Membership in 90% of Christian denominations is in decline. Meanwhile, nondenominational churches have steadily grown since 2001—and the number of self-identified evangelicals is also on the rise. What's going on here? In a lengthy article in Christianity Today, Ed Stetzer explains that:According to many church leaders, denominations are not fading away—they are actually inhibiting growth. I have heard many pastors denounce denominations as hindering more than helping their churches' mission. Others carp at wasteful spending, bureaucratic ineffectiveness, or structural redundancies; these … [Read more...] about Benefits of Denominations for Missions Work
Archives for June 2010
Song for Those with Disabilities
Bob Kaulfin sang this beautiful song at the recent NEXT Conference. It is a song for those with various forms of disabilities. The lyrics are below. You can listen to the song or download it. Within the womb I formed you I fashioned and made each part I thought of your fingers, your hands and your feet Your mouth, your lungs, your heart Though you might think that you’re different I made you the way that you are So you could discover the God who made you And find out all I am And though you might think you have limitations There are no limits with me When you turn your eyes to my … [Read more...] about Song for Those with Disabilities
The Faithful Parent: Martha Peace & Stuart Scott
Based on other books they've written, The Faithful Parent: A Biblical Guide to Raising a Family should be very helpful. Check out the sample pages, which includes a Foreword by Ted Tripp and the Table of Contents. Martha Peace is a conference speaker, Bible teacher, and biblical counselor to women through the Faith Biblical Counseling Center in Sharpsburg, Georgia. Stuart W. Scott is Associate Professor of Biblical Counseling at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, a fellow of NANC, and has over 25 years experience in counseling and pastoral ministry. … [Read more...] about The Faithful Parent: Martha Peace & Stuart Scott
Please Consider Helping Desiring God
Over the years I've been remarkably impressed by the humility of those who lead Desiring God. They have made so much available for free on the Internet (at great expense to their organization), their prices on books consistently beat Amazon, John Piper receives absolutely no DG salary, and their notifications of financial need are extremely polite and rare. Which is why now, at a time that they are facing the possibility of budget cuts, would be a great time to help them, even with a small contribution. Here's Executive Director Jon Bloom's explanation of the situation: … [Read more...] about Please Consider Helping Desiring God
Just Do Something – Kevin DeYoung
Last night I finished reading Kevin DeYoung's book Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God's Will. It is part of the research I'm doing for a manuscript I need to deliver to a publisher by the end of September (for a book on "doing college well"). As I had hoped, DeYoung's book is a helpful and brief corrective to the widely held and deeply flawed view that God has a discoverable, personal will for our amoral decisions (where to go to college, which job to take, which Christian to marry, etc.). DeYoung's writing is engaging and clear, and this short book is a quick read. The … [Read more...] about Just Do Something – Kevin DeYoung
John Piper’s Latest Book: Must You Hear the Gospel to Be Saved?
John Piper's latest book is entitled Jesus: The Only Way to God - Must You Hear the Gospel to Be Saved? It ships August 1, but is available now from Desiring God for $4.99. The book's description:In our shrinking, pluralistic world, the belief that Jesus is the only way of salvation is increasingly called arrogant and even hateful. In the face of this criticism, many shrink back from affirming the global necessity of knowingand believing in him. In Jesus: the Only Way to God John Piper offers a timely plea for the evangelical church to consider what is at stake in surrendering the unique, … [Read more...] about John Piper’s Latest Book: Must You Hear the Gospel to Be Saved?