Bethel Temple Church

Why we will no longer be a welcoming church

We’ve decided to quit being a welcoming church. No kidding. We’re giving it up. Like so many congregations, we’ve sunk an amazing amount of time and energy into becoming a welcoming church. We changed worship styles, trained greeters and ushers, wore name tags, brewed coffee, went to workshops on hospitality and put our friendliest people …

Why Homosexuality Is Not Like Other Sins

Homosexuality is not the only sin prohibited in the Bible, but it is different from all the rest, at least right now. And we have really good news for homosexuals.

Seven Reasons Why We Should Not Accept Millions of Years

There is an intensifying controversy in the church all over the world regarding the age of the earth.

Why Are So Many Single Women are Leaving the Church?

A few years ago, I attended the Women of the World festival in London. Arriving late, I hurried up to a panel called ‘Faith and Feminism,” which featured a panel…

What Is a Healthy Way to Leave a Church?

Leaving the church is painful for Christians and pastors, and we've seen a lot of it over the last couple of years through COVID, election crises, and racial crises.

4 Ways to Balance Leading the Church and Loving the Community

How do we both lead our church and love our community well? And how does this calling inform a church leader's priorities and daily schedule?

10 Things I Have Learned Leading Church Change

I left the church planting world to help revitalize and grow an established church. It’s proven to be challenging – maybe slightly more than I thought it would be<br>But, God has allowed us to experience incredible energy and excitement. I am not big on sharing numbers in this format, but let me simply say – God is working. Amazingly working. The potential in the days ahead is astounding to me.<br>Needless to say, there has been a lot of change since I…

85-Year-Old Woman Refuses To Remove Painting Of Virgin Mary From Home

“You’re not going to tell this old lady what to do. This is America. As long as I have two arms and two legs, I’m going to do it.”

Is your parish creating new Catholics?

How parishes can better welcome the littlest Catholics

Parishes sometimes struggle at welcoming small children and their parents.

The Catholic church becomes an impact investor

Study shows why young Catholics leave the church

There are the growing numbers of young Catholics leaving the church — the focus of a new national study to examine why they're departing and where they're landing.

What is the Catholic Church?

Roman Catholicism claims to be the one true Christian church founded by Jesus. But is it? Does it teach true Christianity?

How Much Can Catholics Disagree with the Church?

The "line" is where the Church has established a dogma or solidly established doctrine. Most theological issues have been settled, &amp; Catholics are not free to disagree.

Men are struggling with their spirituality. Can the Catholic Church help?

The last year has witnessed the rise of an extraordinary international conversation around gender and power. In this watershed moment, where is the church? And how can it help?

Did You Know? The Catholic Church Invented Hospitals

From its earliest beginnings, the Catholic Church has always been the cornerstone to the development of the modern pillars of society we all have come to know and are familiar with. But can you believe that the Catholic Church also invented hospitals?

Should your parish have a mission statement?

Can a mission statement make a difference for your parish? Take our survey.

Where Are You Going Catholic Church?

I encourage you to listen to my church history podcast Triumphs and Tragedies. I'm not a historian by any stretch, and I'm afraid the podcast is more than rough around the edges. It was simply my attempt to give a quick roller coaster ride through twenty centuries of church history so that we can make better sense

Opinion: Is there room for the Virgin Mary in a 21st century Christmas?

There’s something very troubling about a culture that affirms, celebrates and perpetuates the idea that virginity is a girl’s most valuable attribute and a measure of her moral character