Right now online it is very easy to be gaslit into responding aggressively to opinions that we disagree with, but it will ultimately harm our sense of well-being. We don’t need to engage in every online debate, writes Katherine Brown. We don't need to take the bait to belittle another perspective while defending our own, but we are called to share good news.
The Church at the Crossroads conference was held between September 11-13 in Glen Ellyn, near Chicago. It was a gathering of Christians who recognize that the global Church stands at a defining moment, one where Jesus is calling his followers back to the narrow way of the cross. The situation in Palestine was the primary subject of the gathering this time. This opinion is from one of the perspectives presented at that event.
As the younger generation challenges the status quo in Nepal, local churches find their voice, offering hope, and stability in uncertain times. A young Nepali believer, Surendra Bajracharya, writes that this is an opportunity for the church, especially its younger members, to respond to God’s calling and reach out to their peers beyond the church walls—young people burdened with broken dreams in a trembling nation.
The proverb, “Sticks and stones will break your bones, but words will never harm you” has been proven wrong too many times as words have traumatized people, whether or not the speaker/writer intended to. The internet has lifted restraint on our communications and words are being easily weaponized. Here are seven disciplines to help followers of Jesus to use their words with Kingdom-minded intention.
Conservatives and liberals in the United States (and increasingly elsewhere in the world) are accusing each other of creating an environment that contributes to political violence. We need to be very careful about making cause-effect connections. However, if we legitimize violence as a way to solve problems, we should not be surprised if others turn to violence also. If we sow the wind, we should not be surprised about reaping the whirlwind.
Evangelism can become little more than a sales formula, with such evangelists nicknamed "The Jesus Guys" in Asia. This style can inoculate people against Jesus. Mr Huang testifies that a more effective method is to build long-term relationships while sharing biblical values, principles, and truths in a natural setting such as while conducting business.
As challenges increase in the world, knowing that facing struggle does not mean that life is out of control or terrible can provide great hope. It is hopeful to remember that a cold dark night on the side of Everest isn't a destination, it is a means to an end. Similarly, the stuff that life throws at us is a pathway to growth in Christ for the follower of Jesus.
Should churches and missionary ministries focus on sending more expatriates to lead business development initiatives in other countries, or is the greater impact found in equipping and supporting local nationals to build ministry oriented and supporting businesses in their own regions? Read on for key principles that support an answer.
In response to increasing antagonism towards migrants and refugees in some Western nations, followers of Jesus should take a long hard look at biblical precedents that promote hospitality and especially New Testament examples. The Church should have a bigger imagination than that promoted by anti-migrant protesters.
With increasing volatility in some parts of the world, displaced people are risking much to find safe haven in other nations. This is putting stress on host nation social services and straining social contracts. Migration as a divisive issue is becoming more intense. How should Christians in host nations navigate this?
Traditional churches in China tend to serve a context where poverty and need are typical and the desire for communal support and directive leadership is welcome. China's large upwardly mobile and independent population doesn't need what these traditional churches are offering. A different gospel approach and new forms of church must emerge to meet different needs in rapidly changing urban contexts.
Compassion is unquestionably a Christian virtue. But sometimes, good words like compassion get hijacked by not-so-good ideas—euthanasia is a case in point. "Medical assistance in dying" is becoming increasingly accepted in the Western world under the guise of compassion (and other euphemisms) informed by radical ideologies of individual autonomy. Followers of Jesus have a very different perspective.
