(Part one of five in David Roseberryโs Suddenly Surging series on church growth.) What is Going On? I first read a series of tweets from church leaders citing tremendous and unexpected growth in attendance in their congregations over the last few months. They were not commenting on Easter crowds but on Easter-like trends. Since their…
30 Years on Mission: The NAMS Story (So Far)
NAMS was born in 1993 as the North American Missionary Society. However, it was conceived in 1973. I was walking the dog and playing with my two young sons in the park in Durham, England. While enjoying a Saturday break from my Ph.D. research, I seemed to โhearโ a voice. It impressed these words into…
10 Reasons for Anglican Optimism
When we observe the worldโthe sin and disbelief and conflict surrounding the church, together with the sin and disbelief and conflict within the churchโit is easy to grow weary of the “changes and chances of this life” (BCP, 60). But take heart: our Lord Jesus Christ is on his throne, his Kingdom is at hand,…
5 Takeaways from 7 Years of Bi-vocational Ministry
For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. โ1 Thessalonians 2:8-10 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and…
ARDF Training: The Three Phases of Disaster Response
25 Anglicans representing 10 parishes across four states gathered for ARDF’s Disaster Preparedness Training in Charleston, South Carolina.
Anglican Contributions to the Church’s Mission to Muslims
A funny thing happened on the way to the 21st century: after over a millennium of almost no conversions from Islam to Christianity, a small trickle started to appear in the 1960s, and it grewโnot into a great river but a reliable and steady brook. Whether it was Blessed Ramon Llull (died c. 1315, the…
The Good Shepherd Economy
Churches desire to grow, as well they should. We are, after all, followers of the Great Commission. We desire for more people to come to know and proclaim the coming of God’s kingdom. However, when church leaders want to focus on growth, they often make a crucial mistake. Our focus is often on getting people…