Weekly Wrap (28/04)

by Joel Hawting | @jhawting

How can the church respond to the tragic Boston Marathon bombing? Ed Stetzer and Adam Mabry provide some great ideas and shares what the local church did and are continuing to do, to support the people of Boston post the attack.

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Confessions of a Pastor Who Used to be More Reformed Than Jesus - Ed Stetzer writes an interesting article about a pastor who used to be more reformed than Jesus, called Danny Slavich.

We Should Shine Bright In The Darkness - "Churches are not peddlers of Christian goods and services; we are cells of subversion and transformation. We're not just opening our doors and hoping for a good turnout; we're opening our lives to show off the glory of our Savior by the way we live together, by the way we serve together, by the way we reach out in Jesus' name together." Another great article from Ed Stetzer.

Should We Always Expect God to Heal? - "My answer is somewhat simple, but then again, maybe not so. Here’s how I answer the question: We should expect God to do what will bring God the most glory." Aaron Armstrong writes a thoughtful take on the hot topic of God and physical healing.

Autopsy of a Deceased Church - "I worked with the church for three weeks. The problems were obvious; the solutions were difficult." Thom Rainer writes a reflective piece on his time working with a church that was slowly on the decline.

Can a Dying Church Find Life? - A follow-up blog post to Autopsy of a Deceased Church from Thom Rainer. This is well worth checking out!
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Thought for the day...

""How can we expect to live with God in heaven if we love not to live with him on earth?"

— John Mason

Weekly Wrap (14/04)

by Joel Hawting | @jhawting

I came across this video recently where N.T Wright - renowned author and Christian speaker - speaks about his views around Atheism. It is worth listening to if you have time!

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Rick Warren, Critics, And The Hope of God's Son - I'm sure you are well aware by now of the terrible tragedy that happened just this week: the suicide of Rick Warren's son Matthew. You might also be aware of the horrible judgement and criticism that Rick Warren has received as a result, both within some areas of the church and in secular media. Mark Driscoll - Pastor of Mars Hill Church - writes a fantastic post on the three different types of Rick Warren critics. This is well worth a read.

Get A Mentor in 2013 - This is from early on this year, but it is a helpful article still nonetheless. Tyler Braun exhorts all of us as believers to take the time to meet regularly with a mentor stating: "It could change your life. I know it changed mine."

Three Surprising Reasons Churches Don't Grow - Aaron Armstrong writes a thoughtful post about why it is that some churches just don't grow. A great article that is well worth checking out!

Learning To Resist Cutting Edge & Sexy - "The longer I work with students, the more convinced I am that there is nothing sexy or cutting edge about effective youth ministry." Cameron Cole writes a great post on Churchleaders.com, exploring the need for Youth Ministries to remain grounded in what is important: "...pursuing relationships, teaching scripture, proclaiming the Gospel, worshipping and praying fervently."

Are Some People Disqualified From Ministry? - "Not everyone is qualified to serve and lead in the Lord’s church. Don’t miss that — "to serve and to lead." In the Lord’s work, serving and leading often consist of the same activities, performed by the same people. The Lord’s best servants are the congregation’s best leaders. Those who lead best are humble servants willing to stoop and wash the feet or rise and lead the charge, whatever the situation requires." Joe McKeever writes a great article on leadership qualities that churches should be looking for in appointing people to positions of leadership.
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Thought for the day...

"Jesus Christ is not a problem, He is the solution to every problem for life, for death, and for eternity."

— H.A. Ironside