On Sunday, we have a schedule to follow, are probably dressed up, and conditioned to be quiet. Friends don’t schedule activities where they sit in lines and look at the backs of other people’s heads.
All in Church
Back in the Saddle Again
What would I do if I could go back to the days of full-time ministry, preaching week after week? What would I change?
A Prayer for Ash Wednesday (2017)
Lord, on this day, we gather as a people broken,
bleeding from self-inflicted wounds.
When “Small Minded” Isn’t Necessarily a Bad Thing
There is beauty in the simplicity of a small church. This beauty is not manifested in the actions of worship inasmuch as it is created in the body of Christ coming together and worshiping as one united, small (or large) body.
Jonah the Reluctant Preacher
Jonah is often thought of as a children's story complete with a big fish, but the real message of Jonah is an adult one with an opportunity to stretch our understanding of God and salvation.
Job Description for a Shepherd
Our work as shepherds requires us to attend to our own life and walk before God even as we continue to develop the skills necessary to provide care for our congregations.
Partnerships in the City
While non-profit organizations can never take the place of the church, the church can come alongside these organizations, pool resources, and work together.
Urban Public Schools and the Kingdom of God (Part 2)
Regardless of how deeply churches get engaged in urban schools, the need is still pressing and Christians have a responsibility to the vulnerable children among us.
Urban Public Schools and the Kingdom of God (Part 1)
The people of God are called to see this and to act. We are called to stop and help the vulnerable children among us because the love of God in us.
Run Your Own Race
“Run your own race” sounds nice as a bumper sticker, but life tells us, “Grade yourself against others … and always try to come out on top.”
The Mission of Campus Ministries and Christian Universities
Campus ministries do not steal away Christian students who should be enrolling at a Christian college. Rather, campus ministries are missional groups striving to make disciples for Christ.
Most Read Church Posts in 2016
Here's a quick recap of some of our most read posts from 2016. What were some of your favorite CHARIS posts in 2016? We would love to hear from you!
Healthy Responses for Church Leaders: What “Getting Turned Around” in Atlanta Taught Me about Church Leadership
Focus on direction can be difficult for leaders because we so often get swept up into the tyranny of the urgent.
Uninvited Guests in Worship
If Jesus calls the church to be its own culture and society, why is it that some people feel unwelcomed by the church when the church is in fact its own way of life?
Shell-Shocked Preacher
If you are wounded and shell-shocked, I want to encourage you to find some healing. Do something that is life-giving, and please listen for the prompting and the timing of the Spirit.
Nuremberg Funnel: Reenvisioning the Work of Leadership
A look at three metaphors that help teachers re-envision the work of education: pilgrimage (journey), gardening, and building.
The Crossroads of Art and Faith: A Contemporary Christian Conversation
Dan McGregor discusses the value of art to faith in an image-based culture, highlighting how art has the potential of conveying the divine in a way that words alone cannot.
Shocking Judgment
When you are a preacher or teacher, every experience becomes a raw material for teaching. I hope the implications of this analogy are obvious and you might come up with your own in your messages.
The Best Offense: Defending Orphans for the Sake of the Kingdom
Psalm 10:12-18 lays out God’s plan for defeating evil, and it’s pretty simple: “defending the fatherless [orphan] and the oppressed” (10:18).
The War on Advent
Advent is a reminder that we still wait for the Messiah. As a people who live in the “now and not yet” of the kingdom of God, we await the return of Christ.