5 ways to make an impact this school year
As a pastor, I saw the beginning of a school year as an opportunity to try new approaches and to make a statement about the priorities of our congregation.
Home to major corporate names, Seattle not friendly to churches
While Seattle is known as the home of such iconic brands as Microsoft, Starbucks, Amazon and Costco, churches don’t fare as well there. Ten percent of residents identify as atheists, according to a 2015 survey by the Pew Research Center, and the city has the second-highest rate of residents who once attended church but don’t any longer. In mid-August, historic University Christian Church announced it was selling its final remaining property in the city’s university district because of declining memberships and maintenance costs. Part of the United Church of Christ, the century-old church opened its high-ceiling, stained-glass sanctuary 90 years [...]
Let’s restore civility
If anyone doubts the world has lost any sense of civility, they only need to examine some of my email.
Christian churches seeking to save South Sudan
With seven-year-old South Sudan in the throes of civil war and famine, one bright spot appears to be its churches. A report by freelance journalist James Jeffrey says the tens of thousands killed and millions displaced could have been worse were it not for the efforts of Christians. “The churches have emerged as one of the country’s few stable institutions,” Jeffrey wrote for the American Conservative. “This has enabled church leaders to effectively lobby the international community to support the southern cause while also brokering peace between communities torn apart by war and ethnic strife.” “The churches in South Sudan [...]
Why admin skills are crucial
Is it too much to expect excellent leadership and administration from the same person?
Italian lawmakers’ move to hang crucifix stirs protest from church leaders
After a similar move in Bavaria, Italian lawmakers want to hang a crucifix in all government buildings as a “permanent reminder” of the nation’s Christian identity, The Wall Street Journal reports. The newspaper said in a recent story that nationalists and politicians across Europe are promoting the use of Christian imagery in an attempt to change established politics and define the continent as Christian as a reaction to Muslim immigration. As in Bavaria, in Italy the move is sparking disagreement among Christian leaders. It has drawn criticism from allies of Pope Francis, who insists Christians should be generous towards immigrants. [...]
Book review: ReClaimed Church
The latest book on how to do church better, ReClaimed Church by Bill Henard, offers something that others don’t.
3 expectations for every leader
Here is what our expectations for leaders should be.
5 stages of recovery when toxic people leave the church
Pastors and other church leaders are often hesitant to deal with toxicity in the church.
How to be firm without being a jerk
It’s such a frequent issue. The employee who tries to push your boundaries.
Who’s the standard here?
These leaders value certain ways of being and expect that the rest of the world should too.
Here is the oldest trick in the book
This one question changed everything.
What about a preacher who is plagiarizing sermons?
At what point does a preacher’s use of other preachers’ sermons become plagiarism?
What Apple’s trillion-dollar capitalization means to Christians
Tech giant Apple made international headlines recently when it became the first company with a $1 trillion market capitalization, something one executive says has significant implications for Christians. UMI (Urban Ministries Inc.) CEO Jeffrey Wright, who has an MBA in finance and international business from Columbia University, says Christians inside global business corporations can change lives and express Christ’s love far beyond the church. “Imagine if Apple CEO Tim Cook were to decide that pursuing Kingdom outcomes was of equal or greater importance than shareholder value creation,” Wright wrote for UrbanFaith.com. “More people would be employed and fed, healthcare would [...]
Christian filmmaker attracting national attention
Pure Flix, whose God’s Not Dead catapulted it from a relatively-unknown producer of low-budget biblical films to a nationally-known entity, is attracting more attention of late. The red-carpet premiere last week of its newest film, Death of a Nation, was hosted by presidential son Donald Trump Jr. Ben Carson, the U.S. secretary of housing and urban development, also attended. Carson told NBC News: “It’s hard to find high-quality movies that are Christian and faith-based.” Paul Asay, author of the “Watching God” blog on the religious issues website, Patheos.com, says—rightly or wrongly—many evangelical Christians feel persecuted. “There’s a desire to push [...]
Actually, God calls the qualified
Maybe we should think differently about those in leadership.
What does grace sound like?
Hear what grace sounds like, and discover as Trevor DeVage, Lead Pastor at Christ's Church (Mason, Ohio), shares how this could change your leadership.
Why every leader should look for conflict
Here are four principles that will dramatically reduce conflict and increase efficiency.
Historic church in Philadelphia to be redeveloped
While the more-than-century-old Christian Street Baptist Church in an historic Philadelphia neighborhood started coming down in July, specific redevelopment plans remain uncertain. Developer Ori Feibush originally proposed building six $800,000 townhomes in place of the church. However, in June of 2017, it was nominated for historic designation. A preservationist activist also made a bid to save the 1890s structure, citing ties to the Italian immigrants who once filled the neighborhood. While the Philadelphia Historical Commission supposedly designated the property as historic, the Philadelphia Inquirer said the designation was withdrawn amid confusion over its voting rules. After considerable controversy, demolition finally [...]
7 principles for launching multiple worship venues, campuses and times
Offering more can better connect various people to your community, but adding a new worship encounter also has its caveats.
