don’t really want to listen to the Word at all. Most people are quite happy to sit, listen and will even chat about stuff they’ve heard later in the week with other church members. It’s almost as if... Continue Reading
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