“Contemporary worship” to me is an oxymoron. Biblically, worship is what angels and morning stars did before creation; what Abraham, Moses and the Levites, and the many-tongued Jewish diaspora at Pentecost did. It is what the martyrs, now ascended, do, and what all believers since the apostles have done. More importantly, it is what we... Continue Reading

They are intentional about being friendly. Warmth and friendliness are clear values of theses churches. They are articulated regularly. All organizations, including churches, naturally drift toward an inward focus unless they are otherwise intentional. The leaders model warmth, humility, and friendliness. The friendliness is not contrived or phony. These leaders have prayerfully become genuinely friendly... Continue Reading

For many megachurches, a pastor can become larger than the church itself — particularly for multisite churches where the pastor’s sermon is the only thing binding disparate congregations connected by little more than a satellite feed. Before his resignation, the name “Mark Driscoll” was more widely known than “Mars Hill.” The dueling brands sometimes clashed... Continue Reading

The congregation of Bethel Presbyterian Church claims the Scotch-Irish as their descent. By 1750, a stream of Scotch-Irish began to flow into North Carolina and the Upcountry of South Carolina. Historically, the Scotch-Irish Presbyterians were noted for their religious beliefs. Their spirit of determination and dependence upon God’s help allowed for the positive development of... Continue Reading

“On October 14, several conservative news sites began writing about the subpoenas, and that sparked a swift and loud national evangelical response. The more outraged responses came from a number of evangelical pundits who have made careers out of blowing the bugle of petty culture wars. But others came from leaders who are not known... Continue Reading

My concerns in this post are less about one more reason why Mars Hill finds itself in a fix right now, and more about the corruption of evangelical megachurches. It is still, after all I have seen, beyond my comprehension that it is considered to be business as usual to use the church as a... Continue Reading

“Here’s the situation.  You, the pastoral candidate, are sitting in a room with a committee of anywhere from 6 to 20 people. They have spent the evening tossing questions, real and theoretical, at you.  You are drained and everyone is ready for the evening to end. But not yet. Finally, the chair says, “And pastor,... Continue Reading

“Lead Pastor Thomas Hurst announced his resignation to the congregation during the 10:30 a.m. service on Sunday, two days after Mars Hill announced that it would dissolve with its 13 “campuses” set loose to form new churches, consolidate with other churches or dissolve.”   The big Bellevue campus of Mars Hill Church has filed registration... Continue Reading

The rationalism and subjectivism of some of the plans for church growth and/or revival have left a bad taste in the mouths of confessionalists but there are some common sense, practical steps that confessional congregations can take to reduce unnecessary barriers and to make them more accessible both to those who do not yet know... Continue Reading

The Nov. 17-19 conference, “An International Interreligious Colloquium on The Complementarity of Man and Woman,” will feature about 30 speakers from 23 countries and 14 religions. The conference has been in the works for at least a year, said Helen Alvare, a law professor at George Mason University who is handling communications for the gathering.... Continue Reading