By Melissa Wuske Payday Loans—Sinful? A recent study by LifeWay Research found that more than three-quarters of Christians think loans where the lender profits by hurting the borrower financially, such as high-interest payday loans, are sinful—and nearly 20 percent have taken out payday loans themselves. Christian leaders agree: “Payday loans with their exorbitant interest rates […]
By Mark Scott We taught a Sunday school class called H.O.P.E.—Hitched Or Patiently Engaged. Some maintain unwavering hope for a spouse. Families in surgical waiting rooms feel relief when the doctor says, “We think we got it all.” Some maintain unwavering hope for the health of a loved one. Why are we this way? Because […]
By Melissa Wuske What’s New in Youth Ministry A Barna Group study, in partnership with Youth Specialties and YouthWorks, talked to senior ministers and youth ministers about the priority they place on youth ministry and the challenges and changes those ministries are currently facing. Most churches (61 percent) say youth ministry is one of the […]
By Jacqueline J. Holness Every few years or so, there is a debate about which is better: a small church or a big church. I won’t get into the debate at this time (although a few years ago I did write a column about which entity is more popular in the broader culture). But since […]
By Mark Scott Every so often we notice a high watermark in the Bible. After all, the Bible is not flat. Certain passages of Scripture are quite telling and microcosms of the whole story of the Bible. Some examples might include Abraham’s test of faith in Genesis 22, the parable of the prodigal son in […]
