Book Review: New Girl at Church

Questions. We all have them. About life, about our world, about why things are the way that they are. Asking questions is an important part of life and an integral part of learning about something new or unfamiliar. This is especially true when it comes to questions about faith. There are a lot of truthContinue reading “Book Review: New Girl at Church”

Canoeing the Mountains

This post originally appeared at Conciliar Post. After fifteen difficult months of travel, they had made it. Lewis and Clark had reached the spring that began the Missouri River, that great river they had been following since they crossed the Mississippi and began their exploration of the Louisiana Purchase. For over three hundred years beforeContinue reading “Canoeing the Mountains”

The Challenge of Church Planting

This post is part of an ongoing series looking at church planting. Obviously, church planting is not all fun-and-games. There are plenty of challenges inherent in starting a new church, including those of:

Does Church Planting Overly Innovate?

This post is part of an ongoing series looking at church planting. As commonly framed, Christianity often has problems with new things. Whether it’s new ways of thinking about Jesus (as during those pesky Christological controversies in the early Church), framing theology (like during the Reformation), using academic scholarship to inform faith (as in theContinue reading “Does Church Planting Overly Innovate?”

How Does Church Planting Help?

This post is part of an ongoing series looking at church planting. There are numerous benefits to planting churches. Church plants advance the Kingdom of God.9 When more and more believers gather together, proclaiming the gospel, preaching the Scriptures, celebrating the sacraments, and living in community, the Kingdom of God tangibly advances in our world.

Why Plant a Church?

This post is part of an ongoing series looking at church planting. Of course, there are already a lot of established churches. So why do people plant new churches? First, church planting represents a tangible way for Christians to fulfill the Great Commission, to “make disciples of every nation” (Matthew 28:19-20). No place on earthContinue reading “Why Plant a Church?”

What Is Church Planting?

You’ve seen them in your community. They’re popping up in old buildings, fields, and other empty spaces. They show up with catchy names and make lots of loud noise, often attracting quite a crowd in the process. But what are they? Where do they come from? And why are they here? I’m talking, of course,Continue reading “What Is Church Planting?”

Recommended Readings: February 2

Happy weekend, dear readers. As I attempt to get back into the swing of posting more regularly, I’m going to revisit the practice of sharing some recommended online readings. Below are this week’s selections, though I hasten to note that they were not all published this week (or even this year). They are, however, articlesContinue reading “Recommended Readings: February 2”

Recommended Reading: September 29

If you read one article this week, engage The Long Theological Shadow by John Ehrett. For those of you with additional reading time, check out the following selections, gathered from around the blogging world. Happy reading!

Recommended Reading: September 1

If you read one article this week, engage Leadership and Suicide: When Ending It Seems Like the Only Way Out by Carey Nieuwhof For those of you with additional reading time this fine September (!) day, check out the following selections gathered from around the blogging world. Happy reading!