When I think of the season of Advent, the four-week part of the church calendar that immediately precedes Christmas, the word that comes to mind is “expectation.” Indeed, Advent is a season in which we wait hopefully for that which is promised but is not yet fully formed. It is during this time of year that those of us who are Christians receive the startling news that Christ is being formed in us; that Christ is being born. The question is this: What will we do with such strange, wonderful news? Will we receive it as if for the … [Read more...]
Lord, Have Mercy!
Éleos is Greek for “mercy” as it is defined by loyalty to God’s covenant; pity; compassion. God’s éleos is stunning, and the Book of Nehemiah highlights it along with our need for a Savior and the lengths He goes to prove His love and mercy to us. In Nehemiah 9:6, the people begin praising the Lord, rehearsing all the wonderful things He did from Abram to the present, beautifully recounting the mercy of the Lord. Then in verse 16, their prayer takes a turn. “But our ancestors acted arrogantly; they became stiff-necked and did … [Read more...]
3 Ways Churches Can Reverse the Absence of Millennials
There’s been much buzz on the Internet recently about the absence of young adults in churches. Numerous blogs, research statistics, and denominational reports point toward this significant decline. There have been countless comments and conversations about the reasons Millennials are not connecting to church. But I’m not quite ready to say "the sky is falling" just yet. Why? Because I believe the Lord is going to use this generation significantly to proclaim the kingdom of God in a world that’s seeking for hope in something. There … [Read more...]
Do Groups Really Matter?
Anytime I'm in the presence of collegiate or young adult ministry leaders, I’m always intrigued by the conversations that surface about our ministries. “What does your large group worship time look like?” “What are some of the issues you're tackling in your group gatherings?” “What type of missions opportunities does your group do?” Are those relevant and important questions to ask? Absolutely. They're all aspects of what draws young adults to our ministries and keeps them involved with the ministry as a whole. However, … [Read more...]
Join Us for a Groups Matter Twitter Chat
Groups Matter. A lot. Based on some recent research (featured in Transformational Groups), people in groups report that they give more generously, serve more sacrificially, confess and repent more frequently, and share the gospel more boldly than those who are not in a small group. So this Friday, Thom Rainer, Ed Stetzer, and Eric Geiger are hosting a Twitter Chat to talk about group life. They'll have questions for you like, How do you keep people involved in the groups at your church? And, How do we change the fact (based on … [Read more...]