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How Biblical Fellowship Can Restore the Church- Part 4

Brian Franks2022-09-01T09:55:51-06:00

By Israel Steinmetz The modern Church is in crisis. We do not lack the power, presence or purpose of God. However, we do lack the unified fellowship to fully utilize His power, experience His presence, and accomplish His purpose. The unity of thought, spirit, practice and faith that was so evident in the New Testament Church is severely lacking in the modern Church and the effects are devastating. In part one we established that the crisis of the modern Church relates to our understanding and application of New Testament fellowship. Part two examined the particulars of New Testament fellowship as it was practiced by the [...]

How Biblical Fellowship Can Restore the Church- Part 4Brian Franks2022-09-01T09:55:51-06:00

How Biblical Fellowship Can Restore the Church- Part 2

Brian Franks2022-09-01T09:55:24-06:00

By Israel Steinmetz The modern Church is in crisis. We do not lack the power, presence or purpose of God. However, we do lack the unified fellowship to fully utilize His power, experience His presence, and accomplish His purpose. The unity of thought, spirit, practice and faith that was so evident in the New Testament Church is severely lacking in the modern Church and the effects are devastating. In part one we established that the crisis of the modern Church relates to our understanding of, and most notably our application of, the doctrine of New Testament fellowship. We will now examine the particulars [...]

How Biblical Fellowship Can Restore the Church- Part 2Brian Franks2022-09-01T09:55:24-06:00

How Biblical Fellowship can Restore the Church- Part 1

Brian Franks2022-09-01T09:55:10-06:00

By Israel Steinmetz The modern Church is in crisis. We do not lack the power, presence or purpose of God. However, we do lack the unified fellowship to fully utilize His power, experience His presence, and accomplish His purpose. The unity of thought, spirit, practice and faith that was so evident in the New Testament Church is severely lacking in the modern Church and the effects are devastating. In the modern Church there is a crisis regarding our understanding of, and most notably our application of, the doctrine of New Testament fellowship. THE CHURCH IN CRISIS This crisis of fellowship is [...]

How Biblical Fellowship can Restore the Church- Part 1Brian Franks2022-09-01T09:55:10-06:00

How Can Our Church Serve Our Community at this Time?

Brian Franks2022-08-03T15:54:51-06:00

By Janna Wiley EIGHTY-SEVEN. OCHENTA Y SIETE. OCTOGINTA SEPTEM. KANAWALUKUMAMĀHIKU. That number is meaningful in my Family. That number keeps growing. It represents the number of days my family has been sheltering in place, selectively going outside, and starting the social distancing of what is the “new normal” in our country. But, there is another number that I want to talk about today. How can our church serve our community at this time? TWENTY-SEVEN No, it’s not my age, it’s not a birthday, nor a code. This number is the total number, so far, that my local church has delivered care [...]

How Can Our Church Serve Our Community at this Time?Brian Franks2022-08-03T15:54:51-06:00

5 Things Churches Need to Know About Mental Health

Brian Franks2022-07-20T09:52:20-06:00

By Israel Steinmetz One area in which churches could be more informed and proactive is relating to individuals who have mental health concerns. Oftentimes, people who feel isolated and hopeless because of mental health issues don’t find the support and care they need from the church. It doesn’t have to be this way. Churches—particularly small churches—can serve as healing communities for people with mental health concerns. In order to do this, some basics need to be understood. Let’s look at five things small churches need to know about mental health in order to be a healing community: Mental health problems are [...]

5 Things Churches Need to Know About Mental HealthBrian Franks2022-07-20T09:52:20-06:00

Respecting Friends with Mental Health Concerns: Insights for the Church

Brian Franks2022-07-20T09:50:31-06:00

By Lark Braten Having a mental illness makes it challenging for one to maintain the respect of others. It might draw sympathy, curiosity, suspicion, or disdain; but, rarely does it cause anything but a downward trend in respect. This happens for a variety of reasons but regardless of the cause, it comes at a point in a person’s life when they’re greatly in need of social support and confirmation of their value to help them heal. Learning how to respect those dealing with mental health issues through word, action, and attitude is a skill we as Christians would do well to develop. The following are [...]

Respecting Friends with Mental Health Concerns: Insights for the ChurchBrian Franks2022-07-20T09:50:31-06:00

How My Struggle with Anxiety Proves My Victory

Brian Franks2022-07-20T09:49:00-06:00

By Caitlin Meadows “When a person struggles with anxiety, that person is not living in the victory of Christ.” That’s what I was told by someone with spiritual clout. During our first conversation, he picked up on the fact that I deal with anxiety. In an attempt to encourage me with the reminder of the victory I have in Christ, I ended up leaving feeling condemned. “If I’m struggling with anxiety and thus, not living in Christ’s victory,” I surmised, “then I must not have Christ.” With that thought, my anxiety quickly flared with hopelessness. For the Christian who deals with mental illnesses [...]

How My Struggle with Anxiety Proves My VictoryBrian Franks2022-07-20T09:49:00-06:00

ACT: Guidance for Relating to Friends with Mental Health Concerns

Brian Franks2022-07-20T09:47:09-06:00

By Israel Steinmetz “Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness of empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” 1 This passage forms the basis for the acronym ACT which summarizes basic guidelines for [...]

ACT: Guidance for Relating to Friends with Mental Health ConcernsBrian Franks2022-07-20T09:47:09-06:00

Scripture Alone…But Not Alone with Scripture

Brian Franks2022-07-11T10:25:33-06:00

By Amber Riggs Alone with the unknown creature, the blind man caressed its skin, memorizing each wrinkle and marveling at the gentle strength of the tall, snakelike animal. “Come! Come see this animal! I’ve never met anything like it!” he called to his friend as he backed away to give the friend a turn. The friend, also blind, approached the creature from a different angle. Instead of silently marveling at a tall snakelike creature, his hands examined what felt like a living tree trunk. Still, he was amazed and passed on the exciting invitation to a third blind friend and backed [...]

Scripture Alone…But Not Alone with ScriptureBrian Franks2022-07-11T10:25:33-06:00

Why Get Off the Couch and Go To Church?

Brian Franks2022-07-11T09:16:51-06:00

By Loren Gjesdal As a pastor who found it necessary to call a congregation back to church in person after doing church online, I realized that it wasn’t enough to simply say “We’re open, you can come back now.” I realized it was going to be essential to answer the question, “Why?” “Why should I get off my comfortable couch, dress up, drive over, and do the same thing in a pew instead?” The Biblical answer is simple and clear: because you’re needed here! God’s plan is for every member to be a minister. The Reformers called God’s plan the “Priesthood of All [...]

Why Get Off the Couch and Go To Church?Brian Franks2022-07-11T09:16:51-06:00

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