Understanding Resistance to Change in Churches

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Podcast Episode #593

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In today’s episode, Thom and Sam discuss an incredibly common topic and major pain point for many churches: change and why resistance to change exists.

Highlights:

    1. The hunger for stability in a rapidly changing culture.
    2. Church members confusing desires with doctrine.
    3. The issues surrounding slow pace of change in most churches.
    4. The large gap between leadership pace and congregational pace.

Other highlights:

    • Sometimes church members confuse desire with doctrine.
    • There is nothing wrong with traditions, but traditions are not doctrine.
    • The more inward the church, the more resistant that church will be to change.
    • The more outward the church, the more receptive the church will be to change.
    • A pastor can change the pace of change with tenure.
    • How we bring people into the church will influence the pace of change.

Resources:

Episode Sponsors

The mission at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by equipping students to serve the church and fulfill the Great Commission. The school offers more than 40 different degree programs, including the new Master of Arts in Church Revitalization in partnership with Church Answers and the Revitalization Network. This 37-hour degree is designed to help students move established churches from flatlining to flourishing.

Learn about this program and more by visiting sebts.edu. Where are you going?…

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Click here to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Thom Rainer.

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C of E publishes ‘faith-sensitive’ guide for relationships, sex and health education

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C of E publishes ‘faith-sensitive’ guide for relationships, sex and health education

The guide comes at a time of major debate over relationships and sex education in England’s schools, with the subject due to become a legal requirement next September.

Relationships education will be compulsory in primary schools and relationships and sex education will be compulsory in secondaries.

 

Although parents have the right to withdraw their child up to age 15, concerns have been raised in over what younger children will be taught.

The new charter has eight commitments which all schools, Church of England and others, can sign-up to prior to the new guidelines becoming law.

The charter says that CofE schools should ensure that the curriculum “protects, informs and nurtures all pupils” and clearly differentiates between factual teaching on topics such as biology, the law, marriage and different types of families and moral teaching about relationships and values.

It also includes delivering the curriculum as a professional and identifiable part of Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE), building resilience of pupils, promoting healthy relationships, meeting individual requirements including special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and seeking pupils’ views to make teaching relevant to their lives.

It says: “Relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) should ensure that children are able to cherish themselves and others as unique and…

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Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Premier Christianity News.

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12-Year-Old Boy Founds Non-Profit to Help Fight Global Homelessness

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12-Year-Old Boy Founds Non-Profit to Help Fight Global Homelessness


12-Year-Old Boy Founds Non-Profit to Help Fight Global Homelessness


The man’s sign was simple and direct.


“Need money to eat, please help.”


In Los Angeles, where homelessness is one the leading issues facing the City of Angels, the placard has become almost as common as those declaring, “Stop” or “Yield.”


But the message wasn’t lost on Symond Boschetto, then just 8.


“I had like, $5 in my pocket, and I wanted to give it to him, but we had already passed him, and so I told my dad, ‘I want to help them,’” Symond said in an interview with People magazine. “And he was like, ‘Well, I can turn around and we can go give him the $5.’ I said, ‘You don’t understand, I want to help them all.’”


With his dad, Russell Boschetto’s help, Symond founded Share Hope USA, a nonprofit  “dedicated to helping bring hope, compassion and kindness to our Homeless friends.”


“He’s always been very giving, and I just had to comprehend what that meant,” Russell said about his son’s initial request. “And what it literally meant was, literally all of them, that’s exactly what he wanted to do.”


Share Hope USA conducts regular outreaches to the homeless, including food and clothing collections and distributions, as well as providing haircuts and pet grooming.


“I started this because I knew there were people that I needed to help, and I wanted to see what I could do to help them,” Symond, now…

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Click here to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Christian Headlines.

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Bishop of Sheffield slams Franklin Graham’s 2020 UK tour as divisive

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Bishop of Sheffield slams Franklin Graham’s 2020 UK tour as divisive

The US evangelist is due to host a mission event at the city’s FLYDSA arena as part of an eight day tour next June.

The Rt Rev Dr Pete Wilcox released a statement on Wednesday encouraging churches not to attend on the grounds that Graham’s views “represent a risk to the social cohesion of our city”.

 

The statement read: “I’m afraid I cannot support the Graham Tour mission event at the FlYDSA Arena on 6th June next year, at which Franklin Graham is due to speak, and so will not be encouraging parishes in the Diocese of Sheffield to support it either.

“Mr Graham’s rhetoric is repeatedly and unnecessarily inflammatory and in my opinion represents a risk to the social cohesion of our city.

“I gladly took part in Billy Graham’s Mission England in 1984 as a candidate for ordained ministry, and in his LiveLink Mission in 1989 as a curate. But to my sadness I detect a tailing off of humility and generosity in the Graham organisation since those days.”

The son of legendary Billy Graham held a rally in Blackpool last year in which thousands attended, his visit was met with objection though with a petition calling for him to be banned from entering the country due to past comments on Islam and homosexuality.

The preacher has previously described Islam as “an evil and very wicked religion” and spoken out against LGBT rights, saying Satan is behind same-sex marriage.

The Billy…

… Read More

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Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Premier Christianity News.

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Christian charity launches emergency appeal for earthquake victims

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Christian charity launches emergency appeal for earthquake victims

The 6-point-4 magnitude quake struck close to the capital Tirana, on Tuesday.

40 people were killed and over 650 injured in the country’s strongest tremor there since 1979.

Mission Without Borders (MWB) is an international organisation working with thousands of poverty stricken families across Eastern Europe.

 

The charity’s Albanian office is based in Durres, one of the two cities most severely affected.

MWB has set up the campaign, Albania Earthquake Appeal to raise “much needed funds” to provide immediate support to families and communities.

 

 

MWB Country Director John Chamberlain told Premier how they are responding to the disaster: “We’re distributing food parcels and clothing and blankets to those in need, we’re preparing a truck to go as soon as we can with more supplies and we have rescue teams working to find people in the rubble.”

Funds will also go towards the costs of repairing homes destroyed in the disaster.

Chamberlain is encouraging the Christian community to contribute to the appeal and pray for all those involved.

“Pray that more people will be found safe, there’s a lot of people unaccounted for,” he said.

“Pray for the country and the rescue teams and MWB. Pray for our partner churches that we can continue to do whatever we can to bring some help and support.”

Hundreds of Anglicans sign letter opposing election abortion pledges

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Hundreds of Anglicans sign letter opposing election abortion pledges

The Lib Dem manifesto states that they plan to: “Decriminalise abortion across the UK while retaining the existing 24-week limit and legislate for access to abortion facilities within Northern Ireland.”

The Labour party says: “We will uphold women’s reproductive rights and decriminalise abortions” and “Women in Northern Ireland should have access to abortions in Northern Ireland.”

Vicars, members of General Synod, youth workers and academics from the Church of England signed a letter expressing their concerns at this.

 

 

383 people signed in time for publication on Thursday, with around 40 more offering their support afterwards.

The letter states: “These changes would amount to a declaration that a foetus was no longer a human being, worthy of the same protections against deliberate harm and termination of life.”

The Anglican members call on the Church of England bishops to speak out against the policies, in the light of their own official teaching that says, “the foetus is a human life, with the potential to develop relationships, think, pray, choose and love.”

Some bishops have already expressed their concerns with the policy proposal, such as Rt Rev Philip North, the Bishop of Burnley and Rt Rev Tony Robinson, Bishop of Wakefield.

The law states that abortion is legal up to 24 weeks, providing it is signed off by two doctors who think the woman’s physical or mental…

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Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Premier Christianity News.

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Church in Wales announces plans for centenary celebrations

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Church in Wales announces plans for centenary celebrations

In 1920, the Church in Wales became an independent part of the Anglican Communion after centuries of being part of the Church of England. The process was known as ‘disestablishment’ as it broke the link between Welsh churches and the state with the historic Welsh Church Act.

The centenary year begins Advent Sunday, 1st December 2019, the start of the Christian year. Events being held to mark the anniversary include celebration services in all six of the Church’s cathedrals on 7th June 2020 and a visit by the Archbishop of Canterbury in April next year. A centenary appeal has also been launched which aims to raise £100,000 for two charities over the next five years.

 

 

The Archbishop of Wales, John Davies, said: “Advent marks the beginning of the Christian year and, for the Church in Wales, 2020 is a very important year as it’s our centenary as a province of the Anglican Communion. We will be celebrating this landmark birthday throughout the year in churches and communities across Wales, and I invite everyone to join in giving thanks and praise for the fellowship we have shared over the years and, at the same time committing to a future renewed with hope and confidence.”

Throughout the year, local churches will be organising centenary events and exhibitions for their communities while new print and film resources are being made to show the contribution the…

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Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Premier Christianity News.

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Hundreds sign letter opposing election abortion pledges

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Hundreds sign letter opposing election abortion pledges

The Lib Dem manifesto states that they plan to: “Decriminalise abortion across the UK while retaining the existing 24-week limit and legislate for access to abortion facilities within Northern Ireland.”

The Labour party says: “We will uphold women’s reproductive rights and decriminalise abortions” and “Women in Northern Ireland should have access to abortions in Northern Ireland.”

Vicars, members of General Synod, youth workers and academics from the Church of England signed a letter expressing their concerns at this.

 

 

383 people signed in time for publication on Thursday, with around 40 more offering their support afterwards.

The letter states: “These changes would amount to a declaration that a foetus was no longer a human being, worthy of the same protections against deliberate harm and termination of life.”

The Anglican members call on the Church of England bishops to speak out against the policies, in the light of their own official teaching that says, “the foetus is a human life, with the potential to develop relationships, think, pray, choose and love.”

Some bishops have already expressed their concerns with the policy proposal, such as Rt Rev Philip North, the Bishop of Burnley and Rt Rev Tony Robinson, Bishop of Wakefield.

The law states that abortion is legal up to 24 weeks, providing it is signed off by two doctors who think the woman’s physical or mental…

… Read More

—

Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Premier Christianity News.

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Bishop of Sheffield slams Franklin Graham’s 2020 UK event as divisive

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0
Bishop of Sheffield slams Franklin Graham’s 2020 UK event as divisive

The US evangelist is due to host a mission event at the city’s FLYDSA arena as part of an eight day tour next June.

The Rt Rev Dr Pete Wilcox released a statement on Wednesday encouraging churches not to attend on the grounds that Graham’s views “represent a risk to the social cohesion of our city”.

 

The statement read: “I’m afraid I cannot support the Graham Tour mission event at the FlYDSA Arena on 6th June next year, at which Franklin Graham is due to speak, and so will not be encouraging parishes in the Diocese of Sheffield to support it either.

“Mr Graham’s rhetoric is repeatedly and unnecessarily inflammatory and in my opinion represents a risk to the social cohesion of our city.

“I gladly took part in Billy Graham’s Mission England in 1984 as a candidate for ordained ministry, and in his LiveLink Mission in 1989 as a curate. But to my sadness I detect a tailing off of humility and generosity in the Graham organisation since those days.”

The son of legendary Billy Graham held a rally in Blackpool last year in which thousands attended, his visit was met with objection though with a petition calling for him to be banned from entering the country due to past comments on Islam and homosexuality.

The preacher has previously described Islam as “an evil and very wicked religion” and spoken out against LGBT rights, saying Satan is behind same-sex marriage.

The Billy…

… Read More

—

Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Premier Christianity News.

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The world’s most expensive Thanksgiving dinner and a surprising example of transforming gratitude

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The world’s most expensive Thanksgiving dinner and a surprising example of transforming gratitude

Welcome to America’s second-favorite holiday (next only to Christmas). But we’re a bit conflicted about the main course.

Eighty-eight percent of us will eat turkey today. Unsurprisingly, 70 percent of us say it’s not a proper Thanksgiving meal without turkey. But 65 percent of us would like an alternative to turkey on the table. 

Of course, we could join the 9 percent of Americans who will eat their Thanksgiving meal at a restaurant. Then we could order whatever the restaurant serves. If you have a spare $150,000, you could celebrate the world’s most expensive Thanksgiving dinner at New York City’s Old Homestead Steakhouse. 

Poultry aside, here’s an important statistic: While the holidays are filled with shopping and commercials for more shopping, 88 percent of us say we are thankful for family today. Only 32 percent say they are thankful for wealth. 

Giving thanks “in” and “for” all things 

This Thanksgiving week, we’re exploring the biblical commands to “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) and to “always give thanks to God the Father for everything” (Ephesians 5:20 NCV). As we have noted, God calls us to give thanks “in” and “for” all that we experience. 

In hard places, this is hard to do. We can pretend that all is well, but God sees our hearts. We can claim that things will inevitably get better, but biblical examples of innocent suffering prove that it’s not necessarily so. 

On Tuesday, we discussed ways to trust that God will redeem our present challenges. Yesterday, we noted the power of public gratitude in the face of hard times. 

Today, let’s learn from an unlikely source how and why to be grateful for present gifts. 

“Your faith has made you well” 

Luke 17 tells the familiar story of ten lepers who were healed by Jesus.  

Jesus met these suffering men as “he was passing…

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Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Denison Forum.

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