New England news & perspectives
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Church Red Flags
Not all churches are equal, and not all ministries are the same. While some are healthy and vibrant, others are spiritually harmful. Here are some red flags to identify a church that is heading in the wrong direction, and how to take actions against them.
What is the Church?
What is the church? To the readership of this blog, such a question might seem insultingly basic. Not so. It’s foundational. I am passionate about the revitalization of declining historic churches in New England. Answering this question will lead directly into another twin question, one that is the single watershed in whether a church will revitalize or continue in the throes of death.
Scattered
I was sitting on the front lawn of the church I attend a few days ago. We were having a potluck meal and time of connecting after Sunday service amidst the summer season. Two houseguests from overseas had joined me that day and I was sharing about various members of the congregation. Not being shy they had already met and had conversation with others on their own.
Immigration and integration: The challenge of building a healthy multi-ethnic church culture in New England
A half century after Martin Luther King Jr called 11 a.m. on Sunday morning the most segregated hour in America, things are changing and we are helping to build a new mindset of the new portrait of our country by building a culture of healthy churches in New England. The increased cross-border movement of millions of people, which is a common feature of globalization and the diaspora movement, changes many Western societies and the church in these countries.
Bells and whistles
When I was serving as the pastor of a local church, I remember how exciting it was to see a young family come into the church. I recall one family that came to us with a lot of challenges. For two years, we poured into their lives and helped them overcome financial hurdles, marriage struggles, challenges raising their kids, and past trauma. Over time, they gradually shifted from being our perpetual mission project to becoming fully devoted followers of Christ. It was exciting to watch.
What’s wrong with being old?
In today’s youth-obsessed American consumerism culture, no one wants to be considered “old.” It’s regarded as a playful insult (but still an insult) when a younger person says to an older person, “ok, Boomer,” indicating that the older person is a part of the Boomer population. Using Facebook instead of Instagram or Tiktok is considered old. I recently read an article that said responding with a thumbs-up emoji is now a sign of being old. And only “old people” still write checks for things!
The pastoral care trap
Our traditional notion of pastoral care is kryptonite to authentic church revitalization. I realize how provocative that statement is. It stirs instant hyper-alertness. When I am consulting with churches about revitalizing, this inconvenient truth, once grasped, is the most concerning for them. These churches are nervously evaluating whether they have the chutzpah to give up their myriad personal preferences and traditions, whenever necessary, to be hotly missional. That’s the second greatest threat. But the greatest threat is our desperate clinging to pastoral care.
Trail blazers
I enjoy walking through the woods. The area I live in has a lot of trails marked with colored “blazes” to keep you from getting lost. I walk almost every morning, so I know the trails well. Many blazes have faded over time and can be challenging to follow, but since I’m familiar with most of the trails, I can find my way even when the blazes are not very clear. But for a hiker new to the area, more clear blazes would be a blessing.
The sweetness of meeting together
One of the cruelest blows this pandemic has struck us is breaking apart in-person fellowship for a season. While by now most churches have begun meeting again, many members and attenders have still not returned. Phone calls, letters, and brief visits notwithstanding, many are unlikely to ever gather with us again.
Do you pastor a historic church?
Here in New England, we have the richest ecclesiastical heritage in the country. Church history permeates our BCNE landscape: the pilgrims of Plymouth colony, Jonathan Edwards’ hometown of Northampton, George Whitefield’s crypt in Newburyport, D. L. Moody’s estate in East Northfield and the wharf of Adoniram Judson in Salem are all within driving distance. Your local church may have been the fruit of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, flourished under the First Great Awakening or a supporter of the Modern Missions movement. There are some wonderful advantages to pastoring a church with a long and rich history.
Family of nine uproot, make a new ministry home 1,000 miles north
STOWE, Vt. (BP) – Gerald Hunt was a Georgia kid with an interest in Vermont, a land way above the Mason-Dixon line where hockey is more popular than college football and bread stuffing replaces cornbread dressing on holiday dinner tables.
The importance of women’s faith to the Church
Written in a time and culture that devalued women, the Bible is remarkable in the honor it ascribes to the faith of women. For example, this theme is one of the elements we see clearly in the Gospel of Luke. Let’s take a look at what we can learn from the stories the Holy Spirit prompted Luke to record.
Why are our churches dying?
The first step toward addressing a problem is admitting we have one. Our churches in New England are in times of trouble. Without doubt, God is on the move, the Church is Christ’s Bride being beautifully prepared for Him and we are already overcomers. This is our identity. Given these truths, we might balk and say, “Don’t be so doom and gloom,” pointing to the churches that are doing very well. They are clearly thriving. But do these examples merely take the edge off the problem and dull our urgency to face it?
How the world distorts reality
In the movie The Matrix, the hero Neo is given the choice to take a blue pill and continue to live in his current world or take a red pill and “wake up” to reality. Neo takes the red pill and discovers that the real world is nothing like the world he thought he knew.
When the nation is shaken
It feels like recent events in our country have shaken us. The nation as a whole has been shaken, and many of the individual citizens and residents feel shaken. We are witnessing quite a bit of chaos, anger, and divisiveness.
But, if we read our Bibles, this is what we should expect. Generally speaking, we should never be surprised when the world acts like the world, as the old saying goes. Sin has visible effects on the world around us – effects that should bother us, but not surprise us.
The theology of cultural adaptation: part 2
In Part 1 of this article, I made a case for the importance of ethnic churches adapting to the local culture instead of remaining separate and distanced from the majority culture. We looked at how principles the prophet Jeremiah shared can apply to today’s immigrants. This article follows up by discussing New Testament passages that shed light on the importance of cultural adaptation.
Feeling cared for and staying connected during the pandemic
Health officials predict it will be several more months before social-distancing restrictions can be lifted and life can return to normal. In the meantime, people everywhere, including church members, struggle with pandemic fatigue. Faithful shepherds of God’s people must remain vigilant during the remaining months of this protracted pandemic.
In a recent meeting of Greater Boston pastors, we asked the question: What are you doing to help your people feel cared for and stay well-connected during the pandemic? Here are some helpful insights from these church leaders.
The theology of cultural adaptation: part 1
Although my church is made up in large part of Brazilian immigrants, we are intentionally transitioning to become a multicultural and contemporary community fellowship in order to reach people from all ethnic groups with the Gospel. This kind of change involves cultural adaptation. It can be hard, and ethnic churches can only pursue it successfully if we understand the mission as a whole.
Ten shifts New England churches are making
The metrics of the church scorecard are changing at a fast and furious rate during the pandemic. In the past few months, we have seen drastic shifts in our New England churches as they adapt to their new normal of functioning. Although there are struggles, most churches are showing clear signs of perseverance, persistence, and engagement. Here are ten positive changes our BCNE Church Growth Team has seen in the last few months.
Understanding the enemies of the church
Historically, there have been two great enemies of the church: persecution and heretical teaching. Some might have guessed that one of those two enemies might be the devil. Certainly, the devil is an enemy of the church and desires nothing more than its destruction. The New Testament does not avoid his present reality (Eph 1:19-21, 6:11; 2Tim 2:26). However, when you read the New Testament, the epistles have much more to say concerning the threats of false doctrine and persecution.