Revolutions are by their very nature destructive and disruptive. Revolutions bring old things down and erect new institutions and networks in their place. Revolutions bring conflict. They trample down things once thought sacred and raise up new...
According to Lifeway Research, “64% of churches either have nothing to assimilate new members, or no systemic plan to move people towards membership.” Imagine if that were true in the workplace . . . not a good start. Like onboarding and...
First Thessalonians beckons us to pray without ceasing. As we think of those who’ve given their lives for our country and those they’ve left behind, we sense the need for prayer more deeply. These prayers for Memorial Day weren’t written for the...
Today is Good Friday, and Christians around the world are remembering Christ’s death, caused by our sin. This year on the blog, we featured a five-week family Easter Bible study written especially for families. We posted one Easter Bible Study each...
We’re midway through Easter season, and Christians around the world are remembering Christ’s death, caused by our sin. But we are also celebrating, because Resurrection Day is our God-given promise that we, too, will one day rise. This year on the...
Read The Last Supper: Family Easter Bible Study—Week 1. Read Jesus on Trial before Pilate: Family Easter Bible Study—Week 2. We’re entering the Easter season, and Christians around the world are remembering Christ’s death, caused by our sin. But we...
Read Family Easter Bible Study—Week 1: The Last Supper. This year on the blog, we’re featuring a five-week family Easter Bible study written especially for families. We’re posting one study a week every Friday leading up to Easter. It’s an excellent...
A long search for church media isn’t fun. Finding the right media fast? We can all get behind that. With Proclaim’s church presentation software, you can easily find and add media to your service presentations, whether you’re looking for...
We’re entering the Easter season, and Christians around the world are remembering Christ’s death, caused by our sin. But we are also celebrating, because Resurrection Day is our God-given promise that we, too, will one day rise. This year on the...
We were in the middle of a care group gathering at church. People would share some of their deepest struggles, and then, inevitably, a leader in training would derail the conversation with unhelpful questions. It’s not uncommon. We often tap people...
The new year always brings with it the anticipation of hope—whatever defined last year can change in this one. New Year’s resolutions usually involve aspirations of self-improvement, like exercising, losing weight, or saving money. But what if...
Every year, Sunday school teachers spend time teaching the virgin birth. But pastors and small group leaders teach it too—and as a small group leader or pastor, you can dive deeper into Mary’s story and its applications. For one, faithfulness to God...
Christmas! It’s one of the best times of the year—especially for church outreach. And this year, that outreach may be even more important than ever. Many churches are shrinking. Carey Nieuwhof reports that “anecdotally, most churches find themselves...
By Reuben Evans The new series Angels follows up The Unseen Realm and Demons. It’s available for purchase on Faithlife TV. Pop culture and church tradition have a lot to say about angels. However, in this documentary series, Dr. Mike Heiser takes...
Are you intrigued by the term “digital literacy”? I was—and I didn’t know it was a thing until I started researching for this article. If you’re curious like I was, digital literacy refers to learning how to use technology responsibly in various...
But what does an online pastor do? I get asked this a lot. Here’s a job profile to help start the conversation.
By Matthew Boffey If you haven’t yet expanded your church’s discipleship to online platforms, here are four quick wins you can tackle this week. 1. Create a content calendar It has been said that budgets are moral documents—they reveal our values...
In late January, Discovery Church in Colorado Springs, CO, launched a three-tier discipleship program at their church. About six weeks later, the COVID-19 pandemic sent their entire discipleship program online. Turns out they were actually ahead of...
Today is National Book Lovers Day, a day set aside for those unique souls whose idea of a perfect vacation involves long days of reading. Those folks who never leave their house without a book in hand, those lovers of words who find more joy in the...
When you think about helping people grow spiritually, Bible engagement and discipleship are probably at the top of your list. What if your congregation engaged with the Bible in meaningful ways every day?
You’ve probably experienced triage if you’ve ever visited an emergency room. . . . medical triage: assigning degrees of urgency to wounds or illnesses to decide in what order to treat a large number of patients. Triage is the action of sorting...
At the start of his academic career, Dr. Michael Heiser wasn’t interested in the supernatural world. It was only after two master’s degrees and PhD study that one verse startled him awake and led him down a path into the Bible few take—finding...
An interview with Justin Wise on establishing your church’s social media presence (:10), and Dr. Steve Runge discusses how to find joy in your work (5:40). Establish your church’s social media presence Did you know that you can see reviews of...
Justin Wise discusses step three of the four steps of digital ministry (0:10), and Dr. Heiser addresses the notion that everything in the Bible is about Jesus (3:15).
“Household activities” like dishes and laundry gobble up over an hour every day. On average, people spend between 85 minutes and 135 minutes daily—nearly 10 hours a week, minimum. (That’s according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, and they...
What does the Bible say about loneliness? More than you might think. Scripture’s light reveals its lies and shows us how to deal with loneliness God’s way. This excerpt is adapted from Finding God in My Loneliness by Lydia Brownback. *** Lie:...
By Jessica Kantrowitz Depression can be incredibly isolating. The new landscape we are living in because of the pandemic can also be incredibly isolating. Those of us who struggle with depression now have to deal with the additional challenges of...
We’re all now almost pros at social distancing, and it’s beginning to feel like groundhog day every day. But the plus side of this seismic shift in daily routines is the opportunity to spend more time reflecting on God, his Word, and life. Here are...
Hearing the word “demons” makes the skin crawl. It conjures up images from movie trailers and frightening stories of demon possession. Should Christians even think about demons? Bible scholar Dr. Michael Heiser is the perfect person to answer those...
This post is adapted from The Bedrock of Christianity: The Unalterable Facts of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection by Justin W. Bass. *** The earliest followers of Jesus did not just claim that Jesus rose from the dead but that his resurrection was the...