Let’s face it, Father’s Day is the Rodney Dangerfield of holidays. It’s the, “I get-no-respect” little brother to Mother’s Day. Interestingly, the American version of Father’s Day was first proposed in 1909 by a grateful daughter, Sonora Smart Dodd. Her father, a Civil War veteran, singlehandedly raised six children after his wife died in […]
Looking for Answers in an Ask-Assertive World
Convergence 2004 : Global Positioning for the Soul
By: Spencer Burke
Show and tell isn’t big in the emerging church. Do you know why? Because sometimes, the question is more important than the answer. In fact, sometimes, the question is the answer. Allow me to explain.
People tend to be assertive […]
As Americans transition to a non-religious population, churches have been closing rapidly across the US. In 2019, about 4,500 Protestant churches closed, with those still standing typically having only 85% of the pre-pandemic attendance numbers. This number has worsened since COVID-19 struck in 2020, with research by the Survey Center on American Life and the University […]
Easter Sunday rolls around with a kind of predictability that’s both comforting and challenging for pastors across the board. Let’s check out the scene: the church is brimming more than usual, the air is thick with the scent of fresh flowers – mostly lilies, and the folks sitting on the pews create a colorful […]
For the week of November 07, 2005
Communication “Hub”
By: Tom Bandy
Traditional church buildings were designed for curriculums rather than conversations. In other words, ecclesiastical architects assumed worshippers would go immediately to Sunday school rooms, or return for midweek Bible study sessions, or gather routinely in community centers. Christians did not really need to converse over […]
When most people hear the word “missionary” they think of someone going off to a foreign country. That used to the case. But no more. Today, in the U.S., we are called to be “back yard missionaries” to our networks.
Today, only 30 percent of the missionaries being sent out in the world are from the […]
When I’m coaching or consulting and make the recommendation that pastors need to spend significant time hanging out wherever it is their targets are hanging out, it tends to raise a host of questions. Where should I hang out? When? What do I need to stop doing so that I have time?
All those are […]
Which Way to Turn?
Mainline churches are at a crossroads – either they wake up to the major trend of our time or they will continue to be irrelevant or, worse yet, go out of existence.
What trend am I talking about? I’m talking about multiplication. Instead of struggling to stay afloat mainline church leaders should learn […]
The average Christian’s understanding of discipleship is incredibly inaccurate. Most Christians tend to think of it as something you learn from a course. But nothing could be further from the truth. Let me explain.
I’m a United Methodist. We have a program called Disciple Bible. The program was designed by a member of my staff, […]
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