Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
How Will Your Church Share Good News this Halloween?
I spent a few hours with a small team of volunteers on the streets of Peterborough, England, carving pumpkins on a recent Sunday morning. These "Sundays out" are a breath of fresh air to me and I'm not ashamed to...
IMB President Addresses Budget Shortfalls, Downsizing via Live Webcast
The layoff of up to 800 Southern Baptist Convention mission personnel was addressed in a live webcast on Tuesday by David Platt, president of the SBC's International Mission Board (IMB). Calling it "an opportunity to...
Doing Good With Christmas Shopping
Six, high-end catalogues arrived at our home on a single day. A few more arrived over the next few days. More are expected. On the men's side, one catalogue had a cashmere sweater for $300, a suede jacket for $1,065, a...
5 Advantages of Smaller Churches
What are some of the advantages of a rural church? This question was posed to me in a recent interview with a writer putting together an article about rural congregations. After responding that while some rural...
U.S. Majority Perceives Conflict between Religion, Science
Religion and science are in conflict, according to 59 percent of U.S. adults, a 4 percent increase from 2009. However, when respondents were asked about their personal religious beliefs vis-Ã -vis science, only 30...
When Religion Becomes Idolatry: Part 2
The idolatry of shaping God in our own image has been the root of much evil in the world. It has perpetuated systems of oppression. And racism. And hate. It has led to genocide. And apartheid. And rape. Tell me that...
October 28, 2015
Billionaire Hobby Lobby Owners Probed in Looting of Artifacts for Bible Museum (New York Post) Federal Agents Meet With Local Churches Regarding Church Fires in St. Louis (KMOV) Hattiesburg Church Dismissed from...
Discrimination Against Muslims the Focus of DOJ Lawsuit
A lawsuit was filed in late September by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) against the city of Des Plaines, Illinois, a Chicago suburb, following the city's refusal to allow a vacant office building to be used as a...
When Religion Becomes Idolatry: Part 1
Like Jacob in Genesis 32, I have wrestled recently with God over the politics of my own identity. From a young age, I had attained to what many around me attested to be "profound maturity" in my Christian faith. I...
The Most Important Staffing Position in Your Church
What is the most important staff position at your church? Of course, as a former pastor, I must declare that we cannot function without a pastor. What would we do without a music and worship leader? We cannot live...
October 27, 2015
Strongly Religious See Less Conflict Between Science and Religion, Survey Says (CNET) Teens Navigate Their Own Path When it Comes to Religion (Huffington Post) Half of all Church Fires in the Past 20 Years Were Arsons...
Burma’s Religious Leaders Emphasize Religious Freedom as Election Nears
Leaders from four faith traditions in Burma (also known as Myanmar) have called for a fuller embrace of religious freedom and increased respect between traditions, which is vital to the well-being of children who...
How Your Church is Like a New Operating System
When both of my computers crashed a few years ago - at the same time! - I purchased identical machines, one for my office at church and the other at home where I prepare my sermons and do much of my writing. The new...
The Key to Success When You Need to Change
We all know the overworked cliché that defines insanity as "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." As worn and familiar as it is, we keep proving its essential wisdom. It happens in...
October 26, 2015
Cash-Strapped Missionaries Get a New Calling: Home (Wall Street Journal) Program Helps Ministers Establish 'Boundaries' (Houston Chronicle) Fighting Perceptions, Evangelicals and Muslims Commit to Oppose Religious...
Readers, and not …
As a person who has loved reading from the time I could sound out "See Spot run," I found a recent Barna survey on adult reading habits to be, well, worth reading. In a digital world where countless items are posted...
Healing for Survivors of Sexual Violence in Africa’s CAR
Research into gender-based violence during the Central African Republic conflict sponsored by BMS World Mission has led to the release of a powerful report with the potential to help survivors and inspire leaders to...
Martha and Mary: Two Sides of Christian Discipleship
The story of Jesus in the house of Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42) is a short, but rich, narrative about two sides of Christian discipleship. You know the one - Martha banging pots, rattling dishes and cutlery,...
3 Hard Realities about Your Church’s Future
The missional church movement is about refocusing us on God's mission to reconcile and heal the world. As Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury, explained, "It is not the church of God that has a mission, it...
October 22, 2015
U.K.: Extremely Rare Wicked Bible Goes on Sale (The Guardian) Treasure on Earth: How Religion is Redistributing the World's Wealth (Christianity Today) Ogden Makes Mark as a Powerful Asheville Voice (Citizen-Times)...
Global Faith Leaders Urge Support of COP21 Meeting in Paris
A diverse group of global faith leaders has issued a statement encouraging support of the December 2015 United Nations' climate change conference in Paris. Signed by 154 faith leaders from more than 40 countries, the...