Pastors & Pews Vastly Disagree on Discipleship Success
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On behalf of The Navigators and NavPress, Barna Group studies the state of Protestant spiritual growth.
“Pastors acknowledged that encouragement when it comes to their own churches. While only 8 percent said they are doing ‘very well,’ another 56 percent said their church was doing ‘somewhat well at discipling new and young believers.’”
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Should our churches educate our people in Church History?
I have been pastoring the same church for 32 years, and only once have I taught a series on Church History. I will be doing an extended one with a retired pastor friend after the New Year.
Have I been wrong to wait so long to do this? Or is church history not-so-relevant compared to so many other things? What do you think?
We are talking about a survey of church history — not super extensive, several year classes (although that would be included).
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Should our churches educate our people in Church History?
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Should We Celebrate Advent?
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“We’ve never done that here before.”
That brief statement was intended to provide a comprehensive resolution to my introduction of an Advent candle into the services of the church I pastored several years ago. I had asked each of the deacons to begin one of the morning services during the four Sundays of Advent by lighting an Advent candle and sharing a two-minute testimony regarding the importance of the season.
I thought that the mounting popularity of Advent calendars, candles and wreaths within evangelical (i.e., non-liturgical) churches would allow our small fellowship to enjoy this simple ceremony—possibly forging a meaningful new tradition. At least it would be better than two more minutes of announcements, I surmised.
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Is it wrong to decorate church for Christmas?
See this article: “cultural celebrations are permissible observances for individual Christians, but they represent an unwarranted intrusion when they are introduced into the ministry and services of the local congregation … [eg festooning evergreens with lights and ornaments, fashioning garlands of tinsel and holly] … they are nowhere authorized by Christ or His apostles for inclusion in the leitourgia of the church … I enjoy all the bric-a-brac of tinsel and trees, logs and nogs, ca
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Is Every Christian a Missionary?
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Is Every Christian a Missionary? “It turns out this is not an easy question to answer—it’s kind of a loaded question whose answer really depends on how you use the term ‘missionary.’”
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Rob Bell's Successor Steps Down as Pastor of Mars Hill: 'Being a Pastor Is Not Who I Am'
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“Kent Dobson… told the congregation during Sunday’s service that he will be stepping down from his role in the coming months to pursue a “ ‘greater mystery.’”
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Brothers, We Are Not Chefs - On the Necessity of Skill in the Biblical Languages
I recently presented a paper (Integrating Exegesis and Exposition: Preaching and Teaching for Spiritual Independence) in which I asserted that if the literal grammatical historical hermeneutic is warranted, then we must apply it not only in the exegetical process (the process of interpreting and understanding the Bible), but also in the process of applying and teaching the Bible.
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