Listening to members’ questions can take many forms, from surveys to a simple exercise we recommend in the Church Wellness Project: at Sunday services, pass out 3 x 5 cards and ask members what one question they would pose to God.
Midway – adv.: in the middle of the way or distance; halfway.
Sometime this summer, four things need to happen:
The news sounds frightening. Since the first of the year, Christianity Today Incorporated has shuttered six of its magazines and sold a seventh.
After seven months of consulting with a large Presbyterian congregation in North Carolina, I finally got a chance to worship with them on Mothers Day.
“There is a new wind blowing through the sometimes musty halls of American Christian churches, and it is sweeping away the hypocrisy, lack of social concern, and unnecessary cultural baggage accumulated by the mainstream churches through the years.
“What did you bring us? Mom, what’d you bring us?” That is always the chorus from my children upon my return from any overnight trip, never mind that some trips are to exotic locals such as Winnsboro, S.C.
My two favorite restaurants in New York City are Cafe con Leche, a plain Caribbean place at 96th and Amsterdam and, 10 blocks farther down Amsterdam, a tiny hamburger joint called Harriet’s Kitchen, which does mostly delivery business.
In years past, national news magazines have published holy week cover articles announcing the death of Jesus and the death of God. This year, God and Jesus survived, but Christian America died.
Easily gathered metrics like Sunday attendance are useful but deceptive.
I have rewritten the Young Adult Ministry section on the Church Wellness Web site (www.churchwellness.com) at least five times in the past few weeks.
So Amendment 08-B is coming up short. It is not going to pass (see. p. 6). Nobody is rejoicing.
Red Letter Christians are the new Evangelicals.
Consistent and accurate metrics can provide two overarching benefits.
The blessing-curse of a reputation is that we tend to live up to it.
Family members may think that taking their children to Sunday School is their main act of Christian education, but what they do seven days a week is most critical.
At the risk of offending everyone, I’d like to talk plainly about Sunday School.
(ABP) -- Dear Jesus, Everyone seems to be talking about the poll put out last week by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
“We Methodists aren’t like you Presbyterians. We don’t know the first thing about church politics,” said Maxie Dunham, then president of Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Ky.
With new communications tools coming on line, it’s important that church leaders stay current but also remember the basics.
At the risk of sounding unstylish and out of step, I’m sinfully proud to be a Presbyterian.
As congregations recruit leaders, they need to include at least a few entrepreneurs, who understand that health requires risk.
Amid the blur that is his first 100 days, one declaration of President Barack Obama ought to be troubling to all Christians.
Editor’s note: This column shows the practical use of listening advice Tom Ehrich has explored in previous columns. For further background, see the Church Wellness Report columns in the September 29 and November 10, 2008, issues.
Two things I know about worship.
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