It won’t surprise you to read that strong relationships are integral to the growth and health of a church. People are more likely to stay connected to a church when they’re connected to the people there, especially among younger generations. A 2013 Barna study of twentysomethings found those who stayed active in their faith after […]
Meredith Flynn
‘Don’t do nothing’
“Right now, you’re way over here,” attorney Kimberlee Norris said in Dallas, swinging her arm to one side. “You think there’s a pedophile under every rock.” The alternative, Norris said, swinging her arm to the other side, is to stay unaware and unprepared for the potential for sexual abuse in churches and ministries. In a […]
Following God’s odd road map
On my last Sunday at my southern California church ten years ago, my pastor surprised me by calling me up to pray for my upcoming move. Friends surrounded me as his voice echoed across the school gym. “Lord, be with Meredith as she moves to Indiana.” My head still bowed, I cracked open one eye […]
LifeWay stores: losing a trusted source
The announcement that LifeWay Christian Resources will close its brick-and-mortar stores by the end of the year dismayed many Southern Baptists who have long shopped the shelves for books, music, and Lord’s Supper wafers. The reaction was predictable—it’s sad to lose a trusted source of information and resources. What some seem to be missing even […]
Greear walks the line
One day after he attended a dinner for evangelical leaders at the White house, J.D. Greear tweeted a 136-word statement explaining why he was there. The statement noted that “witness in the public square requires some presence in it,” but reiterated Greear’s commitment to “decoupling the church from partisan politics.” Some responders lauded Greear for […]