The mission Jesus gave the Church extends to “all nations” (Matthew 28:19), meaning ethno-linguistic people groups, not countries. In the modern period, missions involved going from the West (Christendom) to the Rest (the Majority World). Today, however, the nations are … Continue reading Effective Intercultural Evangelism | Book Review
The Great Commission (Matthew 28:16–20) includes three elements: authority, mission, and presence. The authority and presence are Christ’s, but the mission is Christians’. Christ commands us to “make disciples of all nations,” incorporating them into the Church through baptism and … Continue reading Change the Map
“What troubles me is that much of the modern evangelical movement in America does not seem to grasp the priority of the call of apprenticeship to Jesus,” writes Ryan Post. “Rather than teaching people to obey everything Jesus has commanded … Continue reading How the Beatitudes Shape Discipleship | Influence Podcast
“[Black] dignity has lingered in a state of confusion for generations in this country as we’ve faced constant harassment, false theologies, white supremacy, syncretistic evangelicalism, and civic oppression,” writes Dr. Eric Mason. Consequently, the task of such apologetics is to … Continue reading The Nature and Necessity of Urban Apologetics | Influence Podcast
“In 2020,” according to Barna Group’s Five Changing Contexts for Digital Evangelism report, “churches around the world woke up to the extraordinary, urgent need to embrace digital platforms in fresh ways in order to engage with—and sustain—their congregations during the … Continue reading How to Do Evangelism Online | Influence Podcast
When I became a pastor in 1990, seeker was the term of art for a nonbeliever. Churches such as Willow Creek and Saddleback had popularized the term as part of their attractional ministry model. Rather than emphasizing that a person … Continue reading Apatheism | Book Review
“To say the events of 2020 have been disruptive to our lives is the understatement of the decade,” writes John Davidson. For pastors, however, those disruptions provide an opportunity to rethink ministry in order to increase “the effectiveness of their … Continue reading Rethinking Your Church’s Ministries after COVID | Influence Podcast
The past year has been tough one. Millions have experienced grief and loss as a result of the COVID pandemic. Unfortunately, many American Christians have a hard time processing these negative experiences. “When we fail to attend to them,” Peter … Continue reading How to Handle Grief and Loss after COVID | Influence Podcast
American Christianity has often been described as “a mile wide but an inch deep.” In other words, there is a mismatch between the quantity of believers and the quality of their discipleship. The rise of the “nones”* has narrowed American … Continue reading Emotionally Healthy Discipleship | Book Review
This past year was an unsettling one. I like to think of it as the Year of Three Ps: pandemic, protests, and politics. Each one fomented conflict, but taken together, they were a conflict force multiplier. And that doesn’t even … Continue reading How to Settle Your Soul After an Unsettling Year | Influence Podcast
