It’s tough to work in parachurch ministry. It can be lonely. Many of these ministries work with transient populations like high school kids or college students who are here today, moving on tomorrow. On top of that, many churches can clash with or misunderstand the role of these ministries, neglecting them or ignoring their purposeContinueContinue reading “A How-to on Parachurch Ministry by John the Baptist”
Category Archives: Church
Platt Wasn’t Enough for My Church
(Andy Schmitz is the Lead Pastor of Redeeming Grace Chapel in Kankakee, Illinois. He also blogs at andyschmitz.tumblr.com) I pastor a fantastic church. My congregants are passionate about the gospel of Jesus Christ, robust biblical preaching, and family-inclusive discipleship. But there’s also something a bit unique about my church. Before I became their lead pastor in AugustContinueContinue reading “Platt Wasn’t Enough for My Church”
Lent: ‘Be Ye Imitators…’
(Brian Preston is the Pastor at Bush River Baptist Church in Newberry, SC. He graduated with an M.Div. from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and he has particular interest in Early Church History and the Church Fathers.) Among my Christian friends on Facebook I’ve recently seen comments, pros and cons, regarding the season of lent. PleaseContinueContinue reading “Lent: ‘Be Ye Imitators…’”
What Continuationism and Cessationism Are Not.
A few years ago at The Gospel Coalition, Thomas Schreiner and Sam Storms wrote companion articles presenting the cases for cessationism vs. continuationism with regards to certain spiritual gifts. Schreiner argues that gifts like apostleship, prophesy, tongues, and possibly healing have ceased since the closing of the canon and the death of the apostles. Storms assertsContinueContinue reading “What Continuationism and Cessationism Are Not.”
Sabbath-breakers: Meeting on the “First Day”
Why do we as Protestants, Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and…well, almost everyone except Seven Day Adventists, excuse ourselves from observing the Sabbath on the seventh day of the week? God is pretty clear in Exodus 20:9-10–“Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God.ContinueContinue reading “Sabbath-breakers: Meeting on the “First Day””
Bad News: Compared to Deadmau5, Worship is Boring.
The other week, I logged into Spotify, and on the main page they were live streaming the Made in America concert hosted by Jay-Z. I watched for a few minutes at the bizarre display. Deadmau5 was performing–a DJ who makes dance/trance music for the mainstream. As a DJ, the main draw of his performance wasContinueContinue reading “Bad News: Compared to Deadmau5, Worship is Boring.”
Cloudy Confessions: “I’m Struggling With…”
We’ve all been in this situation, whether in an accountability group or care group time. We are all going around and asking for prayer, and inevitably someone mentions something that they are “struggling with.” It might be that they are “struggling with having patience with the kids at home.” It might be that they areContinueContinue reading “Cloudy Confessions: “I’m Struggling With…””