March 2021. Some Sunday school classes had been canceled altogether during the year-long COVID “emergency.” Wanting to open back up, many considered Easter Sunday to be a good time. But being still fearful, some churches aimed to limit the number of kids per classroom. One such class planned to allow registration for 10 preschool children. A loving, concerned teacher from…
In dialogue with Christian friends about certain teachings/practices, I’ve been thinking in terms of asking “5 questions down.” That is, keep peeling back layers of the same specific topic rather than flitting on to something else. And the idea is to ask the 5 questions instead of trying to answer/argue back. Here are some samples: He: I’ve started standing inside…
Christian friends are asking each other’s opinion about various spiritual practices/teachings that originated in Eastern religions and the occult—things like mantra meditation, sacred objects, smudging, chakras, reiki … As mentioned in Part 1, we can’t assume that even a Christian friend believes the Bible is the final word on things. But if that’s established, then still, before going into the…
J. Warner Wallace has a series called “Quick Shots.” (Search for that among the many good helps on his site.) The feature is designed mainly to tutor Christians in answering questions that skeptics typically ask. As he explains—and this is my position too—when you care and want people to know the truth, the goal is to keep the conversation going.…
J. Warner Wallace has a huge compilation of research related to why young people are leaving the church. He lists a bunch of books/surveys, then summarizes what those found. Here I’ve pulled a few clues that seem most helpful for parents. If you go to the link and search within for the bits I have in quotes here, you’ll land…