Search
Search

Article Archives

Category: Church

How Holy Communion Serves as Discipleship

It was here, in Holy Communion, that the Church saw fully and completely what the potential cost of discipleship entailed: death. And yet it was literal good news, because despite his death, Jesus Christ was currently present with them in this very act of Holy Communion. Read more from Steve Bruns’ series on the early church and discipleship.

Read More »

Discipleship Checklists: Which Way Do We Need To Head?

Whatever your primary discipleship environment is (Sunday school, small group, huddle, etc.), you need to begin to ask: What is your checklist? If you do not have one, how will you determine if your present environment is healthy and working to its God given capacity to further the kingdom of God?

Read More »

Confessions of a Church-Hopping Pastor

Crossing the threshold of a potential new community is frightening, no matter its nature. In this article, Drew McIntyre compares his recent search for a gym to searching for a church home, and shares what he learned from the experience.

Read More »

How the Early Church Used Prayer to Make Disciples

How people pray greatly impacts what they believe. The early Church taught its people prayers and how to pray so that their faith would be correct and intact. It was one of the ways the Church discipled its people and encouraged them in their spiritual life and growth. Read more from Steven Bruns as he continues his series on discipleship in the early church.

Read More »

Why the Holy Spirit's Power is Needed for Church Renewal

All the strategy, plans, and programs can never truly achieve church renewal or revive us as believers. Instead of relying on endowments, cultural Christianity, or the cultural significance of the mainline church itself, David Watson here points the Church back to the true source of power for renewal—the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

Read More »

The Church that Makes Disciples

Before we can begin to make disciples, we must first come to terms with what the church is. What does it mean to be and join the church? Ancient Christians had an answer, and it pointed to the Nicene Creed: “We believe in one, holy, catholic, apostolic Church.” Read more from Steve Bruns as he continues in his series on discipleship and the church.

Read More »

Why Youth Ministry is Our Future

Far from being the less gospel-centered ministry in the local church, Jeremy Steele argues that youth ministry is usually the exemplary model of incarnation and contextualization. Read today’s post as a response to last week’s article, “Why Youth Ministry is a Misnomer.”

Read More »
Seedbed - Seven Minute Seminary

Keys to a Better Small Group Experience

What are some keys to a better small group experience? In this Seven Minute Seminary, Kevin Watson shares insights from the early Methodist small group practices, including the class meeting and the bands, both set up to enhance and produce social religion—the pursuit of holiness in shared community.

Read More »

The Third Race: How The Early Church Engaged with Culture

How did the early church engage with surrounding culture? In this article Steve Bruns offers illuminating insight from how the early Christians lived a spiritual life and made disciples. It is this pattern that Wesley employed in his own organization of the Methodist societies, and this pattern will help us discover what we can learn from the early Church and apply to today.

Read More »

Why Youth Ministry is a Misnomer

In the attempt to become relevant to teenagers, many youth ministries have lost the sense of sacredness that properly belongs in all churches. In this article, Jeremy Spainhour reminds us that youth ministry is not about providing entertainment and snacks, rather, youth ministry must reclaim its gospel-centeredness.

Read More »

Why Discipleship Needs the Church

Many discipleship programs prize individualism and leave out the essential ingredient without which discipleship doesn’t really happen: the church. In today’s article, Steve Bruns shares why we need to leave our Gnostic tendencies behind and recapture a vision for discipleship that happens in and by the church.

Read More »