Saturday Lagniappe: 'Tool Belts and Seminaries' And More

Tool Belts and Seminaries
We need seminary. But in fairness to a seminary education, there are certain things it will never be able to impart, even if it tries.

Does it Matter Whether Seminary Education is In-Person or Online?
Does a residential experience really still matter?

The 11 Beliefs You Should Know about Jehovah’s Witnesses When They Knock at the Door
The following is a brief overview of what Jehovah’s Witnesses believe, along with what the Bible really teaches, printed among the many articles and resources in the back of the ESV Study Bible....

The Absence of Trust: 4 Keys To Rebuild When It’s Broken
When it comes to team failure (or the failure of any relationship for that matter), the absence of trust is the “first domino”; all the rest of the dysfunctions—fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability and inattention to results—flow out of that fractured foundation.

5 Things That May Be Hindering Your Prayers
Here are 5 things that can keep our prayers from getting through to God....

What is the vision we have for the children connected to our local churches?
It's an important question to ask. The danger is that we sometimes think that we need to entertain the kids, so that we can properly help the adults go deeper with God but the writer of Proverbs explains, "Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it" (Proverbs 22:6, NIV). My hope is that most churches want their children to become resilient disciples who choose to follow Jesus for themselves.

Getting the most out of parent and toddler groups
A new resource has been launched to support church toddler group leaders in supporting young children's faith and preparing them for school. The booklet, titled 'It's not just a parent and toddler group', has been created by Joanna Gordon, CEO of children's ministry Daniel's Den, Andy Frost of Share Jesus International, and David King, of the Gather Movement.

Free Bible Lesson: The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost
In this free Bible lesson, kids discover the significance of the Pentecost as they color an activity page and discuss the Scripture.

Leadership Challenges in the Horseshoe
One of the core concepts we have returned to regularly in our diagnostic writing about this cultural moment is that online networks have supplanted in-person institutions as the dominant forms of social belonging for most of our neighbors. One of the problems that follows from this is that online networks actually are better at spreading negative emotions than positive emotions. We are more incentivized to act online when we encounter content that makes us feel rage, fear, anxiety, and so on as opposed to when we encounter content that causes us to feel content, calm, or happy.

Sundays at All Hallows (Sunday, May 19, 2024) Is Now Online

Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows.

This Sunday is the Day of Pentecost. On this Sunday many churches celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus’ disciples in fulfillment of his promise and the birth of the Church.

In a number of denominations, it is one of four traditional baptismal Sundays in the church year. The other three are Easter Sunday, All Saints’ Sunday, and the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord (the First Sunday after the Epiphany).

In some Christian traditions, those which practice the rite of confirmation, young people and adults who were baptized at an early age make a public declaration of their faith in Jesus Christ on this Sunday and receive the prayers of the church with the laying on of hands.

This Sunday’s message is about how to experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit’s presence and power.

The section of the service in brackets [ ] may be omitted.

Readings: Acts 2: 1-21; Romans 8: 22-27; and John 15:26-27; 16: 4-15

Message: How to Experience the Fullness of the Holy Spirit’s Presence and Power

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2024/05/sundays-at-all-hallows-sunday-may-19.html

Please feel free to share this link with anyone who may be interested.

If you are new to Sundays at All Hallows, you may find these directions helpful:

-When you open the link to a video in a new tab, check auto-play to make sure it is in the off position. Otherwise, a second video with a different song will follow the first.

-If an ad plays when you open a link to a video in a new tab, click the refresh icon of your browser until the song appears.

-If a song begins partway through the video, click pause, move the slider to the beginning, and then click play.

-An ad may follow a song so as soon as the song is finished, close the tab.

May Sundays at All Hallows be a blessing to you.

Friday's Catch: 'What is a Gospel Centred Church?'

What is a Gospel Centred Church?
A gospel-centred church is marked by its Christ exalting worship, grace-filled community, and missional presence in the world.

Make Your Church a Safe Sanctuary
In a perfect world, churches would serve as true sanctuaries of safety and peace for all who enter their doors. Unfortunately, the reality of abuse within faith communities reminds us that constant vigilance is necessary.

How can the church help youth struggling with mental illness?
With the demands of social media and the stress and challenges of greater social isolation as evidenced during the COVID pandemic, youth today are facing significant pressure with limited support.

Don’t Fall for Flat Earth Theology
Why you can't just "love Jesus" and be done.

Hold to Christ and loosen your grip on the rest
The noted Cambridge historian Herbert Butterfield in his book Christianity and History, closes with the words: “Hold to Christ, and for the rest be totally uncommitted.” Those may be words most needed these days when we are tempted to place one ideology or another, right and left, ahead of or alongside Christ.

5 Major Truths in John’s Brief Letters
The timeless themes of John’s letters serve to equip the church in the midst of today’s cultural challenges.

God Forgives Because God is Faithful
Grace is such a tough concept for us to embrace. It’s simple enough to define – God’s undeserved favor – but nearly impossible to internalize for most people.

Vatican to weigh in on the supernatural, Marian apparitions
This Friday, the Vatican will release a document with new norms for discerning Marian apparitions and other supernatural phenomena, the first time those norms have been updated since 1978.

10 Ways to Connect with Today's Kids
"Today’s kids are not yesterday’s kids. If we are going to reach today’s kids,we must understand them."

5 Principles of Making Disciples and Enabling Spiritual Growth
Spiritual growth of believers should be the goal of any church. We are to reach unbelievers and introduce them to Christ, but the end goal according to the command of Jesus is making disciples. It would even make sense then, that as much as we count the offering or attendance on Sundays, if we want to know we are being successful as a church, we have to somehow “count” our success at making disciples.

Reflecting the Character of God
We reflect attributes of our parents for reasons of both nature and nurture. Many of our characteristics are genetic and hereditary (nature). We also become more like our parents in time, as we are impacted by their example (nurture). In the same way, you reflect your Father’s attributes because of nature and nurture.

Thursday's Catch: 'Why Are Churchgoers Disenchanted With Your Church?' And More

Why Are Churchgoers Disenchanted With Your Church?
Of the churchgoers who left the church for a reason other than a residential move, 1 in 4 (26%) simply became disenchanted with the church.

Church Planters: How Do You Find The First 50?
Experienced pastors share the keys to launching a new church....

Acts of Kindness Aren’t Random
...kindness is one fruit of the Spirit that we can’t practice in isolation. We might experience peace in our own hearts and minds or exercise self-control when we’re alone, but we demonstrate kindness in relationship. As Zechariah 7:9 illustrates, kindness isn’t something we show to ourselves; it’s something we show to one another.

Fostering Community: Group Activities for Children’s Ministry
Fostering community within your children’s ministry and church is like planting seeds in a garden. With loving care, attention, and welcoming activities, faith flourishes while friendships bloom. While fostering community among kids, parents, and guests, you nurture an environment where everyone learns and grows.

Summer Church Activities: 7 Faith-Builders for Families
Looking for summer church activities for families? Then check out these easy, inexpensive, yet powerful suggestions. The ideas are sure to spark great conversations about faith.

How to Create Your Own Small Group Curriculum
Good small group curriculum is written to the needs of a particular group. It causes that group to grow. It causes that group to stretch. It causes that group to think. It makes that group a little more like Jesus.

6 Reasons Our Discipleship Strategies Miss the Mark
If your church is like mine, your mission or vision or purpose probably includes some aspect of the Great Commission. Many of us have even gone a step further and proclaimed that we are in the business of making disciples and we’ll know we are succeeding when we make some amount of more and better disciples. So . . . if we’re all trying to hit the same target, why are so many of our discipleship strategies missing the mark?

It's time for a new thing in global Christian missions
When Jesus gave His command to His disciples to "...go and make disciples of all nations...", (Matthew 28 16-20 NIV), the only way then to reach people was to physically go into new areas and find places they congregated. This digital era in which we live presents different opportunities to reach people globally, and many would argue faster than ever before.

Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (Thursday, May 16, 2024) Is Now Online

 

Welcome to Thursday evenings at All Hallows.

Many churches conduct baptisms and confirmations, professions of faith with laying on of hands and prayer, on this coming Sunday, which is the Feast of Pentecost. It is also known as Whitsunday or Whitsun, so named after the white robes the newly baptized donned after they were baptized.

Today’s message takes a look at one of the principal ways Christians as disciples of Jesus are to differ from other people. Today’s prayers include intercessions for those who will be baptized or confirmed or both this coming Sunday, for all new believers, and those who do not yet believe.

The section in brackets [ ] may be omitted.

Reading: Ephesians 4: 17-32

Message: How Christians Are to Differ from Everyone Else

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2024/05/thursday-evenings-at-all-hallows_16.html

Please feel free to share this link with anyone who may be interested.

If you are new to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows, you may find these directions helpful:

-When you open the link to a video in a new tab, check auto-play to make sure it is in the off position. Otherwise, a second video with a different song will follow the first.

-If an ad plays when you open a link to a video in a new tab, click the refresh icon of your browser until the song appears.

-If a song begins partway through the video, click pause, move the slider to the beginning, and then click play.

-An ad may follow a song so as soon as the song is finished, close the tab.

May Thursday Evenings at All Hallows be a blessing to you.

Wednesday's Catch: 'The Power of Story' And More

The Power of Story
...here are a few guidelines for sharing stories of faith in a way that really connects with people in our world today (and helps us avoid pitfalls and off-ramps)....

“Engaging in the Public Sphere” featuring Kevin Slayton
How can church leaders better engage the public sphere and expand their prophetic witness? We speak with Kevin Slayton, a pastor with a passion for public policy and prophetic preaching, about building relationships, engaging in politics, and his book Politically Preaching, Why Politics Are Local to the Black Church.

ECFA's new standard seeks to combat burnout, ‘integrity failures’ among ministry leaders
As pastors and ministry heads face rising exhaustion and as each day seems to bring another leader facing allegations of misconduct, the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability is developing a new "leadership standard" for member ministries in the hopes of combating burnout and "integrity failures" in churches and charities.

Does Jesus' View of Grace Offend You? The Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard
Where is grace? Real grace. True grace.

The Real Unforgivable Sin
Do you know what the unforgivable sin is?The only unforgivable sin is rejecting the forgiveness of God.

11 Questions for Getting to Know a New Congregation
Robert Harris shares a method for interviewing congregational leaders and others to help an incoming pastor learn about a new congregation. He recommends interviewing a broad representation of leaders and encourages pastors to be relaxed and curious during the interviews.

7 Ways to Ensure You Miss Out on a Restful Summer
As we enter the often busy summer months, here are seven foolproof ways to ensure your summer is anything but restful.

Sing Your Heart Out, Christian
Just because we are not great singers doesn’t mean we shouldn’t sing. To the contrary, the Bible tells us explicitly to “make a joyful noise to the Lord” (Ps. 100:1). Joyful doesn’t necessarily mean pretty — but full of joy!

Why do religious teens engage in less risky behavior? A psychologist explains
Research suggests that a clear understanding of what is right and wrong contributes to engaging in less risky behavior.

Children, Hope, and Our Declining Churches
All of the beauty and majesty of the church’s past is remembered through our liturgy, our architecture, our tradition. And yet for many parishes and many places, there is no future because there are no children. Thus, the focus changes from handing on the gospel to fiddling with canons and prayers and slowing the decay of sanctuaries until the last gray head in the congregation is laid to rest.

Is Jesus Your Lord or Your Advisor?
If we only obey Jesus when he makes sense to us, then he’s not our Lord; he’s our advisor.

The number of religious ‘nones’ has soared, but not the number of atheists – and as social scientists, we wanted to know why
Social factors, from wealth to politics, may shape whether people who do not believe in God identify as an atheist.

Tuesday's Catch: 'A Small Church Is Still Part of the Big Mission' And More

A Small Church Is Still Part of the Big Mission
Don’t let the size of the mission overwhelm your church or distract you from it. The source of the mission is found in Christ alone.

What happened in the ten days between Ascension and Pentecost?
Between Ascension and Pentecost, the surviving eleven apostles replaced Judas and appointed the 13th apostle. This is the story....

Former Trump official Elizabeth Neumann wants to combat Christian extremism
'We've reordered, if you will, in the incorrect order: Politics is the premier as opposed to our trust and faith in Jesus,' said the extremism expert.

15 Misperceptions about Ministry 

Forty-three years ago last month, I began full-time ministry. Looking back, I realize now how many misperceptions I had about ministry then. Here are some of them—without much elaboration, since they’re usually self-explanatory....

Pastors and the Paradox of Being Resented and Revered
Here are three truths about the paradox of being resented and revered.

9 Tools for Leading a Life-Changing Bible Study
Having the right tools available can open a conversation around God’s Word that will eventually lead to discipleship. You don’t need seminary training to lead a great Bible study. All you need is some planning and a few tools.

An Unequally Yoked Small Group
About 14 years ago, Mun Kit Au and his wife, Josephine, a Malaysian Christian couple, left their small group to try a new small group approach to reaching non-believers. In this article Sarah Eekhoff Zylstral tells their story.

Dignifying the Digital Ordinary
What does it mean to be a prism of God's light on social media? In what ways do our digital "doors" point people to the cross?

Living and Drifting when in Transition
What is it about the middle? Don’t you find that we often quit in the middle? We get scared, and then we quit. We run out of money, and then we quit. We run out of time, we’re not serious enough, we lose interest, we settle for being mediocre, or we just focus on the short term instead of the long term…and then we quit. And doesn’t all of that usually happen when we’re in the middle?

10 Things You Should Know About the Fruit of the Spirit
Just as physical fruit is a delight to our senses, spiritual fruit is a delight to our souls. Through the Spirit working within us, God produces a harvest of good fruit that can be shared with others. As we anticipate his harvest, here are 10 things we can savor about spiritual fruit, from the authors of our new devotional, Fruitful: Cultivating a Spiritual Harvest that Won’t Leave You Empty.

Monday's Catch: 'The Hidden Reason Churches Nail Worship' And More

The Hidden Reason Churches Nail Worship
The hidden reason churches nail worship is because the pastor leads out in worship.

5 Results Every Pastor and Church Desires From a Building Project
No matter what size of building project, what the scope of work, or what the budgetary constraints, every renovation, expansion, or new construction project has challenges and potential pitfalls. The responsibility of your building partner is to help you navigate all the hurdles, obstacles, and challenges with as little interruption to your main focus – ministry – as possible. A building partner who understands this responsibility and takes it seriously, will deliver a project that meets or exceeds these 5 criteria.

A Christian view of suicide and assisted suicide
In thinking about the proposal to legalise 'assisted dying' from a Christian perspective there are two preliminary points that need to be noted.

10 Big Things Jesus Said That We Keep Forgetting
I apologize for the title. Everything our Lord said was “big.” It’s just that some of His statements in particular seem to have been muted in recent years. See what you think.

Empowerment in Ministry: Unleashing the Power of Delegation for Pastors
Delegation has transformative potential for you and your local church, unlocking new levels of impact in your ministry and church.

8 Blessings of Studying Your Bible
Between the “already” of your conversion and the “not yet” of your final home going, few things are more important in the Christian life than a practical and functional level of biblical literacy. One of the Father’s most important gifts to his children in the here and now is the gift of his Word. Without studying your Bible you simply won’t be what God has called you to be and consistently do what God has commanded you to do. Studying your Bible gives the ability to draw wisdom and insight out of the pages of his amazing Book.

How to Plan a Pastoral Hospital Visit
Showing kindness to the sick from a distance—paying bills, meal trains—is surely not wrong, but what is interesting about the biblical command to visit the sick is the emphasis Scripture places on embodied presence.

12 Easy Ways to Improve Your Listening
True listening isn’t just hearing words but selflessly seeking understanding. It’s the quietest way to shout, “I love you.”

The 'E-Word'
Episcopalians are not the only churchgoers for whom the topic of evangelism is toxic. Researcers tell us that just 6% of the churches in the United States engage in evangelism.

Practicing Christians, Scripture engaged more skeptical of AI than general public: poll
Practicing Christians and Scripture-engaged believers are more skeptical of artificial intelligence than the American public as a whole, according to a new survey.

Saturday Lagniappe: 'The Mark of a Political Christian' And More

The Mark of a Political Christian
There is to be one defining mark of a political Christian.

6 Reasons Why Christians Behave Badly
It's not fun to be treated poorly by anyone, but why do people who are supposed to be loving, kind, and forgiving—yes, I'm referring to Christians—behave badly? Here are six reasons....

New Pastor, Stay at Your Church Longer than 5 Years
Why? It takes time for a congregation to adapt to you as their pastor, for them to see your love. It also takes time for you to demonstrate you can persevere in faithfulness and rest in God’s grace.

4 Subtle Signs of Stress
For years doctors have warned us that prolonged stress can hurt our bodies such as causing high blood pressure and stomach problems. But as neuroscientists learn more about our brains, they’re discovering that stress can diminish brain functioning which in turn shows up in subtle ways in our bodies. Take the quick self evaluation below and ask yourself if any of these are true of you.

Confronting the Challenges of Leading Evangelism
Many pastors and leaders feel that leading evangelism is the most challenging part of their job...A first barrier that many pastors face is the enduring split between the clergy and the laity, the pastor and the people, the professional and the lay.

United Methodist Church passes historic resolution on persecuted Indian Christians
UMC calls on US State Department to declare India a “Country of Particular Concern”

Sundays at All Hallows (Sunday, May 12, 2024) Is Now Online

Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows.

This Sunday, the Sevent Sunday of Easter, or the Sixth Sunday after Easter, depending upon the liturgical calendar that a church uses, is also known as the Sunday after the Ascension. It is the only Sunday in what was traditionally called Ascentiontide, which begin on Ascension Day and concludes on the Saturday before the Feast of Pentecost, or Whitsunday.

When you read a Scripture reading or the message, it is recommended that you read them aloud, so you hear the words as well as read them. Read the prayers aloud too and join in the songs whenever and wherever you can. In the case of the songs a good place to start is the refrain.

You are encouraged to take advantage of the silence after each reading to reflect upon what you heard and read and to take advantage of the silence after today's message to do the same.

Readings: Acts 1:15–17, 21–26, 1 John 5:9–13; John 17:6–19

Message: A High Priestly Prayer

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2024/05/sundays-at-all-hallows-sunday-may-11.html

Please feel free to share this link with anyone who may be interested.

If you are new to Sundays at All Hallows, you may find these directions helpful:

-When you open the link to a video in a new tab, check auto-play to make sure it is in the off position. Otherwise, a second video with a different song will follow the first.

-If an ad plays when you open a link to a video in a new tab, click the refresh icon of your browser until the song appears.

-If a song begins partway through the video, click pause, move the slider to the beginning, and then click play.

-An ad may follow a song so as soon as the song is finished, close the tab.

May Sundays at All Hallows be a blessing to you.

Friday's Catch: 'How faith leaders can get a grasp on the mental health crisis' And More

How faith leaders can get a grasp on the mental health crisis

Clergy can’t solve every congregant’s mental health problem, but we can be a conduit of information and help.

10 ways church leaders can support people with mental illnesses
This post suggests 10 ways pastors and other church leaders can support people with behavioral haalth issues.

How Safe Spaces Contribute to Mental Health
This post examines the importance of creating safe spaces for people with behavioral health issues.

When Confused Church Leaders Speak on Combat Trauma and PTSD, Warriors Suffer
In a recent viral video, John MacArthur, the well-known pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, told attendees of a Bible conference in California that “there’s no such thing as PTSD.”...MacArthur, like many other faith-based leaders, has an incorrect and unbalanced view about mental health issues and solutions. His uneducated and ignorant comments demand a direct rebuttal.

“Innovating to Build Communities Where All Can Flourish” featuring K Scarry
How can a passion for helping people flourish lead to social innovation? We speak with K Scarry about social innovation and the ways she is supporting local artists, helping create spaces where everyone can thrive, and more.

Harlem church offers vegan cooking classes to promote healthy lifestyle
‘We’re showing people that you can eat healthy and satisfy your taste buds,’ said Karen Phipps, director of the church’s health ministry.

A Year After COVID-19, Pastors Reflect on Lessons Learned
Nearly a year after the official end of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, pastors are looking back on the lessons they learned.

Guidelines for Healthy Clergy Transitions
Susan Nienaber says all major life transitions can be hard, but ministry transitions come with unique challenges. She provides helpful guidance on how a pastor and congregation can make a healthy transition when clergy come and go.

5 Church Factors That Influence a Pastor’s Health
In many ways, pastors’ wellness is intertwined with their churches. These five church factors play a role in the pastor’s health.

Saying Goodbye in the Sermon
Beverly Zink-Sawyer says the sermon can provide a way of offering a good and gracious “goodbye” to a pastor, preacher, or member of the congregation who is leaving. She provides guidance on acknowledging the past while also claiming the hope in what is yet to come, a list of dos and don’ts, and key biblical references.

Thursday's Catch: 'Renewing the Small Church With the Kintsugi Model' Ad More

Renewing the Small Church With the Kintsugi Model
In the church today, we seemingly discard “broken” churches and close their doors. What if, instead of closing churches, we began repairing them to make them more valuable for the community? It will take a dedicated leader and maybe even denominational officials to see value in what was and is before them—to find or develop a leader who captures the congregation’s imagination for what could be in and out of the church and going about the work in which honors God but respects the past. It embraces the community to reach its neighbors like never before with a future-forward focus that brings new life to the local church and neighborhood.

The Spirit God Gives Us in Difficult Times Like These Everyone is struggling. This has been an extraordinarily difficult time in our world for many in ways financially, physically, mentally and spiritually. As believers, we can be encouraged that God wants to give us a specific kind of help during seasons like these. We don’t just go with the flow of culture, but we flow with the wind of the Holy Spirit.

What is Ascension Day and why do we celebrate it?
Thursday 9th May is Ascension Day, which is a public holiday in many countries. This is the story.

7 Essential Requirements For All Good Leaders
If you were to assess your personal leadership ability, how would you assess yourself today?

How Much Should Churches Pay Their Pastors?
The Bible tells us to use wisdom when determining how much to pay a pastor. The Apostle Paul says that a “worker is worth his wages” and “don’t muzzle the ox while he treads the grain” (1 Tim. 5:18). But what kind of salary does that translate to?

Entrusting Kids With Responsibility
We all want our kids to stay connected with Christ and the church when they grow up. And studies tell us that those who were given a chance to contribute in the life and service of the church at a young age had a higher probability of not leaving the church and ditching their relationship with Christ when they left home.

3 Things You Should Be Doing Every Week in Children's Ministry
...today let's talk about 3 things you should be doing every week in children's ministry. Great children's ministries are not built on programs or events. Rather, they are built by doing these 3 things week in and week out.

Are You Ready to Produce Mobile Phone Video?
When I started out in television production, the cost of a camera was out of sight. And depending on it being a film or video project, the cost continued to climb. But today, we carry around a TV studio in our pocket and more and more filmmakers are embracing the idea of producing projects on using mobile phone video.

Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (Thursday, May 9, 2024) Is Now Online

Welcome to Thursday evenings at All Hallows.

This Thursday is Ascension Day, a special day in the liturgical calendar, which commemorates three very important events in the history of salvation. After the risen Jesus gave his final instructions to his disciples and promised to be with them always, he ascended into heaven. The instructions he gave and the promise he made were not just for them alone but for future generations of his disciples until his coming again in glory.

In this evening’s message we will consider the implications of his instructions and his promise for his present-day followers.

Readings: Daniel 7:9-14; Matthew 28: 16-20

Message: The Great Commission

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2024/05/thursday-evenings-at-all-hallows_9.html

Please feel free to share this link with anyone who may be interested.

If you are new to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows, you may find these directions helpful:

-When you open the link to a video in a new tab, check auto-play to make sure it is in the off position. Otherwise, a second video with a different song will follow the first.

-If an ad plays when you open a link to a video in a new tab, click the refresh icon of your browser until the song appears.

-If a song begins partway through the video, click pause, move the slider to the beginning, and then click play.

-An ad may follow a song so as soon as the song is finished, close the tab.

May Thursday Evenings at All Hallows be a blessing to you.

Wednesday's Catch: "20 Truths From ‘Attentive Church Leadership’" And More

20 Truths From ‘Attentive Church Leadership’
“A frog waits for food to come to him, but lizards seek out their food. Churches today need to be more like lizards and less like frogs. Now the call is to go where people live, work, and play with the Good News of Jesus.”

Yet many churches still cling to the mindset, "What can we do to induce more people to come to us?" Jesus did't sit on his keister and wait for people to come to him. Like the good shepherd of the parable, he went in search of the lost sheep.

From Idea to Implementation: Three Keys for Change Efforts in Churches
Most church leaders have ideas, but not all ideas lead to change. What separates the dream from reality?

5 Things Prayer Has the Power to Do
We often hear the phrase, “There is power in prayer,” but what does prayer have the power to do? The ultimate power in prayer is that God acts as our Father, giving us good things when we ask. He desires to do good to us, and he answers when we pray, but to help us meditate even further on the power of prayer, here are five things prayer has the power to do.

The Case for Small Groups
"If you think community is an important part of healthy church life, and I hope you do, then small groups should also be important to you. They are actually crucial to the church’s health. I’m not the only one who thinks so—we have the research to back it up."

A Good Neighbor
As Christians we are, and ought to be, a blessing to our community by being good neighbors. This means keeping the Ten Commandments. We must devote ourselves to this and seek strength from God to do it. Christians are not just another special interest group that makes demands of our community and culture. We are here to serve, not be served. And we serve by being good neighbors. As a good neighbor, we must be there.

Love the Neighbors You’re Reaching
As we seek to reach our neighbors with the gospel, one way we love them is by honoring their language, traditions, and customs.

6 Lessons for Evangelism From Youth Soccer
"Over hundreds of hours coaching teams, leading practices and going to games, I learned some amazing lessons. Surprisingly, many of them carry over nicely to the topic of evangelism. Here are some of the best lessons I learned from youth soccer. I hope they help you mobilize your whole church for the work of evangelism."

Boy Scouts of America changing name to gender-inclusive 'Scouting America'
The Boy Scouts of America has announced it will change its name to “Scouting America” to reflect a more gender-inclusive tone in its programs, which allow girls to enroll. In an announcement on Tuesday, the BSA said the change to Scouting America will take effect on Feb. 8, 2025, the 115th anniversary of the organization's founding.

Southern Baptists, losing members, find solace in baptisms and better attendance
While membership in the nation’s largest Protestant denomination is down, participation in worship and baptisms went up in 2023. But a new statistical report found that many Southern Baptist Convention churches do little to address sexual abuse.

Also see: Annual church profile reveals Southern Baptist's resurgence in baptisms, worship: 'Reasons to celebrate' and SBC membership declines again but not as much, while number of churches still decreasing.

Baltimore Catholic parish closures a ‘punch in the stomach’ with long-term impact
Parish closures in the nation’s oldest Catholic diocese are part of a nationwide trend of dioceses restructuring in response to falling Mass attendance and priest shortages.

Also see: Under 1% of Catholics agree with denomination's teaching on sanctity of life issues: report

Tuesday's Catch: '6 Reasons People Leave Your Church' And More

6 Reasons People Leave Your Church

People will leave a church for a variety of reasons. Here are some common reasons that they leave.

3 Episcopal dioceses vote to unify pending denomination approval
Three Episcopal Church dioceses based in Wisconsin have voted in favor of a measure to unify into a single regional body, a proposal that still needs approval from the denomination. Last week, the Episcopal dioceses of Eau Claire, Fond du Lac and Milwaukee held a joint special convention in Baraboo, where clergy and lay leaders overwhelmingly voted to become one regional body.

The United Methodist Church will also be undergoing restructuring in coming months as its General Conference voted to reduce its number of bishops. This restructurig may affect its implementation of other changes adopted at the General Conference and how Methodists react to these changes at the local level.

After vote to repeal LGBTQ bans, many gay Methodists are now fully out
On the first Sunday after the conclusion of the denomination’s General Conference, many queer United Methodists celebrated their release from the tight and narrow spaces that had confined them.

5 Ways to Encourage Legacy Building
There are valid reasons, as we all know, that people don’t (or can’t) give. As a church leader, caring for our congregations and communities must come before encouraging a long-term financial commitment to the church. If it doesn’t, we’re not fulfilling our calling and we’ll lose the people we’re meant to serve. But it’s imperative that, as the church leader, you address the issue of finances. Even as immediate needs are being met. It’s crucial for your church to survive and thrive long-term.

Leadership in 4 Words
Heart -> Connect -> Trust -> Follow These four words provide a foundation for relationally-based leadership that when connected to a vision, will serve any leader well.

What does it mean to take the Bible literally?
People often ask if Christians should take the Bible literally. Some people complain that Christians take the Bible too literally, others complain that Christians don't take the Bible literally enough. What should we do?

What Is This Thing Called Bible Study?
If you search your Bible for the phrase “Bible study,” you won’t find it. A big part of the problem is that the word “Bible” never occurs in most English Bibles. Even if you search for just the word “study,” you won’t find quite what you’re looking for.

I do not recommend this method of informal Bible study. It is actually a misuse of the Bible as a form of divination.

1. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to a passage that speaks to your life.
2. Flip the pages of your Bible and drop your finger at a random spot.
3. Read the verse you’re pointing to.
4. Reflect on how to obey the verse you just read.

One man trying to decide what was God's plan for his life, tried this method. The first passage his finger landed on was "Judas hung himself." Nonplussed, the man tried again. The second passage his finger landed on said, "Go, do likewise."

Summer Break and the Challenge of Home
For many, going home over breaks can be challenging. If you’re a student about to head back home for the summer, here are four ways to help you face the difficulties.

What the Children in Your Church Need to Know About Marriage
As we reckon with cultural changes concerning sex and marriage, here are five things the children in your church need to know about marriage.

A Christian’s Perspective on Artificial Intelligence
...as AI has become more powerful and capable over the past several years, we are being confronted with the realization that although AI may offer benefits, there may also be significant risks to harnessing increasingly powerful AI technologies. As Christians, our biblical theology should guide all our perspectives regarding the use (and misuse) of artificial intelligence technologies.

Monday's Catch: '9 Ways to Bridge the Trust Gap Facing Today’s Church Leaders' And More

9 Ways to Bridge the Trust Gap Facing Today’s Church Leaders
Feeling the divide between leading a church and the community you serve? Discover how we can bridge this growing trust gap.

Rejection: How if Affects Leaders
In this post Charles Stone unpack the painful thing called rejection.

With a final flourish, United Methodist conference eliminates all anti-LGBTQ policies
The reversals came in the wake of a schism that saw the departure of a quarter of its US churches — more than 7,600 congregations — over the past five years.

How the recent decisions of the UMC General Conference will affect the local UMC church remain to be seen. Based upon the experience of the Episcopal Church decisions made at the denominational level or judicatorial level, while hailed by the denomination or judicatory's progressive wing, can have a substantial negative impact at the local level. The events of 2003 seriously damaged the Diocese of Louisiana, resulting in the closure of a once thriving church plant, a serious drop in attendance at a second thriving church plant, the reversion of a parish to mission status, and significant drops in attendance at many churches across the diocese. A number of clergy and congregations would disaffilate from the Epscopal Church and eventually join the newly formed second Anglican Church in North America. The diocese has never fuly recovered from the fallout of these events.

And also with the UMC: Where doctrine ends and culture begins 

Not surprisingly, some actions taken by The United Methodist Church’s General Conference last week are being characterized as unbiblical by those who believe they alone hold the only correct interpretation of the Bible.

Also see: Who Really Speaks for African United Methodists – 'R'hetoric

I was not able to find an analysis of the developments in the UMC from a traditionalist point of view. I would have liked to have presented both points of view.

Americans exaggerate their frequency of worship attendance, study finds
Americans significantly overstate their rate of church attendance, concludes a paper published this month by a University of Chicago business school professor National Bureau of Economic Research. Dr. Devin Pope reviewed cellphone geodata from over two million Americans to examine their behavior with respect to religion. Pope concluded that only 5 percent of those surveyed attend services each week, and only 21 per cent attend each month – based on their location on Sunday mornings as determined by their cell phone location.

Membership decline steepens
The COVID-19 pandemic saw a significant decline in church attendance, marking a “radical discontinuity” even with previous downward trends, the Anglican Church of Canada’s statistics officer says. Canon Neil Elliot presented data from 2022 diocesan returns in a January report sent to bishops and diocesan executive officers based on parish statistics. The statistics officer said he did not collect numbers in 2020 and 2021 since COVID-19 shut down churches for much of that time.

Ministering to Moms in Your Congregation
Each church is different, and its leaders should determine the best approaches to ministering to the moms of their specific congregations.

A 16-Point Checklist for Retiring Pastors
This 16-point checklist, therefore, serves as a reminder of items to consider. It is not a one-size-fits-all guideline. It is also specifically written for pastors and other vocational ministers. Since I have a finance background, I’ve probably spoken to a few hundred pastors about retirement over the past few years. I hope this checklist covers many of your questions.

Are You Living Out These Truths?
From the beginning, the Lord’s people talk a better game than we live. So many biblical truths look good on paper and sound great when we’re spouting them. And yet, judging by the way we live, the Lord’s people probably do not believe the following....

Short-Term Missions on a Shoestring Budget
Is there a way to engage in short-term missions in a faithful, helpful, and still budget-friendly way? Jason Sevile think so. Here are five suggestions for those on a shoestring budget.

What Our Evangelism Is Missing
The mysteries of the gospel are deep and rich and not easily summarized in an article. But nevertheless, here are a few key things we regularly seem to miss about Jesus’ ways of life and preaching.

Sundays at All Hallows (Sunday, May 5, 2024) Is Now Online

 

Welcome to Sundays at All Hallows.

Before his betrayal and arrest Jesus gave a new commandment to his disciples: “Love one another in the way I have loved you.” He told them that the world would know them to be his disciples by their love for one. another.

Jesus did not give that commandment just to them. He gave it to succeeding generations of his disciples. Love for one another was to be their trademark, their brand. It would set them apart from everyone else.

How are we doing?

Reading: Acts 10: 44-48, 1 John 5: 1-6; John 15: 9-17

Message: How to Overcome the Barriers to Loving One Another

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2024/05/sundays-at-all-hallows-sunday-may-5-2024.html

Please feel free to share this link with anyone who may be interested.

If you are new to Sundays at All Hallows, you may find these directions helpful:

-When you open the link to a video in a new tab, check auto-play to make sure it is in the off position. Otherwise, a second video with a different song will follow the first.

-If an ad plays when you open a link to a video in a new tab, click the refresh icon of your browser until the song appears.

-If a song begins partway through the video, click pause, move the slider to the beginning, and then click play.

-An ad may follow a song so as soon as the song is finished, close the tab.

May Sundays at All Hallows be a blessing to you.

Saturday Lagniappe: '3 Summer Program Ideas to Engage Your Community' And More

3 Summer Program Ideas to Engage Your Community
Summer is on the horizon, and that means routines often get tossed out the window. Keeping the community engaged in faith can feel like wrangling cats. Worry not! Summer is not only a time to do creative fundraising, it’s also an opportunity for churches to ditch old routines. Take the opportunity to design short-terms programs that captivate your community and deepen their faith journey. 

It’s Time to Get Serious About Church Security
Churches need to budget for trained security. Phil Cooke explains why.

Preparing to Receive a New Pastor from a Different Racial or Cultural Background
How can a congregation help an incoming pastor from a different racial or cultural background lay the groundwork for successful ministry? The United Methodist General Commission on Religion and Race shares strategies and resources to help congregations and leaders in cross-cultural ministry partnerships begin on the right foot.

4 Reasons Your Church’s Payment Package for Pastors May Be Wrong There are at least four reasons your church should move to a salary-and-benefits approach instead of a payment package for pastors.

New Pastors Should Make Time to Listen
Sidney Williams writes that a top priority for a new pastor needs to be listening to the stories of congregants to discern needs, learn who the leaders are, and build community. The importance of spending time listening, sharing, laughing, and crying together cannot be overstated.

Liturgy and Ecclesiastical Triage
What should someone prioritize when they search for a church? The answer to this question involves what we might call “ecclesiastical triage.” Considerations fall along the lines of a list of priorities.

Worship Team Summer Tips to Deepen Your Roots
Hey Friends! Summer is upon us, so here are some worship team summer tips to help your ministry grow deeper roots.

17 Service Projects for Youth Groups
Looking for new ideas to get your youth ministry students involved in service this year? We’re all called to be the hands and feet of Christ, and we believe that one of the greatest opportunities a youth ministry can provide is practice serving for their students! So here is a list of some of favorite ideas from our friends in student ministry.

Video Clips Made Easy
wo things are obvious in our world today: Church attendance is declining drastically and social media consumption is exploding exponentially. Where then should churches go to reach out and share our faith? The answer is obvious—to social media hubs of all sorts, preferably through short videos, such as YouTube Shorts and TikTok videos.

The Role Anxiety Has Played in My Spiritual Growth
Anxiety shows no favoritism. It can affect anyone, regardless of their occupation, age or spiritual maturity.

Weekly Church Attendance Leads to Better Health
Numerous studies demonstrate the overall health benefits of regular church attendance. Why aren’t we talking about this?

Friday's Catch: 'United Methodists redefine marriage, end official condemnation of homosexuality" And More

United Methodists redefine marriage, end official condemnation of homosexuality
A condemnation of homosexuality that has riven the denomination for 52 years was eliminated from the United Methodist Church’s rule book.

Also see Church ends 52-year-old anti-gay stance and UMC removes rule that homosexuality is ‘incompatible with Christian teaching’

United Methodists strike down ban on ordination of gay clergy 

With a simple vote call and without debate, delegates to the General Conference removed the ban on the ordination of ‘self-avowed practicing homosexuals’ — a prohibition that dates to 1984.

Also see: UMC delegates remove ban on LGBTQ clergy by consensus vote

Global Methodist Church reacts to UMC votes to allow LGBT clergy, same-sex weddings
The Global Methodist Church has issued an official response to the United Methodist Church's General Conference votes to drop the denomination's decades-old ban on ordaining noncelibate homosexuals and allow the blessing of same-sex weddings.

Methodists Approve Full Communion with Episcopal Church
The United Methodist Church’s General Conference has agreed by a 95 percent majority to accept a proposed full-communion agreement with the Episcopal Church. The Episcopal Church’s General Convention must also approve the agreement before full communion becomes a reality.

Deacons can now preside at sacraments in their appointments 

Deacons can now preside at the sacraments in their appointments without needing explicit permission from their bishop.In what presiding Bishop David Graves called a “historic moment,” General Conference on May 2 passed new legislation granting authority to deacons to preside at the sacraments in their ministry settings. This means deacons can now offer Holy Communion and conduct baptisms where they have been appointed to serve, whether that is a church, outreach ministry or mission.

This development and the existing rules in the UMC Book of Discipline permitting licensed local pastors (LLPs) to preside at the Lord's Supper, consecrating the elements as well as distributing them, may prove an obstacle to the proposed full-communion agreement with the Episcopal Church. LLPs are lay persons who are authorized to preach sermons, plan and lead worship services,administer the sacraments, and provide pastoral care in a specific circuit. In the Methodist Church in Britain they are known as licensed lay preachers.

How a beloved worship song became the theme song of Christian nationalism
‘How Great Is Our God’ has long been one of the most popular worship songs in Christian churches. Since 2020, it’s also become a theme song for Christian nationalist protesters.

This paragraph of the article particularly caught my eye. "'How Great Is Our God' also harks back to an earlier era of worship music, she said, before megachurches such as Hillsong, Bethel and Elevation dominated the industry. The hit songs churned out by those churches often rely on vocal acrobatics and sophisticated arrangements — filled with white space and instrumentals, which makes them harder to pick up spontaneously." It is the dominance of the songs from these sources that accounts in part for the decline of congregational singing. The older worship songs are much more accessible and memoriable.

Christianity's Future
Now Christians face another challenge. If current trends continue, using Bishop Doyle’s sea imagery, the receding tide of Boomers will mean that by 2035, Christianity in North America will drop to 10 percent or less of the population...This story of decline should give every Christian leader today, especially the leaders of the Episcopal Church, a sober awakening, and a sense of urgency.

8 Dangers of "A La Carte" Christianity 

Literally, “à la carte” means, “at or according to the menu”—and we’ve understood it to mean choosing what we want from a smorgasbord of options. Chuck Lawless fears that description fits how many believers live out their Christianity, too: they pick what they want and leave the rest on the counter. Here are some dangers of that approach—dangers that might also signal if we’ve moved in this direction....

What Did Jesus Teach about Total Depravity?
There are various texts within the Gospels where our Lord highlights man’s inner and outer depravity. Perhaps the clearest example is recorded in Mark 7:15–16, 18–23, where he taught....

Three Commonly Held Objections to the Gospel in India
Every culture and nation has its own unique objections to the gospel. Here are some of the most commonly held objections to the gospel in India.

Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (Thursday, May 2, 2024) Is Now Online

Welcome to Thursday evenings at All Hallows.

Since the early days of Christianity, Christians have begun and ended each day with praise and prayer offered to God. This practice would eventually evolve into what are called Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer in the Anglican Church and in Matins and Vespers in the Lutheran Church. Other Christian traditions also have their equivalent of these two services. They are a beautiful way of consecrating and setting apart the day to God.

Reading: Matthew 7: 24-27

Message: No Part-Time Disciples

Link: https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2024/05/thursday-evenings-at-all-hallows.html

Please feel free to share this link with anyone who may be interested.

If you are new to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows, you may find these directions helpful:

-When you open the link to a video in a new tab, check auto-play to make sure it is in the off position. Otherwise, a second video with a different song will follow the first.

-If an ad plays when you open a link to a video in a new tab, click the refresh icon of your browser until the song appears.

-If a song begins partway through the video, click pause, move the slider to the beginning, and then click play.

-An ad may follow a song so as soon as the song is finished, close the tab.

May Thursday Evenings at All Hallows be a blessing to you.

Thursday's Catch: '18 Common Mistakes Made When Going Multisite' And More

18 Common Mistakes Made When Going Multisite
Though nearly 8 out of 10 multisite campuses are flourishing, many multisite campuses struggle, and a small number do fail. Why do people return to the sending campus after launching a multisite campus or even go to another church? What hinders sent people from becoming staying people at a church they helped birth in their own community? What is the key to retaining the launch team and sustaining a growing multisite campus?

Before You Modernize Your Church Building
There are plenty of ways to modernize your church building without having to ruin the history of the building by renovating it or tearing it down to build something new.

Church Shopping, Hopping, and Should It Be Stopping?
Contrary to how some view the church today, leaving a local church is no small matter. It’s a family where you’ve invested in others and others have invested in you. It’s a community united to Jesus Christ, gifted in a manifold of different ways for service, for the purpose of displaying Christ to others and becoming more like Him (cf. 1 Cor 12).

Three Key Questions to Ask Your Mormon Friends
he LDS church gets a lot right, but the most important things it gets wrong. Here are my three go-to questions that get to the heart of our most important differences.

Five Things Clear Core Values Can Really Do for You
I’d like to suggest they really do matter. But discovering and defining them is only the beginning. Learning how to USE them in your organization is where the difference is made.

7 Essential Preaching Skills to Reach a Post-Christian Audience
As you know, everything is changing, and that includes preaching. Many Western nations have become post-Christian over the last century: Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand just to name a few. America has been a holdout—until recently.

The Response of Preaching: Why the Invitation Matters
Oddly, some preachers today avoid extending Gospel invitations when they preach. That seems so unbiblical and strange. Why tell people about salvation and not give them the chance to receive it?

Switching, Not Ditching
Your phone rings with the dreaded Saturday night phone call. Even as you answer, you know how this conversation will go. One of your kids ministry volunteers is canceling. That inevitable phone call or text or email that says “I’m sorry…” followed by the reason and rationale for why a volunteer can’t fulfill on the commitment they have made happens all too frequently.

Ed Stetzer: 4 Reasons Small Groups Are Vital to Your Church’s Health
If you think community is an important part of healthy church life, and I hope you do, then small groups should also be important to you. They are actually crucial to the church’s health. I’m not the only one who thinks so—we have the research to back it up.

A Starting Point for Strengthening Your Church’s Discipleship
Here’s a way to strengthen your church’s discipleship efforts today.

Five Cultural Trends Killing the Church's Mission
But while some, albeit loud, voices are telling you to look over there, you might be missing some everyday cultural shifts occurring that are having a greater and unnoticed effect on the church. In fact, it is now becoming clear that these trends are killing the mission of the church far more effectively than the hot-button issues that get all the attention. Here are five that come to mind....

3 Necessary Shifts in the Way We Think About Missions
After more than 30 years of serving as a local church pastor, I have learned that we must make a few critical changes if we are going to have the kind of global reach God desires. Organic outreach in our church and around the globe will happen as we embrace specific changes in attitude and action.

Remember the 4 ‘Alls’ of the Great Commission
In the Great Commission Report, issued ahead of this year’s meeting of the Lausanne Congress for World Evangelization in Seoul, South Korea, Victor Nakah and Ivor Poobalan offer a theological basis for “the Great Commission” as one of the most-used phrases within global Christianity today...I’m grateful for this contribution in their introduction to the Great Commission Report, especially for opening my eyes to the four “alls” in the missionary mandate Jesus gave his disciples, as seen in Matthew’s formulation.

How You (Yes, You!) Can Share Jesus
People all around us are wondering about the meaning of life—about their identity and their purpose—and they’re often eager to talk about it with someone who’s open to listening. And these conversations provide perfect springboards to care for people and share the Good News of Jesus.

Wednesday's Catch: 'United Methodist conference begins to drop contentious rules restricting LGBTQ clergy' And More

United Methodist conference begins to drop contentious rules restricting LGBTQ clergy
Among the rules overturned were a ban on bishops ordaining LGBTQ candidates for ministry, a ban on funding for LGBTQ affinity groups as well as a series of mandatory penalties for clergy who officiate same-sex weddings.

UMC General Conference removes much of LGBTQ restrictions in consensus vote
The 52-year battle over the exclusion of LGBTQ people from full participation in The United Methodist Church turned a major corner April 30 through a parliamentary move designed to adopt measures that have broad consensus from legislative committees.

April 30 wrap-up: Some LGBTQ bans lifted, Episcopal communion approved
On the second full day of General Conference voting, delegates fast-tracked a large number of items via the consent calendar.

40-year ban on gay clergy struck down
In an emotional morning, General Conference eliminated the ban on “self-avowed practicing” gay clergy. Following the vote at break, delegates and observers sang hymns in joy. General Conferences continues to quietly reverse some of The United Methodist Church’s longtime restrictions against LGBTQ members. More potential changes are to come.

TIME’s ‘If He Wins’ interview with Trump doesn’t mention religion, faith or religious liberty
A 5,000-word interview with Donald Trump published April 30 in TIME magazine does not mention the words “church,” “religion,” “faith” or “religious liberty” anywhere. The sweeping article focuses on what Trump plans to do if sent back to the White House in this November’s presidential election. If that agenda has any faith component to it, that is not included in this article.

Virginia church with historic ties to SBC will vote on leaving due to Law Amendment
A Virginia church with deep historical ties to the Southern Baptist Convention will vote May 19 on a proposal to sever ties with the SBC due to the denomination’s intolerance for women serving as pastors.

Only 6% of self-professed Christians hold biblical worldview amid increasing syncretism in the US: survey
Only 6% of Christians have a biblical worldview as many Americans embrace syncretism, according to a new survey. The Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University released a new batch of research from the American Worldview Inventory 2024.

Teaching the Trinity: Deep Waters, Strong Churches, Robust Joy
Without the Trinity as the core of our beliefs, every other doctrine of our faith starts to come unglued and unhinged.

The little known story of how Victorian Christians re-invented May Day
Maypole dancing was re-invented in the Victorian era as a tradition for Church of England schools. This is the story....

Survey: New Data on Bible Reading Released
The American Bible Society has released the first installment of its State of the Bible USA 2024 report. The first chapter, titled “The Bible in America Today,” examines the incidence of Bible usage and Bible reading in the United States in addition to sampling respondents’ views on the effects of the Bible on their lives.

US birth rate continues to drop, lowest in decades: CDC report
The U.S. birth rate has continued to decline, according to recently released statistics, with the reported number of babies born in 2023 being the lowest in decades.