One Body, Many Parts: What Is a Church?
Somehow God builds a church out of people who’d never choose each other on their own. Corinth was proof of that — sailors and scholars, the devout and the jaded, all learning to live as one body. Paul’s image still holds. A church is less a polished institution than a family gathered around a table, each person wanted, each part needed, every difference woven into something unexpectedly whole.
Church: The Case for & Against Community
We crave freedom from others — until isolation exposes our need for them. The myth of independence tells us we’ll find truth alone, but our souls were made for relationship.
Some Churches Are Driven By Fear, Others By Love
Some churches teach us to fear — fear the world, fear sin, fear those who are different. But Jesus taught something else entirely. “They will know you by your love.” Real faith means loving our neighbors, not condemning them. Fear breeds fury. Love brings healing. As David French writes, we need churches that act as a balm, not a blowtorch.
Bible Study And Church Attendance May Stem Loneliness
A new study highlights the power of Scripture and church attendance in combating loneliness, an epidemic likened to smoking 15 cigarettes a day in its toll on health. Those engaged with the Bible or attending church weekly report dramatically lower loneliness rates. With forgiveness and meaningful connections at its core, faith offers a tangible antidote to isolation, inviting a deeper sense of belonging and community in a disconnected world.
In Quitting Church, We Give Up More Than We Think
It is difficult — really, next to impossible — to practice Christianity effectively without becoming (and staying) an active member of a local church congregation. Private spirituality is vital, of course, and underpins the communal life of any religious group. Hats off to the desert fathers, those legendary hermits of yore. Still, faith is mainly a team sport.
What The Church Should Do About Singleness
Christians are divided on how to think about rise of singleness. One camp sees it as a problem that needs to be solved by helping people get married. The other sees the problem as society’s privileging of marriage — and believes that it’s the church that needs to adapt to reflect shifting demographics.