Sexuality, religious liberty draw ERLC’s focus in 2014
by Tom Strode NASHVILLE (BP) -- Addressing human sexuality and defending freedom of conscience gained high profiles in the work of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission in 2014. The Gospel and human sexuality constituted the subject of both...
IMB’s top stories: Great challenges, new opportunities
By Staff/IMB RICHMOND, Va. (BP)-- Baptist Press asked the International Mission Board to select 10 of its key news and feature stories of 2014 as the year comes to a close. The following list for 2014 includes a brief description with each subject line and link. IMB's...
The Spiritual Openness of the Younger Unchurched
What's the status of the church and how might we share the gospel in this time? By Ed Stetzer There's an idea that Christianity in America is dying. No serious researcher—not one—thinks that. However, I still am surprised that some people think this. (For a quick...
Mission, Self and, God’s Glory
How can pastors lead their congregations to embrace a missional lifestyle? By Ed Stetzer Mission is the opposite of self. That sounds simple and obvious, yet the sad truth is that we revert to non-mission—or self-centered life—very simply and very obviously. One way...
Top Ten Ways Churches Drive Away First-time Guests
By Thom S. Rainer If you attend a church regularly, you’ve probably noticed the phenomenon. A guest shows up for a worship service, but he or she never returns. It is, unfortunately, a common issue in many churches. I did a Twitter poll to ask these first-time guests...
The Most Common Factor in Declining Churches
By Thom S. Rainer I am honored and humbled to be in a place where I get to hear from and study about thousands of churches. The leaders and congregants in those churches provide me with incredible information and data. I am grateful, because I’m not smart enough to...
Eight Things I’m Praying Will Happen in Churches in 2015
By Thom S. Rainer I want to share with you readers my specific prayers for congregations as we enter a new year. Obviously my prayer requests and trends are not the same. The latter is my assessment of where churches are headed. The former is my heartfelt desire where...
The Church and Mental Illness Part 3: Pastors’ Struggles and Churches’ Support
By Ed Stetzer In our final part of this series, we look at pastors' struggles with mental illness and the supportiveness of churches. In my first post, I began discussing the results of some recent research conducted byLifeWay Research (in partnership with Focus on...
Missionary kid shares about ‘the girl in the story’
by Bethani Thomas RICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- People say everyone has a story, but I think every person is a story: a living, breathing, walking, heart-beating book. Some people create their own stories, while others are forced into them. My story falls into the latter...
10 New Year’s Commitments for Healthy Church Growth Leaders
By Chuck Lawless I understand that “church growth” has been associated with pragmatism and a watered-down gospel, but properly understood historical church growth is rooted in Bible-based, strategic evangelism and discipleship. It is, in Thom Rainer’s definition,...
