My children worshipped in a megachurch setting for almost 10 years. My daughter is only 11 so that is most of her life. My children are accustomed to large parking lots, elevated pulpits, flashing lights, large choirs, loud music and charismatic preaching. Since my father-in-ministry’s retirement, we’ve explored worshipping in smaller settings. Our church today …
In my role as the Director of Innovative Evangelism in the Baltimore-Washington and Peninsula-Delaware Area, I have the privilege of working with a diverse group of congregations throughout Maryland, Delaware, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. Since we are located in an incredibly diverse region, I do get asked a lot for help with leading evangelism …
Read more “Ethical Evangelism: Sharing Faith with Integrity”
In a world filled with billions of people, it’s easy to feel insignificant, like a single drop in an ocean too vast to impact. But history and storytelling remind us time and again of the profound influence one person can have. As I was flying home from vacation, I had the opportunity to watch the …
There is a touching documentary on Netflix called “Daughters.” It’s about a program that hosts a “Date with Daddy” dance for inmates and their daughters. The program provides coaching for inmates and their families leading up to the dance, and they provide formal attire and barber services for the men so when their daughters see …
Read more “Don’t Let Size Deter You from Planting Fresh Expressions”
In our last post (you can read it here), I shared the dangers and pitfalls of Transactional Evangelism, which I also refer to as “Vampire Evangelism. As United Methodists, we are called to share the love of Christ with others, not just through words but through our actions and relationships. One of the most effective …
Mainline Protestant denominations have long been pillars of American religious and cultural life. These denominations have been deeply influential, not only in shaping the spiritual landscape of the nation but also have shared a deep commitment to social justice and community betterment. However, in recent decades, these once-dominant religious bodies have faced substantial declines in …
By Tom Bandy MissionInsite does a nationwide survey called “The American Beliefs Study” of religious preferences and practices. This tends to be richer than other national surveys because it uses a larger sampling. A new summary is now available as of January 2023 and there are recent videos available to explain them. Customized data for …
Evangelism is a word that often elicits mixed emotions, especially for those of us who are United Methodists. For many, it conjures memories of encounters with judgmental zealots, overly aggressive preachers, and individuals who seem more focused on converting others than on genuine connection. Consequently, it’s not surprising that some of us, and particularly millennials, …
By Tom Bandy Many of you may have read the Easter opinion column by Ross Douthat in the New York Times: “It’s Easter 2050. Here’s What American Religion Looks Like”. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/30/opinion/easter-religion-america.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare. It’s a good article, and I have been reflecting on it from the point of view of demographic and lifestyle change. The writer predicts …
This is my third post in a random series of articles dealing with hospitality. I’ve spent time on this topic because it is so critical to church renewal and vitality. How we welcome the “other” is a foundational lesson of both the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament. A few weeks ago my wife and …