Category: Church
-
Keller on Being Salt & Light
Working through the Sermon on the Mount on Sunday mornings, a few weeks ago I preached from Matthew 5.13-16, the Salt & Light passage. What I explained to our congregation is that, after instrucitng us about what our attitude ought to be as citizens of the Kingdom, Jesus goes on to reveal the Influence he…
-
9 Church Diseases
According to Peter Wagner: Healthy churches build an immune system to resist disease. It is much more advisable to prevent an illness than to contract one and then have to cure it. The following are the most common diseases that infect churches. By recognizing some of the symptoms my hope is that we will turn to…
-
Missing the Missional Mark
To read something I disagree with on the Internet is not an unusual thing. When what I disagree with comes from a source that I respect – highly respect – it makes me somewhat uncomfortable. When the source I respect seems to oppose what I hold, well that is just down-right disappointing. But that is the…
-
Theology for Life
As a pastor from a confessional denomination one of the more difficult tasks I regularly – even constantly – encounter is helping people past a distatse for doctrine. I understand why so many are so often hesitant to embrace any system of doctrine. “Doctrine divides” is a commen lament. And, regretably, it is often an…
-
The Baker’s Dirty Dozen Stagnant Church Types
At a time when potential epidemics may be on the horizon the wise person is on the lookout for the signs of disease. The hope is that early detection will enable more effective and less severe treatment. Such a time surrounds the American church. It is widely reported that 85% of all churches are in a…
-
Ambition
I’ve been listening to the audio of sessions from Acts 29 Network’s 2009 Bootcamp: Ambition. While not everyone will find these talks of interest, I think they are challenging and stimulating for those of us in ministry and church leadership. Ministry for the Long Haul & Ambition (Matt Chandler) Decoding Your City & Ambition (Kevin Cawley)…
-
Pretentious Piety
The more things have changed, some things have remained the same. Such is the case for Christians in a typical church. When Samuel Blair assumed the pulpit of Faggs Manor Presbyteran Church in 1740 he found a congregation in a spiritual condition not uncommon even in our day. Blair wrote that when he came…
-
A Time for Work, A Time for Worship
A woman walked into our church building during the service this past Sunday morning. I did not see her, but reportedly she was rather rough looking, even intimidating. She was seeking financial assistance, and she was clear and determined in her objective. The lady from our congregation who got up to greet her would not ordinarily…
-
Crazy Love
I don’t know Francis Chan, but I think I like him. I know I like what I see so far. A friend, who is also an Elder in our church, introduced me to Chan a few months ago. He had just finished reading Chan’s book, Crazy Love, and said that Chan was teaching the same…
-
Characteristics of a Missional Church
As our church begins to explore what it means to be a missional church, it might be helpful to hear the insights of one of the most effective practitioners and proponents of the missional approach to ministry. In the above video Tim Keller, of Redeemer Church in Manhattan, explains some of the key characteristics of…
-
Gospel in Context
The gospel is always conveyed through the medium of culture. It becomes good news to lost and broken humanity as it is incarnated in the world through God’s sent people, the church. To be faithful to its calling, the church must be contextual, that is, it must be culturally relevant within a specific setting. The…
-
Maundy Thursday Matters
Today is Maundy Thursday. It is a special day on the Christian calendar. But many Christians don’t know what maundy means. I imagine for some this day could easily fall just after Manic Monday, Ruby Tuesday… You get the idea. So if the term Maundy Thursday sounds foreign to you, relax, you are far from alone. The term…
-
Mere Marketing Misses the Mark
This had to be one of the more irritating telemarketing calls I can recall. Some guy cold-called me at my church office yesterday and wanted me to give him a blow-by-blow of our Outreach strategy. He had a service to sell that would “enhance” our attractiveness to the community. To listen to him it sounded like a can’t…
-
Happy St. Patrick’s Day
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! Did you know that Patrick of Ireland was, in fact, what we would today call an Evangelical? Despite the tradition that links him to the Roman Catholic Church, Patrick was not part of the church of Rome. Long after his death Patrick was “adopted” by the Roman church. Instead, Patrick was…
-
Cats & Dogs and God’s Global Glory
First among the Core Values at Walnut Hill Church is God’s Global Glory. This is the recognition that we do not exist, as a church or as individuals, primarily for ourselves, but for God and for his glory. Expressing this as a platitude is one thing. Getting newcomers to agree with this premise is something else. And getting people to…
