CHINOs are unfashionable. I'm not talking about the pants, but CHristians In Name Only (CHINO). Maybe you've heard the same concept under the definition of "nominal Christian." But what is a "nominal Christian" versus a genuine believer? A nominal Christian (Christian in name only) is someone who uses God as a means to some other end. Nominal Christians are … Continue reading Nominal Versus Genuine Believers
Church
Pastor as Teenager
Pastors are an angsty bunch, just like teenagers. I would know because I am one and I spend time with other pastors! Teenagers can often feel a deep anxiety about their lives. What am I doing with my life? Does anyone care? Etc. Etc. And, from what I've experienced myself and what I've observed in … Continue reading Pastor as Teenager
W.A.L.K. to Move
All of us are born into the world as sinners, separated from God and under his wrath (Ephesians 2:1-3). But God still moves toward us. He does not leave us in our sins, but instead, loves us and makes a way for us to be reconciled to himself. As the apostle Paul writes, "God is … Continue reading W.A.L.K. to Move
Why Inviting Others to Church is So Important
People do not usually come to church because of a slick marketing campaign. Most people come to church because of a personal invitation. Becoming a congregation who invites others into the community to hear the word of God is, then, an important aspect of fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). Now, you might be thinking, … Continue reading Why Inviting Others to Church is So Important
Reflections on Challenge 2022
It’s been four years since I was able to bring our Youth Group to the EFCA’s national youth conference, Challenge. This year, nineteen of us flew from New Jersey to Kansas City a few days early to have an experience like no other. We heard amazing preaching, sung along with 3,000 other teenagers in worship, … Continue reading Reflections on Challenge 2022
We Need a New Metaphor for Race Relations
Aaron Renn has an excellent episode on how metaphors shape the conversations we have around race in our country. He notes that we construct our lives around metaphors, and these metaphors in turn shape how we live our lives. Think of one common way of describing relationships: “Love is war.” How would it shape someone … Continue reading We Need a New Metaphor for Race Relations
How to Pastor a Small Church
Most churches are small. And most will stay small. If most churches will stay small, why are so many pastors using large church strategies and systems to pastor their small church? And how can small-church pastors apply strategies and systems that work for small churches? Those are the kinds of questions that Karl Vaters seeks … Continue reading How to Pastor a Small Church
Cyborg Nation
This is my third installment in reflecting on our cultural moment and how we can begin responding as the church. In the first part I talked about secularism, and in the second part, I talked about what it means to be a post-Christian. Today, I want to talk about the third profound shift we’ve seen … Continue reading Cyborg Nation
What Does “Post-Christian” Mean Anyways?
A couple weeks ago, I wrote about what I think “secular” means. Today, I want to explore the concept of our country being “post-Christian.” The idea that America is now “post-Christian” gets thrown around a lot, but what does it actually mean? I think there’s a lot of confusion about our current cultural moment because … Continue reading What Does “Post-Christian” Mean Anyways?
What does “secular” mean anyways?
There is a lot of hand-wringing in the church today because the United States is becoming more “secular” and “post-Christian.” When we, as the church, analyze the culture, we often equate secularism with atheism. We believe, erroneously in my view, that America is becoming more atheistic and hostile to Christianity. While America may be getting … Continue reading What does “secular” mean anyways?