church

In light of the ongoing look at IHOP and other fallen leaders, I decided to re-release this article.

Henry Blackaby, a pastor who wrote the bestselling book Experiencing God and who launched a ministry that impacted the world, died Saturday. He was 88.

At least two people were wounded and one suspect was killed following a shooting at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas Sunday afternoon.

According to a new Lifeway Research survey, most Christians in the United States are moving to another church.

Cancel culture doesn't offer hope, forgiveness or redemption. Its judgmental and arrogant ways have penetrated the walls of the church: instead of asking how we can help others and offer hope, we come in with guns blazing. Nothing hurts more than friendly fire.

If you scour the internet, you will not these days be in short supply of stories of church scandals. Here are six biblical responses to church scandals – each drawn from William Carey’s famous “Deathless Sermon.”

The opioid epidemic claimed more than 40,000 lives in the U.S. in 2016 alone.

And the problem is growing particularly acute in Appalachia. In Tennessee, for example, 80 percent of crimes are drug related.

A conference was held in May of 2018 to address opioid addiction and brought clinicians, clergy and educators to the tip of southern Appalachia to begin a yearlong conversation on ways churches can help heal and support those caught in the epidemic’s grip.

Among its organizers was Dr. Raymond Barfield, a pediatric oncologist at Duke University who has a joint appointment at its divinity school. For five years he directed a program called “Theology, Medicine and Culture.” He now teaches courses on Christian philosophy and mentors students in the Medical Humanities Study Program.

This interview was edited for length and clarity.

Photo courtesy: ©GettyImages-Anastasiia-Guseva.jpg

Between that decade, the theologically liberal mainline Protestant denomination experienced a net loss of 286,610 members and 551 congregations.

"My response to one grandmother whom I have never met was not in any way a blanket recommendation to all Christians to attend LGBTQ weddings," said Begg, host of the radio program Truth For Life.

We’ve all had the experience of attending a new church where we don’t know anyone. It can be intimidating whether the church is small or large. You’re the new person, and everyone seems to know each other and gravitate into groups before or after church, so you might just slip in and out on a Sunday morning unnoticed. Many people have done this for years and miss the joys of fellowshipping and serving with fellow believers.

When I took a survey to see how churches might address the issue of overlooked people, few had any suggestions of what their church was doing beyond having friendly greeters. While the central purpose of attending church is to worship and hear the Word preached, it’s also a means of connecting with other members of the church family. When people don’t sense a welcoming atmosphere or feel overlooked, they’ll usually leave. Some people even become adverse to church entirely because of a bad experience or a church that feels cliquey or unfriendly. Others will keep searching and hopefully ultimately realize they need to also make an effort to become connected.

Let’s look at how the church, and we as congregants, can recognize the overlooked people in our churches and help them feel welcome and valued.

Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Keith Lance