Another curious Globe & Mail piece, this time on whether anybody actually goes to church anymore?
The answer is yes and no. Yes, people still do, but no, those people are not increasing. Although the 'mega' churches of our time boast increased attendance, the reality is they grow by adding members from other sinking ships.
It would appear that in 2012 and beyond it's the survival of the fittest and biggest.
The web party started when the late Michael Spencer suggested in 2009 what many were already noticing: the looming collapse of evangelicalism in America had arrived. [I blogged about the same issue from a Canadian perspective here.] His blog post turned into a Newsweek article that catalyzed feverish dialogue. "It can't be true," oblivious parishioners lamented as if they hadn't seen it coming (they hadn't).
Fast forward two years and the Globe & Mail published a peculiar article about Calgary's First Alliance Church (FAC), a huge evangelical church located in the heart of an industrial park in the South East. The gist of the article from what I gathered was the success of this particular brand of church in an age where attendance is dwindling to a trickle.
Not so for FAC who have boasted a reported 75% increase since the recession. Things couldn't be better. But is the reported success really indicative of ongoing trends in Calgary and beyond? Does First Alliance have the secret recipe to church success in the 21st century? Continue reading
Short term missions in its current form is developing a shallow generation of youth (and adults alike) on how to do aid very badly while simultaneously diminishing the participatory role of the church in God's mission of redemption.
You know the ones I'm talking about. The 'missions' trips that fly over to far-off lands with a purpose to do something aid related (occasionally it's just to win souls which is a terrible reason to embark on such a trip). Usually the purpose is to build some houses (that the locals could build), fix some buildings (that locals could fix), or maybe build some wells (see buildings). None of these items are in themselves bad ideas, they are simply delivered as part of a bad aid package and reinforces a deeply consumeristic form of Western Christianity.
What can you do to stem the tide of useless missions trips? Here's the start of a list of questions to ask prior to planning a short term missions trip. (Maybe someone wants to make an infographic of this? :P) Continue reading
We can learn something from the Occupy Wall Street movement taking place in North America. Wherever you sit on the spectrum (and in the very least I can safely say if you're a Christian your response should never be, "go get a job") there's a lesson in leadership to be made.
I was walking to a Flames game and had to snap a picture of this sign at a hidden church in downtown Calgary.
All I can say is FAIL. Here's why.