
6 insights for better church hospitality
This spring, Lifeway Research released the results of a study on how Protestant churches welcome first-time guests. The results, as they say, speak for themselves.
This spring, Lifeway Research released the results of a study on how Protestant churches welcome first-time guests. The results, as they say, speak for themselves.
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For every Gospel minister, the New Testament letters of 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus are to be lifelong companions. The Pastoral Epistles are letters we return to again and again, guiding us on our journey of life and ministry. Indeed, I know of no better way to ensure ministerial faithfulness than for the minister to live in these three books.
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Over the past five years, the religious makeup of the United States has remained remarkably stable, according to Gallup.
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Christians are called to the nations. At the same time, though, Jesus called us to reach our Jerusalem - our community where we live - even as we go to the ends of the Earth.
My first sermon lasted about 10 minutes. I remember reeling in the vestibule after the message, wondering how I had blown through all my notes, anecdotes, and musings on the divine in the amount of time it takes to make a hot ham and cheese sandwich. I learned a valuable lesson in ministry that day: It is one thing to prepare a sermon; it is quite another to deliver it.
KELLY, N.C. (BP) – Post-COVID church attendance studies indicate a positive trend in many congregations as members and guests alike return. Still, U.S. Protestant churches report current attendance at 85 percent of their typical worship service levels prior to COVID. These statistics may concern church leaders, seeing pandemic wounds heal but wondering about the metaphorical scar tissue left behind.