What If Starbucks Marketed Like a Church?

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Written by Richard Reising

The Great Suggestion

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Written by Steve Murrell

What’s happened to real discipleship in America ... and how we can get back on track

Random Harvest

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Written by Sarah Wolf

Don't overlook the power of 'mini' ministry moments to reach people

For the longest time the 93-year-old neighbor I help out has been after me to watch one of her favorite classic movies, Random Harvest.
If I had to choose a phrase to describe the kingdom of God, it might be that title.

So much of what we spend our time doing in full-time ministry is planning. And pre-planning. And, of course, post-event planning, in which we determine what we'll do differently next time based on areas that could be maximized to yield more favorable results.

We're right to be diligent and work to prove ourselves good stewards of the fields God has entrusted us with—please don't think I'm saying otherwise. But sometimes I wonder if in our overwrought efforts to reach others we lose God's heart for them.

Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows—how, he himself does not know" (Mark 4:26-27, NASB).

Jesus' Example of Divine Encounters
We think of Jesus as one who ministered to the multitudes, who drew crowds of thousands simply by showing up to speak on a hillside or healing the hundreds clamoring for His touch. And Jesus certainly did both in the context of the masses.

Raising Up the Timothys

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Written by Patricia Bailey-Jones

We need to equip young adults to help change their world

I am the product of spiritual genetic engineering. God has placed a passion inside of me to see global change through young people. 

Never in history have we been faced with these demographics—60 percent of young people live in Asia and 90 percent of the world’s youth live in developing nations. These countries are part of what’s known as the 10/40 Window—a geographical region that is the most densely populated and yet the least evangelized. 

Young adults worldwide are facing horrific issues, which we must confront. The average age of human trafficking victims is between 10-18, and 60 percent of those rescued from brothels in South Asia are infected with HIV. Approximately 1 million youth and children are sold into the sex industry annually.

The Cowboy Church

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Written by Paul Wahl

Barrel racin', bull ridin', boots 'n' hats ... in Jesus' name (with a twang).

Gary Morgan is an iconic cowboy. Tall and lean, clad in jeans, a Western shirt and boots, his look embodies the Code of the West—justice, fairness, honesty. Morgan leads the 1,500-member Cowboy Church of Ellis County in Waxahachie, Texas, the largest such congregation in the world.

Nearly everything about the church has a cowboy connection. "We have something going on pretty near every night," Morgan says with a typical Texas twang. Other churches might build a gymnasium to draw young parishioners; not Cowboy Church. They built a riding arena instead that's open and available for riding after Sunday services. Barrel racing is held Tuesday evening, and team roping practice on Wednesday evening.

Billy Graham Program Raises Up 11,000 Young Evangelists

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Written by Cicely Gosier/BillyGraham.org

“Learning that God is with us everywhere we go is a blessing.”

Those are words not from a pastor, a theologian, or even a quote from the Rev. Billy Graham.

This came from Damon, a normal 11-year-old, who probably enjoys video games, sports and cartoons like most boys.

But what makes Damon different is that he’s now committed to something those even quadruple his age often find to be a daunting task—confidently sharing his faith every chance he gets.

Studies by the Barna Group show that Americans are five times more likely to come to Christ between the ages of 5 and 12 than after age 19.