Sojourners have drawn attention to some recent articles and studies on multiracial church growth in America, suggesting that megachurches are transforming quickest. Welcome news but it leaves me with many questions, including… How credible is the data? Is this trend being mirrored in other countries? What can we learn from this?
Tag Archives: church
Disentangling some competing dualisms in the church / state conversation
It has long been my observation that anti-war Christian “pacifists” and pro-war Christian “realists” often talk past each other because they understand the church / state distinction very differently. Each labels the other dualist to the puzzlement of the other. Here is my attempt to try and graphically illustrate the problem. Basically I think it’s a problemContinue reading “Disentangling some competing dualisms in the church / state conversation”
Social Networking in 2020
While the church is busy adapting to the emerging wired culture, have you ever wondered what this wired culture of ours is going to look like in another decade? Given it could take churches a decade to adapt, you’ve gotta ask, what should churches be adapting to? To the world as it is now? Or to the worldContinue reading “Social Networking in 2020”
Unity in Community
What does it mean to be a unified Christian community? It’s interesting to note that when the issue of unity comes up in the Acts of the Apostles, musical conformity NEVER rates a mention. Nor does language, dress, social structure or even, dare I say it, theology. So what does rate a mention? Read itContinue reading “Unity in Community”
Beyond church tribalism
The problem with most churches is not that they’re uncontextual, its that they’re too contextual for too narrow a segment of our culture. They are contextual for the tribe of white, aspirational, family-orientated people who like to play life safe. And consequently, not so contextual for people who are not. This segment is a significantContinue reading “Beyond church tribalism”
When a Church is not a Church
You’ve all heard the rhyme: Here is the church, Here is the steeple, Open the doors, See all the people. Reflecting on the deficient theology of this, Mark Roberts suggests an alternative: Here is a building, On top there’s a steeple, Open the doors, The church is the people! If you have been a ChristianContinue reading “When a Church is not a Church”
UK church used for erotic photoshoot
A photographer who used a 13th century village church in England for an erotic photoshoot has caused uproar in the local diocese, which has decided to sue him. The photographer, Andy Craddock, trying his best to sound symbolically illiterate, said “I don’t understand it and I don’t see the photographs as offensive, it’s art.” Methinks the manContinue reading “UK church used for erotic photoshoot”
What is Christian community?
Community is very important. It’s part of the air we breathe. What makes Christian community different from community as we find it elsewhere?
Church-Business Separation
In past eras Christians did some careful thinking about church-state separation. In our era I think we need some careful thinking about church-business separation. What does it mean to be “in the market, but not of the market”?
Multicultural Church
What does a healthy multicultural church look like? Following is an except from the book, The Vision of a Multicultural Church, published in 1998. I was impressed that, for a document originating out of the Uniting Church, it had a clear focus on evangelism along with the expected social justice focus. There are many good principles here IContinue reading “Multicultural Church”
Curious Christian 