Articles for tag: Mission Field

We Must Not Forget the Mission Field

—This content is sponsored by The Solomon Foundation— A pastor recently shared with me that he never had a Bible college class that focused on ministering during a pandemic. I told him I never had a class in business school about how to cope with a pandemic, either. We are living in extraordinary times. When crises arise, Americans usually get to work to find solutions. This is certainly true with our church leaders; I have seen them rise to the occasion many times. Churches across our nation have been affected differently by the coronavirus. Some church buildings still are closed,

Taking a Break: Reevaluating the Post-High School Path

By Emily Drayne Education is crucial for success in life, but many students just graduating high school, and any number of students already studying at college, have no clear goal or plan for the next 30 to 40 years . . . or even the next 5. Are there other paths available besides a four-year college program? If you know someone who is about to graduate high school or who is struggling for direction in college, a new program starting up later this year might prove a good alternative. I am a millennial (born between 1981 and 1996), and it

September 28, 2017

Shawn McMullen

The Impact of a Humble and Faithful Servant

By Shawn McMullen Tom Claibourne is a friend of mine. We”ve known one another since our days in Bible college. We”ve studied together, taught together, commiserated together, and prayed together through the years. These are just a handful of reasons I was honored when asked to write this piece about Tom and the church he has served for 38 years. Tom models what can happen when a faithful servant of Christ commits himself to a local body of believers and chooses to love and serve them with all his heart. That”s what he”s done for nearly four decades in rural southwestern

How to Respond to the Trend of ‘Churchless Christians’

By Michael C. Mack According to a Barna Group survey, the majority (62 percent) of churchless Americans consider themselves Christians. “Most of the churchless in America””contrary to what one might believe””do not disdain Christianity nor desire to belittle it or tear it down,” says the report. This graph provides a more detailed breakdown: How can churches make sense of these surprising findings, and more importantly, what can churches do in response to them? “I think a dissatisfaction with the institutional church is significantly responsible for the result,” says Mike Shannon, professor at Cincinnati (Ohio) Christian University. In The Rise of

Is Missional Working?

By Stephen Sams At Axis Church in Mason, Ohio, we don”t use the word missional. It”s not that we are opposed to the word, it”s just that we try to use words that people understand. When you are trying to reach people who don”t know Jesus, you must use words that communicate and create mental pictures. If people can”t define it or explain it, then they can”t carry it out or act on it. Nearly everyone in America has a concept of church. They think they understand it. They have predetermined definitions of concepts like discipleship, evangelism, and worship, largely

The Rise of the “˜Nones”

By Tim Harlow The front page of USA Today said, “Protestants lose majority status in the US” (October 9, 2012). It just happened to catch my eye as I walked past a newsstand. I thought to myself, OK, but what could have taken its place? Catholicism is dying””is this about Mormonism? The article explained that Protestant numbers are down from 53 percent in 2007 to 48 percent today. But these Protestants didn”t switch to a new religious brand. They just let go of any faith affiliation or label. According to the Pew Forum, one in five Americans now claims no religious identity.

What I Learned When I Became Their Preacher in Panama

Timothy Keim We had heard Panama is a popular retirement destination for North Americans. During our trip to check out that nation we were providentially led to an English-speaking nondenominational church comprised primarily of Americans and Canadians living there. Since October 2009, my wife and I have been traveling to Panama each month so I can preach part time at the church. Here are a few things we have learned about this type of ministry.   International Living Is a Growing Trend According to various estimates, 6 to 8 million Americans live outside the United States (not counting government or

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