From the Circuit Riders to old-fashioned tent meetings the Great Frontier has shaped American Christianity. Homesteading brought a certain kind of independent people to the west where rules were being re-written. Pioneering meant faith would also be newly independent from European governance. So, today we have hundreds of Baptist denominations, with many independent churches of all stripes. In fact, the term “Baptist” was simply to differentiate those that immersed adults exclusively from everyone else in early America. (more…)
In our age of marketing, faith seems to act as a commodity like any other product sold. If evangelizing at a large event, good looking athletes and talented performers share the stage with gifted communicators. The lighting is decent. In fact, the production value at a lot of houses of worship of even modest size rivals those of the average club or music venue.
Are we just putting on a venue to market and display Christianity or are we creating a community of faith and simply expressing it? In order to market, our church may have to say basically what they are not and why they are better. This may not be overt in the copy on our website, but of course messages are sent by what we do as well as what we say. In a church leadership vibe today that tries to be too cool, we might be defining ourselves more by what we are not rather than who we are. (more…)
I really would love to finish reading this book Love Wins, but some very thoughtful Christian leaders have already done so like this one and others. What makes a heretic? I am a creative and love to ask questions, so Rob Bell is a cool cat in how he operates. He is obviously one of the best communicators out there. But, is he selling something very wrong with his new book? The following interview on MSNBC exposes how Bell thinks. I love the interviewer, a Christian, in that he is asking legitimate questions any pastor should be able to answer.
How does Rob Bell do in your opinion. Is he the “H” word–a heretic? Or, is he a historically orthodox Christian in his responses?
Manuel Luz on 
Guy on 
Rob Still on 
RK on 
