Seven Reasons Why Church Worship Centers Will Get Smaller
The trend for the past four decades has been to build increasingly larger worship centers. And while the large worship center will not disappear, you will notice more intentionality to build or buy smaller. Why? As I look at the church landscape in America, I see seven reasons, and only two of them are related to declining attendance.
Lord’s Prayer: The Anti-Success Line
As middle class North Americans we believe ours is a world where resources are plentiful, even unlimited; only those who do not try hard enough are poor. The dude at the corner with a cardboard sign must be lazy or, worse, cursed for disobedience to God. That would be the only explanation for not having a piece of the unlimited pie. Therefore being poor is connected to sin and sloth in our minds. This means we often interpret “give us our daily bread” as “give me the strength to get my piece of the pie.”
The Real Problem with Mark Driscoll’s ‘Citation Errors’
But there is something truly troubling here, in my view. Not that “Pastor Mark Driscoll” carelessly borrowed a section of a commentary for a church-published Bible study, but that “Pastor Mark Driscoll” was named as the sole author of that Bible study in the first place.
This is faith like a child. To pray for something God knows I want with annoying consistency and fervor. To believe the answer is already purchased, that I have only to wait for the proper time. To trust the character of the One I am asking. And when the answer arrives, to turn it into praise.
Missionaries and Mission-Trippers
I am still waiting for a prominent Christian leader to give up his megachurch, or his conference itinerary, or his radio show, to disappear into the far reaches. But it never happens, does it? I have much less to give up than many of those prominent leaders, but even then I feel myself clinging to it so tightly. I’ve become what I never wanted to be.
Being Against Gay Marriage Doesn’t Make You a Homophobe
Ambrosino supports legal gay marriage. He believes that gay sexual relationships are a good and wholesome expression of human sexuality. In other words, he and I couldn’t be any further apart on this substance of these issues. Nevertheless, I really appreciate what he is arguing for in this article. Against the overwhelming opinion of others in his community, he does not believe that opponents of gay marriage should be demonized or considered bigots.
NAILED IT: This Ad Calls Out 5 Ridiculous Double Standards Women Face In Less Than 60 Seconds
In a widely-read study, business school students were given a case assignment on Heidi, a real-life successful entrepreneur in Silicon Valley. But there was a catch. Half of the class randomly received their case with one teensy tiny change made: The name “Heidi” was changed to “Howard.” Afterward, the students were surveyed, and though Heidi and Howard were found equally competent (as they should have been because they are the same person), the students found Howard much more likeable.
The President Obama ‘Jingle Bells’ Remix You’ve Been Waiting For
Just for Christmas, the YouTube gurus at Baracksdubs have gone through countless hours of speeches from President Obama to create this “Jingle Bells” remix. Merry Christmas fellow Americans …