Friday, I said that planting new churches was one of the healthiest things an established church can do. That sounds counterintuitive, and over the years I've had pushback when I have made that statement. But it's TRUE; there are few things that you can do for YOUR church that will benefit YOUR CHURCH more than … Continue reading The Benefits of Planting Churches
Author: plstepp
Closing Out 2025 in Gulf Shores
New Churches for Croatia
You know the story of the lost sheep in Luke 15? How the shepherd leaves the 99 behind to find & save the 1? What if the numbers were reversed? What if only 1 sheep was safe and 99 sheep were lost? (Nightmares of youth ministry activities gone awry!) 1 safe, 99 lost. Hold that … Continue reading New Churches for Croatia
“Telling my truth”
Does the phrase "telling MY truth" bother you as much as it bothers me? It bugs me, because it implies that the existence of truth is up for debate. It equates truth with opinion, and they are not the same thing. It's lazy. "You have your truth and I have my truth" can be (and … Continue reading “Telling my truth”
Ten Rules of Detective Fiction
Mystery/crime fiction tends to be quite formulaic, and—no surprise—several critics & practitioners have attempted to codify that formula. Here is priest/theologian/author Ronald Knox’s set of rules, one of several such lists. His “commandments” are mostly ignored today, but still provide a starting point for understanding crime fiction. Ronald Knox: 10 Commandments of Detective Fiction Ronald … Continue reading Ten Rules of Detective Fiction
Meditating on Genesis 4.7
The NET Bible gives a conventional translation of God’s warning to Cain in Genesis 4.7 (BEFORE he murders his brother): "If you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. It desires to dominate you, but you must subdue it.” But the Hebrew is elliptic and ambiguous. The NET apparatus notes … Continue reading Meditating on Genesis 4.7
“The Bogus Historians Who Teach Evangelicals They Live in a Theocracy”
“You should never believe a thing simply because you want it to be true.” (T Lannister) From Politico, from the great Tim Alberta: I had never seen a sanctuary so full on a Tuesday night. The people packed into FloodGate Church in Brighton, Mich., weren’t here for Bill Bolin, the right-wing zealot pastor who’d grown … Continue reading “The Bogus Historians Who Teach Evangelicals They Live in a Theocracy”
The Most Successful Disciplemaker of the Past 100 Years …
... for good or for ill, or a bit of both. Not all disciples are disciples of Jesus, of course.
Turning Sixty (Someday) (Soon)
Have you ever heard a sermon that made you angry? I was visiting a church a few years ago. The pastor was in his early thirties, very gifted, handsome and with a winning personality. The worship was excellent, the people friendly, the coffee strong and hot; everything you need for a good worship service, right? … Continue reading Turning Sixty (Someday) (Soon)
Circleslide 