Insights

Please read these first few sentences before you look at the subheadings. I want to be clear about a few points.  First, some pastors are fired for moral failure. This article does not address that category of firing. Second, my article makes some church members the bad guys. I want to be clear that they…

Make My Church Safe releases this week! I wrote it to be a concise guide to the best practices in making your church safe for members and attendees of all ages. Get your copy today! Child security is one of the most important discipleship issues in the church. We must create robust security measures in…

When I entered graduate school in the fall of 2005, I knew I wanted to study religion and politics in the United States. The reason for that was simple—I cared deeply about both subjects and knew that if I could combine my passions with academic training and earn an educational credential, I would be in…

A sincere pastor asked me this question: If I only had to measure and follow five church metrics, what would be my top five choices?  On the one hand, this pastor understands he needs to have some level of accountability. The church that does not measure something is likely not to value it. For example,…

Every church has a dual calling when it comes to the evils of the world: ensure safety and confront danger. Ensure safety (internally): The church must be a place where every person is protected from harm. Confront danger (externally): The church is also called to send people out to preach the gospel in dangerous places….

It isn’t just a political realignment taking place in America. There is also a profound realignment of churches.  For most of our nation’s history, we have categorized churches into two broad categories: denominational and nondenominational. It was neat, easy, and comfortable. If you were a Christian, you were connected to a church in one of…

Advent is a sacred invitation—a time to pause, reflect, and refocus on what matters most. As women, we navigate seasons of life that are often marked by waiting, longing, and deep yearning for connection. The beauty of Advent is that it meets us exactly where we are and points us back to God’s promises and…

I’ve studied and written about spiritual warfare for more than thirty years now. In fact, you can study the topic with me through the Church Answers “Church Equip” course, “Engaging in Spiritual Warfare.” In some ways, that short course reflects the core of what I’ve taught over the years.  What I don’t always talk about…

Are any of you old enough to remember “perfect attendance awards”?  It’s been decades since I have been in a church that provides such recognition. It’s quite the feat. It means a church member has shown up for 52 or 53 consecutive Sundays in a calendar or church year.  Sam Rainer began writing about attendance…

The most important book written in political science in my lifetime is Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert Putnam. It’s a thick volume with hundreds of thousands of words and dozens of graphs that point the reader to a central conclusion–Americans aren’t joining and participating in organizations anymore. The book’s…