The Gospel of Matthew tells us this about the ministry of Jesus: Matthew 9:35-37. Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them … Continue reading Jesus’ Ministry
Four Kinds of Churches
There are four kinds of churches in the world today: The Museum Church. They are old and beautiful but empty (like the picture above). No one goes there. They are showpieces of past. Sadly, there is no spiritual vitality within their ancient walls. The Maintenance Church. These churches are a little better. They are almost … Continue reading Four Kinds of Churches
Church Attendance in Australia (McCrindle Research)
Australia has more churches (13,000) than schools (9,500), and more Australians attend a church service each week (1.8 million) than there are people in South Australia (1.6 million). And while the latest Census results show that Christianity is the religion with which most Australians identify (61.1%), well above the second most popular religion in Australia, … Continue reading Church Attendance in Australia (McCrindle Research)
Creative Ways to Give Generously
Whenever you are prayerfully considering giving to a project of any kind, here are a few creative ideas to consider: 1. Give of what you already have. That could be something from you personal savings and investments or even a loan redraw. 2. Sell some of your assets. We see this occuring in the first … Continue reading Creative Ways to Give Generously
Giving to God’s Work
A lot of organisations conduct various types of fund raising today, including churches. I value the Bible as God’s Word. It is inspired by the Holy Spirit and beneficial for every aspect of personal and church life. We know the Bible has a lot to say about “giving”, but what about “fund raising”? Interestingly enough, the … Continue reading Giving to God’s Work
LEGO – the Exponential Impact of Connection
Yesterday we talked about some lessons from LEGOLAND. LEGO is so simple yet when individual bricks are joined together with others, they can contribute to the creation of something quite amazing and complex. Think about this: Two 8 stud LEGO blocks can be combined in 24 different ways (remember that LEGO bricks can connect at … Continue reading LEGO – the Exponential Impact of Connection
Lessons from LEGOLAND
LEGO was invented in 1947 by a carpenter from Denmark by the name of Ole Kirk Christiansen. Before this breakthrough idea for a plastic toy, he suffered many challenges and setbacks, including his wife dying, a factory fire, and navigating the depth of the Great Depression. Today, LEGO is one of the top 50 brands in … Continue reading Lessons from LEGOLAND
Love Your Pastor
A good friend of mine sent me this earlier in the week. I thought it was quite funny but had some good points. Let's always seek to love and encourage those who lead us, in whatever capacity. Pastors have a tough job. They get more kicks than kisses. If a pastor is young, he lacks … Continue reading Love Your Pastor
A Place Called HOME
Lost and Found I heard an amazing story recently about a young boy in India who accidentally got separated from his brother and ended up lost. His name is Saroo Munshi Khan. He survived on the streets for weeks then was eventually taken into an orphanage where he was later adopted by an Australian family … Continue reading A Place Called HOME
Celebrating Pentecost
Last Sunday was “Pentecost Sunday” (8th June), a significant day on the Christian annual calendar, yet one that tends to receive little attention, compared to Christmas and Easter. Pentecost Sunday occurs 50 days after Easter and is a celebration of the coming of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the church of Jesus Christ. … Continue reading Celebrating Pentecost
Church Greeting Teams – The Search for a Friendly Church
When in the USA recently, one of our church staff members visited two large, well-known churches. The facilities and church services were first class, but at both churches ... no one spoke to him. Sadly, this is all to commonplace today. Have we become high-tech and low-touch? Here is a great article by Will Mancini … Continue reading Church Greeting Teams – The Search for a Friendly Church
What do Protestants think of Pope Francis?
A recent article from the Barna Group: March 18, 2014 — He was the most talked-about person of 2013 and winner of TIME’s “Person of the Year” award. Google Translate coders have set his name to translate as “a better world.” Yet Pope Francis insists that he is “a normal person,” and has no desire to be … Continue reading What do Protestants think of Pope Francis?
What God can do with 57 Cents
A sobbing little girl stood near a small church from which she had been turned away because it was too crowded. “I can't go to Sunday School”, she sobbed to the pastor as he walked by. Seeing her shabby, unkempt appearance, the pastor guessed the reason and, taking her by the hand, took her inside … Continue reading What God can do with 57 Cents
7 Predictions for American Churches in 2014 (by Thom Rainer)
Predicting is as much of an art as it is a science. And if any prognosticator is honest, he or she will tell you that they don’t always get it right. I know. I certainly don’t always get it right. But I don’t pull my predictions out of thin air. To the contrary, each of … Continue reading 7 Predictions for American Churches in 2014 (by Thom Rainer)
International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
During the month of November, many churches around the world set aside time to prayer for the persecuted church. Believers in countries such as Egypt, Eritrea, India, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan and Vietnam face violence, imprisonment and even death because of their faith in Jesus Christ. There are other places in the world such as North … Continue reading International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church