(R­NS) — Messaging is incredibly important in American religion. Phrases like, “It’s not a religion, it’s a relationship” are pervasive in… read more

(RNS) — In her 2004 Pulitzer-Prize winning novel Gilead, Marilynne Robinson sketches a portrait of the Rev. John Ames, a small- town pastor in 1950s Iowa who… read more

Your congregation has up to six, maybe even seven different generations in it. While the oldest generation is unlikely to still be attending worship, they are still part of your… read more

Andy Stanley has spoken helpfully about the distinction in church life between tensions to be managed and problems to be solved. In other words, there are certain dilemmas that… read more

There’s a lot of talking past each other right now. Listening, true listening, seems harder than ever. At a recent district event, six of us sat around a table to process… read more

“They want me to preach a three-point sermon, finish worship within an hour so they can beat the Baptists to breakfast, and not make any changes they don’t first… read more