There was a couple who were having serious issues in their marriage, mostly because of financial difficulties. After a stewardship sermon at church, they went home and had a huge discussion. They decided to sell their house and buy a smaller one. They did just that, and saved their marriage. In fact, their whole lives were changed.

That experience reminded me of how important preaching is, because what happens if people really believe what we are saying and begin to order their lives around it? Imagine if they do that with sermons about money.

The days of the neighbourhood dropping in for Church just because it’s Christmas are over. Here’s how your church can move into the neighbourhood instead.

For centuries, the Advent/Christmas seasons have been a time for folks to automatically come into Church, perhaps forthe only time in a year. However, in this post-Christendom, and some would argue post-Christian age, all bets are off. The days of expectation that people will naturally come into events in our churches simply because it is Christmas, are rapidly dwindling. This is not an urban, suburban, or rural issue. This is not a church size or denominational issue. This is the new normal of every local church in our increasingly secularized age.

It is not a time for despair. In fact, it is . . .

Apparently, it’s just one of those long-standing Christmas traditions. More people will come to services this Christmas than at any other time of year. And the majority of those people will not come back for another 12 months. Is this inevitable? Do we simply shrug and accept it as a sad reality? Or is [...]

On Sunday afternoon, February 28th, 2010 – God willing – the Canadian Men’s Olympic Hockey Team will be going for gold. There’s no question that this event will be the highlight of Vancouver’s games, and that the vast majority of us – the faithful – will be there, on the edges of our couches, glued [...]

Written by John Bowen, to introduce John van Sloten
How in the world do you connect to a cynical, skeptical, and apathetic post-modern world?  Can a sermon ever be a relevant tool in addressing today’s post-Christian context?  Is there any way to effectively resurrect, remake, and re-invigorate how we deliver God’s unchanging gospel message to a [...]

Preaching when people knew the Bible stories and Christian language was one thing. Preaching today has to start further back and take less for granted in the minds of our hearers. How does one connect with people who come to church to “explore their spirituality” but knowing nothing of Christian tradition?
Where we are now
I recently [...]

Baptisms are frequently a time when people come to church who do not normally do so. How can one preach in such a way that their attention is caught by the explanation of what is going on, and they want to come back to learn more? This sermon uses the image of the Christian life [...]

Most churches identify themselves as friendly communities. Yet the experience of a first-time visitor is often one of confusion, embarrassment and even alienation. John Bowen helps us think through the steps by which we can make that first visit a positive one, so that a visitor will feel confidence to return, to explore the reality [...]