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The 23rd Psalm rolled off the Rev. Jason Strand's tongue with soothing familiarity, the way it had since he memorized it as a boy. "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside still waters ..." But up on the 16-by-24-foot screens flanking Strand, the PowerPoint version displayed the updated words "quiet waters" instead of the "still waters" of Strand's memory. Amy Anderson noticed the problem instantly. She began scribbling notes in her three-ring binder, then flipped to a new page to catch up with what...

Kirkwood — About 75 protesters gathered Monday outside the world headquarters of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, many holding signs that asked simply, "Why?" The question was directed at church leaders who, during Holy Week last month, pulled the plug on a popular radio program on the denomination's KFUO-AM station called "Issues, Etc." The host, the Rev. Todd Wilken, and producer, Jeff Schwarz, were fired without warning, and all reference to the show was taken off KFUO's website. Fans were left confused and angry. ... In the vacated time slot, the church has launched a new program called "The Afternoon Show,"...

You can’t have opportunity without opposition. One of the great tests of leadership is how you handle opposition. Do you panic under pressure? Do you get uptight, lose your temper, blow up, become discouraged, or give up? Part of the job description of leadership is dealing with people who oppose you and your vision for the church. To find out how to handle opposition, we’re going to look at Nehemiah 4. You probably remember the story. Nehemiah had returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall around the city – a very big project for his team of Jewish exiles! And...

Young Americans today are more skeptical and resistant to Christianity than were people of the same age just a decade ago, says a new study. Tue, Sep. 25, 2007 Posted: 11:19:17 AM EST Young Americans today are more skeptical and resistant to Christianity than were people of the same age just a decade ago, says a new study. Negative perceptions toward the Christian faith have outweighed the positive as a growing percentage of younger Americans associate with a faith outside Christianity. Only 16 percent of non-Christians aged 16 to 29 years old said they have a "good impression" of Christianity,...

'Tsunami' Hits Presbyterians; Dramatic Changes Ahead Top officials of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) have come to the conclusion that they cannot continue "doing church" the way they have been. Fri, Sep. 21, 2007 Posted: 15:57:06 PM EST Top officials of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) have come to the conclusion that they cannot continue "doing church" the way they have been. Churches within the PC(USA), the nation's largest Presbyterian body, have "hit the wall" and "come to the end of the string," seeking new directions amid a growing exodus from the denomination. "It is as if a tsunami of change has...

Round Rock pastor stole at least $500,000, according to arrest report. Donald 'Roddy' Clyde turned himself in Wednesday; he's charged with felony theft. By Isadora Vail AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFFFriday, August 17, 2007A longtime Round Rock pastor was arrested after telling authorities he embezzled at least $500,000 from his church, according to court records.Donald "Roddy" Clyde, 48, turned himself in to authorities Wednesday and was charged with felony theft of more than $200,000 from the Fellowship at Forest Creek Church. Clyde's bail was set at $400,000, and he could face 99 years in prison if convicted.Clyde told police that he used the...

Yesterday, I received a promotional mailing for the Leadership Summit at Willow Creek. I quickly opened the slick marketing package to learn about this year’s list of speakers and the other pertinent information. Then, like an unexpected punch in the stomach, I saw that former President Jimmy Carter was listed as a speaker, about leadership. I have long respected Bill Hybels; his seemingly innate ability to reinvent himself, find a new path, and expand his universe is something rarely seen, especially in the Christian community. However, I am disappointed that he chose the former president to speak to a group...

Christianity, and Catholicism in particular, are booming in the global South. The rise is so great, in fact, that Christendom's so-called center of gravity - the point on the globe where roughly the same number of believers live to the north, south, east, and west - is shifting ever further from Rome, not to mention Jerusalem, where Christianity started. Today, according to a trajectory mapped by the Center for the Study of Global Christianity, based in South Hamilton, Mass., the demographic heart of the Christian world has shifted to Timbuktu, in the mostly Muslim African nation of Mali. It...

By Ray Baumann Posted: 07/02/2007 Ten Ways To Grow a Church Without GodBy Ray Baumann I have spent many hours figuring out how to grow churches. I recently found some old notes that I had taken at a conference some years ago. To my surprise, I had an outline for success that was void of a Savior even being involved. Back then I focused on what attracted people to church. This is what my list read: 1.  “Leadership is key.” This will be my number one way to grow the church without God. Thinking back, I would say that if I had...

Churches Debate Popular Purpose-Driven Model By Lillian Kwon Christian Post Reporter Fri, Mar. 09 2007 08:31 AM ET

Six Physical Factors That Affect Your Worship Service By Rick Warren Christian Post Guest Columnist Thu, Mar. 08 2007 10:04 AM ET Facilities and physical environment have a lot to do with what happens in a weekend worship service. The shape of your building will shape your service. Walk into some buildings and your mood will instantly brighten. Walk into other buildings and you'll feel depressed. The shape of a room can change a mood instantly; so can the temperature of room; so can the lighting in a room. Be aware of these factors and use them. Figure out what...

March 7, 2007 — Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church in California may be the best-known pastor on the planet. His book, "The Purpose Driven Life," has been translated into 56 languages and has sold 30 million copies. However, the idea behind "purpose driven" is not something Pastor Warren takes credit for creating. "The history of this idea — 'purpose driven' — is not something I thought up in the first place," Warren explains. "There have been hundreds of books throughout history that talked about worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry and evangelism." But while these five purposes are biblically based, there is...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--In recent years, leaders in the Southern Baptist Convention and the broader evangelical world have sounded the alarm that churches are becoming less and less effective in evangelism. Baptisms among Southern Baptist churches have numbered less than 400,000 each of the last five years, and 2005 saw the lowest total since 1993. With that in mind, LifeWay Research made it a priority to investigate Southern Baptist churches that are effective in reaching people for Christ. With input from LifeWay Christian Resources President Thom S. Rainer, LifeWay Research determined to look at churches that met the following criteria: baptized...

MCLEAN, Va. – The predominantly white Evangelical Lutherans are getting clear though not completely clear about their identity in an increasingly pluralistic society. magnifier Enlarge this Image Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop Evangelical Luthe (Photo: The Christian Post) Related Evangelical Lutherans to Release Final Study on Human Sexuality (October 07, 2006) In a time when mainline denominations are on a steady decline in membership, the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), said the dropping numbers are not something he is proud of. But at the same time, he does not want the...

IUKA, Miss. -- In April, 150 members of Iuka Baptist Church voted to kick Charles Jones off the deacons' board. The punishment followed weeks of complaints by Mr. Jones and his friends that the pastor was following the teachings of the Rev. Rick Warren, the best-selling author and church-growth guru. After the vote, about 40 other members quit the church to support Mr. Jones.

Conservative churches grow while mainline churches struggle By BOB REEVES/Lincoln Journal Star As they have for the last 30 years, the so-called "mainline" denominations, especially those identified as liberal or moderate, are losing members while Evangelical and charismatic churches, which are often identified as conservative, are growing.

Meetings with frustrated pastors are normal occurrences for the Director of Missions. Pastors look for a safe place to voice their frustrations, and they hope that the Director of Missions might have some answer for their dilemma. The interesting thing about such meetings is how similar the conversations are. Pastors are called by God to give their lives and their vocations in service to Him. In general, pastors have a passion for seeing people saved by the grace of God and their lives changed by the power of God. All too often, the ministry of the local church becomes institutionalized....

The latest religious phenomenon to hit the US is one that is being viewed as the most significant since the advent of televangelism in the 1980s, writes Oliver Poole An advertisement for the Saddleback Church invites congregants to attend "God's Extreme Makeover" - a revival of Christ in their hearts named after the latest television fad, in which volunteers undergo plastic surgery.