Tag: community
A Faith-filled Response to COVID-19
Posted on March 19, 2020 in Life, Money by Nathan Cherry
Concerns over the growing economic impact of COVID-19 are legitimate. What was at one time considered a minor concern, predicted to have virtually no effect on the surging American economy, is now being reevaluated to determine just how big of an impact it will have. The assessment is a daunting task that will be nearly impossible to gauge.
How Serving Fried Chicken to People on the Street Illustrates the Gospel
Posted on June 23, 2016 in Sexuality, Theology by Nathan Cherry
Long lines were forming as the families and friends of victims of the shooting sought to help by donating blood. Many people stood in long lines for hours waiting their turn to donate, and that’s when local Chik-fil-A owners saw an opportunity to fulfill their promise to “have a positive influence” on the community.
Todd Starnes, writing for Fox News, shares what happened:
A Church That Wants to Grow Must Do These 2 Things Really Well
Posted on September 15, 2015 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
I was struck by the juxtaposition of two article recently. One discussed the “effective things churches do well,” while the other detailed the “internal barriers to growth in a church.” What makes these two articles so interesting is their relationship to one another.
The things one church does well, resulting in growth, is often the same thing another church does poorly, resulting in declining attendance. For this reason church leaders ought to make it a point to pay attention to their cultural context in order to determine what things need done, what needs changed, and the difference between the two.
Let’s look at several examples:
Am I The Only One Confused By “Atheist Churches”?
Posted on October 9, 2014 in Religious Freedom, Theology by Nathan Cherry
But what I wonder is just how inclusive and accepting the atheist church is. They claim to be a center for inclusivity, but would they accept me, an evangelical Christian? Would they be open to changing the way they conduct their services so as not to offend me? Would they adopt a “doctrinal statement” that acknowledged God to include me?
While many atheists attack Christians for their beliefs, calling them exclusive, bigoted, hateful, discriminatory, etc., the reality is that every group, including atheists has beliefs that are offensive to someone else. The fact that atheists deny the existence of God is offensive to me, should I sue? If they don’t let me join their church should I sue? If they require members to sign their support for their humanist tenets should I sue? Should I seek to have them removed from college campuses, high school events, and other public arenas?
Parkersburg Wrestling Team Will Keep Wearing Bible Themed Shirts
Posted on June 1, 2014 in Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
The kerfuffle that began over a Bible verse printed on the Parkersburg South wrestling team shirts seems to be over, for now. (Click here to read a State Journal article detailing the events and the apparent outcome.)
In case you missed what has transpired over the last couple of weeks, here’s the basic story line.
The Parkersburg South wrestling team has been wearing shirts with the Bible verse Philippians 4:13, ‘I can do all things through Him who gives me strength,’ for years. The shirts are bought by parents and students are not required to wear them. Each student that wears the shirt makes a personal decision to wear it.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, that lovely Wisconsin based legal group that relies on bullying and scare tactics, got a phone call from a single “concerned” person. That was enough to prompt the group to send one of their famous “threatening letters” designed to scare a school into backtracking.
So You Want to Tax Churches? Have You Considered…
Posted on April 22, 2014 in Public Policy, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
See if you can answer this question: why are churches tax exempt?
That is a hot button topic in the news, around lawmakers, and on the blogosphere these days. Many don’t know why churches are tax exempt and others simply don’t think they should be. They say that churches are corporations earning money like everyone else and should pay taxes. But is paying taxes really the primary goal of those advocating for the taxing of churches? First, let’s talk about why churches are tax exempt.
Alliance Defending Freedom senior legal counsel Erik Stanley explains that churches have always been tax-exempt since the IRS tax code was first established. And in every version of the code ever since, churches are tax exempt. But, as Stanley explains, many simply don’t know why.