Congregationalism & Churches
Scripture attests that the contributions of motherhood to our society extend far beyond the home. As Mother’s Day rolls around again, so do the memes and articles trying to calculate the value of the work that mothers do. In 2021, for example, Salary.com estimated the median annual salary of a stay-at-home mom to be $… Read More
Vol. 15 No. 11 Dear Friend, Consider the final words of the Lord’s Prayer: “For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.” Every time we pray it, we re-affirm our conviction that our God is indeed a God of power. God’s infinite power means that God is… Read More
Bill Hwang is at the center of what white-collar crime experts see as Wall Street’s biggest indictment since Bernie Madoff. When the founder of Archegos Capital Management, Bill Hwang, was charged in a multibillion-dollar criminal case last week, the federal district attorney said the Christian investor’s “massive fraud … nearly jeopardized our financial system.” The… Read More
Vol. 15 No. 12 Dear Friend, On Pentecost Sunday, we celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the followers of Jesus Christ some fifty days after the resurrection. Consider the words of the apostle Paul, “…be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18 NIV) and notice four things about the verb “be filled”. Be filled… Read More
The leaner denomination will focus on international partnerships, but many conservatives in Africa are holding out for the much-delayed 2024 conference vote. Methodist congregations that know their future is not in the United Methodist Church (UMC) officially have a new place to land: the Global Methodist Church (GMC). Launching on May 1, the new denomination… Read More
Vol. 15 No. 13 Dear Friend, The following words offered to graduating seniors recently express three priorities of our purpose as followers of Jesus Christ. Allow these words to guide your own life and relationships. Hold on to the God who leads you. Keep on trusting Jesus Christ. Read a portion of… Read More
Torn between “pro-Putin” and “pro-prayer,” only a minority have spoken out publicly against the invasion. Ukrainian seminary leaders call for repentance. Russian sermons—to the extent legally possible—reflect the national mood. “Honor the tsar!” preached Alexey Novikov of Land of Freedom Pentecostal church in Moscow two days after the February 24 Russian invasion of Ukraine, quoting… Read More
Vol. 16 No. 1 January 3, 2017 Dear Friend, I often meet people today who think that they may practice a vital faith while remaining separated from any regular association with other believers. The New Testament rather vigorously begs to differ with them. For example, we read in the Book of Hebrews: “Let us not… Read More