I received an email from Jonathan, a person I’d never met, last June. He explained that he’d hit a point in his life where he had questions about life, faith, his purpose, and how to respond to everything that was happening in the world. We were in the midst of a pandemic; people were losingContinue reading “Are We Getting Used?”
Category Archives: Church
The Missionary Life
It was late January or early February and we had only just arrived on the field. We were scrambling to get our two toddlers out the door for our weekly team fellowship. This week it was being held at the home of some teammates just down the hill. It was a sunny, but chilly winterContinue reading “The Missionary Life”
Divided As Never Before
The church is divided as never before. Okay, that may be an overstatement. But I think most Christians would agree that, from personal conversations and from social media scrolling, it certainly feels like the divisions are as bad as ever, and only getting worse. The church has been divided over doctrine before—sometimes for bad reasons,Continue reading “Divided As Never Before”
Different Crisis Agendas
In storm-battered Texas, pro-life organizations are struggling to meet the needs of their clients. At the other end of the spectrum, donations are being solicited so babies can be aborted. The winter storm has ravaged a large slice of the country, but the damage has been more serious perhaps in Texas where there have beenContinue reading “Different Crisis Agendas”
Counting Can Ruin a Ministry
Today, more than ever before, we live in a world obsessed with numbers. Modern technology has made life more measurable, more quantifiable, more countable. And many of us just can’t stop counting. How many followers do I have? How many people came to church last Sunday? How many figures are in my bank account? HowContinue reading “Counting Can Ruin a Ministry”
When a Pastor Baptizes His Own Wife
I was not raised in a godly home. Church attendance was not something we did. But when I was 12, my family attended church for Easter. Afterward, I remember my mom asking my sister and me if we liked our time at church and if we wanted to return. We both said yes. That summerContinue reading “When a Pastor Baptizes His Own Wife”
A Primer on the Church in Africa
1. The African church is growing. It is said that the number of Christians in Africa at the beginning of the twentieth century was about 9 million and that by the end of the twentieth century it was about 380 million. Church structures cannot cope with this kind of growth. So, churches are simply meetingContinue reading “A Primer on the Church in Africa”
Don’t Forget About the Fence
There was once a community that experienced a great deal of growth. Many families with young children moved to the area and city planners saw the need for a place where parents could bring their kids and connect with one another. Plans were made for a playground to be built, but the only area bigContinue reading “Don’t Forget About the Fence”
The Unchurched Do Not Hate You, Christian
“What’s church?” That’s one question my kids weren’t used to hearing. But one morning, a boy who lived down the street knocked on the front door to play with our sons. Because it was a Sunday, our young neighbor was informed that they’d have to take a rain check because they were headed to church.Continue reading “The Unchurched Do Not Hate You, Christian”
The Black Church in America Survey
Black Americans remain more religious than other Americans, according to a massive new survey. Yet fewer are attending or seeking out predominantly black churches. Among black worshipers: 4 in 10 now attend a non-black congregation—including half of millennials and Gen Z. About half say it’s essential for churches to offer “racial affirmation or pride,” whileContinue reading “The Black Church in America Survey”
