How can the Christian church thrive when others do not seem interested? Each church must admit its own faults and oversights, so that it can become the Church that God desires. In order to thrive, the Church must be comprised of people who are devoted to God’s Word and who minister to the needs of others. Anything less than that leads to decline.
As Christians, we are called to help and serve others, especially those with the greatest need. As we do so, not all efforts achieve the results that we would hope. To fulfill our calling, it’s essential to evaluate (and re-evaluate) how our mercy ministries function, and then change our approach accordingly. To assist in this process, consider this article by Christianity Today that rates the impact of various mercy ministries: Cost-Effective Compassion: The 10 Most Popular Strategies for Helping the Poor By evaluating the effectiveness of a ministry, we can ensure that we doing what is most helpful, not merely…
“For the leader, creativity is essential. Life is constantly changing, but people always fear change. The leader is responsible to help them adapt and do something new. So, by increasing creativity, suffering or deprivation may feed the springs of leadership in a young soul.” Leighton Ford (Transforming Leadership, 42)
As a gift from the Gospel Coalition, here are 7 free D.A. Carson books that have been read and loved by many. I am looking forward to reading these, and I wanted to pass them along. The books are in PDF format that can be downloaded, printed, or transfered to an e-reader. 7 Free Books http://tiny.cc/freecarsonbooks Many thanks to Andy Naselli for offering these links on his blog. In addition to these books, there are hundreds of additional resources available at Carson’s bibliography.
The family was designed by God to be a unique place, the most basic form of community, where much of our spiritual growth can occur. Because God designed families, churches should support families and minister to them. In this effort, churches need to encourage families to live out their faith outside of Sunday morning. It is during the week, within the natural context of our home, where we make our daily decision to follow Christ. At a formal level, midweek gatherings help parents, children, and youth to refocus on Christ. At the same time, there needs to be balance. Especially…
Hark, the voice of Jesus calling, “Who will go and work today? Fields are white and harvests waiting, Who will bear the sheaves away?” Loud and long the master calls you; Rich reward he offers free. Who will answer, gladly saying, “Here am I. Send me, send me”? If you cannot speak like angels, If you cannot preach like Paul, You can tell the love of Jesus; You can say he died for all. If you cannot rouse the wicked With the judgment’s dread alarms, You can lead the little children To the Savior’s waiting arms. If you cannot be…
Helpful comments from C.S. Lewis on experiencing the “art of worship” within familiar forms: “Every church service is a structure of acts and words through which we receive a sacrament, or repent, or supplicate, or adore. And it enables us to do these things best– if you like, it ‘works’ best– when, through long familiarity, we don’t have to think about it. As long as you notice, and have to count, the steps, you are not yet dancing but only learning to dance. A good shoe is a shoe you don’t notice. Good reading becomes possible when you need not…
As Christians, we should have a modest view of technology within the context of ministry – not too lofty and not too lowly. In itself, technology does not have the power to change lives, but God can use technology (such as the printing press) to further His kingdom. We live in a unique age that requires a theology of technology, and we need to think before we embrace whatever is before us. Rather than overdosing on technology, the Church should use it strategically. Some tools can save time, which in effect can produce more time to interact in person. Some…
What makes “Christian” art? This debate has gone on for many years, but at least in my circles, the discussion has not progressed very far. In some ways, this question can be misleading because there is not necessarily a single answer. There are at least 3 ways to define Christian art: 1. In terms of source: art made by a Christian individual or a group of Christians. 2. In terms of motive: art intended to minister to others or to glorify God in a general way. 3. In terms of message: art that communicates a message about the Christian God…