Okay thought leaders: it’s time to stop bagging out the “average church member”

Steve McAlpine looks at the growing gap between the experience of those in Christian ministry and those average believers in the secular workplace. He puts his finger on one particular issue that stems from that, some of the ways it works out in the church and what we might do about it.

Evangelicals need a constructive vision

I think there are times when negative things need pointing out. But there is almost certainly a time when a positive vision needs constructing. I don’t agree with everything in this one, but I think it recognises (rightly) that we have spent so long building negative visions that some of us have forgotten how to frame a positive one.

What is patristics?

If you’ve not heard of patristics, or patrology, or the church fathers, this one introduces you to them, who they were and how they relate to the scriptures.

What are demons, and how should Christians think about them?

Some Christians worry about this issue far too much and make far more of it than they should. Others don’t think about it at all and ignore it altogether at their peril. This is a helpful one looking at what demons are and how we should think about them biblically.

To senior pastors: what I want you to know about my generation

This one takes the form of a letter to a pastor to help them understand Gen Z a little better: ‘I would like to suggest a crucial role that the church can play in helping Gen Z… This relational problem requires a relational solution. Contrary to popular belief, my generation is actually incredibly eager to glean wisdom from those who have lived a little (to many more) years than us. It’s just that at times, we are just a little shy to make the first move.’

Christ and his kingdom, not politics, should be the central fixture of our focus

I co-sign this one from Randy Alcorn.

From the archive: How do you figure out who to work with?

‘Most of us – even dyed-in-the-wool independents like us – want to have a level of inter-connectedness with other churches. Whilst there are certainly some isolationist churches out there, who cannot countenance working with anybody beyond their own four walls, I suspect that isn’t most of us. At the same time, whilst there are others who seem happy to work with absolutely anybody at all – Christian or otherwise – I suspect that isn’t the position of most churches either. The vast majority of us have a line somewhere. The obvious question is this: how do you figure out who you will work with?’