Americans have been abandoning organized religion in droves and while some have walked away from religion altogether, a distinct group of Americans now call themselves “spiritual but not religious.”
John Arthur, pastor at Eureka First Baptist Church near Aiken, South Carolina, will pass the six-decade mark Jan. 1 — and he still preaches every Sunday.
On average, pastors are planning four events or activities to help their churches celebrate Christmas this year, according to a Lifeway Research study.
If we take our role as Christ’s ambassadors seriously, we should make sure we aren’t so caught up in our own celebration of the holidays that we miss ministering Jesus’ love to those who are seriously hurting around us.
Let’s ban all “re-” words when talking about the journey of churches. “Re-” words are about going back, doing something again and preserving the way things were in the past.
“How do we come across to visitors? How do we greet them and make them feel welcome?” said Marc Whitt, a public relations professional. “What kind of follow up do we do, and how soon do we execute that follow up?”