March 1, 2024
Why the Restoration Movement Needs Saints and How to Become One
Recently, I made it a discipline to read a saint story every day for a year. . . .
Articles for tag: Engage
January 1, 2024
A Society Sick Off Freedom
If you’re looking for relief from anxiety, depression, or something else, stopping the right thing can move you toward the right results.
November 1, 2023
‘Tis the Season for Justice
By Tyler McKenzie Did you know that in the past century at least three countries outlawed the public recitation of Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55)? • Before the end of British rule over India, the Magnificat was prohibited from being sung in churches. • In the 1980s, the Guatemalan government banned it because they believed Mary’s words provoked revolutionary zeal. • And the military dictatorship that ruled in Argentina from 1976 to 1983 also banned the Magnificat. During that time, those in command “disappeared” 30,000 people. Mothers created signs emblazoned with the names of their abducted children and Mary’s song and took
September 1, 2023
Why Progressives and Conservatives Hope in the Same Thing
By Tyler McKenzie Neither the hopes of ideological progressives nor those of conservatives are biblical because both locate their hope in the same place . . . humanity. While God has imbued humanity with awesome dignity and seemingly endless potential, grounding our ultimate hope in ourselves will always disappoint. Progressives’ Hope Progressives ground their hope in the advancement of human reason and ingenuity. The 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries have seen Western cultures driven by this vision that human progress in areas like technology, science, medicine, economics, and politics will bring us closer and closer to utopia. Every generation will
July 1, 2023
Spiritual Formation 101: Three Guidelines for Meeting Our Moment
By Tyler McKenzie Spiritual formation has become a buzz phrase. It sounds sophisticated, all the influencers use it, and it’s a way to signal my friends that I am one of those neo-monastic types who reads poetry and welcomes strangers into my home. But what does it actually mean, and why does it matter? I believe this is an important discussion in our cultural environment. A spiritual formation mindset can help us reframe the discipleship conversations we are having in our churches to meet our moment. When I’m asked to talk about spiritual formation, I boil it down to three
May 1, 2023
Gradations of Unity
By Tyler McKenzie A recent Love Thy Neighborhood podcast detailed how fake news spreads in the church. They told a story from the 2016 election as a case study. On November 5, 2016, just three days before the presidential election, the Denver Guardian ran this headline: “FBI Agent Suspected in Hillary Email Leaks Found Dead in Apparent Murder-Suicide.” The article stated that FBI agent Michael Brown and his wife were found dead in their home. The web article looked legit. It included quotes from the local police chief, comments from neighbors, and links to online sources claiming it was a
March 1, 2023
How Do We Talk About Grace with a Generation That Feels No Guilt?
By Tyler McKenzie As generations of young people emerge who are more different than ever imagined, how should our presentation of God’s grace change? Millennials (those born 1981–96) are assuming leadership. Gen Z (born 1997–2012) is entering the workforce. The youngest of those from Generation Alpha (about 2013–25) are upon the age of accountability. They are the new mission field. From Guilt to Shame One of my hypotheses is that evangelists of the future will shift from presenting grace through a guilt framework to a shame framework. Guilt is, “I did something bad.” Shame is, “I am bad.” While guilt
January 1, 2023
A Cheeky Article on Travel Baseball
By Tyler McKenzie I have three young children, ages 7, 4, and 2. With each passing milestone, my desire to see them grow in Christ deepens. As the pastor of a church made up largely of young families, I’ve found this to be a desire many parents share. At our church, we call it being an “intentional parent.” However, I have also found these same parents feel just as strongly that they are doing a bad job at it. When I ask what the problem is, their answers are the same, “Tyler, I just don’t know how.” I ain’t buying
November 1, 2022
Crucial Questions for Church Leaders
By Tyler McKenzie I grew up a preacher’s kid in the rural outskirts of a small city. Every time we walked into a restaurant, my dad visited at least two tables to check-in on people we knew from church. Often, someone would pick up our check. The community honored him. Back then, people looked to clergy for care and accepted their moral exhortation. Gone are those days! Barna president David Kinnaman reported on the clergy credibility crisis in his 2017 book Good Faith. “The public’s respect for pastors, priests, and other faith leaders has significantly declined,” Kinnaman wrote. “Today only
September 1, 2022
8 Ways Church Growth Has Reached an Idolatrous Level (Part 2)
By Tyler McKenzie Church growth shouldn’t be the crowning pursuit of success among leadership. And yet, we’ve framed the pursuit of growth as natural and celebrate its attainment as health. In part one of this article, I shared four concerning trends I’ve observed in American evangelical churches/ministries that can be explained (at least in part) as a consequence of the idolatrous pursuit of the gospel of growth. In this conclusion to the article, I share four more trends that may be indicative of that pursuit. 5. A Culture of Competition over Church (big C) Unity Sometimes I question if this
July 1, 2022
8 Ways Church Growth Has Reached an Idolatrous Level (Part 1)
By Tyler McKenzie I love the church. That’s why I would like to suggest that pursuit of church growth by some leaders has reached an idolatrous level. Growth has become synonymous with health and success. It’s why we invest so many resources in the weekend gathering. It’s why we platform the leaders we do. Having led a large congregation for a decade now, I’ve experienced some of the lusts and obsessions in my own heart. Growth shouldn’t be the main thing. Tim Keller wrote in “Leadership and Church Size Dynamics,” Out of necessity, the large church must use organizational
May 1, 2022
‘Continuous Partial Attention’: The Impact of Smartphones on Us, Our Kids, and Our Faith
By Tyler McKenzie In a punchy scene from Gulliver’s Travels, the Lilliputians (the little people) think Gulliver’s clock is his god because he keeps checking it. After interrogating him, the Lilliputians conclude the following: “And we conjecture it is either some unknown animal, or the god that he worships; but we are more inclined to the latter opinion, because he assured us . . . that he seldom did any thing without consulting it. He called it his oracle, and said, it pointed out the time for every action of his life.” Already, in 1727, author and Irish clergyman Jonathan
November 1, 2021
The Story Behind Our Crumbling Christian Communities
By Tyler McKenzie Every minister frustrated with their congregation, every person leaving their church, and every millennial who is deconstructing needs to read the opening chapter on community in Dietrich Bonhoeffer’sLife Together. It might save your ministry, your membership, or even your faith. Our communities feel irreparably broken right now. The last 18 months have been relationally traumatic. Most of us have “had it out”—at least once—with someone we love. Maybe it was on the family text thread, over dinner one night, or in the comments section of social media. Or maybe you didn’t have it out. Maybe their outrageous
September 1, 2021
How Do We Respond to Cancel Culture?
Cancel culture can reek of moral superiority, revel in violence, lack in grace, and eschew redemption, but I believe it can also do some good. When racism is squelched, abuse is punished, victims are protected, the corrupt are exposed, and moral progress is made, Jesus is glad. Even when the fire burns within the church—that is, when church leaders are guilty and held accountable—we should be hopeful God will resurrect from the ashes something sanctified in the furnace of repentance! Maybe we should thank God for cancel culture. As Christians, we have the best theological resources to shine in a
January 1, 2021
How the Pandemic Impacted Christ In Youth
The beginning of March had a vibe that 2020 was going to be a banner year of ministry at Christ In Youth. SuperStart preteen and Believe junior high events were on a roll! The teaching and interactive elements were powerful and impacting hundreds of youth. Large numbers were waiting to attend the seven remaining major city sites in April and May. Plus, registrations were at a record pace for CIY’s Move high school and Mix junior high summer events. Hundreds were also prepared to participate in an Engage mission experience. Several new projects were coming together, and the culture and
May 5, 2016
Reconnect, Reignite, and Resurrect Marriages
By Michael C. Mack “Marriage should be honored by all” (Hebrews 13:4). May is National Date Your Mate Month. Use this month strategically to promote and support strong marriages. The possibilities for your plans are as bountiful as your imagination and an Internet search on Christian marriage ministry ideas! For example, offer a special marriage workshop, providing a meal, music, and child care. Or provide free child care at the church building so couples can plan their own romantic date night. North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia, offers quarterly date nights called MarriedLife. The purpose is to “help people
November 6, 2014
Missions Ministries that Work: Markle Church of Christ
By Jon Rice I believe Markle Church of Christ has sustained interest in missions for longer than I have been alive. This deeply rooted, mission-focused body of believers puts a lot of effort into providing missionary updates to our church and living out what we say is important. Mission commissioning and involvement is one of our five core values, for we believe “every member is called, by God, to actively engage in missions” (see Matthew 28:18-20). Faith promise is a key element to sustaining interest in missions. Faith promise is a personal commitment each person can make to God to
