I am not religious, so it is not my place to dictate to Christians what they should and should not believe. Still, if someone has a faith worth following, I feel that their beliefs should make me feel uncomfortable for not doing so. If they share 90 percent of my lifestyle and values, then there is nothing... Continue Reading

The Bible is being largely neglected by 40% of our attenders and our people are weaker for it. If you don’t shift any of your practices your church may continue in the status quo of Bible neglect. Your rhythms of church life and leadership may even reinforce it. But if you shift your practice your... Continue Reading

 Worship, although central, is not alone as the only basic. We must pursue ways to minister to one-another and to edify one-another. The church must seek to relieve those who are in need. Credo… sanctorum communionem. I believe the communion of saints. Despite our mutual, providential, burden monikered Covid-19, many congregations have continued to worship—and... Continue Reading

The one thing gospel encouragement isn’t is average, mediocre, ignorable. The ministry of encouragement is surprising, captivating, energizing. It does require effort and intentionality, but it also leaves us feeling exhilarated and uplifted. Is that how we walk out of our churches on a typical Sunday: exhilarated and uplifted? When the ministry of encouragement is allowed... Continue Reading

If the funeral is the mourner’s first significant social event as a new person, we must be a community that accepts them with their pain. Along with pointing them to the hope found in Jesus, the funeral service needs to tell them, “You and your grief belong with us.” We love you as you are.... Continue Reading

God doesn’t need to prove His existence to an atheist — He’s already done enough of it. But you need to know how to articulate the arguments for the existence of God, Christ’s resurrection, the empty tomb, and other apologetic topics. With that being said, let me explain what apologetics is not very briefly by... Continue Reading

If you’re singing a hymn text in this style, you’re not really singing a hymn. You’re singing a pop worship song that happens to use old words. Those words may be good, but they aren’t being done in a style that unifies the congregation. They aren’t being done in a way that emphasizes the text.... Continue Reading

Spurgeon reminds us that the minister must first develop an evangelistic culture within his church to have a church of soul winners. Spurgeon suggests that this evangelistic spirit can be cultivated in two ways. First, the pastor must set an example before his flock in the area of evangelism. Second, the pastor must be intentional... Continue Reading

In the final analysis, while the Puritans were not 21st-century liberal democrats, neither were they intolerant theocrats. They created some of the most republican political institutions the world had ever seen and strictly limited civic leaders by law. They valued liberty and had, as David D. Hall puts it in “A Reforming People,” an “animus... Continue Reading

“The overall picture is dire,” the Rev. Dwight Zscheile, an Episcopal priest and professor, according to ChurchLeaders. “Not one of decline as much as demise within the next generation unless trends change significantly.” He said that at this rate, “there will be no one in worship by around 2050 in the entire denomination.” Although offering pledges... Continue Reading