Select an article "How We Got Here: On Renaming Our Ministry" A Journey of Integrity and Faith A Personal Word for a New Year A Strange Deadly Virus That Threatens Us All A Visit to ‘the Heartland’ of American Methodism Accountability, Character and Human Mistakes Alabama’s Courageous Christian Governor Apparitions, Visions and the Other Things That Inspire People Auburn Avenue Presbyterian Church: Some Observations on a Healthy Church Besieged by Critics Bill Bright: An Appreciation for a Devoted Life Challenges in the New Church Year Christ’s Kingdom Is Not of This World Compassion, War and the Life Issue: How Shall We Think About the Central Moral Issues in the Nationa Creeds, Christian Identity and Chaos Dealing with the Radical Minority Do You Believe in Evil? Doing Church the New Way? Fallen Priests and the Sad Story of Ministerial Abuse FAQs: Imputation, Justification and the Gospel FAQs: Imputation, Justification and the Gospel Further Analysis of the Modern Megachurch Movement Further Reflections on Awana Clubs Further Reflections on Awana Clubs Genes and Melancholia Hermeneutics Is the Issue: The Importance of Paul Ricoeur How Biblical Is Biblical Counseling? How Shall We Live in the World? How Shall We Live in the World? How Should We Engage Our Culture and Civil Society? I Have a Dream, with Apologies to Dr. Martin Luther King I Stand Corrected: Norman Shepherd and The Doctrine of the Covenant If You Are Looking for Revival Look for the Persecuted Church In Iraq There Are No Good Options Influential Evangelicals in America Is There a “Defect” in J. I. Packer’s Knowing God? Its Just Politics Its Just Politics It’s the Music I’ve Only Just Begun John Paul II: Why I Will Miss Him Judge Roy Moore and the Law Just War: How Should Christians Think About Impending War with Iraq? Left Behind, the Catholic Bishops and Church Dogma Limbaugh Speaks His Mind Living in Babylon with Real Hope Lord Acton and Labor Day: The Relationship of Freedom and Virtue Man without a Movement Ministry and the Means for Doing It Well Modernity and Postmodernity: What’s a Non-specialist to Do? More Evidence that Americans Are Increasingly Religiously Pluralistic More Questions on the New Perspective More Thoughts on Postmodernity My Experience with a Healthy Church Myths and Other Assumptions No Longer a Safe Guide? Now Thank We All Our God On Celebrating Fifty-Five Years of Life On Not Turning Adversaries into Enemies On Submitting to the Authority of the Bible Personal Judgment & Christian Discernment Providence and My College Experience Reflections on Choosing a Seminary Reflections on the Centenary of Malcolm Muggeridge Reforming a Mainline Church: Courage and Conviction Needed Some Further Thoughts on Judgment and Christian Discernment Some Interesting Spiritual and Religious Trends Some Thoughts on Signing Public Statements Part 2 Some Thoughts on Signing Public Statements Pt. 1 Southern Baptists Face a New Danger Southern Baptists Face a New Danger, Part 2 Southern Baptists Face a New Danger, Part Three Still Seeking to Renew the Church Ted Williams: The Tragic Life of an American Hero Terrorism and the Will to Remain Free The Biggest Blockhead in All the Universe The Boston Red Sox and the Curse of the Bambino The Christian Ministry: A Perilous Profession The Disney Gospel The Faith Question: An Analysis of the Two Presidential Candidates Part 1 The Great California Recall Mess The Legacy of John Shoop The Marriage Crisis Is Not Exactly What You Think The Mistaken Battle Plan of Some Pro-life Advocates The Modern Megachurch The Need for Healthy Churches The New World of Evangelical Publishing The Passing of a Fundamentalist Icon The Pledge of Allegiance: Watershed Moment or Factious Fad? The Pledge of Allegiance: Watershed Moment or Factious Fad? The Plight of the Homeless and the Ministry of True Religion The Politicization of the Christian Faith The Politicization of the Christian Faith Part 2 The Politicization of the Christian Faith Part 3 The Purpose of Christ’s Coming to the World The Results Are Now Official: Evangelicalism Won the Culture The Retreat of Political Liberalism The Separation of Church & Office The Tragedy of a Family Torn Asunder The World’s ‘Greatest Sin’? Thinking Out Loud (Again) on Worship Thunderstruck by the Spirit Tragic End or Glorious Freedom Truth and Consequences in the Land of Lincoln Two Common Responses to Church Renewal Understanding Reformation in Church and Culture War Has a Defining Power, Even in the Church Was 9/11 a Wake-Up Call or a Missed Opportunity? What About Awana Clubs?” What About the Doctrine of Justification by Faith? What Difference Did The Passion of the Christ Make What It Takes to Be a True Servant of God What Shall We Do About Genetic Engineering What Shall We Make of Billy Graham's Anti-Semitic Comments? What Shall We Make of the Late John Wimber? What’s All the Fuss About ‘The Passion of the Christ’?” When Sports Mirrors the Church Where Is Your Sense of Humor? Who Am I and Why Do I Write What I Do Who Am I and Why Do I Write What I Do? Part 2 Who Am I and Why Do I Write What I Do? Part 3 Will Your Church Cancel Christmas Worship This Year? Your Church: A Showcase for the Truth? “A Few Final Observations on the Megachurch” “A New Spirit of Worship in Europe and the Rise of the New Faithful in America: Is There a Connectio “A Prayer for Pope Benedict XVI” “A Theology That Adequately Corrects the Spirit of Fundamentalism” “Becoming the Gatekeepers: How Christians Can Make a Difference in Culture” “Bigotry and Some Ways to Avoid It” “Changing the Gay Lifestyle by the Grace of God.” “Church Growth, Dying Small Churches, and a New Strategy” “Confusing Acceptance with Approval” “Cultivating the Virtues of Good Theology” “Developing a Healthy Counter-Cultural Christian Mission” “Divine Providence and Hurricane Katrina” “Do Good People Go to Heaven?” Part One “Do Good People Go to Heaven?” Part Two “Do Good People Go to Heaven” Part Three “Extravagant Forgiveness” “Forming the Whole Person in the Image of Christ” “Getting the Role of Pastor Right Again” “God, Providence and President Bush” Part One “God, Providence and President Bush” Part Two “Homosexuality and the Challenge to the Church” “How Can Christians Influence Culture?” “How Suffering Brings About Hope” “How Suffering Produces Spirit-Given Love and Deep Assurance” “It’s All About Relationships” “Kinsey is Dead: Long Live Kinsey” “Metaphorical Language and the Bible” “New and Better Structures Are Not the Answer” “On the Death of a Man of Faith” “Origins of the Modern Christmas Celebration - How Should We Respond?” “Renewing the Church: Is it Worth the Effort?” “The Christian as a Reader” “The Christian as a Reader” Part One “The Dangers of the Fundamentalist Ditch” “The Distinctive Marks of Historic Reformed Christianity” “The Importance of the Blogosphere” “The Legacy of John Shoop” “The Loss of Two Noteworthy Servants” “The Modern Megachurch Phenomenon” “The Origins of Homosexuality” “The Spirit of Fundamentalism Lives On” “Thirty-Five Years of Marriage to My Best Friend” “What About Promise Keepers?” “What Kind of God Permits a Massive Tsunami?” “Why a Consistent Polemic Is Dangerous” “Why Are Some Reformed Christians Mean?” “Why the Conservative Social Agenda Matters”
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“The Modern Megachurch Phenomenon” July 18, 2005 John H. Armstrong Last September I did a Weekly Messenger article on the megachurch phenomenon in America. That article was a “spin-off” from a piece I had submitted to an encyclopedia project. Of the various pieces I wrote, this one was sent back to me for major revision. (The editor is a friend and I respect his courage and professionalism for informing me that my article needed some serious changes.) Truthfully, I was not surprised. I had not done my homework as I should at the time and rushed the piece a bit much. Further reflection, and in-depth research, have led to a new article for the forthcoming Encyclopedia on Revival. After I wrote this new article I decided to expand it and include it as a two-part Weekly Messenger feature.  The term megachurch is a descriptive, sociological term commonly used to classify very large churches of more than 2,000 in worship attendance. Though large churches have existed throughout Christian history, the sheer number of them in America has dramatically increased since 1970, when there were only ten megachurches. It is this recent development that has prompted religious analysts to coin the term megachurch.  Though the megachurch is a local congregation, it should probably be understood as an expansive structural and spiritual organization that acts as a collective social phenomenon. Most megachurch research considers only Protestant congregations. There are megachurches in 45 of 50 states in America. The majority of America’s megachurches are in southern Sunbelt states, with Texas (14%), California (13.7%), Florida (6.7%) and Georgia (5.2%) having the highest concentrations of such congregations. Houston and Dallas alone account for 56 megachurches. Virtually all are conservative in theology, with nondenominational and Southern Baptisst having the highest number of churches, followed by Assemblies of God, and two mainline groups, the Presbyterian Church USA and the United Methodist Church. (If Roman Catholic congregations are included, the number in the United States may be as high as 2,500.) Furthermore, there are significant numbers of megachurches in Korea, Brazil and several African countries. (No actual count exists.) There are at least ten megachurches in the United States that number more than 15,000. Several megachurches in Korea claim as many as 250,000. (Considerable research on megachurches can be found at http://hirr.hartsem.edu/megachurch/megachurchresearch.html. There is even a networking and resource group called Leadership Network (www.leadnet.org) that exists solely for very large churches and their leadership. Leadership Network has existed since 1984 for the sole purpose of identifying, helping and connecting churches and leaders in very large churches. The largest congregation in America is Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, under the leadership of its well-known pastor, Joel Osteen. It is followed by World Changers in College Park, Georgia, pastored by the well-known prosperity preacher, Creflo Dollar. The Jesus Movement helped to produce the third largest church, Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa, California, pastored by Chuck Smith. The Potter’s House (Dallas, Texas, pastured by T. D. Jakes) and Second Baptist Church of Houston, Texas (H. Edwin Young, pastor), round out the list of the top five megachurches. Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, is listed at number eight. Saddleback Valley Community Church in Lake Forest, California, led by the famous author Rick Warren, is the tenth largest church. Commenting on the numerical success of these megachurches researcher, Scott Thumma, at Hartford Seminary says, “In our society growth equals success and religious growth not only equals success but also God’s blessing on the ministry.” Recent research suggests that there are over 1,200 megachurches in the United States, with new congregations added to the list every week. (This accounts for only 0.3 percent of all congregations in the United States, but with four million members, and possibly as many as 8 to 12 million attendees. One researcher to suggest that the largest 10% of congregations in the United States now account for half of all churchgoers.) At the moment there seems to be no indication that this phenomenon is slowing down. The definitive traits of the megachurch are a uniquely modern response to society, which prompts Alan Wolfe, director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life at Boston College, to observe that the dominant message “tends to be more upbeat, one of empowerment.” This is why some refer to the megachurch message as “Jesus meets the power of positive thinking.” Media has clearly helped build many of these megachurches. Market principles are used with a great deal of savvy. Popular celebrities are regular guests at many megachurches and video, drama and contemporary music are staples Lakewood Church in Houston. The largest of all American megachurches, Lakewood regularly analyses its entire strategy, both local and media. Duncan Dodds, Lakewood’s executive director, notes: “We really want [the worship gathering] to feel like a concert.” Lakewood church was a relatively large church of 6,000 in 1999 when Osteen became pastor. Today it is America’s largest congregation at more than 25,000. It recently bought the Compaq Center, the former home of the Houston Rockets basketball team. The church will fully occupy the new building this month. Lakewood Church provides a rather unusual megachurch model in that it appeals to people of all ethnicities. It attracts virtually equal numbers of blacks, whites and hispanics. Lakewood seeks to be truly inclusive with regard to race and ethnic background. It also aims at being inoffensive in its message, thus there is almost no talk about subjects such as abortion or homosexuality. And politics is not a major issue either. (This is actually true of most megachurches, contrary to what some would expect!) To Joel Osteen, the goal is to fill the church with victors, not victims. The message is thus one of uplift and praise. Osteen believes the appeal is due to the “celebratory feel” of their services. “People feel lifted up by our message of hope, of life and victory. They don’t feel they are constantly being beaten down.” Lakewood also demonstrates a number of the very positive aspects of modern megachurches. It offers free financial counseling, low-cost bulk food, even a “fidelity group” for men with “sexual addictions.” Lakewood counselors serve people of all backgrounds and with all types of needs and the evidence that real help is offered is quite impressive. Another aspect of this growing movement can be seen in the publicly traded company, Kingdom Ventures, which was begun in 1999 with the sole mission of helping faith-based organizations get bigger. The Securities and Exchange Commission recently began an investigation of this company by serving it a subpoena. The company claims to work with over 10,000 churches on everything from fundraising to event planning. (It even provides speakers and artists for events.) Kingdom’s lead executive, Gene Jackson says, “One of the reasons megachurches are as big as they are is because they use the technology of today.” He adds, “We can help smaller churches become big with technology.” Popular culture plays a major role in the growth of megachurches. Saddleback recently invited congregants to attend “God’s Extreme Makeover,” which is a kind of old-fashioned revivalistic outreach named after the latest television fad, in which volunteers undergo plastic surgery to make themselves look much better physically. The goal is to self-consciously create a kind of one-stop shopping mall for the spirit. Saddleback sells food and drinks and conducts baptisms in a pool where “warm water” is promised. There are picnic spots and well manicured gardens that surround Saddleback, a feature of many other similar churches. Many of the megachurches argue that young people, having grown up in a culture of consumerism, are not only looking for God but also for a variety of facilities and all-purpose programs. Besides a variety of programs and ministries megachurches often offer a host of home fellowships and interest-based small group meetings. Intense personal commitment is promoted by these means. A frequent criticism of megachurches is that they contain a high percentage of spectators. A good bit of research argues that this is not any more true in most megachurches than in many smaller churches. The megachurch phenomenon should be closely linked to the development of the Church Growth Movement, which encouraged the use of social science to make systematic analysis of the way churches grew numerically. American evangelicals embraced these principles to intentionally build very large congregations on the principle of homogeneity. Thus megachurch researcher, Scott Thumma, observes: “Although variations exist, most megachurches have a similar identifiable pattern and share a common set of organizational and leadership dynamics.” Megachurches are generally located in suburban communities situated near large cities. Extensive research indicates that these churches generally attract consumer-oriented, highly- mobile, and well-educated middle class families as members. I wrote a short article for my blog site several weeks ago on the life and ministry of Dr. Billy Graham. I have wondered, as have many others, “Who will follow Dr. Graham in terms of large-scaled evangelism to crowds in America?” I came to the conclusion over recent weeks that the answer appears to be several have followed him and they are the pastors of the largest megachurches in America. These ministries attract tens of thousands of people beyond their Sunday gatherings and these pastors regularly preach to crowds as large as any community-wide evangelism rallies held today. To my mind this is a good news/bad news situation. The good news is that gospel preaching still holds a prominent role in American life. Crowds still come and crowds still listen to popular preaching. Another positive aspect of this phenomenon is that people come to faith in Christ in the context of a local church and are much more easily followed up after they make a profession of faith. The bad news? Well, I do have serious reservations about these developments. I will share much more in part two and three on the megachurch, but for now let it be noted that a Savior who calls us to “come and die and follow him” will not fit easily into the techniques and productions offered to American consumers by most megachurches. Some leaders in megachurches recognize this problem and seem ready to address it. Time will tell. We should pray for better and hope for the best.

	Select an article "How We Got Here: On Renaming Our Ministry" A Journey of Integrity and Faith A Personal Word for a New Year A Strange Deadly Virus That Threatens Us All A Visit to ‘the Heartland’ of American Methodism Accountability, Character and Human Mistakes Alabama’s Courageous Christian Governor Apparitions, Visions and the Other Things That Inspire People Auburn Avenue Presbyterian Church: Some Observations on a Healthy Church Besieged by Critics Bill Bright: An Appreciation for a Devoted Life Challenges in the New Church Year Christ’s Kingdom Is Not of This World Compassion, War and the Life Issue: How Shall We Think About the Central Moral Issues in the Nationa Creeds, Christian Identity and Chaos Dealing with the Radical Minority Do You Believe in Evil? Doing Church the New Way? Fallen Priests and the Sad Story of Ministerial Abuse FAQs: Imputation, Justification and the Gospel FAQs: Imputation, Justification and the Gospel Further Analysis of the Modern Megachurch Movement Further Reflections on Awana Clubs Further Reflections on Awana Clubs Genes and Melancholia Hermeneutics Is the Issue: The Importance of Paul Ricoeur How Biblical Is Biblical Counseling? How Shall We Live in the World? How Shall We Live in the World? How Should We Engage Our Culture and Civil Society? I Have a Dream, with Apologies to Dr. Martin Luther King I Stand Corrected: Norman Shepherd and The Doctrine of the Covenant If You Are Looking for Revival Look for the Persecuted Church In Iraq There Are No Good Options Influential Evangelicals in America Is There a “Defect” in J. I. Packer’s Knowing God? Its Just Politics Its Just Politics It’s the Music I’ve Only Just Begun John Paul II: Why I Will Miss Him Judge Roy Moore and the Law Just War: How Should Christians Think About Impending War with Iraq? Left Behind, the Catholic Bishops and Church Dogma Limbaugh Speaks His Mind Living in Babylon with Real Hope Lord Acton and Labor Day: The Relationship of Freedom and Virtue Man without a Movement Ministry and the Means for Doing It Well Modernity and Postmodernity: What’s a Non-specialist to Do? More Evidence that Americans Are Increasingly Religiously Pluralistic More Questions on the New Perspective More Thoughts on Postmodernity My Experience with a Healthy Church Myths and Other Assumptions No Longer a Safe Guide? Now Thank We All Our God On Celebrating Fifty-Five Years of Life On Not Turning Adversaries into Enemies On Submitting to the Authority of the Bible Personal Judgment & Christian Discernment Providence and My College Experience Reflections on Choosing a Seminary Reflections on the Centenary of Malcolm Muggeridge Reforming a Mainline Church: Courage and Conviction Needed Some Further Thoughts on Judgment and Christian Discernment Some Interesting Spiritual and Religious Trends Some Thoughts on Signing Public Statements Part 2 Some Thoughts on Signing Public Statements Pt. 1 Southern Baptists Face a New Danger Southern Baptists Face a New Danger, Part 2 Southern Baptists Face a New Danger, Part Three Still Seeking to Renew the Church Ted Williams: The Tragic Life of an American Hero Terrorism and the Will to Remain Free The Biggest Blockhead in All the Universe The Boston Red Sox and the Curse of the Bambino The Christian Ministry: A Perilous Profession The Disney Gospel The Faith Question: An Analysis of the Two Presidential Candidates Part 1 The Great California Recall Mess The Legacy of John Shoop The Marriage Crisis Is Not Exactly What You Think The Mistaken Battle Plan of Some Pro-life Advocates The Modern Megachurch The Need for Healthy Churches The New World of Evangelical Publishing The Passing of a Fundamentalist Icon The Pledge of Allegiance: Watershed Moment or Factious Fad? The Pledge of Allegiance: Watershed Moment or Factious Fad? The Plight of the Homeless and the Ministry of True Religion The Politicization of the Christian Faith The Politicization of the Christian Faith Part 2 The Politicization of the Christian Faith Part 3 The Purpose of Christ’s Coming to the World The Results Are Now Official: Evangelicalism Won the Culture The Retreat of Political Liberalism The Separation of Church & Office The Tragedy of a Family Torn Asunder The World’s ‘Greatest Sin’? Thinking Out Loud (Again) on Worship Thunderstruck by the Spirit Tragic End or Glorious Freedom Truth and Consequences in the Land of Lincoln Two Common Responses to Church Renewal Understanding Reformation in Church and Culture War Has a Defining Power, Even in the Church Was 9/11 a Wake-Up Call or a Missed Opportunity? What About Awana Clubs?” What About the Doctrine of Justification by Faith? What Difference Did The Passion of the Christ Make What It Takes to Be a True Servant of God What Shall We Do About Genetic Engineering What Shall We Make of Billy Graham's Anti-Semitic Comments? What Shall We Make of the Late John Wimber? What’s All the Fuss About ‘The Passion of the Christ’?” When Sports Mirrors the Church Where Is Your Sense of Humor? Who Am I and Why Do I Write What I Do Who Am I and Why Do I Write What I Do? Part 2 Who Am I and Why Do I Write What I Do? Part 3 Will Your Church Cancel Christmas Worship This Year? Your Church: A Showcase for the Truth? “A Few Final Observations on the Megachurch” “A New Spirit of Worship in Europe and the Rise of the New Faithful in America: Is There a Connectio “A Prayer for Pope Benedict XVI” “A Theology That Adequately Corrects the Spirit of Fundamentalism” “Becoming the Gatekeepers: How Christians Can Make a Difference in Culture” “Bigotry and Some Ways to Avoid It” “Changing the Gay Lifestyle by the Grace of God.” “Church Growth, Dying Small Churches, and a New Strategy” “Confusing Acceptance with Approval” “Cultivating the Virtues of Good Theology” “Developing a Healthy Counter-Cultural Christian Mission” “Divine Providence and Hurricane Katrina” “Do Good People Go to Heaven?” Part One “Do Good People Go to Heaven?” Part Two “Do Good People Go to Heaven” Part Three “Extravagant Forgiveness” “Forming the Whole Person in the Image of Christ” “Getting the Role of Pastor Right Again” “God, Providence and President Bush” Part One “God, Providence and President Bush” Part Two “Homosexuality and the Challenge to the Church” “How Can Christians Influence Culture?” “How Suffering Brings About Hope” “How Suffering Produces Spirit-Given Love and Deep Assurance” “It’s All About Relationships” “Kinsey is Dead: Long Live Kinsey” “Metaphorical Language and the Bible” “New and Better Structures Are Not the Answer” “On the Death of a Man of Faith” “Origins of the Modern Christmas Celebration - How Should We Respond?” “Renewing the Church: Is it Worth the Effort?” “The Christian as a Reader” “The Christian as a Reader” Part One “The Dangers of the Fundamentalist Ditch” “The Distinctive Marks of Historic Reformed Christianity” “The Importance of the Blogosphere” “The Legacy of John Shoop” “The Loss of Two Noteworthy Servants” “The Modern Megachurch Phenomenon” “The Origins of Homosexuality” “The Spirit of Fundamentalism Lives On” “Thirty-Five Years of Marriage to My Best Friend” “What About Promise Keepers?” “What Kind of God Permits a Massive Tsunami?” “Why a Consistent Polemic Is Dangerous” “Why Are Some Reformed Christians Mean?” “Why the Conservative Social Agenda Matters”

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	Select an article "How We Got Here: On Renaming Our Ministry" A Journey of Integrity and Faith A Personal Word for a New Year A Strange Deadly Virus That Threatens Us All A Visit to ‘the Heartland’ of American Methodism Accountability, Character and Human Mistakes Alabama’s Courageous Christian Governor Apparitions, Visions and the Other Things That Inspire People Auburn Avenue Presbyterian Church: Some Observations on a Healthy Church Besieged by Critics Bill Bright: An Appreciation for a Devoted Life Challenges in the New Church Year Christ’s Kingdom Is Not of This World Compassion, War and the Life Issue: How Shall We Think About the Central Moral Issues in the Nationa Creeds, Christian Identity and Chaos Dealing with the Radical Minority Do You Believe in Evil? Doing Church the New Way? Fallen Priests and the Sad Story of Ministerial Abuse FAQs: Imputation, Justification and the Gospel FAQs: Imputation, Justification and the Gospel Further Analysis of the Modern Megachurch Movement Further Reflections on Awana Clubs Further Reflections on Awana Clubs Genes and Melancholia Hermeneutics Is the Issue: The Importance of Paul Ricoeur How Biblical Is Biblical Counseling? How Shall We Live in the World? How Shall We Live in the World? How Should We Engage Our Culture and Civil Society? I Have a Dream, with Apologies to Dr. Martin Luther King I Stand Corrected: Norman Shepherd and The Doctrine of the Covenant If You Are Looking for Revival Look for the Persecuted Church In Iraq There Are No Good Options Influential Evangelicals in America Is There a “Defect” in J. I. Packer’s Knowing God? Its Just Politics Its Just Politics It’s the Music I’ve Only Just Begun John Paul II: Why I Will Miss Him Judge Roy Moore and the Law Just War: How Should Christians Think About Impending War with Iraq? Left Behind, the Catholic Bishops and Church Dogma Limbaugh Speaks His Mind Living in Babylon with Real Hope Lord Acton and Labor Day: The Relationship of Freedom and Virtue Man without a Movement Ministry and the Means for Doing It Well Modernity and Postmodernity: What’s a Non-specialist to Do? More Evidence that Americans Are Increasingly Religiously Pluralistic More Questions on the New Perspective More Thoughts on Postmodernity My Experience with a Healthy Church Myths and Other Assumptions No Longer a Safe Guide? Now Thank We All Our God On Celebrating Fifty-Five Years of Life On Not Turning Adversaries into Enemies On Submitting to the Authority of the Bible Personal Judgment & Christian Discernment Providence and My College Experience Reflections on Choosing a Seminary Reflections on the Centenary of Malcolm Muggeridge Reforming a Mainline Church: Courage and Conviction Needed Some Further Thoughts on Judgment and Christian Discernment Some Interesting Spiritual and Religious Trends Some Thoughts on Signing Public Statements Part 2 Some Thoughts on Signing Public Statements Pt. 1 Southern Baptists Face a New Danger Southern Baptists Face a New Danger, Part 2 Southern Baptists Face a New Danger, Part Three Still Seeking to Renew the Church Ted Williams: The Tragic Life of an American Hero Terrorism and the Will to Remain Free The Biggest Blockhead in All the Universe The Boston Red Sox and the Curse of the Bambino The Christian Ministry: A Perilous Profession The Disney Gospel The Faith Question: An Analysis of the Two Presidential Candidates Part 1 The Great California Recall Mess The Legacy of John Shoop The Marriage Crisis Is Not Exactly What You Think The Mistaken Battle Plan of Some Pro-life Advocates The Modern Megachurch The Need for Healthy Churches The New World of Evangelical Publishing The Passing of a Fundamentalist Icon The Pledge of Allegiance: Watershed Moment or Factious Fad? The Pledge of Allegiance: Watershed Moment or Factious Fad? The Plight of the Homeless and the Ministry of True Religion The Politicization of the Christian Faith The Politicization of the Christian Faith Part 2 The Politicization of the Christian Faith Part 3 The Purpose of Christ’s Coming to the World The Results Are Now Official: Evangelicalism Won the Culture The Retreat of Political Liberalism The Separation of Church & Office The Tragedy of a Family Torn Asunder The World’s ‘Greatest Sin’? Thinking Out Loud (Again) on Worship Thunderstruck by the Spirit Tragic End or Glorious Freedom Truth and Consequences in the Land of Lincoln Two Common Responses to Church Renewal Understanding Reformation in Church and Culture War Has a Defining Power, Even in the Church Was 9/11 a Wake-Up Call or a Missed Opportunity? What About Awana Clubs?” What About the Doctrine of Justification by Faith? What Difference Did The Passion of the Christ Make What It Takes to Be a True Servant of God What Shall We Do About Genetic Engineering What Shall We Make of Billy Graham's Anti-Semitic Comments? What Shall We Make of the Late John Wimber? What’s All the Fuss About ‘The Passion of the Christ’?” When Sports Mirrors the Church Where Is Your Sense of Humor? Who Am I and Why Do I Write What I Do Who Am I and Why Do I Write What I Do? Part 2 Who Am I and Why Do I Write What I Do? Part 3 Will Your Church Cancel Christmas Worship This Year? Your Church: A Showcase for the Truth? “A Few Final Observations on the Megachurch” “A New Spirit of Worship in Europe and the Rise of the New Faithful in America: Is There a Connectio “A Prayer for Pope Benedict XVI” “A Theology That Adequately Corrects the Spirit of Fundamentalism” “Becoming the Gatekeepers: How Christians Can Make a Difference in Culture” “Bigotry and Some Ways to Avoid It” “Changing the Gay Lifestyle by the Grace of God.” “Church Growth, Dying Small Churches, and a New Strategy” “Confusing Acceptance with Approval” “Cultivating the Virtues of Good Theology” “Developing a Healthy Counter-Cultural Christian Mission” “Divine Providence and Hurricane Katrina” “Do Good People Go to Heaven?” Part One “Do Good People Go to Heaven?” Part Two “Do Good People Go to Heaven” Part Three “Extravagant Forgiveness” “Forming the Whole Person in the Image of Christ” “Getting the Role of Pastor Right Again” “God, Providence and President Bush” Part One “God, Providence and President Bush” Part Two “Homosexuality and the Challenge to the Church” “How Can Christians Influence Culture?” “How Suffering Brings About Hope” “How Suffering Produces Spirit-Given Love and Deep Assurance” “It’s All About Relationships” “Kinsey is Dead: Long Live Kinsey” “Metaphorical Language and the Bible” “New and Better Structures Are Not the Answer” “On the Death of a Man of Faith” “Origins of the Modern Christmas Celebration - How Should We Respond?” “Renewing the Church: Is it Worth the Effort?” “The Christian as a Reader” “The Christian as a Reader” Part One “The Dangers of the Fundamentalist Ditch” “The Distinctive Marks of Historic Reformed Christianity” “The Importance of the Blogosphere” “The Legacy of John Shoop” “The Loss of Two Noteworthy Servants” “The Modern Megachurch Phenomenon” “The Origins of Homosexuality” “The Spirit of Fundamentalism Lives On” “Thirty-Five Years of Marriage to My Best Friend” “What About Promise Keepers?” “What Kind of God Permits a Massive Tsunami?” “Why a Consistent Polemic Is Dangerous” “Why Are Some Reformed Christians Mean?” “Why the Conservative Social Agenda Matters”

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	Select an article "How We Got Here: On Renaming Our Ministry" A Journey of Integrity and Faith A Personal Word for a New Year A Strange Deadly Virus That Threatens Us All A Visit to ‘the Heartland’ of American Methodism Accountability, Character and Human Mistakes Alabama’s Courageous Christian Governor Apparitions, Visions and the Other Things That Inspire People Auburn Avenue Presbyterian Church: Some Observations on a Healthy Church Besieged by Critics Bill Bright: An Appreciation for a Devoted Life Challenges in the New Church Year Christ’s Kingdom Is Not of This World Compassion, War and the Life Issue: How Shall We Think About the Central Moral Issues in the Nationa Creeds, Christian Identity and Chaos Dealing with the Radical Minority Do You Believe in Evil? Doing Church the New Way? Fallen Priests and the Sad Story of Ministerial Abuse FAQs: Imputation, Justification and the Gospel FAQs: Imputation, Justification and the Gospel Further Analysis of the Modern Megachurch Movement Further Reflections on Awana Clubs Further Reflections on Awana Clubs Genes and Melancholia Hermeneutics Is the Issue: The Importance of Paul Ricoeur How Biblical Is Biblical Counseling? How Shall We Live in the World? How Shall We Live in the World? How Should We Engage Our Culture and Civil Society? I Have a Dream, with Apologies to Dr. Martin Luther King I Stand Corrected: Norman Shepherd and The Doctrine of the Covenant If You Are Looking for Revival Look for the Persecuted Church In Iraq There Are No Good Options Influential Evangelicals in America Is There a “Defect” in J. I. Packer’s Knowing God? Its Just Politics Its Just Politics It’s the Music I’ve Only Just Begun John Paul II: Why I Will Miss Him Judge Roy Moore and the Law Just War: How Should Christians Think About Impending War with Iraq? Left Behind, the Catholic Bishops and Church Dogma Limbaugh Speaks His Mind Living in Babylon with Real Hope Lord Acton and Labor Day: The Relationship of Freedom and Virtue Man without a Movement Ministry and the Means for Doing It Well Modernity and Postmodernity: What’s a Non-specialist to Do? More Evidence that Americans Are Increasingly Religiously Pluralistic More Questions on the New Perspective More Thoughts on Postmodernity My Experience with a Healthy Church Myths and Other Assumptions No Longer a Safe Guide? 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