Which is rubbing off more: the Church on the Marketplace, or the Marketplace on the Church? Journalist, author, and UCC minister G. Jeffrey MacDonald is convinced that North America’s consumer mentality is shaping the Church in some worrisome ways – that we’re becoming more interested in value, convenience, and comfort vs more biblical values of [...]

Sure, it may not sell in many church circles today – but Margot Starbuck’s invitation to discomfort for the sake of others has invigorated her ministry and the thousands she addresses. Margot, an author, speaker, and Presbyterian minister, just moved with her family into a community being formed around young adult friends with disabilities. In [...]

The ethical shortcomings we hear about in the news every day are, unfortunately, not absent from the Church. Whether it be financial, sexual, or some other scandal, not only are they common, but there are ways to handle them that can minimize the pain. Susan Nienaber is a Senior Consultant with the Alban Institute and [...]

Church burnout rates may be at an all-time high for church leaders says author, speaker, and founder of the Transforming Center, Ruth Haley Barton – and she’s on a mission to fix it. Ruth is the talented visionary who believes that congregational responsibilities can put unbelievable stress on church leaders that can literally kill them. [...]

Ten years ago evangelical Tom Harper joined with Thom Rainer to offer a resource to churches and pastors that would help them build healthy congregations. The result? ChurchCentral.com. Billed as a mega-blog, it consolidates essays, including a very helpful ‘White Papers’ area – and features articles and videos aimed at inspiring church leaders. Tom’s also [...]

“Certainly not MY sermon!” – Yep, Princeton Seminary PhD candidate Stephen Cady says he was just as shocked to discover this – and other things – about the spirituality of young people. When Stephen embarked on his research – to discover where high school aged young adults find God in worship – he never expected [...]

The Rev. Dawnn Brumfield’s public battle with her weight (one she’s now currently winning) serves as a metaphor for her greater ministry: one that’s had to start by simply being herself. Brumfield, a progressive, non-denominational church planter, has worked for years in youth ministry, and says that the authenticity she’s needed to connect with young [...]

Sure, it’s a cheeky way of putting it – but Wycliffe College Evangelism Professor John Bowen has some very serious things to say about how Christians witness to their faith. His helpful definition for evangelism is: ‘Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, helping people take steps toward discipleship.’ In this interview, this seasoned academic [...]

Raising up the next generation of Christian leaders is something today’s church 1) needs, and 2) is not doing well – so says Dwight Moody, which is why he’s doing something rather substantial about it. Dwight runs The Academy of Preachers and says it’s the most ecumenical outfit in North America – attracting hundreds of [...]

Probably not – but he would’ve used Facebook! So says Vanderbilt University Scripture scholar Amy-Jill Levine. Her insights into the Jewishness of Jesus and the Scriptures, have helped many Christian leaders come to a more authentic understanding of Jesus and his ministry. Dr. Levine, author of The Misunderstood Jew and The Meaning of the Bible [...]

It’s arguably the most violated of all the Ten Commandments. You know, the fourth one that says ‘Keep Holy the Sabbath.’ North Americans are notorious workers (read: workaholics) and many of us forget that the Sabbath was not created to shut us down and squelch our creativity, but to make us more alive and tuned [...]

Very soon the demographics of America will see a major change: the European-American majority will become the new minority. Welcoming America’s new faces is an opportunity and challenge for U.S. churches, and one Jose Morales takes seriously. He’s an executive with the Disciples of Christ, which is committed to planting and transforming 2, 000 congregations [...]

Creating safe space for the ‘religiously-disconnected-but-still-interested’ young adult is a passion for David Zahl, whose media initiative, Mockingbird, is finding a steadily growing audience. Mockingbird (found at mbird.com) seeks to connect Christianity with everyday life. It’s a publishing venture that majors in blog posts, short books, and live conferences. In this interview David tells us [...]