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Search...What’s your church story?
Comments As you may have noticed, I’ve been thinking a lot about church lately. (See 15 Reasons I Left Church, 15 Reasons I Returned to The Church, and Better Conversations Between Churched and Un-Churched Christians.) On Friday, I featured Jessica Goudeu’s church story, and later this week, I’ll be sharing the story of a young woman whose church failed her as she struggled to process her brother’s addiction. Apparently, I’m not the only one thinking about church. Bel... read moreChurch Stories: “Being the Change We Seek” by Jessica Goudeau
Comments Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing stories of people’s church experiences—some inspiring, some frustrating, some encouraging, some heartbreaking. Today’s comes to us from the warm and talented Jessica Goudeau. Jessica is the Executive Director and co-founder of Hill Country Hill Tribers and a grad student in English literature. When she’s supposed to be working on her dissertation, she can usually be found blogging about books, babies and Burmese refugees here... read moreBetter conversations between churched and un-churched Christians
Comments I woke up Sunday morning with swollen eyes, a headache, and absolutely no desire to go to church. The comments following Kim Van Brunt’s guest post on Saturday really did a number on me, so, despite the fact that they weren’t even directed at me or my family, I spent a good part of Saturday night curled up in my pouting chair (yes, I have one, don’t you?), ranting to Dan about “church people,” and ugly crying about how maybe there isn’t a God and about ... read moreThe Passionate Mainline (by Rev. Aric Clark)
Comments Last week’s post on the mainline and me generated a big response. I heard from more than a dozen mainline pastors who were receptive and appreciative of the critique and eager to continue the conversation. I also heard from my friend, Aric Clark, a Presbyterian pastor and one of the creative minds behind the blog Two Friars and a Fool. Aric pushed back a little on some of my assumptions in the post, and I’m glad. He offered to share his thoughts in this guest post today. Aric ... read moreThe Mainline and Me
Comments I never expected my posts “15 Reasons I Left Church” and “15 Reasons I Returned to The Church” to make such waves, but I’m still hearing from people who loved them, people who hated them, people who resonated with them, and people incredibly frustrated by them. One of the most common responses I’ve received has come from members of "mainline" Protestant churches. (Progressive Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Disciples of Christ, etc.)&n... read moreGuest Post: Are You in the “Real” Christian Camp?
Comments Today’s guest post comes to us from Laura Ziesel. Laura is a freelance writer and editor living in Azusa, California with her husband. She blogs on matters of faith, gender, church culture and more at www.lauraziesel.com. She is also a contributing writer for The Redemptive Pursuit, a weekly devotional for women. I think a lot of you will relate to her thoughts here! *** My husband and I have lived in a combined total of 17 unique cities (3 outside of the U.S. or its territories). ... read moreBeware of Overcorrecting
Comments photo © 2006 Don O'Brien | more info (via: Wylio) Have you ever met someone who really hated Catholicism?—you know, a guy who will listen to any perspective but a Catholic perspective, join any group but a Catholic group, read any book but a Catholic book, and worship in any church but a Catholic Church? There are many possible explanations for why such a person would hate Catholics, but one of the most plausible is that he used to be one. Recently I’ve no... read moreTell us about your church...
Comments photo © 2005 ~Sage~ | more info (via: Wylio) So Wednesday’s post, “Blessed Are the Un-Cool,” turned out to be a hot one. I’ve been overwhelmed by the response, and so grateful for your input. One thing I especially enjoyed about the comments following the post was that so many people shared what they love about their church. (I like that several of you tried to sell me on your denomination because it is more “un-cool” than the others! We're an ... read moreBlessed are the un-cool
Comments photo © 2010 Ed Yourdon | more info (via: Wylio) People sometimes assume that because I’m a progressive 30-year-old who enjoys Mumford and Sons and has no children, I must want a super-hip church—you know, the kind that’s called “Thrive” or “Be” and which boasts “an awesome worship experience,” a fair-trade coffee bar, its own iPhone app, and a pastor who looks like a Jonas Brother. While none of these features are ... read moreSo our church plant failed…
Comments photo © 2009 Patrick Feller | more info (via: Wylio) Easter Sunday will be the last time we meet together as The Mission. We’re throwing a little send-off party for our pastor and his family, who made the difficult decision to move to south Florida where a new youth ministry position awaits. There were no big arguments, no dramatic exits, no taking sides. We just couldn’t sustain the church financially. Yep. It's that boring...and it's tha... read moreWhy Not?
Comments photo © 2009 Kevin Lallier | more info (via: Wylio) Today I’m delighted to introduce you to Michelle DeRusha, a woman whose writing talent truly inspires me. Born and raised in Massachusetts, Michelle moved to Nebraska ten years ago, where she discovered the Great Plains, Husker football, grasshoppers the size of Cornish hens, thunderstorms that herald the Second Coming…and God. She writes about finding and keeping faith in the everyday on her blog, Graceful. (Ke... read moreRob Bell and the perils of Christian fandom
Comments This short clip entitled “Rob Bell Comes Clean” made the rounds last week, and although I would wholeheartedly affirm everything Bell says in it, I found myself squirming a bit at the sound of the audience cheering as he spoke. As I mentioned in my review of Love Wins, I’m concerned that the controversy surrounding this book has reduced an important and complex theological conversation to two “sides,” as though it were some kind of football rivalry—comp... read moreChurch: To Stay or To Go?
Comments photo © 2008 Tambako The Jaguar | more info (via: Wylio) Today’s guest post comes from my friend Mason Slater. Mason is a husband to Melinda, a seminary student, a youth pastor, a blogger and a freelance writer in the Mecca of Christendom, Grand Rapids, Michigan. He blogs at New Ways Forward. (Add him to your Google Reader; he's one of my favorites!) *** So this past week Rachel has been blogging about how faith changes our relationships, which has been brillian... read moreThe truth can set you free…and get you fired
Comments ***Update: Since writing this post, Chad has become famous. I hope he still moves to Tennessee!*** Back in February I wrote a post entitled “Dear Pastors, Tell Us the Truth” in which I urged pastors to be honest with their congregations about their fears, their failures, their needs, their journeys, their opinions, and their ideas. Emails poured in from pastors all around the country…(indeed, the world!)…who told me that if they were honest with their con... read more28 ideas for Advent
Comments photo © 2008 Gabo Halili | more info (via: Wylio) Happy New Year to my fellow liturgical nerds! This will be my second year observing the church calendar and incorporating seasonal liturgy into our worship services at The Mission. As I’ve eased into all of these rich, ancient traditions I’ve found collaboration with fellow Christ-followers to be invaluable. Back in February, I shared 40 Ideas for Lent, so I thought I’d do the same for Advent in ... read moreUpdate: The Mission, doubt, and lawn chairs
Comments (Note: Views expressed by me do not necessarily reflect those of everyone at The Mission. We’re a diverse group, and that’s a good thing!) So as it turns out, starting a new church is hard. There are relationships to maintain, money problems to solve, rumors to diffuse, and a surprising amount of paperwork to fill out. And just when we were starting to pick up some momentum after Easter, summer happened and our numbers (and funding) plateued. But though it all, o... read moreAnnouncing the Eighth Letter Synchroblog
Comments A couple of weeks ago, I posted a letter to the Church entitled “Let’s Build Bigger Banquet Tables,” and I mentioned that my letter was just one of many being composed all across North America as part of the Eighth Letter project. To help compile these letters, I’m teaming up with Ian McLaren and Chris Lewis to host The Eighth Letter Synchroblog, which will take place September 12-18 (this week!) across the Web. To participate, take the following steps: ... read moreExtrovert or Introvert? (A review of “Introverts in the Church”)
Comments People are usually surprised when I tell them I’m an introvert. They’re surprised because I’m typically very friendly, open, animated, assertive, and comfortable sharing my thoughts and feelings with others. A lifelong Southerner, I know how to navigate a conversation and make people feel welcome. I like to take the lead, and can even come across as bossy to those who tend to be shy or passive. (I say “come across.” Sometimes I’m just plain bossy... read more40 Ideas for Lent
Comments As I’ve been researching the season of Lent over the past few weeks, I’ve come to realize that Lent is about so much more than just "giving something up." It’s about repentance, preparation, reflection, discipline, self-denial, and reevaluation. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what this means for me, and if you are too, here are 40 ideas to get you started: 10 Questions to Ask Yourself 1. When I wake up on Resurrection Sunday morning, how will I be different? 2.... read moreLent, Depravity, and Why Hyper-Calvinism Has It Backwards
Comments One of my responsibilities for The Mission is to help keep our fledgling little faith community in step with the traditional church calendar. We do this for a couple of reasons—to acknowledge that our small church is part of a much bigger Church and to remember that our young community springs from a very old Community. It keeps us humble, and it provides those of us whose singing voices can best be described as “joyful noises” with another way to worship, through liturgy. So... read moreHow NOT to respond to the Church’s “masculinity crisis”
Comments Let's talk about this so-called "masculinity crisis" in the Church. In recent years, it has become popular for evangelicals to lament the noticeable absence of men in the pews. Citing a mountain of statistical data that shows women are more inclined than men to remain faithful to their religious affiliation and participate regularly in communities of faith, some folks—like controversial West Coast pastor Mark Driscoll—have declared the situation a "crisis," concluding tha... read moreThe Mission - Part 1 of Many
Comments Dan and I are about to do something crazy. In fact, it might be one of the craziest things we’ve ever done. We’re about to start a church. Well, really it’s our friend Brian Ward who’s officially starting the church. After serving on the pastoral staff of one of the most progressive evangelical churches in the country, Brian and his wife Carrie took a big step of faith and returned to Dayton to launch The Mission—a new community of Christ-followers c... read moreFive Things I Miss About Youth Group
Comments Remember youth group? The lock-ins. The retreats. The super-hip worship band. Wednesday nights. Stupid games. Trying to give the church basement a coffee-shop-like atmosphere. Hopeless crushes. Long talks. Painstaking efforts to make Jesus seem cool. If you do, then you’ll probably be interested in this fascinating interview in Leadership Journal with Kara Powell, executive director of the Fuller Youth Institute at Fuller Theological Seminary and a former youth pa... read moreShhhh! You can't say that in church!
Comments Today Anne Jackson re-opened a fascinating conversation that she started on her blog a year ago when she asked, “What’s one thing you feel you can’t say in church?” The wave of responses that followed (nearly 400 comments) reveals just how much angst and repression there really is in the Christian community. Although you really should visit the site and read them all, here are some that struck me as particularly interesting: "I’d rather look like a good Christ... read moreShowing 1 - 25 of 28 Articles | Page 1 of 2
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