Articles

Want to better understand the generation that started college this fall? Each year Beloit College assembles its Mindset List for that year's new students, offering insights into the life experience of the emerging generation. This year's full list can be found online. Here are some of the more interesting characteristics of the Class of 2015:

In a recent article, Thom Rainer cites five major trends he foresees will impact American churches in the next few years:

A Recap of International Shelby Conference 2011 and Plans for ISC 2012 in Memphis, Tennessee.

In a recent article by Tullian Tchividjian, he urges pastors: "Don't make the mistake of assuming people understand the radical nature of what Jesus has done so your preaching ministry is focused primarily on what people need to do."

The Bible can transform our lives. It also can transform your church. The past year was phenomenal for our congregation. David Petro, our Minister of Education, gave us a novel idea: He suggested we "read the Bible."

In a revealing quote from Robert Reich, former Clinton Labor Secretary who wrote an article in the American Prospect magazine, he stated clearly the cultural conflict the USA will face in the years ahead:

In his new book What They Didn't Teach You in Seminary (Baker), James Emery White stresses the importance of relevance in effective communication. He says, "Being relevant has nothing to do with watering down the truth of the gospel. It has nothing to do with removing all references to sin, the cross or commitment. It does not mean having to stay with topical messages that deal solely with issues such as parenting, family, marriage, self-image and relationships. All I'm suggesting is to avoid giving a 19th or 20th century message to a 21st century audience.

Can we rely on the authority of God's Word in preaching even if the listener does not accept that authority? In a recent article for Preaching Today, James MacDonald says, "God's Word is supernatural. We make a big mistake if we think God's Word can't have authority until the hearer accepts its authority. When the Bible promises about itself that it is sharper than any two-edged sword, what it's saying is that it pierces, that it cuts to the heart. It separates joints and marrow; it is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

Participating in a forum in the Summer 1999 edition of the Southern Baptist Journal of Theology, Timothy George cites the value of church history in preaching and worship: "Doctrinal preaching has both a propositional and incarnational dimension. It is the truth of God's Word distilled and applied to fallen and redeemed human beings, but it is also that truth lived out in the flesh and blood reality of the people of God. In an era when narrative preaching and personal autobiographical reminiscence has become the norm in many pulpits, I think we should extend the scope of our narrative reach to include those who are now, by God's grace, in the Church triumphant."