By Jonathan Solomon Until January 2018, the only church cultures that I knew were the Church Of God In Christ and the United Holy Churches of America Inc. I believed that worship had everything to do with how you physically respond to the lyrics, the Bible, and the testimonies of your brothers and sisters. We danced, sang, shouted, and some …
Resources To Help Your Church Care Well The Report “Caring Well” a Report from the SBC Sexual Abuse Advisory Group Earlier this month, the SBC Sexual Abuse Advisory Group released their findings in a 52 page report. Download it here: https://caringwell.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/SBC-Caring-Well-Report-June-2019.pdf “Top Ten Takeaways from Report” Phillip Bethancourt highlights ten key observations from the Caring Well report. https://erlc.com/resource-library/articles/top-10-takeaways-from-the-sexual-abuse-advisory-group-report The Response “Six Ways …
Harnessing the Power of Experience by Lyla Curtis “Life is a classroom. Only those who are willing to be lifelong learners will move to the head of the class.” Zig Ziglar’s words continue to ring true. No matter what your age, gender, or learning style, we can all agree that learning and growing is an indicator of life, while refusing …
Taking Training to the Next Level with Ministry Grid by Stuart Owens One of the biggest challenges we face as a church is how to train our people. We believe strongly that our role as pastors is to “equip the saints for the work of the ministry,” but we’ve found it increasingly difficult to get the saints in front of …
Nearly three weeks ago, news broke that a large-scale investigation had been undertaken by the Houston Chronicle outlining twenty years of more than seven hundred sexual abuse claims across Southern Baptist churches. This news has hit the SBC hard. It has revealed a weak and pathetic approach to handling cases of sexual abuse on the part of pastors and leaders in …
By Greg Love Having been a pastor myself and now serving churches at GuideStone®, I understand that ministers are unique in the financial world — especially when it comes to taxes. Think about it. Between the special tax considerations for ministers, reporting requirements of both active and retired pastors and the implications of housing allowance, ministers differ greatly from those not formally in …
From time to time, we hear wonderful compliments ascribed to the people around us. Sometimes the compliment is about the person’s appearance. Sometimes about his generosity or her gentle spirit. Perhaps above them all, my attention is captured when I hear a person described as a true shepherd. “He really knows how to care for other people.” “She is in …
Three Changes in Theological Education: Then & Now How James P. Boyce’s Vision Became a Reality By C. Jeffrey Robinson On a sweltering July day in 1856, an up-and-coming professor at Furman University stood before his faculty colleagues and delivered his inaugural address. In his presentation, the 29-year-old James Petigru Boyce set forth a comprehensive vision for theological education in …
The Cross and Family Sins Redemption, Hope, and Healing by Dr. Russell Moore A few years ago, I felt my knees buckle as I knelt down during the closing hymn at the church where I preached at the time, to receive a trembling little four-year-old boy who took my hand and said, “Can you please pray that my Mama and …
Here’s What Happened When This North Carolina Church Stood up to Discrimination by Sarah Kramer With over 24 years of service, at all court levels, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) has seen the cultural and legal trends clearly shift against the Church. As a result, churches need to be prepared to face the legal issues of today and tomorrow. When At …
