A new Pew Research Center survey finds that U.S. adults overwhelmingly say houses of worship should be required to follow the same rules about social distancing and large gatherings as other organizations or businesses in their local area. About eight in 10 Americans (79%) take this position on religious exemptions from coronavirus restrictions, four times the share who think houses of […]
Its possible that the church will change more in one year than it has in the last 50 years. I know that can be frustrating when the big question is "How will it change?" and so often the answer is, "We don't know." The truth is that we are all figuring out how to reinvent church together, and […]
As a leader and pastor, there are some tough questions I face every day. Actually, they’re more in my face than Id like. What do you do when the “new normal” seems very abnormal? How do you move forward when you are awfully unsure who is moving with you? When did fear and frustration become the forces that control so many lives? This article explores what is needed for church renewal and revival.
Ascent Community Church in Colorado uses its space to offer its neighbors crazy generosity through community space.
Excerpted FromLeading Small Groups That ThriveBy Ryan Hartwig, Courtney Davis and Jason Sniff Both pastors and leaders indicated to us that their greatest needs are recruiting and developing leaders. Even though ministries are spending a ton of time and resources discussing strategies for developing small group leaders, there still are not enough effective leaders. If we […]
I dont know who wrote this but Ive seen it pop up in my social media feed over and over and over these past few months: I believe churches are meant for praising God, but so are 2 a.m. car rides, showers, coffee shops, the gym, conversations with friends, strangers, etc. Dont let a building […] This article explores the importance of church gathering.
Make room for God to work through it and thrive in singleness.
Your church may have restarted physical gatherings or soon be about to. Some churches are a few weeks into this uncomfortable experienceno singing, mask-wearing, spaced out seating. Its not surprising that some people have been thinking, We waited four months for this? Maybe youre still joining in worship online for the time being. We all […] This is a good time to examine our hearts and return to the heart of worship.
This year has been filled with a wide range of emotions: fear, confusion, grief, anger, loneliness and sadness. Most people are tired, stressed, burned-out and craving the stability of “normal life.” This difficult year is taking a significant toll on our mental health individually and collectively. For some, the chaos of the last few months … Continued
For the church to respond rightly to miscarriage, we must first see and feel the grief of suffering parents and the biblical truths it illuminates. I began to understand this grief six years ago when supporting parents grieving a miscarriage. We rejoiced when we learned that my brother and sister-in-law were pregnant at the same time as us. About to take […]
