No one comes to your church with an empty mind. From the mildly curious with no apparent faith through to the most passionate of disciples, from the first-time visitors through to the long-term members, everyone comes with minds shaped by the information they have received. They may or may not be conscious of all that […]
Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Psalm 103:2 Most companies offer an employee benefits package, typically including incentives like health and disability insurance, flexible spending accounts, retirement plans, bonuses, profit-sharing and stock options, paid time off for vacations and sick leave, and/or a myriad of other attractive perks to […]
We concluded last time with a recognition that a theology of justice and righteousness raises up many questions. They are questions that challenge us with our traditions and cultures. 4. FOUR CHALLENGES MUST BE FACED IF WE ARE TO ENGAGE WITH A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE ON JUSTICE: There is the need to expand our ideas about […]
At the centre of all good theology is God Himself. He is the reference point by which we figure out all the rest. Last time we just how passionately God is a God of justice who loves justice. God works for justice. God commands justice be practised. God condemns injustice. God promises justice will come […]
In his book, Dominion: The Making of the Western Mind, Tom Holland surveys the two millennia since the beginnings of the Christian movement, including the ways the values and ethics of Christianity have pervaded and shaped the post-modern Western mind. Now, he concludes, much of the criticism of the church has developed out of these […]
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the world in unprecedented ways. It is creating new opportunities and challenges for various sectors of society, including the church. How does AI affect the mission and vision of the International Church movement, a network of churches that seeks to spread the gospel across cultures and nations? I had the […]
What I’d really like at this moment is a nap. As we are scuttling through the clouds at 38,000 feet, returning home from an intense time of ministry in the Republic of Congo followed by several days with our family in Geneva, my head is bobbing even as my mind refuses to concede to the […]
This May, I went through an event that I had been both expecting and fearing for some time, the passing of my dad. He would have been 100 years old this October. I dreaded his passing for years, not only because he was my dad, but also because all throughout my childhood, I tried to […]
“Value-adding” is a term used by economists and others to refer to how a product or service can be enhanced, added to, or improved so that it can attract a higher price. I want to apply this term to a church. In one way this is a bit foolish! The value of a church is […]
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your […]