Church Life: Myth of the “Institution-less” Church

The Myth of the “Institution-less” church
Jason Clark has a great post up at Deep Church that challenges the notion that we can avoid institutions in the church… he doesn’t deny the problems and inertia that institutions create, but also argues that to simply throw out any form of institution would be the same kind of [...]

Read Full Post »

Church Life: Christians and Accountability

Christians and Accountability
Today I want to say a word about Christians and accountability groups or accountability partnerships. I am not sure if Christians have always spoken as much of accountability as we do today or if this has been a happy result of organizations such as Promise Keepers. I guess I have not been an [...]

Read Full Post »

Church Life: Piper on Relevant Sermons

Relevance
John Piper in Finally Alive speaks about relevance. Using preaching as an example, he writes that there are two ways that people can think of relevance:
 
1. When someone feels as if something is relevant.
 
“It might mean that a sermon is relevant if it feels to the listeners that it will make a significant [...]

Read Full Post »

Church Life: One Another-ing

… One Another

“be at peace with one another” (Mark 9:50)
“you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14)
“love one another… Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another” (John 13:34)
“love for one another” (John 13:35)
“love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12)
“I am giving you these commands so [...]

Read Full Post »

Church Life: Developing Christian Accountability

Developing Christian Accountability
Accountability allows us to be answerable to one another, focusing on key relationships such as with our spouse, close friends, colleagues, coworkers, a boss, small group members, and pastor. It is sharing, in confidence, our heartfelt Christian sojourn in an atmosphere of trust. Then, we can give an answer for what we do [...]

Read Full Post »

Church Life: Increase 1st Time Vistors by (Semi-Rant)

15 Efforts to Increase First Time Visitors in the small church
The pastors were surveyed as to their intentional efforts that seemed fruitful to reach new people and increase the retention of first time church visitors.
1.   Emphasis on Invite a Friend
2.   Utilize advertising — phone, letters, ads, signs
3.   Start new programs
4.   Welcome visitors better
5.   Encourage lay [...]

Read Full Post »

Church Life: Church Shopping

What Are You Looking for in a Church?
By WAYNE JACKSON
Some people couldn’t care less about religion. They do not believe in God; and “church,” in their opinion, would be a burden and a waste of time. There are not many theoretical atheists (the evidence for God’s existence is much too compelling); there are, though, legions [...]

Read Full Post »

Church Life: Family, Family Feud or Strangers?

HOW WE THINK OF OURSELVES
Scripture speaks of God’s people in the language of saints. We do not. Scripture speaks of Christians as a family. We do not. Why is there such a difference between the way the Biblical writers describe us and the way that we describe ourselves?Business people who attend assertiveness classes are taught [...]

Read Full Post »

Church Life: Errors of the “Church Growth Movement”

Errors of the “Church Growth Movement”

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13-14)
“Is [...]

Read Full Post »

Thoughts of the Day: On the Church

The Church must never be in any sense a little huddle of pious people, shutting their doors against the world, lost in prayer and praise, connoisseurs of preaching and liturgy, busy mutually congratulating themselves on the excellence of their Christian experience.
    … William Barclay (1907-1978), In the Hands of God [1967]
 
 A conversion is incomplete if [...]

Read Full Post »