Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Caution Needed Before Claiming Christian Persecution in U.S.
Global headlines announced that the gunman who killed nine people at Umpqua Community College had targeted Christians. Media reports acknowledged days later that school accounts varied on the targeting of Christians....
Caution Needed Before Claiming Christian Persecution in U.S.
Global headlines announced that the gunman who killed nine people at Umpqua Community College had targeted Christians. Media reports acknowledged days later that school accounts varied on the targeting of Christians....
October 8, 2015
Survey: Pope'sVisit Boosted Church. Francis Himself? Not So Much (USA Today) Analysis: How Norman Vincent Peale Taught Donald Trump to Worship Himself (Politico) Church and State Collide at Florida Capitol Over 'Pastor...
Growing Potatoes on Mars: 12 Lessons for Your Church
Ministry in the 21st century is like growing potatoes on Mars. This brief comment, voiced by my friend Bill Wilson, director of the Center for Healthy Churches, summarized thoughts that had been simmering in my mind...
Building Your Church’s Community Via Social Media
Geo-socialization, in its simplest terms, may be described as social geography - socializing with those in your geographical area through the tool of social media. Connecting to your primary audience within a certain...
Why Do Some Atheists Label People of Faith as Delusional?
Why are people who show most evidence of firmly believing in and being committed to God not taken more seriously by atheists? There are many noted people who made significant life changes because of what they...
October 7, 2015
Accounts Vary on Whether UCC Shooter Targeted Christian Students (Register-Guard) How One Evangelical Activist Changed His Mind on Gun Violence (Washington Post) Tennessee County Seeks Protection from 'God's Wrath'...
Progress
Recovering from any sort of surgery is a process. I've now had four of them, all involving moving parts: there's something artificial now in both shoulders and both hips. I'm hoping the knees still have some good tread...
“Phubbing” Strains Relationships, May Lead to Depression
Push notifications might be diminishing your happiness and harming your relationships. This smartphone setting results in a ping or another form of notification whenever you receive an email message, weather update and...
After Shooting, Will We Face the Monster Within?
There is a pervasive ideology within the texture of this nation. Tragedies like last Thursday's shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, seem to pull back the curtain and we can catch a glimpse of this...
Why Leaving Dictators in Power Might Be Right Thing to Do
There's always a trade-off between what we might want to achieve and what we can actually do. Former United Kingdom ambassador and career diplomat Christopher Meyer emphasized this point in his book, "Getting Our Way,"...
October 6, 2015
Brent Walker Announces Plans to Retire from Baptist Joint Committee (BJC) Southern Baptist Seminary's Homosexuality Conference Protested (Louisville Courier-Journal) Reparative Therapy Criticized by Southern Baptist...
Mandatory Minimums, Recidivism Reduction the Focus of Bipartisan Prison Reform Legislation
Bipartisan prison reform legislation set forth late last week offers light to pierce the darkness of political partisanship and gridlock. The proposed bill was set forth by Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck...
Fighting Against the Temptation of the Grocery Cart
Among the most familiar wheeled vehicles that clutter up our world is the grocery cart. These utilitarian mobile baskets have a massive influence on our lifestyle, health, shopping habits and financial outlays....
Sloth’s Ingredients Include Apathy, Distractedness
The seven "deadly sins" are well known to most, and many make perfect sense. Of course anger is a deadly sin. News stories about road rage and disgruntled workers shooting former co-workers remind us of the deep anger...
October 5, 2015
First Baptist Church, Capitol Hill Marks 150 Years (The Tennessean) Alabama Judges Stop Issuing Marriage Licenses Altogether to Avoid Gay Marriage (Christian Science Monitor) Vatican Sacks Priest After He Comes Out as...
Listening to and for inspiration
By John Pierce While participating in the Nurturing Faith Experience to Glacier, Mont., this summer, singer/songwriter Scott Willis was inspired write a beautiful song titled “Maker of All.” He sang the emerging words...
3 Reforms in Wake of Pope Francis’ U.S. Visit
At the end of the first visit of Pope Francis to the U.S., we should remember that his Holiness came to us by way of Cuba. And coming by way of Cuba, his travels might remind us of the shared historical experience of...
The Reason Your Church Struggles with Growth
I am thankful for my four years at Bible college. I imagine that the Baptist Union of Great Britain and its constituent churches are thankful as well, since it kept me out of harm's way for four years while they tried...
6 Ways Your Church Should Invest in People
The stock market continues its erratic course, causing investors who are concerned about their portfolios and those with retirement accounts to get a bit nervous. What will be the return on investment (ROI) in the long...
October 2, 2015
Oregon Gunman Singled Out Christians During Rampage (New York Post) Among Republicans, Polls Show, Fear of Islam is Always on 'High Simmer' (Portland Press Herald) Oklahoma Republicans Offer to House 10 Commandments...