Union Grove Campground

Why we will no longer be a welcoming church

We’ve decided to quit being a welcoming church. No kidding. We’re giving it up. Like so many congregations, we’ve sunk an amazing amount of time and energy into becoming a welcoming church. We changed worship styles, trained greeters and ushers, wore name tags, brewed coffee, went to workshops on hospitality and put our friendliest people …

How Should We Respond to Caitlyn Jenner?

“Jenner, and every person who deals with gender disorder, bears the image of God and has a priceless soul."

Should Your Church Live Stream?

Chances are, your church has either started live streaming recently or has considered it at some point. With equipment improvements, lower entry costs, and availability through the web and social media, live streaming is becoming more common in the church. If you are considering adding a streamed service or posting videos for replay viewing to …

Society of Jesus Ordains 20 New Priests in the United States, Canada and Haiti: Fr. Kevin C....

Jesuit Father Kevin C. Spinale, 37, is from Arlington, Massachusetts, and attended Boston College High School. At the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, he played rugby and was president of the team his senior year. During college, Fr. Spinale had a class with former Holy Cross president Fr. John Brooks, SJ; the two became friends, and Brooks was a major influence on Fr. Spinale’s decision to join the Society. After graduating from Holy Cross in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree…

How To Be a Bad Church Member

Ever wanted to set your church back and create an unhealthy culture? Here is a short list of things to do to: 1. Constantly point out what should be done, but never volunteer to actually do anythin…

What is baptism in the Holy Spirit?

Baptism in the Holy Spirit is the means by which God places new believers into the body of Christ. As the Holy Spirit regenerates and indwells our human spirits, bringing us new life and ensuring our everlasting fellowship with God, the Spirit also immerses us into the universal church.

10 Ways to Be a Welcoming Church to Those With Special Needs

For those willing to welcome those with special needs, how can today’s churches better serve these families? One parent shares some tips.

ID Card Benefits for Religious Organizations

Find out how religious organizations and church groups are using ID card technology to help identify church members and keep them more secure.

Religious Freedom as Freedom to Discriminate?

Removing religious exemptions will not promote tolerance or inclusiveness. It will forcibly strip religious organizations of their ability to operate as religious organizations.

Do Megachurches Provide a Better Religious Experience than Smaller Churches?

Leadership Network’s work with innovative pastors regularly pairs us with megachurches. Indeed, in recent years no one has done more megachurch research than us.Thought leader @lensweet recently tweeted “No one knows more about...

Building Churches and Religious Facilities

The Bobbitt design & construction portfolio includes religious facilities of all types & sizes. See how design build could work for your specific needs.

10 Tips for Creating Inclusive Religious Organizations

We are a stronger country when religious organizations of all faiths live up to our values -- when we are welcoming, diverse, moral, and respect one anot...

How Secular is “Religious”?

We don’t know how the ready access to information will ultimately change the human condition, but religions are already feeling the heat. A person today can, with a few keystrokes, discover facts about religions that, when I was young, were assiduously and successfully suppressed—particularly in those traditions common among disadvantaged people such as I was. …

Why so many non-religious Europeans pay church taxes

Chimpanzees: Spiritual But Not Religious?

Some animals have been observed performing the same rituals over and over, leading scientists to speculate that they might have a sense of the sacred.

Why Religious Cops Live Longer Than Non-Religious Cops

Most of us serving as police officers have considered our mortality, especially in light of the dangers we face every day. No one is guaranteed a long life, but everyone strives to lengthen the days and years we get to spend with family and friends. All of us are interested in living longer. Recent studies […]

How Religious Are You?

Pew Research has developed a typology of religion based on "how religious" a person is, along with the nature of that religious belief.

How Religious Are The World Religions?

How religious are the world religions? Most “religions” do not conceive themselves as doctrinal systems.

What is Religious Liberty?

The Baptist Joint Committee advocates a “golden rule” of religious liberty: Do not ask government to promote your religion if you don’t want government to promote somebody else’s religion; and do not permit government to hinder somebody else’s religion if you don’t want government to hinder your own religion.

Religious freedom? Yeah, right!

OPINION- “Freedom of speech is the air that any thinker breathes; it’s the fuel that ignites the fire of an intellectual’s thoughts.” Raif Badawi dared to write such things …