Inclusiveness of the Church — The United Methodist Church is a part of the church universal, which is one Body in Christ. The United Methodist Church acknowledges that all persons are of sacred worth and that we are in ministry to all. All persons without regard to race, color, national origin, status or […]
I got mine today — here are some excerpts from an email I received: Why do you have to be so negative about everything? If you hate the Methodist church so much, why don’t you just leave it? Every article you write accuses the church of failing, of screwing up, […]
I admit it. I am a worship snob. They say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but a lot of knowledge is worse. And the same goes for experience as well. Knowing what one wants in worship, and having experienced excellent worship in the past, makes it difficult […]
It is striking to me that the very healthiest congregations I visit all have a unique, compelling, and descriptive metaphor at the heart of their sense of identity and purpose. One describes itself as an orchard where seeds of faith are planted and nurtured to produce fruit that feeds and […]
The results are in on my study on destructive forces in the church. Beginning in 2005 and continuing to the present, I have been analyzing the negative, destructive, damaging, unhelpful, hostile, and hurtful practices at work in our communities of “open hearts, open minds, and open doors.” A whopping 86% […]
Jesus loves me, this I know For the Bible tells me so, But Jesus does not love you, Because of all the crap you do. (scribbled on a church bathroom wall) There is a perverse logic at work in the Christian church. Recent polls of regular church goers indicate that […]
Go to any Christian bookstore and you can find thousands of books promising to turn your church around (whatever that means). These books primarily focus on programs and activities that attract new people to the church, or give leadership ‘secrets’ that guarantee success. (“We did it! You can do it, […]
Here is an exerpt from an email I received recently: I have given up on the church totally. I can be a much better Christian on my own without the constant disappointment of a group of people who claim one thing then do another. I need a church to help […]
United Methodeviations 