Loving Others Requires Sustained, Patient Practice
If you're going to be good at something – whether it's golf or math or art – it will require years of patient practice. Why should we expect love to be any different? Read More ...
Guy Sayles |
The Call to Leadership is Often Uncomfortable
What makes a good leader? They help others move beyond themselves into the world that is around them. And that can sometimes be uncomfortable. Read More ...
Martha Beahm |
The Fiction of Evangelical Friction Over Immigration
Shifts in the debates on immigration policy reform among evangelical Protestants may depend on the frequency and quality of concrete relationships between those sitting in the pews. Read More ...
Noah Toly |
3 Essentials for Effective Conflict Management
No one can eliminate all conflict in a church, but motivated and effective leaders prevent much conflict from even developing. Here are three ways they do it. Read More ...
Mark Tidsworth |
Responsible Microfinance: Not Just Loans
A Christian microfinance charity says its focus is on transforming lives, not making money, and it goes to people and places ignored by micro-financiers more focused on profit. Read More ...
Anthony McKernan |
Minority Scholars Draw Strength Sharing Their Stories
The first-ever gathering of a group of minority scholars was a chance to share stories of oppression in the hopes of working toward restoration, justice and reconciliation. Read More ...
Grace Ji-Sun Kim |
Pain, Grief Remind Us We Need One Another
Experiencing pain is a part of what it means to be human. It's part of what connects us to other human beings. At the end of the day, we all just want to be loved. Read More ...
Elizabeth Evans Hagan |
Is Your Church an Institution or a Family?
Family language about church reveals our yearning for intimacy, and corporate language points to our realization that, whatever else the church is, it is an institution. Which should it be? Read More ...
Guy Sayles |
5 Ways Churches Can Curb Pastoral Abuse
Pastoral abuse of any form occurs when pastors overstep their boundaries and view church members as a means to an end. Here are five ways the church can respond. Read More ...
Terrell Carter |
How Choir Rehearsal is Like Christian Discipleship
Choir rehearsal is a joy on some days, a challenge on others. And that makes it much like life. Some days we're obedient to the Spirit, and others we're doing our duty. Read More ...
Sara Powell |
How One Church Survived Their Mother's Day Controversy
A Mother's Day custom at one church, which honored the mom with the most children, became a controversy between the two finalists. Here's how one pastor solved it. Read More ...
Barry Howard |
10 Ways You Can Ruin Your Pastor's Sermons
If you want to encourage your pastor to deliver inspiring sermons, think about ways you can ensure awful messages every week – and let them suggest ways to promote positive results. Read More ...
Bill Wilson |
Religiously Unaffiliated Hard to Identify, Define
The religiously unaffiliated, a very relaxed term which suggests that "religion" equals "affiliation," number nearly one in five Americans. But identifying exactly who they are isn't easy. Read More ...
Martin Marty |
A Mother's Love Brings Value to Each Life She Touches
Some would call Hilda Noble's mother a saint. Ruby Noble lived a hard life, but she gave her six children, including Hilda, something beyond difficulty in which to hope. She gave them love. Read More ...
Ferrell Foster |
Working Mother's Day into Your Church Liturgy
How does your church celebrate Mother's Day? Is it a time for nostalgia or gentile respect for the influential role of mothers? Or does it go deeper? Read More ...
Barry Howard |
12 Sources to Help Your Church Plan for Mother's Day
Mother's Day is a significant holiday, and church members have high expectations. Here are a dozen columns from EthicsDaily.com to help churches prepare their services. Read More ...
Zach Dawes |
How One Baptist Pastor Ended Up in Jail
How would you feel if your pastor was in jail four times in a year? For First Baptist of Richmond, Va., it's part of their mission to bring the Kingdom of God to their community. Read More ...
Jim Somerville |
Excuse-Making Hinders Fruitful Discipleship, Ministry
Making excuses is at the heart of a troubling spirit that plagues U.S. churches. When we cease making excuses, we begin down the path of humble discipleship. Read More ...
Bill Wilson |
Is Loyalty to MSNBC or Fox News More Critical to Church Membership Than 'Jesus is Lord'?
How do you become a church member in today's politically charged culture? It's more about landing on the left or right side of politics than it is about being a child of God. Read More ...
Barrett Owen |
"Let My People Go! Following Jesus into Our Jails and Prisons"
Many churches have avoided the detailed and dirty business of ministering to prisoners. A new book says it's time for churches to recapture that ministry. Read More ...
Stan Moody |
Health Ministry Requires Healthy Ministers
Most clergy, and especially health ministers, struggle with internal stress. If you start to think of yourself as a catalyst, there are three ways you can lower that stress. Read More ...
Deborah Patterson |
Wherever You're From, We All Crave Being Useful
We will sometimes go to desperate lengths to feel useful. We forget others want to be validated for doing something, and we've got the gifts to help them. Read More ...
Elizabeth Evans Hagan |
When Church Conflict Erupts, We Blame Wrong Thing
Three churches in conflict from three different denominations. People in each one blamed denominational polity. The truth is often closer to our hearts than we want to admit. Read More ...
Mark Tidsworth |
7 Ways Your Church Can Respond to Tragedy
Every day seems to bring news of a devastating disruption in some community's life. When news of disaster breaks in on us, here are seven things congregational leaders can do. Read More ...
Greg Hunt |
How Your Church Can Discover Authentic Worship
Everyone seeks a church that really worships, that really knows how to praise God. While we don't know exactly what worship is, we are always quick to point out what it isn't. Read More ...
Taylor Johnson |
Whose Side is God On?
Whether or not we believe God actually takes sides, the reality is that many of us claim God's support for our own political, social or religious views. So does God take sides? Read More ...
Arthur Brown |
Time to Reclaim Proverbs 31: It's Not a To-Do List
Proverbs 31 gives us images of a strong and resourceful woman, who isn't threatened or anxious. Too many of us read it prescriptively. It's not a to-do list. It shows a way to live. Read More ...
Christina Gibson |
4 Lessons You Can Learn from Multicultural Churches
More people are living in cities and fewer in rural areas. That means multicultural and multilingual churches will continue to grow. Here are 4 lessons we can learn from them. Read More ...
Malcolm Patten |
How Your Church Can Help Returning Soldiers
Tormented by what they saw, many returning soldiers have little to no resources, suffer with severe mental illness, and have nowhere to go. The church can help them heal and be reconciled. Read More ...
Griff Martin |
Will Disregard for Environment Lead to Destruction?
Our road of conspicuous consumption is leading to destruction. We must recognize the path we're on so we can preserve the wealth of our planet and not leave a barren desert for posterity. Read More ...
Grace Ji-Sun Kim |
On Earth Day, Let's Become Caretakers, Not Plunderers
For too long, the earth has suffered from our thinking that we have the right to dominate it for our own gain. On Earth Day, let's strive to be caretakers and not plunderers. Read More ...
Keith Herron |
Mumford Musician Wary of Christian Baggage
Mumford and Sons' front man drew fire from evangelicals for telling Rolling Stone that the word "Christian" carries too much baggage. His hesitation is understandable. Read More ...
John Pierce |
Liberian Camp Gives Teens a Roadmap for Life Together
In Liberia, where century-long animosities that divided the country into warring factions still remain, 150 teenagers learned that building community takes hard work. Read More ...
Michael Helms |
After Boston Tragedy, We Must Be Light in Darkness
An act like Monday's bombing forces us to consider how we contend with the presence of a rage that is bent on destruction for no explicit or implicit reason. Read More ...
Joe Phelps |
Church Musicians – Worship Leaders or Performers?
As church musicians, the ultimate goal of presenting our best talents to God during worship is not to draw the spotlight on ourselves but to reflect the spotlight so that it shines on God. Read More ...
Naomi King Walker |
Caring for Creation As If We're Owners, Not Renters
Some believe since we're going to be taken up to heaven and the earth destroyed, why care for the planet? We must use the earth's resources, but we should do so as servants charged with its care. Read More ...
Zach Dawes |
How Your Church Benefits From a Long-Term Pastor
Most ministers rarely stay long at churches. Many move on in search of greener pastures. Many congregants feel they must defend their turf. What if those attitudes changed? Read More ...
Michael Helms |
Earth, People Are More Than Commodities
If we see the earth as purely a resource under the bondage of human beings, we are more likely to see human beings as purely a resource under the bondage of others. Read More ...
Michael Cheuk |
Pope's Gesture Demonstrates God's Love
When Pope Francis kissed a boy with cerebral palsy on Easter Sunday, his gesture reflected God's amazing love. No one is outside of God's love. Read More ...
Mitch Carnell |
4 Ways Your Church Can Help Health Care Needs
Poverty, lack of education, no health insurance all create barriers for many people who need health care. Here are four ways your church can help meet their needs. Read More ...
Bill Holmes |
5 Things a Pastor Learned in the Hospital
Do you want to improve your ministry visiting people in the hospital? Here are five things one pastor learned when he was faced with a three-week hospital stay. Read More ...
Chuck Warnock |
Sharing the Good News – A Joy Instead of a Chore
Many evangelical churches stress going from door to door to share the good news. But there are other creative ways to communicate the gospel that will fill people with joy. Read More ...
Jim Somerville |
What Does The Choice of a Pope's Name Mean?
A pope's name has strong symbolic significance. For Cardinal Bergoglio, choosing the name Pope Francis reflects a vow of care for human beings and the environment. Read More ...
Martin Accad |
How Your Church is Like the Corvette
The Corvette evokes great nostalgia and loyalty among a dwindling crowd. Designers must remain true to their traditional heritage while becoming relevant for the next generation. Sound familiar? Read More ...
Bill Wilson |
Do Science and Religion Have to be At Odds?
Some people fear that modern science has issued orders that, if we complied with them, would shutter our churches. Science and religion, however, can work hand in hand. Read More ...
Guy Sayles |
Middle East Conference to Address Human Rights
This June's Middle East Conference in Lebanon will tackle religious freedom, freedom of speech and human trafficking. The lineup includes Christian and Muslim speakers. Read More ...
Martin Accad |
Palestinian Christian Struggles with Zionists' Support for Israel
An evangelical Christian whose family has lived in Palestine for hundreds of years struggles to understand Christian Zionists who blindly support Israel at all costs. Read More ...
Tanas Alqassis |
What You Can Learn from Alzheimer's Patients
Many churches worry about how many people are in Sunday school or worship services, but a more crucial number is how many are in care homes and how often we visit them. Read More ...
Michael Helms |
5 Ways Your Church Can Discern Future Trends
Everyone is searching for "the next big thing" that can empower the ministry of the church. How do we know if it's real or a bust? Five ideas can help you discern. Read More ...
Ircel Harrison |
Mission Work's Success in Building Relationships
The foundation of mission work is building relationships. Pushing our differences aside and letting go of preconceived notions leads to positive and sustainable development. Read More ...
Lauren Hovis |
Why Your Church Isn't Like a Ford Model T
Like assembly lines mass-producing millions of Ford Model Ts, today's churches are seeking the right formula to mass-produce growth. But people are not material objects. Read More ...
Seth Vopat |
Remembering Rachel: Fighting for Human Rights in Palestine
As a girl, Rachel Corrie dreamed of helping people. Her dream ended when she was killed in 2003 by an Israeli bulldozer as she tried to stop the demolition of a Palestinian home. Read More ...
Leroy Seat |
Offering Reconciliation Requires Vulnerability
What will it take to achieve reconciliation in our violent world? We need people who are willing to extend their arms in vulnerable acts of forgiveness, like Sir Gerald Fitzgerald. Read More ...
Chuck Queen |
4 Characteristics of Churches That Call New Leaders
Many congregations are so focused on survival that they've grown blind to the call to propagate and reproduce leaders, but they're putting their future at stake. Read More ...
Bill Wilson |
Why You Should Be Glad Easter's Always Moving
Easter Sunday is observed on the first Sunday after the full moon that falls on or after March 21. While we don't control Easter, it should control the way we view and live our lives. Read More ...
Michael Ruffin |
If You Were Resurrected, How Would You Live?
We don't know what Lazarus did with his life after being resurrected. Did he cower in obscurity to live a life with no risk or did he confront the religious and political powers? Read More ...
Larry Greenfield |
Helping Others Must Balance Wisdom, Compassion
For those of us who help others either by vocation or as volunteers, compassion fatigue is common. As we balance compassion and wisdom, it's difficult not to become jaded. Read More ...
Reggie Warren |
When We Need Balm, Why Do We Choose Bombs?
When we are hurt and broken, we sometimes refuse to turn to the healing and wholeness God offers. The choice is simple: the Lord's balm or our bombs. Read More ...
Michael Ruffin |
Finding God in Nature Inspires Conservation Work
Biblical ecology is a moral understanding of what God expects of us in relation to our world and those with whom we share it. It's careful management, not destruction and abuse. Read More ...
Michael Lipford |
Humility – A Prerequisite for Interfaith Dialogue
Humility is a key ingredient for interfaith dialogue to be successful. It helps us recognize that our brothers and sisters from other faiths have something to teach us – and vice versa. Read More ...
Colin Harris |
Where Do You Look To Find Enemies of the Cross?
The Apostle Paul warned us about the enemies of the cross. Christians search hither and yon for these enemies when we should start by looking at our own hearts. Read More ...
Chuck Queen |
Can Jews, Christians and Muslims Coexist?
Some may question whether Jews, Christians and Muslims can coexist, but the life and legacy of Edward Wilmot Blyden has already shown that it's possible. Read More ...
Richard Wilson |
Raising Your Voice to Help Those in Need
It's not easy to speak up for those who have no voice in our society. While silence is easier, God can use people of faith to make a real difference in our world. Read More ...
Jim Hill |
How Mary's One-Time Extravagance Benefitted You
When Mary washed Jesus' feet with an expensive perfume, did she know something tragic was coming? And was Judas right to ask why her gift was not used for the poor? Read More ...
Larry Greenfield |
What Do We Know About the New Pope?
Who is Pope Francis? Those who have known the new pontiff closely have described him as shy and soft-spoken while strong in character and a true decision-maker. Read More ...
Daniel Carro |
Cruise Ship's Misery Mirrors Earth's Plight
After Triumph lost electricity, it didn't take long for trash and waste to pile up, leaving portions of the cruise ship unsanitary and uninhabitable. Why do we think the Earth is different? Read More ...
Grace Ji-Sun Kim |
How Can Mourning Lead to Comfort?
When we keep pain and suffering at arm's length, we push others away as well. Only those who risk pain can truly love. Maybe those who mourn are the ones who are fully alive. Read More ...
Preston Clegg |
Resistant or Resilient: Which Describes Your Church?
As congregations age, most churches will face a turning point of sustainability in the near future. Whether they survive will depend on whether they're resistant or resilient. Read More ...
Bill Wilson |
The Pros and Cons of Microfinance to Beat Poverty
Microfinance institutions can be an effective tool to address poverty when handled ethically by lending organizations and clients. And that's where churches can help. Read More ...
Zach Dawes |
Which is More Important? Loving Attitude or Right Belief
Given the choice between being "correct" while embodying the wrong spirit or being a bit "incorrect" while embodying the right spirit, which would you choose? Read More ...
Reggie Warren |
God Loves Humanity Despite Our Dark Side
We can sometimes change outward behavior because of a strong will or external forces. But real and lasting change is always internal, and that brings serenity to one's soul. Read More ...
Naomi King Walker |
Creating Worship for People with Learning Disabilities
Not all Christians find comfort in church services. For folks with learning disabilities, places, like the Open Praise Project, offer an alternative to mainstream church. Read More ...
Katie Love |
What If Your Church Were More Like Rotary?
Rotary is an international service organization with the motto of "Service Above Self." Here are six ways your church could mature if it were more like the Rotary. Read More ...
Michael Helms |
Why Nishida Tenko Wants You to Clean Toilets
Who is Nishida Tenko? He's the late founder of a Christian-Zen commune, where the community life is a fascinating blend of Jesus' teachings and Zen Buddhist spirituality. Read More ...
Leroy Seat |
For the World's Ultra-Poor, Hope is Not Apparent
The appearance of hope becomes an obstacle when it maintains rather than challenges the prevailing social structures that keep the poor on the margins. We need hopelessness. Read More ...
Miguel De La Torre |
Tolerance – Key Ingredient for Interfaith Dialogue
Tolerance is a good thing but it isn't easy. It sees rectifying diverging beliefs as less important than realizing the greater goods of mutual respect, humility and hospitality. Read More ...
Aaron Tyler |
"Araboolies" Demonstrates Creative Nonviolence
In "The Araboolies of Liberty Street," everything on Liberty Street was exactly the same under the rigid rule of General Pinch and his wife – until the Araboolies moved in. Read More ...
Trevor Barton |
How Does Your Church React to Issues? Fear or Love
Too many churches respond to the big ethical questions of today out of fear. Once fear is removed, we won't be OK with the pat answers that are way too easy. Read More ...
Griff Martin |
Why Churches Must Offer More Than Band-Aids
Churches have been great at offering acts of mercy and compassion, but they need to take the lead and work with others to get at the root causes of community problems. Read More ...
Rhonda Abbott Blevins |
Why You Should Celebrate Glen Stassen's Happy Kiju
When Jesus is often sentimentalized, commercialized and trivialized today, Glen Stassen's book helps all who are concerned with what it means to be a follower of Jesus today. Read More ...
Leroy Seat |
This Lent, How to Improve Jewish-Christian Relations
Many U.S. Christians live with oblivion about their Jewish roots. This Lenten season is a good time to examine our convictions and feelings about the historic people of God. Read More ...
Molly T. Marshall |
4 Things to Consider About Shallow Church Commitment
Athletic practices, concerts, sunny weather and just about anything else all seem to rank ahead of commitments to one's church. Is there a solution to shallow commitment? Read More ...
Bill Wilson |
What the Church Can Learn from Scientology
Does theology even matter? Is a congregation of like-believing individuals no more than that – a gathering of people to which we feel a sense of belonging? Read More ...
Brock Ratcliff |
Why So Many Christians Break the 9th Commandment
As Christians, we often hate it when people put us all in the same camp and assume we all think the same thing. Yet that's what we do far too often when we speak of Islam. Read More ...
Martin Accad |
The Answer to Solving Your Next Spiritual Meltdown
We all have spiritual meltdowns more often than we care to admit. When your next one arrives, use your oft-neglected imagination to allow God to move in your soul. Read More ...
Griff Martin |
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