Mars Hill Bellevue Becomes ‘Bellevue Church’; Lead Pastor Bows Out
Bellevue Church registered with the Secretary of State’s Office two weeks after Driscoll’s resignation
“Lead Pastor Thomas Hurst announced his resignation to the congregation during the 10:30 a.m. service on Sunday, two days after Mars Hill announced that it would dissolve with its 13 “campuses” set loose to form new churches, consolidate with other churches or dissolve.” The big Bellevue campus of Mars Hill Church has filed registration... Continue Reading
Growing Reformed Churches: Doing The Simple Things
Our churches should be kind and gracious to newcomers
The rationalism and subjectivism of some of the plans for church growth and/or revival have left a bad taste in the mouths of confessionalists but there are some common sense, practical steps that confessional congregations can take to reduce unnecessary barriers and to make them more accessible both to those who do not yet know... Continue Reading
Russell Moore, Rick Warren To Join Vatican Conference On Marriage And Family Life
The Vatican will host religious leaders from across the religious spectrum later this month for a conference expected to defend traditional marriage as between a man and a woman
The Nov. 17-19 conference, “An International Interreligious Colloquium on The Complementarity of Man and Woman,” will feature about 30 speakers from 23 countries and 14 religions. The conference has been in the works for at least a year, said Helen Alvare, a law professor at George Mason University who is handling communications for the gathering.... Continue Reading
Top Ten Ways Churches Drive Away First-time Guests
A guest shows up for a worship service, but he or she never returns: why?
Having a stand up and greet one another time in the worship service. This response was my greatest surprise for two reasons. First, I was surprised how much guests are really uncomfortable during this time. Second, I was really surprised that it was the most frequent response. If you attend a church regularly, you’ve probably... Continue Reading
From Under the Basket to City on a Hill
We are the light of the world, and that light is either under a basket or shinning as a city on a hill
It’s unfortunate that it’s so easy for many churches to have a vision that, at least implicitly, extends as far as their four walls. There is comfort and safety in staying hidden, in secluding ourselves in the corner. But, like a candle that is put under something, soon the oxygen will run out and the... Continue Reading
Texas Congregation Suing Presbyterian Church (USA) To Keep Property After Leaving Denomination Over Its Stance On Homosexuality
Windwood Presbyterian Church of Houston has been waging a legal battle to not have to pay to keep their church property after having left Presbyterian Church (USA) earlier this year
“Windwood Presbyterian is not the only congregation that has attempted a legal measure to retain possession of their property without having a pay a sum to their former presbytery. Highland Park Presbyterian Church, a megachurch located in Dallas, had voted to leave before Windwood and also filed a lawsuit attempting to not have to pay... Continue Reading
Supreme Court Won’t Hear Dispute Over Episcopal Church Property In Texas
The Supreme Court has turned away a pair of appeals from the national Episcopal Church in a dispute over church property claimed by a breakaway sect in Texas.
The justices on Monday [Nov. 3] let stand two Texas Supreme Court rulings in favor of the Fort Worth Episcopal diocese, which has held on to 52 church properties worth more than $100 million since breaking away in 2008. The diocese opposes the consecration of gay bishops, ordination of women and other policies its leadership... Continue Reading
Mars Hill Will Dissolve into ‘Individual, Self-governed Churches’
Each of the locations has an opportunity to become a new church
The Mars Hill Church is dissolving itself, with 13 remaining campuses of the troubled mega-church becoming “autonomous, self-governed entitles,” in dramatic news posted Friday on the church website by Lead Preaching Pastor Dave Bruskas. Mars Hill has been a centralized, top-down operation under Lead Pastor Mark Driscoll, who resigned earlier this month after an investigation... Continue Reading
14 Questions Church Leaders Should Ask about Church Finances
Does the church’s budget reflect faith, futility, or foolishness?
If we really trust that God will provide for our churches in all areas, including finances, we may realize that we do not have a money problem; we may have a stewardship problem. These fourteen questions can be a starting point to help you move toward a realistic and faith-based approach to church finances. ... Continue Reading
The Rural Church Potential
Explicitly or implicitly, the modern church seems to place little to no value on the rural church
The benefits of a rural community can (and should) become the benefit of the rural church. I’m not waging a campaign trying to abolish the city church. Even though I don’t want to live in the city, I pray the preaching of the cross would reach the ears of Felix, Festus, and Agrippa. But one... Continue Reading
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 357
- 358
- 359
- 360
- 361
- …
- 566
- Next Page »