Reflections on 25 Years of Ordained Ministry
One of the best reminders I received, again from another pastor (now with the Lord), is that the church will never be my church.
Preaching the Word of God is a great privilege, while being an immense responsibility. Even though I would like people to be in God’s Word every day, the reality is that most people are not. The primary way that too many people receive the Word of God into their lives is through your preaching. Preaching... Continue Reading
Why Evangelicals Must Care About Church Renewal
Church renewal efforts aren’t just a Mainline Protestant problem anymore. Evangelicals should care about renewal and reform, too.
Affirming same-sex relationships and fluid gender identity are the cultural issues challenging the church in America. Influential Evangelical Christian authors and bloggers like Jen Hatmaker are embracing a new morality. Another popular Christian author and “Momastery” blogger isn’t just affirming, she’s in an open same-sex relationship. On November 13, Glennon Doyle Melton announced in a... Continue Reading
5 Common Marriage Counseling Mistakes
My aim is to share insights I've learned as a counselor and pastor to better equip you in ministry
“The first challenge we encounter in this type of situation is getting caught up in the emotions of the moment and feeling that we have to fix the problem immediately. However, if we give in to that pressure, we are much more likely to say something that isn’t helpful. In the first thirty minutes, hour,... Continue Reading
Actually, Not All Conservative Churches Grow (And Many Don’t Deserve To)
There are plenty of churches committed to conservative theology that are now reduced to twenty or thirty older people bouncing around a building that once housed five hundred or more
“Conservative churches in and of themselves don’t grow. But conservative Churches that are gospel-saturated do grow. That’s a big difference. You can have all of the conservative theology in the world, but if you don’t love Jesus and others deeply, and deeply enough to share Jesus with others, you will stagnant – eventually.” A... Continue Reading
Progressive Christians to “Take Back Their Faith” After Election
The gospel of progressive Christians is increasingly more about the gospel of Leftism than the Gospel of Christ.
Astute observers realize that this is more about being properly positioned and seen as against manufactured evils – how “moral” and “religious” they look to other like-minded people choosing ‘love’ over ‘hate’ – rather than genuine concern for the people/groups these “evils,” it’s claimed, negatively effect. It’s self-congratulatory virtue vanity, it’s empty, and it violates... Continue Reading
It Has Risen: Is This The Key To Growing Protestant Churches?
An exclusive remarkable study finds that mainline Protestant churches that focus on the Gospel and prayer are growing, while those that don’t are in decline.
Nowhere do clergy matter more than in their most deeply held attitudes. Sociologists who study religion debate whether the decline in church attendance is a matter of demand—fewer moderns want it—or a matter of supply, with would-be Christians not finding the faith they want. “When we asked clergy why they thought churches grew or declined,... Continue Reading
Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa Splits From Association, Citing Old Testament Prophet
Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa was founded over 50 years ago by Chuck Smith and was considered the “mother” church of the Calvary Chapel movement.
Brodersen, the senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, says the pastors of the Calvary Chapel Association saw founder Smith as their common bond. Upon Smith’s death, many members had different visions of where the denomination should go. Thus, Costa Mesa split from the CCA and is now part of the Calvary Chapel Global Network. ... Continue Reading
Is The World Becoming Protestant?
Protestantism has an affinity with modernity, giving it considerable reach in today’s age.
Whatever one may say about Evangelical Protestantism, empirically it is a massive fact on the global religious landscape, likely to remain so, with significant consequences in every area of social life. How one relates to this fact will obviously depend on one’s religious and political positions….Staying within an empirical perspective (that is, without invoking divine... Continue Reading
Blackhawk Presbyterians for Fidelity Launched
BPF is a para-denominational mission like many others including teaching and ruling elders maintaining credentials in the PCUSA
“It is a significant movement recognizing the inertia of a denomination increasingly and irretrievably apostate under current management and the necessity of identifying, encouraging and equipping faithful sisters and brothers for worship, work and witness.” “Blackhawk Presbyterians for Fidelity” (BPF) was launched on November 11, 2016 in Rockford, Illinois during a gathering of representatives... Continue Reading
Some Vossian Thoughts on the Visible-Invisible Church Distinction
The Reformed have always taught that the distinction between the visible and invisible church is not a bifurcation of a generic concept into two species, but the description of one and the same subject
“1. There are visible and invisible aspects to the church. 2. These aspects are not separate churches, but have a large amount of overlap. 3. The visible and invisible do not entirely overlap: there are many false sons within her pale, and some true believers outside her administration.” I’m reading the 5th volume of... Continue Reading
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