Review of Justin Brierley’s ‘The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God’
Is Christian faith dying in the Western world? Have the “new atheists” succeeded in souring Christianity for thinking people? There are actually some fascinating signs of a resurgence of interest in Christianity. John Whittaker reviews Justin Brierley’s The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God: Why New Atheism Grew Old and Secular Thinkers Are Considering Christianity […]
The Unintended Consequences of the Modern Church
It’s a good season to reexamine the effectiveness of the modern church. Our commitment, as RENEW.org leaders, is to continually go back to Scripture, to restore and prioritize what it teaches. We face a challenge because in the last fifty years, as church leaders have sought more effectiveness in our churches, we have come to […]
Review of ‘The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God’ by Justin Brierley
The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God: Why New Atheism Grew Old and Secular Thinkers Are Considering Christianity Again is the culmination of years of conversations with numerous leading thinkers about matters of faith. For more than a decade, Justin Brierley was the host of the Unbelievable? radio show and podcast, which brought unbelievers and […]
Revitalized Churches Rediscover Family
The church began in 1885. The early years were poorly documented but assumed to have been fruitful. After all, they began with 37 people meeting in a borrowed space before building their first sanctuary in 1901. By 1970, the church had grown enough to need a new building, so ground was broken on some donated […]
Why Isn’t My Church Growing?
When pastors hear about our work in India and that we saw over 56,000 people come to Jesus just last year, they always ask the same question: “Why isn’t my church growing?” I love that question because it reveals a heart for the lost. How do I answer? Well, if you’ll permit me, I’ll tell […]
Spoiler Alert: Are Churches Going the Way of Hollywood Predictability?
Did movies get worse? Over the holiday I saw Wonka at my childhood movie theater. That cinema features one screen, no online reservations, and seats reminiscent of jury duty. However, I walked there from my parents’ house and got admission, candy, and a drink for $10. Not bad. So, I’m not knocking the theater experience, but instead […]
Disciple Making in the Megachurch: Q&A with Bart Shaw of Trader’s Point Christian Church
Can large, long-established churches move to a disciple-making core focus? What steps need to be taken? I recently caught up with Bart Shaw, Campus Pastor and Lead Discipleship Pastor at Traders Point Christian Church, a fast-growing, multisite, nearly 200-year-old church in the Indianapolis area. In this conversation, Bart describes many of the steps Traders Point […]
Why Care About the Rural Church? A Q&A with Tyler VanWey
Editor’s Note: Why care about the rural church? While it’s easy to focus on growing urban and suburban churches because of their population density, it also becomes easier to forget about the importance of churches in rural areas. To help me better understand the rural church and its strategic importance, I reached out to Tyler […]
