My identity has too often been tied to the successes or failures of the ministries that I lead—and too frequently in unhealthy ways.It's easy to find yourself counting heads at church on a Sunday or eyeing up the funds that were raised on any given week, wishing...
The world is changing—that's always a true statement—but perhaps never as fast as it has been changing the last few decades, and never more evident when it comes to issues of morality and sexuality. The reality is, we as parents have an obligation to...
The world is changing—that's always a true statement—but perhaps never as fast as it has been changing the last few decades, and never more evident when it comes to issues of morality and sexuality.The reality is, we as parents have an obligation to teach...
For more than 60 years, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship has been a leader in discussions about race and diversity among evangelicals.It began after an incident in the late 1940s, according to former InterVarsity President Alec Hill, who stepped...
Why are so many people not growing deeper in their relationship with God?The Bible tells us that we should be conscious of ourselves and of our teaching. Paul instructs Timothy, "Practice these things; be committed to them, so that your progress may be evident to all"...
Last week, LifeWay Research released new data from a recent study on how Christians, and all Americans, think about the existence of a creator.A friend of mine, Mary Jo Sharp, wrote a blog post for me on her reaction to the data and what it...
I was recently interviewed by PE News, which is the official news source of The Assemblies of God, about church culture myths that are believed and spread by many throughout the country who are both inside and outside of the church.As I always say, facts are our...
As someone who both cares about the mission of the church and leads a research organization, I watch the trends in the church and the culture. Occasionally, someone asks me to share some thoughts on the big picture, in the case of the North American context,...
Worship is one of those fascinating topics that can both unite and divide the church. I've heard it said that "worship matters most"—seemingly a bit of a strong statement, but the question is: Is it true?Worship: Because We Were Created for SuchJohn Piper, in...
Many church leaders are recognizing a heartbreaking reality. We have received the good news of the gospel but we're not actually communicating that good news. Paul writes to the church in Corinth that we are compelled by love in particular because...
I am a child of the contemporary church movement, having come to Christ in a church that would be considered contemporary at that time.The contemporary church movement is what I've known in most of my life in ministry. I've planted six churches that were...
If you grew up Catholic (like I did) you probably heard the phrase, "Leave a little room for the Holy Spirit."Honestly, I don't remember if I actually heard someone say it to me or heard a joke about it. Either way, it's generally about a nun giving dating...
At some level, all Christians want their churches to be influential in carrying out the work of God. One pathway to increased influence is a road we often overlook—the one behind us.Looking back can be good. It can give us wisdom and perspective. It can also...
There are parts of the globe where the greatest church growth is happening through the Pentecostal movement. One of the most frequently asked questions is: "In a world where the church seems to be declining in many areas, how they are bucking the trend?"There is never...