John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, probably had no idea that the things he did to organize his followers were the very things that would counter the rigid and tightly scripted religion he wanted to revive in the Church of England. Putting people into small groups, asking people to go deep with each…
Can an organizational system, like a family, a workplace, and yes, a church, be narcissistic? I began thinking about this while researching how to deal with the narcissistic individuals in my life. I was surprised to learn there is a field of study called “collective narcissism.” Collective narcissism, also known as group narcissism, isn’t simply…
HANFORD, Calif. (FOX26) — The sign outside St. James Lutheran Church still advertises the final celebration service here as February 27th at 10 a.m. Before she was a pastor, the Reverend Julie Kelly worked as a chaplain helping transition those who have suffered a loss of death in their family. Now she’s helping those members of…
My guest is Rev. Allison Mark, senior pastor of Faith United Methodist Church in Torrence, CA. Allison details her experiences in leadership, her struggles, and candidly shares her thoughts about the future of the denomination. https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/8nndqe/Allison_Mark6ccpb.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
In his recent Religion News Service article, Jacob Lupfer writes about the divisions in the United Methodist Church, “In any ecclesial conflict there are non-combatants who don’t really understand what all the fighting is about. But in this case particularly, the muddling Methodist middle that has historically tempered the impulses of extremists is indifferent to…
For months now I’ve been preaching to church leaders about the importance of building email lists rather than relying on social media platforms to engage people. My own advice has come home to roost, and today I’m sharing about my experience so you might not trod down the same path and end up in… (cue the dramatic music) FACEBOOK JAIL.
This week Curtis Ramsey-Lucas published a provocative article in The Christian Citizen asking important questions about Facebook’s outreach to faith leaders. He begins: This summer, Elizabeth Dias, who covers faith and politics for the New York Times, wrote an article titled “Facebook’s Next Target: The Religious Experience.” Published July 25, it chronicled Facebook’s efforts to partner with…
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus is quoted as saying, “…For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” Interestingly, the Gospel of Luke tells the same story but omits this “ransom” business, indicating that from the very earliest days, what’s known…
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