In his spiritual memoir A Stranger in the House of God, author and Moody Bible Institute professor John Koessler tells the story of his younger brother George. Since childhood, George's life consisted of heartache after heartache: because of a collapsed lung shortly after birth, he struggled with a learning disability that made him the butt of far too many jokes—even from his own family; his ...

In the opening chapters of his autobiographical classic The Seven Storey Mountain, Thomas Merton offers a unique look at the church's place in society. After his mother died, his father, an artist, traveled the world with Thomas often in tow. Religion had a more peripheral presence in young Thomas's life, but at one particular place of residence in France—the small town of St. Antonin—the ...

More than a century ago, churches dotted rural North Dakota, providing hope for Norwegian, German, Icelandic and Ukrainian settlers. Today, churches are looking to people for salvation.

Ten of North Dakota's churches close every year as the communities they once served fade into history. Lacking the resources needed for maintenance, the buildings' futures seem to rest in the ability of historic preservation ...

A recent survey done in England offers insights into the minds of those who do not attend church and ideas for reaching the seemingly unreachable.

Most of those surveyed agreed that the strongest motivating factor for attending a worship service would be the personal invitation of a family member or friend. Other prime motivators: a more general church invitation (like a phone call or a flier), difficult ...

The movie The Second Chance follows the intersection of two very different pastors. Ethan Jenkins (Michael W. Smith) is white, wealthy, and comfortable in his music ministry at a suburban mega-church called The Rock. Jake Sanders is a street-smart African American who ministers to gang members, teen mothers, and drug addicts at his church, The Second Chance.

When they are suddenly thrown together in ...

In December of 2005, Reverend Michael Eden threw out a challenge to the congregation of St. Peter and St. Mary's Church in Stowmarket, England. Repairs were needed for the church's 14th century structure, and Eden directed the congregants to the parable of the talents.

In an innovative twist, he gave each of the 90 parishioners 10 pounds (about $18) and instructed them to "go forth and multiply." Amazingly, ...

Imagine that your organization is an ocean liner, and that you are "the leader." What is your role? I have asked this question of groups of managers many times. The most common answer, not surprisingly, is the captain. Others say, "The navigator, setting the direction." Still others say, "The helmsman, actually controlling the direction," or, "the engineer down there stoking the fire, providing energy," ...

The Patriot reminds us that some things are worth fighting for. In this scene, Gabriel Martin (Heath Ledger) opens the door of the church where a memorial service is in progress.

Gabriel addresses Reverend Oliver, who is standing in the pulpit. "Reverend, with your permission, I'd like to make an announcement."

Oliver replies, "Young man, this is a house of God."

Gabriel responds, "I understand that, ...

My family is close friends with another family who faithfully attends our church. Often we spend Sunday afternoons together relaxing at our house. Recently, when I phoned our friends, their 4-year-old daughter, Alicia, answered and politely asked who was calling. To tease her, I said kiddingly, "Alicia, you come to my house almost every Sunday and you don't know who I am?" In a reverential voice, ...

A careful look at the gospels shows that Jesus seldom accepted the questions posed to him. He exposed them as coming from the house of fear. ... To none of these questions did Jesus give a direct answer. He gently put them aside as questions emerging from false worries. They were raised out of concern for prestige, influence, power, and control. They did not belong to the house of God. Therefore Jesus ...