How Dan Southerland’s seeker-strategy shapeshifted the Church

If you are wondering how many of today’s “seeker friendly/seeker-sensitive” mega-growth churches came about, this article will help you see how one man was able to influence tens of thousands of churches to adopt a new paradigm shift. Perhaps you will recognize some of his methods in your own church.

Calvary Chapel’s Brian Brodersen instructs pastors to “Tone it down” for youth

The Calvary Chapel Association has promised all 1,600 of its churches around the world an international meeting next year to address concerns about its future direction. That’s in direct response to a growing chorus of concerns from pastors around the drastic departure from Scripture and from Calvary’s doctrinal distinctives spearheaded Continue Reading

Emergent Catalyst Conference spreads a wider web

The eight-year-strong Catalyst franchise conference aimed at millennials has long pushed a leftist social justice message rather than the Gospel of the Cross. But as we see more and more leadership conferences pushing the message of UNITY, I’ve been noticing of late the premiere Catalyst Conference is spreading a wider Continue Reading

Wisconsin Church Event: “Raising a Jedi: Spiritual Formation and the Force”

The church advertisement quotes John 1:5, with the tagline, “Faith & The Force: A Light Shines in the Darkness.” That verse is supposed to be about Jesus. But here we see a church using it to describe a mystical power from the Star Wars blockbuster franchise. But is this “Force” Continue Reading

Phyllis Tickle, who championed a church paradigm shift, is dead

It was lung cancer.  Sadly, the emergent-New Ager clung to her teachings that Christendom must evolve. She frequently appeared with Brian McLaren, Tony Jones, Doug Pagitt and those of other faiths to ring in a new era in the modern Church. Tickle believed that throughout history, the Christian Church evolves Continue Reading

“I’m a Christ Follower, Not A Christian” gong still rings

The old “I’m a Christ Follower, Not A Christian” gong seems to be ringing once again. Thanks to the Spiritual Formation movement, Christian or Christ-follower is a distinction that is being made more and more today, and it claims to make a clear divide between those who truly follow Jesus Continue Reading

Emergent Catalyst conference says it’s time to “awaken your wonder”

Catalyst, the premiere mega-conference for Emergent Church Leaders, is sending a curious message to potential attendees of its next Atlanta conference Oct. 7-9: We are hardwired for wonder. Just as the wonder of the world points to God, a sight unseen, so too should our acts of creation bridge the Continue Reading