Listening to Young Atheists: Lessons for a Stronger Christianity
- They had attended church
- The mission and message of their churches was vague
- They felt their churches offered superficial answers to life’s difficult questions
- They expressed their respect for those ministers who took the Bible seriously
- Ages 14-17 were decisive
- The decision to embrace unbelief was often an emotional one
- The internet factored heavily into their conversion to atheism
Sincerity does not trump truth. After all, one can be sincerely wrong. But sincerity is indispensable to any truth we wish others to believe. There is something winsome, even irresistible, about a life lived with conviction.
Ten Ways Millennials Are Shaping Local Congregations Today
- More of them are attracted to smaller venues.
- They see culture as something to influence, rather than an enemy to denounce.
- They like to cooperate with others.
- They abhor worship wars.
- They love churches that love their communities.
- They are attracted to churches that emphasize groups.
- They want to be trained on their schedule.
- They will question almost everything.
- They are slow to join, and slow to leave.
- They want to be involved.
Can The Weak And Strong Get Along?
For Paul, that is not enough. If the church will be united under one God and one Lord, it must shift its focus from knowledge to love. The church is united, not through arriving at the same knowledge, but through loving one another. Divisions are not the result of a knowledge problem, but rather a heart problem.
When I speak up, my prayer is that it is a “God thing”, not a “Jamie thing”. I’m learning to take my friend’s advice, and before I speak up, I ask God: (1) am I the right person? (2) Is this the right thing to say? (3) Is this the right time to say it? (4) Am I saying it in the right way?
You Might Want to Fact-Check Your Pastor’s Sermon
None of these statistics is true.
People who go to church have lower divorce rates, churches in the U.S. aren’t dying out, 80 percent of young people who read the Bible or go to church aren’t shacking up, and Facebook isn’t ruining a third of U.S. marriages.
And that stat about Christians who think youth groups are bad for teenagers comes from an online, unscientific survey by a Christian nonprofit that believes youth groups are unbiblical. So they created a survey that produced some statistics to prove their point.
Teenager Made Corsicana Walmart His Home
The teen wasn’t just hiding in the store. He built a secret hidden compound and was able to call the 24-hour store home for 2 1/2 days before being discovered.
Oregon police deal with report of chicken crossing the road
An Oregon resident called non-emergency dispatchers to report that there was a chicken crossing the road in Linnton and slowing traffic because it was taking too long to get to the other side.