Church
The Supernatural Life
When you’re alone with the Word of God, you probably have less peace than you’re willing to publicly admit. You’re fine at church, attending conferences or spending time with churchgoers. But when you’re studying God’s Word by yourself, a sick feeling creeps into your stomach. How can you reconcile Jesus’ teachings with what you see in the Church? Start with yourself Most of us know we can’t say with the apostle Paul, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1, TNIV). Rather than pursuing the Spirit-filled example we could be, we hide behind churchy statements like, “I’m just a man” or, “I’m not perfect, just forgiven.” That will satisfy most, but you know deep down that you’re not “just” a man or woman. You’re a temple of the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you.
Question of the Week
Each week, Neue asks a question that is meant to challenge, inspire and encourage today's ministry leaders. Feel free to respond and discuss in the comment section. This week, we want to know: How well do men and women collaborate within your ministry? Are the roles shared and respected equally?
The Strength of Small
YEARS AGO, WHEN my daughter Elisabeth was little, I was cleaning out a car before trading it in. As I checked under the driver’s seat for any leftover treasure, I noticed a music tape nestled deep underneath. I got on my knees and started reaching for the tape. To my chagrin, I only touched the edge of it, pushing it further under the low-sitting bucket seat. Undaunted, I pushed my arm deeper into that tiny space. Instead of reaching the prize, my arm was only scratched up further as it tried to traverse the space. Elisabeth watched me struggle for a minute before she started pulling on my shirt.
Enter to Win 2 Tickets to Catalyst!
We are giving away 2 tickets to Catalyst, October 6-8 in Atlanta, GA! ENTER TO WIN BY FOLLOWING THESE STEPS: 1. TWEET THIS Just entered to win 2 tickets to the @CatalystLeader Conference from @Neuemag. http://bit.ly/cZOoKi 2. COMMENT BELOW Comment below and tell us why you should win. Remember to include your Twitter handle. 3. ENTER THE CONTEST BEFORE SEPTEMBER 2 at 5PM EST We will choose 2 random winners and announce them on the next Neue podcast, September 7!
Less is More
Deliberate simplicity is counter-intuitive. It contends that “Less is more.” It is not immediately obvious how this can be true. More, after all, is more. How can less be more? But in your ministry and your church, the adage is true ... Less Ministry ... More Execution By focusing your energies, you are typically able to bring about better execution. Many churches dabble in so many ministries they are unable to carry any of them out with a level of impact. Resources and attention is diluted. There are so many pans in the fire that none of them are hot.
Question of the Week
Each week, Neue asks a question that is meant to challenge, inspire and encourage today's ministry leaders. Feel free to respond and discuss in the comment section. This week, we want to know: How important do you think it is to have a ministry-related education before entering into a full-time ministry position?
Identity Beyond Church
For a pastor, receiving a wedding invitation in the mail is a bit like getting the monthly bills. Whether you want them or not, they’re coming. Some summers, it seems as if every weekend is consumed by a Friday night rehearsal and the big event on Saturday. I have grown to love being involved in these weekends. Wedding rehearsals provide a front row seat into the family dynamic. The ceremony is an opportunity to make a church experience engaging for the many guests who would never otherwise be at church. And the reception is always a chance to meet interesting people and prove that Baptists really shouldn’t dance. So, that Thursday morning, when my wife and I received yet another wedding invitation, it should have been an occasion for joy, right? Instead, the invitation sparked something ugly within me. Without warning, one of those hibernating fears somewhere deep within my being awoke.
Question of the Week
Each week, Neue asks a question that is meant to challenge, inspire and encourage today's ministry leaders. Feel free to respond and discuss in the comment section. This week, we want to know: What relationship does your church have with other churches? What can you do to encourage this collaboration in your community?
Question of the Week
Each week, Neue asks a question that is meant to challenge, inspire and encourage today's ministry leaders. Feel free to respond and discuss in the comment section. This week, we want to know: How do you practice respect for other ministers and leaders who you may not always agree with?
How To Make Crack Cocaine, Bombs and Commit Suicide
BY THE BILLIONS, people are searching. They’re searching for love. They’re searching for answers. They’re searching for help. Across every demographic barrier imaginable, people are searching. They’re searching because they aren’t content with life and are desperate to find something that’s missing. They think they’ll know it when they find it, but in the meantime, they’ll keep on searching. This is actually very good news for those of us who want to reach new people with the life-giving Gospel of Jesus because we (should) feel like what we have to offer is such a transformational game-changer, we want everyone to find it. The problem is, though, we aren’t providing real answers or solutions where hundreds of millions (maybe billions) of people are looking for them: online.
Question of the Week
Each week, Neue asks a question that is meant to challenge, inspire and encourage today's ministry leaders. Feel free to respond and discuss in the comment section. This week, we want to know: Are there any beliefs or practices that you once frowned upon but are now a fundamental piece of your faith?
Wounded by the Church
I was exposed to leadership insensitivities, hypocrisy, church politics and abuse of authority. At one point, the pressure was so suffocating I nearly had a nervous breakdown. I would drive around in tears while listening to worship music. For the next two decades, I traveled extensively, conducting seminars and speaking in churches. Often I would not return to those churches or ministries that were in some way misrepresenting God’s Kingdom. On other occasions, I tried to bring balance to the errors I saw. Yet, I found it nearly impossible to remove a spiritual infection or deception in a weekend, or even a week. There are always deep-seated reasons for chronic illness, whether natural or spiritual, due to embedded patterns that need more than a conference to correct.
Question of the Week
Each week, Neue asks a question that is meant to challenge, inspire and encourage today's ministry leaders. Feel free to respond and discuss in the comment section. This week, we want to know: Do you keep a Sabbath? When and how do you observe this?
Copycat Church
THERE’S NO PROMISE that if I use self-deprecating humor, tell personal stories, and talk about personal struggles with weight and women, I will write a book that sells as well as Donald Miller’s Blue Like Jazz. And there’s no promise that if I wear funky tennis shoes, slap on some low-slung jeans, spike my hair a bit, sport a goatee and wear an untucked T-shirt, I will be able to sing like Brenton Brown. Imitation has its place, but the one thing imitation doesn’t promise is results. Unfortunately, a lot of church leaders don’t get that fact.
Question of the Week
Each week, Neue asks a question that is meant to challenge, inspire and encourage today's ministry leaders. Feel free to respond and discuss in the comment section. This week, we want to know: Should ministers be held to different standards than the people they minister to? Why or why not?
The Irony of Christian Celebrity
For most Americans, idolatry is a foreign concept. Most of us don’t have bronze statues of a fat bald man sitting cross-legged on our mantles. Yet, idols are common to every culture. Idolatry often shows up in the way we take something that isn’t God and treat it like a god. Fame, success and power are gods we serve as if they are immortal and have the power to bestow that immortality on us. Our idols are “immortality symbols”—things that make us feel powerful, like we will live forever.
Question of the Week
Each week, Neue asks a question that is meant to challenge, inspire and encourage today's ministry leaders. Feel free to respond and discuss in the comment section. This week, we want to know: This past Sunday was the 4th of July. How should the church approach patriotism from the pulpit?
Question of the Week
Each week, Neue asks a question that is meant to challenge, inspire and encourage today's ministry leaders. Feel free to respond and discuss in the comment section. This week, we want to know: What relationship is there between ministry and the creative arts? How do you engage the two?
Virtual Community
When technology and spirituality mix, it makes people uneasy. A relationship with God is an intimate thing, and people worry technology replacing personal touch makes religion “cold,” non-relational and even anti-biblical. Now, we have a new phenomenon where churches have formed in cyberspace, made up of people mostly in different locations around the globe. They don’t come to the church building and mix with people face to face as they’ve done traditionally. Instead, they opt to stay online—something many will say is “less” pointing to Hebrews 10:24-25: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing ...” (TNIV)
Question of the Week
Each week, Neue asks a question that is meant to challenge, inspire and encourage today's ministry leaders. Feel free to respond and discuss in the comment section. This week, we want to know: Does your ministry emphasize creation care? Why? How?
