Church Life

“Most people active in a church really do think their church is friendly. These members have relationships and interactions that give them that perceived reality. But when we interview guests of the same churches, we hear a different story.” - Rainer

“Paul’s exhortation to Timothy to devote himself to the public reading of Scripture in 1 Timothy 4:13 sets a precedent for the church today. Unfortunately, many churches struggle to incorporate this element into the weekly worship service.” - Andrew Lucius

“When I started pastoring… I just went. In most cases, a simple ministry of presence is the key. However, there are some strategic questions to ask before visiting someone in the hospital.” - Sam Rainer

“More than 38 percent of churchgoers wouldn’t change a thing among the 14 categories studied, according to ‘The Congregational Scorecard: What Evangelicals Want in a Church’ released Thursday and jointly conducted by Infinity Concepts and Grey Matter Research.” - BPNews

“When cutting church staff, I’ve heard of cases in which people were pushed out because of their age. Additionally, when hiring, many churches are overt in their search for ministry candidates. ‘We want someone young!’” - CPost

“… Endgame: The Church’s Strategic Move to Save Faith and Family in America, a new book by John Van Epp and J.P. De Gance… they point out that most ‘churches currently allocate almost no capital or energy either to marriage ministry or to ministry for relationship health.’” - IFS

“After an unprecedented swarm of tornadoes caused widespread devastation Friday, residents of hard-hit areas gathered Sunday to worship God, offer encouragement, and help meet needs. More than 50 twisters—including one with a 200-mile path—caused significant tornado damage in eight states.” - C.Leaders

“Our regular confession of the fundamentals of the faith is partly an endeavor to humble ourselves. In a global city like Vienna, we aren’t usually the first true church that one of our new members has encountered…. we regularly pray for their success. Indeed, we confess our unity with them in the gospel, that is, for instance, expressed in the Apostle’s Creed.” - 9 Marks

“During my current interim pastorate, I’ve challenged the church to memorize Scripture together. It has been such a fun experience that I wish I had done that during my 14 years of full-time pastoral ministry. Now more than ever, I see value in this approach to corporate memorization” - Chuck Lawless

“The problem of apathy has hit churches. Both leaders and congregants are struggling to move forward following the pandemic. A general lack of enthusiasm is defining the culture of many churches right now. What’s going on?” - Rainer