Walking along the beach is one of my happiest times. What is it about that meeting place of water and land: the sound of the water? The breeze? The birds? …
One thing I can guarantee you: if you follow Christ, it’s eventually going to get you in trouble. There are many in situations of authority and influence who do not…
Jonah has had a transforming experience. He had been living his faith his way. Look where it got him. God wasn’t interested in making Jonah sorry, though; God is interested…
The number one reason for a decline in evangelism in the churches is the sum of all the others: resistant theological systems, changing culture, fear of offending, accepting the notion,…
Anyone besides me hesitant to start a conversation about Jesus, hesitant to share your faith? We don’t want to offend anybody. Society and culture tell us religion is private, and…
Churches just aren’t as evangelistic as they used to be. For Presbyterians, that might not be saying much, but it still ought to cause each of us to pause a…
Between the glory of Easter and the glory of Pentecost, I’m speaking about evangelism; a decline in evangelism, actually. We Presbyterians probably haven’t noticed it, as we haven’t historically invested…
On our way to Pentecost, I’m considering Baptist pastor and church consultant Thom Rainer’s insights regarding a decline in evangelism in the church over the past, well, decades. The Acts…
Over these weeks taking us to Pentecost, as I’m reading the Acts of the Apostles, I’m considering Thom Rainer’s insights regarding a noticeable decline in evangelism. Acts is like our…
Seven years ago, pastor and student of church effectiveness Thom Rainer identified several reasons why churches have become less evangelistic.[1] Rainer had his Baptist constituency mostly in mind, since Presbyterians,…