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Have you checked the headlines? Much of what happens today effects the church and Christians in some way. In this section at MMI, we'll look at some of the current headlines from a church perspective. You'll hopefully get a 'take' on the news here that you'll receive nowhere else!
It was a sad day today in Dallas. I'm at Leadership Network for our quarterly all-staff meetings. Yesterday and today, we held an "Innovations Briefing" for about fifty pastors and leaders from churches all over the country to give a status report on some our our recent findings. One of the people who was supposed to be in our briefing was Pastor Forest Pollock, the SP at Bell Shoals Baptist Church in Brandon, FL. He and his 13 year old son, Preston, were supposed to arrive by noon. At the end of the day, they still had not yet arrived. No one was able to get through to his cell phone. Forest was piloting his own small plane to Dallas for the meeting with us and a couple days away with his son. They never arrived. Their plane was found this morning in North Carolina. There were no survivors. Please pray for the church family at Bell Shoals. Bell Shoals is a large church that will be hurting for a long time to come. As well, pray for Forest's wife and their remaining five kids. This will for sure be a terrible time for them. May the love of Christ surround them and this church during this time.
Leadership Network Mourns the Deaths of Dr. Forrest Pollock and Preston Pollock
I'm running a three-post series today, and I'd love your input. The first is a video by Tim Keller talking about how religion can easily turn into oppression. The second is Rick Warren explaining (as best I've heard him) his plan to change the world through his PEACE plan. The third is an invitation for Ingrid from SliceofLaodicea to join Rick Warren at Saddleback during a PD conference. Take a look at all three and please leave your comments. I'd love to hear what you think of all three! Here's Rick...
Rick Warren: How We Can Change the World
And I Wanted to Be There: “Ingrid, Rick… RIck, Ingrid”. Ain’t Happenin’ This Side of Heaven
Looks like there will be no talking between Ingrid and Rick Warren, at least this side of heaven. Many of you know that we've followed the follies over at SliceofLaodicea.com over the years; the start-ups, the shut-downs; the put-downs and the put-upons. Well, it seems that in an effort for peace and reconciliation (or at the very least to open up lines of communication), Rick Warren has extended his hand to Ingrid and a place on his stage at Saddleback. Ingrid responded over the weekend with an open letter over at Slice. If you haven't already done so, please watch the video I posted today with Tim Keller talking about how religion can easily turn into oppression. I'm wondering... is this a little of what has happened with Ingrid and Rick? here's the letter...
The “Hunt” is On: Five Are Now in the Race for SBC President
According to the Christian Post, the number of persons vying for the top position of the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the country, has expanded to five this week, with Johnny M. Hunt announced as the latest to join the race. Hunt, pastor of First Baptist Church of Woodstock, Ga., will be nominated for SBC president during the denomination's annual meeting in June. His church has grown an average worship attendance of 6,180 over the last 21 years and church membership increased from 1,027 to 16,495...
Church Sign Links Obama With Bin Laden
A South Carolina pastor says he wasn't trying to be political when he posted a sign in front of his church linking Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. Pastor Roger Byrd said he just wanted to make people think when he put up a sign reading "Obama, Osama _ humm, are they brothers" in front of the Jonesville Church of God...
Live from Exponential 08! Your Front Row Seat!
I'm in Orlando this week at the National New Church "Exponential 08" Conference; and hope to blog as much as I can while I'm here. They have a great lineup for this year's conference. Today's main sessions include Ed Stetzer and Andy Stanley. Later this week: Alan Hirsh, Dave Ferguson, Tim Keller, and Rick Warren. I do have access to some of the main speakers this year, so if you have any questions that you'd like me to ask them, I'll see if I can do that and post the answers here. I'll try to post the main sessions, give you some inside scoop, and also twitter as much as I can. Also...
Ministering to the Polygamists…
According to the Baptist Standard, A Baptist congregation housed about 80 women and children April 4-6 after a raid on the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS) near Eldorado, Texas. Members of First Baptist Church in Eldorado embraced the opportunity to minister in Christ's name, pastor Andy Anderson said. First Baptist also loaned the state of Texas the use of two 25-seat church buses to help transport more than 180 women and children from the 1,619-acre polygamist compound. "Our folks were eager to step in, and not just our folks, but the entire community," Anderson said. "We have church members who provided a large bulk of the money needed [to buy food]. We also had a huge outpouring from the community."
Brady Boyd: Things are Looking Up at New Life
It's been a troubling and tragic 16 months for the largest church in Colorado Springs, but now attendance and cash are back up. New Life Church released its financial statement for 2007. It shows a 1.4 million dollar cash balance for the year, an increase of $800,000 from 2006. Senior Pastor Brady Boyd also says attendance is up 1500 and giving is up 15 percent.
Does Your Church “Yoga”?
Interesting article about "Christian" Yoga. I'm wondering what you think about it. Truthfully, I don't know much about Yoga... frankly because it's never interested me. It it a form of Eastern religion, or something that Christians can use to glorify God. Read this, then tell me your thoughts: As Susan Bordenkircher sees it, Christians for too long have kept yoga on the mat. In her new book, “Yoga for Christians,” the certified group fitness instructor and a devout Methodist argues Christians should change their posture and stretch their concept of worship to embrace yoga...
Pastors In Transition: Why Clergy Leave Local Church Ministry
Why do pastors leave the ministry? Several common issues emerge from the research of Dean Hoge and Jacqueline Wenger: preference for another form of ministry, the need to care for children or family, conflict in the congregation, conflict with denominational leaders, burnout or discouragement, sexual misconduct, and divorce or marital problems. Of these factors, which form the basis for the central chapters of Pastors in Transition, two are especially important: conflict and a preference for specialized ministry. A close third is the experience of burnout, discouragement, stress and overwork. As the authors explore these factors, they provide significant insights into what can be done to help people stay in ministry.
Eat This Book: A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading
The bestselling author of "The Message" challenges believers to read the Scriptures on their own terms, as God's revelation, and to live them as they read them.
Practicing Greatness: 7 Disciplines of Extraordinary Spiritual Leaders
Based on his extensive experience as coach and mentor to many thousands of Christian leaders across a broad spectrum of ministry settings, Reggie McNeal helps spiritual leaders understand that they will self-select into or out of greatness.
I'm Todd Rhoades... the MMI guy. I'm also on the team at Leadership Network (although that doesn't mean that they endorse everything I write here). In my past life, I was the founder and developer of a website named ChurchStaffing.com.
- on Tim Keller: The Slippery Slope from Religion to Oppression
- on Should An Openly Homosexual Person Be Baptized?
- on Should An Openly Homosexual Person Be Baptized?
- Peter Hamm on And I Wanted to Be There: "Ingrid, Rick... RIck, Ingrid". Ain't Happenin' This Side of Heaven
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