An older pastor once told me that at Christmas, the Christian and secular cultures sync to embrace the joy of the season. But I have also learned another factor has power to bring these communities together and even open gospel doors—tragedy.
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Recently our church completed a renovation project of our sanctuary and surrounding education space. This portion of our campus had not been updated for more than 30 years. It was a huge endeavor. The whole process, from the planning stage to completion, took the better part of a year.
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Early in my first pastorate, I was advised to avoid favoritism by treating all my church members exactly the same. It took me several years to root this ministry myth out of my system.
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What is an emotional affair and why must pastors, elders and ministry leaders fight against succumbing to this temptation? According to one online source, “An emotional affair is a non-sexual relationship involving a similar level of emotional intimacy and bonding as a romantic relationship.” The writer adds that emotional affairs often begin as a friendship and then move to something more involved.
How long does it take to create a culture of prayer in a church? No matter how much your church needs a culture of prayer, it won’t happen after a single sermon on prayer, or an announcement of your vision or one dynamic prayer meeting.
Jim Cymbala knows what it’s like to face discouragement. In his early days of ministry at what was then a tiny congregation meeting in a rundown old building in Brooklyn surrounded by heroin and crack addicts, he became so dispirited that he wanted to quit.
Do you have any goals for your prayer life? C. S. Lewis once said, “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”
Most Americans pray, and many pray every day; but what do we pray about? Not surprisingly, according to Lifeway research, 74 percent of Americans pray for their own needs and difficulties. Predictably, most people pray for their own problems, since troubles and challenges are common to everyone.
Does your morning schedule affect your prayer life? Is the time you pray important?
Christian leaders have correctly identified numerous problems with the wholesale endorsement of the meditation exercises promoted by both Hinduism and Buddhism. Still, according to Pew Research, a higher percentage of evangelicals than Hindus meditate in any given week in America. Where is the disconnect? Are Christians and Hindus talking about two different things?
In 1549 Thomas Cranmer organized the publication of The Book of Common Prayer, which is still used today by millions of people in the worldwide Anglican Communion. Speaking with a sense of humor, the late J. I. Packer said, “Long before the age of fish and chips, the Book of Common Prayer was the Great British invention, nurturing all sorts and conditions of Englishmen and holding the church together with remarkable effectiveness.”
John Wesley took a dim view of pre-revival America, but he had a plan to change it. Wesley spent time in the colonies and reported, “I desired as many as could to join together in fasting and prayer, that God would restore the spirit of love and of a sound mind to the poor deluded rebels in America.” Even a side glance at the current cultural moment demonstrates that prayer and fasting are just as urgently needed for the “poor deluded rebels in America” today as they were when the nation was new.
What if God wants us to pray for more? Most of us believe we should pray more, but should we pray for more? In other words, is our prayer list too thin?
Are you motivated to pray? The word “motivation” doesn’t appear in older dictionaries since it wasn’t coined until the mid-19th century and didn’t come into common use until the 20th century.
