“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
In The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis wrote, “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive … Continue reading The Dark Side of Discipleship | Book Review
“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils,” wrote C. S. Lewis in The Screwtape Letters. “One is to disbelieve their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive … Continue reading The Dark Side of Discipleship | Influence Podcast
“While God can (and does) interact with individuals in a vacuum,” writes Don Everts, “he often uses the household as a reliable laboratory for discipleship.” In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I’m talking to Everts about three characteristics of … Continue reading Messy Prayers, Loud Tables, and Open Doors | Influence Podcast
Christianity in the United States is a mile wide but an inch deep. The faith, especially its Protestant variety, has exerted considerable influence on the nation’s history and culture. A supermajority of citizens continue to identify themselves as believers. On … Continue reading Resilient Faith | Book Review
