American Christianity has a celebrity problem. It runs deeper than the well-publicized moral failures of high-profile leaders, however. In Celebrities for Jesus, Katelyn Beaty argues that celebrity is toxic for leaders and followers alike. Her argument unfolds in three parts. … Continue reading Celebrities for Jesus | Book Review
The American Muslim population is growing. According to Pew Research Center, there were 2.35 million Muslims in the U.S. in 2007 and 3.85 million in 2020. Pew estimates that by 2050, there will be 8.1 million Muslims in the U.S. … Continue reading How to Share the Gospel with Muslims | Influence Podcast
Walk into many American churches this Sunday morning — especially if they’re new or nondenominational — and you’re likely to experience the same things: People dress casually. The auditorium looks like a theater, complete with high-tech sound and lighting systems. … Continue reading A History of Contemporary Praise & Worship | Book Review
Early in his ministry, Jeff Leake faced a problem common to growing churches: He needed a new larger building but didn’t have enough money. So he prayed, “God, we have a problem, and it seems that You are not offering … Continue reading How Churches Can Multiply Themselves | Influence Podcast
Church planting has been around since New Testament times. Today, however, it means more than starting a single congregation. It often means one congregation multiplying itself through other congregations. In Twelve Trends in Multiplication, Jeff Leake identifies different ways existing … Continue reading Twelve Trends in Multiplication | Book Review
Personal evangelism doesn’t require you to use a method that feels forced and unnatural. In his new book, Contagious Faith, Mark Mittelberg writes, “There are a variety of natural approaches we can take to reach the people around us — … Continue reading Five Styles of Personal Evangelism | Influence Podcast
According to Jay Moon and Bud Simon, intercultural evangelism is “the process of putting Christ at the center of someone’s worldview in order to initiate them into Christian discipleship through culturally relevant starting points.” In this episode of the Influence … Continue reading Effective Intercultural Evangelism | Influence Podcast
Many Christians feel ambivalence about evangelism. On the one hand, Jesus’ good news has captured their hearts, so they want to share it. On the other hand, they are unsure how to do so. This uncertainty often arises because they … Continue reading Contagious Faith | Book Review
When I was a kid, Dad paid me to read biographies of missionaries. He believed doing so would both inform and inspire my faith. I remember reading about Adoniram Judson, David Livingstone, and George Mueller in Moody Publisher’s Golden Oldies … Continue reading Born to Give
The rise of the nones, and the corresponding fall of Christian affiliation, is arguably the most important trend in 21st-century American religion. According to the General Social Survey, between 1972 and 2018, the religiously unaffiliated grew from 5.1% of the … Continue reading The Doubters’ Club | Book Review
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