We do not need more movements, more conferences, and more celebrities. We do not need the next big thing. What we need are more churches committed to the way disciples have been made since the Apostles planted a church in Jerusalem two thousand years ago: the slow-going, unspectacular, ordinary ministry of Word and sacrament, where... Continue Reading

University President Loren Swartzendruber announced on Nov. 18 that the school would embark on a six-month “listening period” where students, faculty and staff would be asked to share input with the administration on whether the institution should reverse its ban. During the period, “faculty will not be penalized for violating the policy, meaning some professors... Continue Reading

When asked to provide reasons for their children’s doubts, lack of church involvement or rejection of the Christian faith, respondents cited unrealistic social expectations (28 percent) and negative experiences in church (18 percent) as the primary reasons.   Are pastors’ kids prodigals? A new Barna Group survey uncovered ambiguous results. Senior pastors with children at... Continue Reading

In our attempt to help the poor at our church we were communicating that we, the upper-middle class church people, were better. In giving gifts to their children we were reminding their fathers of their lack. After all, whose responsibility was it to buy gifts for those children? Our church members felt “so good” and... Continue Reading

In other words, the biggest concern is character transformation as believers struggle with various sins and sufferings that are common to all. You will never be nor will you ever produce a perfect person. That can’t be your goal. If it is, you will be disappointed. You have the privilege of seeing God change a person... Continue Reading

Passive Sanctification (David Murray) – With precision yet politeness, David pointed out a current approach of sanctification being offered by certain teachers that puts an unhealthy overemphasis on justification. The idea promoted by these seemingly well-meaning teachers is that the goal of sanctification consists of simply resting in your justification by faith. Though there is an attractiveness to this teaching... Continue Reading

Not only is there a legitimate debate about the effectiveness of the treaty to begin with, and not only will the potential negative implications disproportionately affect the rank-and-file evangelicals the NAE purports to represent, but the treaty’s failure in the Senate is practically assured. The NAE has fallen into the same bad habit that continues... Continue Reading

Churches can be more effective in offering aid to communities in the Philippines affected by the recent disaster. The church is called to help in times of need. But sometimes our good intentions can cause unintentional harm. By following these guidelines, you and your church will be better prepared to help in a way that... Continue Reading

It is difficult to overstate how fundamentally an extramarital affair damaged Phillips’s reputation in the short term. That’s because Vision Forum’s work centered around the “restoration of the Christian household.” In short, the organization enforced what it would argue is a Biblically-based family structure where the husband serves as the spiritual and practical head of... Continue Reading

Departing from the “progressive” church, Bolz-Weber does not believe in catering to a “customer-friendly” environment in order to attract young Believers. During her discussion at Calvary Baptist she stated, “I don’t feel responsible for what people in my church believe, but I feel really responsible for what they hear.” “If a community has a more ‘progressive’... Continue Reading