I recently sat through a three-hour service, with well-behaved children and a one-hour sermon in the package—and that after an hour-long Sunday School class. Only the occasional sermon is devoted to tithing, and yet 80% of the congregation tithes. But one feature in particular caught my attention: in 45 minutes of non-stop singing (worship and [...]

I’m watching as the pastor in a megachurch prepares to receive the Sunday offering. This is a “prosperity” church where you have only to claim your pile of riches on Sunday to receive it on Monday-where being a consumer is not a systemic evil but a divine right.

Written by John Bowen to introduce David Reed
Many congregations desire to reach out to the unchurched with the Gospel. But they feel unprepared for the task. To reach a post-Christian culture, congregations will need to transform their own congregational culture from maintenance to mission. Before our congregations can become effective evangelistic communities, we need to [...]