The message to those of us who are leading Christmas services is clear: Whatever else you do, make sure to set aside time just to tell the Christmas story. Let the beauty, simplicity, and majesty of the narrative wash over and sit with the congregation.
Category: USA
Seek Ye First Your Personal Contentment
A curious new set of data has been reported by LifeWay Research that looks at the intersection of consumerism and the Christian faith in the United States. The a summary of the report can be found here. What makes the report curious is that the most active American Christians (those who attend worship services at…
“Jesus I know, but who are you?”
Jesus is well known and accepted in American pop culture. The challenge is not for Christians to teach more about him, but to demonstrate that he is worthy of ordering our lives.
Going Small; Earning Trust
Rather than despair when the church is losing its cultural credibility, Christians can look to build trust through relationships at the local level.
What American Christians Misunderstand about What Americans Think about Them
Do Americans’ perception of Christianity match what American Protestants think they are? Not really, but there is a way forward.
How We Honor and Overcome Our Stories
In a time when many Americans feel trapped, it is time to consider how we can honor our values while overcoming the false narratives that insist we keep doing what we always have.
Majority of Biden and Trump Supporters Agree: Religion’s Role in Politics
Americans backing both candidates have found a point they agree on, and it is one that should give Christian leaders across the theological spectrum in the United States pause.
The End of Evangelism in the Public Square?
Does the lack of comfort Christians and non-Christians alike have with inviting others to change their beliefs mean that evangelism as a practice is no longer possible in the United States? No. Does it mean that certain practices of evangelism should be retired, at least for this cultural moment? Absolutely yes.
Reframing “Spiritual but Not Religious” as “Belief but Not Accountability”
The “spiritual but not religious” hold to spiritual beliefs and practices that allow them to claim personal spirituality without being held accountable to any sort of religious community, set of doctrines, or even to God. It is a spirituality without accountability.
Can Christians Share the Good News When No One Likes Them? Pat Robertson, Public Opinion, Hatred and Evangelism
From the perspective of Christian evangelism, there is one clear and deeply concerning trend in the US today: Christians and religiously unaffiliated people do not like each other. There are at least two major problems with this.