As a pastor of a large church, I often question whether we’re discipling our people effectively. Though large churches have more resources and staff than small churches, they are often no better equipped to help people take steps forward with Jesus. The truth is, churches… Read more »
David Jones is white. He grew up in the South, went to Bible college in the South, and married his high school sweetheart. Rafael Gonzalez is of Puerto Rican heritage. He grew up in the Northeast, excelled in high school football and basketball, and came… Read more »
I have the spiritual gift of opinions. I have opinions on everything, including things I know nothing about. I think my role in life is to help people agree with my right opinions. If you hold an opinion that’s different from mine, or even if… Read more »
The traditionalists (those born before 1945) were loyal to the churches they grew up in—or at least, if relocating, they were loyal to their denomination. Certainly some traditionalists left one church for another when they became upset, but they were the last generation to largely… Read more »
“If we never become Christians, will you still be our friends?” I was shocked by the question. Even a little angry. Did the last year of our friendship mean nothing? My wife, Lindsay, and I had met Joe and Amy at our church. We were… Read more »
As a former athlete what I loved about baseball more than anything was the strong sense of team and the shared goal of winning. It becomes ingrained in your spirit so deeply, and nothing matters more than those two things. Even today what I miss… Read more »
Years ago, I served as a youth pastor at a great church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. We had one of the largest and fastest growing youth groups in the country, with a vibrant service called TAG every Wednesday night. This wasn’t one of those services… Read more »
When I announced my engagement a few years ago, one friend wrote to say he was happy for me but wondered if I might be squandering my talents on a small neighborhood church, and said a suburban megachurch seemed like the congregation I should be… Read more »
You would be hard pressed to find someone who has loved the North American Christian Convention more than me. In my 57 years I’ve attended 47 of them. At the age of 14 I got my first job—cleaning the NACC offices every Saturday. Beth and… Read more »
One thing that most excites me about the Spire Platform is it provides an opportunity for the younger and older leaders in our movement to connect and share 24/7, real time! No more waiting for an annual conference. The older can dip into the fresh… Read more »