Faithlife Blog

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Here’s How to Keep Church Visitors Coming Back

All too often, the job of making visitors feel welcome in your church is relegated to a couple of faithful volunteers who stand by the entry each Sunday morning, extending the right hand of fellowship with a friendly smile.

You know who I’m talking about. Aren’t you glad those brave souls take care of greeting visitors, so you don’t have to?

Actually, no, this is a team sport. While we can’t change people’s hearts or control how they respond to an encounter with Jesus, we can take very real steps to encourage whoever God sends our way.

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4 Quick Ways to Rock Your Church Media—Without Crushing the Budget

Finding fresh graphics for church slide shows, websites, or bulletins doesn’t have to be a weekly headache, time pit, or drain on your church resources. On the road to protecting your budget from unwanted bumps and bruises, cheap is good, and free is better, right?

Maybe. Common wisdom says it’s good to be aware of the agenda behind the offer. (Yes, there usually is one.) Some free alternatives may not provide everything you need.

But don’t give up just yet. Whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned graphic artist, here are four safe ways to score high-quality (and non-cheesy!) graphic resources. Each one will breathe new life into your weekly presentations, from pre-service announcements to song lyrics slides. What’s more, they’ll provide cost-effective solutions today—and into the future.

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When God Meets Ebola: Facing Darkness on Faithlife TV

We thought it could never happen to one of us. Until it did—and medical missionary Dr. Kent Brantly became the first American diagnosed with the deadly ebola virus in July, 2014.

But we still haven’t heard the whole story—until now, in the new documentary on Faithlife TV from Samaritan’s Purse, Facing Darkness.

Despite every precaution, Dr. Brantly contracted the disease while treating patients in the midst of Liberia’s horrendous epidemic. Co-worker Nancy Writebol also became ill around the same time. And though the outbreak would ultimately claim more than 11,000 African victims, the fate of the Americans would dominate headlines worldwide.

Beyond headlines, Facing Darkness reveals how God intervened in ways medical professionals have yet to explain, and brings us face-to-face with Christians who disregarded their own safety to help save thousands of lives. As Dr. Brantly explains in the film, “Medicine is a way to love your neighbor as yourself.”

Yet if Facing Darkness helps explain the “why?” behind one doctor’s selfless attitude, it also poses an unsettling question for the audience: Are Christians always sheltered from the storm, or sometimes called to serve directly in it?

This critically acclaimed documentary received top honors at the Heartland Film Festival and standing ovations at special viewing events.

Now it’s available through Faithlife TV across North America for pre-orders until the July 11 release date, and after that for instant streaming on your Roku, Apple TV, or other device. Learn more.

Note: Although the redemptive storyline will inspire the entire family, some scenes may be too intense for younger (under 10) viewers. This is, after all, a story of Christians who ran toward the plague, not away from it.

Release date: July 11, 2017   (U.S. and Canada only)

Pre-order today!

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Truth is Strange: Do UFO Stories and the Unseen Realm Overlap?

“If we’re really honest,” says Dr. Michael Heiser, “the world is a lot stranger than we think.”

In Aliens & Demons, this respected Bible scholar adroitly navigates the fringe world of tabloid tales and government conspiracy theories. Along the way he uncovers a weird intersection between UFOs and the realm of angels and demons.

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