Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Wednesday Roundup: Eleven Articles


3 Reasons We Stopped Doing Multisite Church

It's hard to lead locally from a distance. Read more

Two Lists: One for a Healthy Church, One for a Big Church - And They Don’t Overlap

The list of ingredients for a healthy church is short and simple. The list for a big church is large and complex. We need to know the difference. Read more

8 Ways to Stop Biggering and Start Bettering the Church

We can make the church grow, or we can watch the church grow, and the difference boils down to bettering instead of biggering. Read more

Knowing What People Give 

One pastor's thoughts on when to check church donor records. Read more

How to Stay Sane in Church

Getting the right balance can be difficult, because churches run largely on the goodwill of the congregation and, as Christians, many of us are naturally helpful. We want to serve the Lord, so if we see a need we feel duty bound to meet it. The trouble is, without some self-intervention, you can easily end up forgetting that church isn't just a place where you give – it should also be where you receive, a place that refreshes your spirit. Read more

7 Attributes of a Maturing Leader

... you can often spot a maturing leader. They share common attributes. Read more

9 Things That Have Replaced Traditional Outreach

When I began my journey as a church consultant in the 1980s, I had one tried-and-true approach to determine the outreach effectiveness of a church. I would simply ask to see the records of the number of home visits the prior month. I would then compare that number to the average attendance of the church. It was a pretty basic, yet accurate, way to see if the church was likely to grow in the future. Read more

Book Review: The Book of Common Prayer; A Biography

Despite such notable lapses in execution, the greatest limitation of Jacobs’s narrative is the inability of his Anglo-Catholic perspective to appreciate the spirituality of Cranmer’s prayer books on their own terms. Jacobs recognizes the importance of Scripture for Cranmer’s liturgy, but not the double reason as to why. Read more

What Is a Christian’s Responsibility to Government?

The New Testament gives us some broad principles on how we are supposed to respond to government. For example, Romans 13 elaborates on the origin and institution of government as something that God ordains. Read more

Islamic State jihadis 'may be posing as Syrian refugees'

Lebanese government minister claims as many as 2 per cent - one in 50 - of refugees could be "radicals" entering Europe hoping to carry out terror attacks. Read more


Can Pakistan Declare Ahmadis Non-Muslim?

They follow the teachings of the Quran, revere Muhammad as the prophet of Allah and pray five times a day facing Mecca. But in Pakistan, Ahmadis are officially designated non-Muslims, and they suffer what one leader described as “egregious and ongoing” persecution. Read more

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