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 (07/04)

by Joel Hawting | @jhawting

I came across this video recently on Churchleaders.com - This is a great video which explains what the Church is - or should be - all about and what it should be doing. Check it out!

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10 Surprising Reasons Our Kids Leave Church - "We all know them, the kids who were raised in church. They were stars of the youth group. They maybe even sang in the praise band or led worship. And then … they graduate from high school and they leave church. What happened?" Marc Solas writes a wonderful post on why the church in general, are losing the next generation. This is well worth a read.

Honouring Christ Online: An Interview With Tim Challies - There are not many Christian bloggers as influential and well respected as Tim Challies. Ligonier Ministries provides this great interview with Tim Challies.

The New Televangelist - Chris Nye writes a thoughtful post about the new form of Televangelists - "role models under shining lights." A great article!

Eight Diagnostic Questions For A Church's Health - Chuck Lawless writes a great post on Thom Rainer's website, exploring the signs that people in church leadership should look for when considering the health of their church.Well worth checking out.

4 Things to Remember During Unwelcome Work - "I never wanted to work at Cracker Barrel... But none of that mattered when the most pressing question was, How will you provide for your wife and son this week? Like many before and after me, I did whatever was necessary." Trevin Wax provides some encouragement for those of us currently serving God in what he terms "unwelcome work."
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Thought for the day...

"If you want to get warm you must stand near the fire. If you want joy, peace, eternal life, you must get close to what has them."

— C.S. Lewis

Weekly Wrap (03/02)

by Joel Hawting | @jhawting

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From Prison to the Pulpit - This video testimony about God's amazing grace will touch you greatly. Another great post courtesy of the Gospel Coalition.

The Greatest Tragedy in the Church Today - "Evangelism is dying in many churches today. No, that’s not an overstatement. I am not speaking hyperbolically. Evangelism is dying. Look at the data. Measure almost any groups of churches today versus 30 years ago. You'll likely find only 1 person is being reached with the Gospel for every 40 to 60 church members." - Thom Rainer writes for churchleaders.com about the state of Evangelism in the Church today.

Rest Works - Christianity Today reviews Rest Works by Matthew Sleeth, a book which explores the importance of keeping the fourth commandment: keeping the Sabbath day holy.

Social Media and the Church - Mark Spencer asks: "What happens if the Church doesn't embrace Social Media?"

The First Christian Service in Australia - Today (Sunday the 3rd of February) is the 225th anniversary of the first Christian Service in Australia. Craig Schwarze provides the facts about the very first service on Australian soil.
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Thought for the day...

"The church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints."
— Timothy Keller