8 Reasons It’s Easier Not to Attend Church Today – Thom Rainer
I’m not certain it’s all bad news. Sure, the majority of congregations are experiencing declines in attendance. And many more churches are growing at a pace that is slower than the growth of the community in which they are located.
To be clear, I am not suggesting that attendance declines are good. Such trends mean fewer people are engaging with believers, and fewer people are being exposed to the gospel.
Is Motherhood the End of Beauty? – Girl Talk
For a bunch of college girls, it was a shocking sight. Our friend, and the mother of twins, showed us her stretch marks and we, rather impolitely, stared back in dismay. Did pregnancy really carve such strange designs into a woman’s body?
“You will all look like this some day,” she warned, laughing at our expressions. “Of course, mine are worse, because I had twins, but if you get pregnant, you will get stretch marks.”
COURT: AMERICAN FLAG IS A RACIST SYMBOL – Politicalears.com
Rows and rows of our war dead are rolling over in their graves at the official proclamation that the flag they died for is a symbol of racism and oppression.
Morgan Hill, California: Members of a local TEA Party gathered to wave American flags in front of Live Oak High School which has become the epicenter in a new American battle; the battle over the American flag.
Federal Gov’t Issues Warning to State That Wants to Opt Out of Common Core – TheBlaze.com
The U. S. Department of Education said in a letter to Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz that the state must prove its own standards are just as challenging, or else risk of losing its waiver from the Bush-era No Child Left Behind law and have its federal funding in jeopardy.
“Because the [Indiana Department of Education] will no longer implement those standards, IDOE must amend its [Elementary and Secondary Education Act] flexibility request and provide evidence that its new standards are certified by a state network of [Institutions of Higher Education] that students who meet the standards will not need remedial coursework at the postsecondary level,” the letter says.
Top 10 things Not to say to Church Newcomers – What You Shouldn’t Say to Your New Church Guests – Sharefaith.com
With the record number of visitors for Easter Sunday, no doubt you are experiencing a big increase of returning guests. In the days ahead, hospitality is key and an overt presentation of the tenets of your church is vitally important. Visitors need to be able to make an educated decision on whether your church is right for them. Messages that focus on key doctrines, intentional announcements on various ministries and upcoming events, and handing out a more specialized bulletin with accommodating information, will all be helpful to that end. But for this segment let’s focus on the unfortunate things that are sometimes communicated, both verbally and nonverbally, that can hurt any effort to welcome returning guests.
jasonlsneed.com 