Category Archives: Index

Church Growth: Getting the Elders Out of the Way, Part 1

I’m a big believer in a church having elders. And my belief is not just Biblical (although that would be quite enough). I’ve worked with churches that have no elders, and they often run into serious problems (that’s a topic … Continue reading

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The Holy Spirit: A Metaphor

I was discussing the work of the Spirit with a friend who asked a very insightful question: Why does it seem that the Spirit leads different people in different directions? He was thinking in doctrinal terms. We’d been looking at … Continue reading

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Church Growth: Hiring the Right Preacher, Part 2

Just for fun, you know, I thought I’d take a look at the latest Abilene Christian College data on preacher salaries in the Churches of Christ. They gather data each year to help churches know what to pay and preachers … Continue reading

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Church Growth: Hiring the Right Preacher, Part 1

Let me start by saying that I’m very, very happy with our preacher. This is a post for churches looking to hire a preacher — and for Christian college presidents — and for churches who already have an excellent preacher. … Continue reading

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Church Growth: Introduction

I’ve been reading Beyond Megachurch Myths by Scott Thumma and Dave Travis. I was flipping through the channels, looking for something appropriately manly, like ESPN, and saw Thumma speaking on CPAN2 about his new book. He had a lot of … Continue reading

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Communion Meditation: God’s Great Banquet

[This is in contemplation of Thanksgiving Day] On Thanksgiving, we spend time with families and friends enjoying a great meal together. It’s a great time. For me — and I’m sure many others — it’s the best time of year. … Continue reading

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The New Perspective: The Theology of Community

One of the most appealing aspects of N. T. Wright’s theology — at least, to me — is his emphasis on the doctrine of community. “Community” is a fair translation of koinonia, the Greek word also translated as “fellowship,” “communion,” … Continue reading

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What’s Wrong With How We Do Church?: And So, In Conclusion …

After 9 posts on the same topic, it’s time to draw some conclusions. But this will all have to be taken as very preliminary. After all, Willow Creek hasn’t finished their study of 500 additional churches. Nonetheless, while I wouldn’t … Continue reading

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An Excellent Series of Posts

This link will take you to the index for a long series of posts by Michael Kruse on economics and the mission of God. He very rightly endorses many of the views of N. T. Wright and Brian McLaren but … Continue reading

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What’s Wrong With How We Do Church?: Blue Like Jazz

Donald Miller’s Blue Like Jazz (2003) is a favorite book of mine. I’m teaching it to a class at church right now and posting my lesson notes as I prepare them here. I was getting ready to try to summarize … Continue reading

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