Few worship leaders avoid Hillsong, Bethel songs — despite controversies and scandal
A new study looked at how worship leaders pick music for services — at a time when a handful of megachurches dominate the market.
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Books briefly noted: Religious non-fiction
Book Review Editor Amy Pagliarella highlights several religious non-fiction books to add to your list.
Closing a church faithfully
Doug Basler answered a call in 2020 to help revitalize a church. His true mission became a litany to leading – lovingly and faithfully – the letting go.
Sit in the Sun And Other Lessons in the Spiritual Wisdom of Cats
What can we learn from cats?
Ninth Sunday after Pentecost — July 30, 2023
The kingdom of heaven allows us to see our ordinary lives in extraordinary ways, Jo Wiersema writes, reflecting on Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52.
Playing with parables — Weekly Christian ed lesson
In this lesson, children will explore the parable genre and will wonder about several short parables offered in the Gospel of Matthew.
Three parables: Finding and gathering (July 30, 2023)
What if we viewed the three parables in Matthew 13:44-52 through the eyes of a child, Mark Hinds wonders?
Order of worship — July 30, 2023
You are welcome to use this liturgy in your online worship services and distribute it to your congregation.
Rebecca Todd Peters is on a mission to get churches to talk about abortion
A Presbyterian minister and scholar is working to shift the cultural paradigm that abortion is sin.
Practicing Christians, Practical Atheists: How Cultural Liturgies and Everyday Social Practices Shape the Christian Life
"Davignon offers a blanket critique … (h)e views the modern world so negatively that he even critiques congregations that utilize secular tools such as social media to promote their ministries." — Jo Wiersema
Coming soon: A missional confirmation handbook for parents and mentors
You asked — we listened! We're adding a supplement to Changing the World: Confirmation for the Missional Church: "A Handbook for Parents and Mentors.”
Horizons — Sacred Encounters — Overview
Rosalind Banbury previews the next Horizons Bible study offered by the Presbyterian Women.
“It’s nice to rest together”
Andrew Taylor-Troutman shares how an hourly break at his community pool gives his family a glimpse of sabbath.
PTSD, mermaids and Saul
Did King Saul have PTSD, Elana Keppel Levy wonders? Perhaps. What she knows from her own life is this: surviving is an act of courage.
Redemption requires opportunity: A review of “All I See is the Future”
Colin Farmer reviews the documentary short "All I See is the Future" — recommending it to churches who want to engage topics like grace, redemption and mass incarceration.
Readers respond: #EndGunViolence
Here's what some readers are saying in response to our #EndGunViolence special issue released in June. Add your voice to the conversation!
Encountering hate, celebrating love
Brian R. Louis, a pastor in southern Arizona, shares the hate and love he experienced at a recent Pride parade.
Big churches sound alike. Little churches are the ‘Wild West’ of music, study finds.
Worship professor Will Bishop said that focusing on the most popular worship songs can miss what churches are actually singing.
Sober Spirituality: The Joy of a Mindful Relationship with Alcohol
Sober Spirituality is well-written, easy to follow and clearly organized, but it isn't for everyone, writes Susan Graceson.
Books briefly noted: Non-fiction
Looking for a new non-fiction read? Amy Pagliarella has you covered.
But what can I do?
Ashley Mason Brown offers concrete ideas for how faith leaders can assist with lowering the rate of gun violence in the United States.
Pittsburgh Seminary awarded $1.25 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help establish its Faith Forming Families Network
The innovation lab is designed to help ‘rebuild the neighborhood’ as envisioned by the seminary’s celebrated alum, Fred Rogers.
Weeds among the wheat (July 23, 2023)
For the most part, humans can tell the difference between good and evil. And yet, the definition can get messy. What's a seed to do? Mark Hinds looks at the parable of the weeds.
Order of worship — July 23, 2023
You are welcome to use this liturgy in your online worship services and distribute it to your congregation.
God is a knowing God — Weekly Christian ed lesson
In this lesson, children will explore this psalm noticing God’s incredibly close relationship with humanity. Then, they will consider how being known by a loving, gracious God blesses us.
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