Friday’s Catch: ‘Jesus Never Told Us To Fill Church Buildings’ And More
Jesus Never Told Us To Fill Church Buildings
Going to church has never been the point. Jesus didn’t tell us to “work really hard to gather people into large crowds to fill up your church buildings. Then I’ll know that you love me.”
The Astonishing Power of Microchurches—and You
The church landscape is changing. Increasing numbers of leaders are awakening to the reality that we are losing ground in our addition- and growth-focused approaches. Many are beginning to wrestle with their personal measures of success and legacy. Here, Ralph Moore, catalyst of the Hope Chapel movement, shares what he believes will be the next step forward toward taking hold of a more effective Matthew 28 paradigm.
How to Create Connection Content Is Everywhere
When community is already incorporated into a person’s routine, they are unlikely to add church community in addition to what’s already part of their life.
How Gospel Community Can Overcome Loneliness
“In light of scripture, and with the night of painful isolation all around, I want to argue that we need to reimagine three things,” writes Dr. Rebecca Laughlin, “First, how we operate at church; second, how we conceive of family; and third, how we relate to singleness. The loneliness pandemic is severe. We Christians know the cure. And we are disobeying Jesus if we fail to administer it.”
There’s no doubt that statistically the Western church is in decline. Really, though, the decline narrative is a red herring. The real problem is that belief itself is becoming quite fragile. People are living with other or no belief systems, and they seem to be doing OK. So how do we form a community to be positioned to encounter a living God?
3 Strategies for Guiding with Gratitude
Here are a few suggestions to effectively guide your church community with gratitude….
We’ve all witnessed “the invitation” done poorly. Here are some practices to keep in mind for giving an effective invitation with integrity.
Support for political violence and concern over the state of American democracy are both on the rise, with 75% of Americans believing the future of democracy is at risk in the next presidential election, according to a report released Wednesday by the Public Religion Research Institute and the Brookings Institution.