Faithlife Blog

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5 Reasons Online Church Is More Biblical Than It Sounds

By Douglas Estes

The first known online church was founded 35 years ago, in a time before live streaming and Instagram. In a sense, though, online church is really not new. 

From the persecution of the early Church to the outbreak of the Black Death to the battlefields of World War I to the modern political climate in Iran, the dispersed people of God have faced countless situations requiring them to meet at a distance, by extension, or online. These situations are not our typical experience in the West, where we often perceive the Church as an institution rather than a gathering.  (more…)

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This Free Report Reveals What’s Really Happening in Churches Right Now

Image courtesy of Faithlife Media.

 

Faith Communities Today’s most recent report on American congregations revealed something significant—a common denominator in thriving churches. The major trend? Churches that successfully manage change and have a stronger emphasis on innovation will grow.  [Read more…]

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Some Churches Are Growing during COVID-19. Will Yours? Free Guide

Lives are shattered right now, inside and outside the Church. Fighting the pandemic has led to an economic downfall, heightened mental health challenges, and other fallout. Even healthy people with job security and no children to suddenly homeschool are burdened by uncertainty and loneliness. 

As a church leader, what can you do? [Read more…]

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Your Social Life Might Be Dead—but Your Spiritual Life Doesn’t Have to Be

We’re all now almost pros at social distancing, and it’s beginning to feel like groundhog day every day. But the plus side of this seismic shift in daily routines is the opportunity to spend more time reflecting on God, his Word, and life. 

Here are five ideas to help you revive your spiritual life and refocus your attention on what matters most. [Read more…]

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15 Encouraging Bible Verses for People Working during the Coronavirus

The coronavirus has spread throughout the globe and impacted not only the health of millions of people but also daily routines and everyday tasks. But thanks to the unsung heroes who have put themselves in the path of the virus to keep our world operating as normal as possible (in far-from-normal times), we can still get groceries, receive mail, and be treated at the hospital. [Read more…]

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7 Ways Your Church Can Help People with Coronavirus

Because of coronavirus, many churches have fast figured out how to live stream their church services and create online small groups to disciple members. But now they are facing a new challenge: How do you love people well who have COVID-19 when you can’t visit them in the hospital or in their home? [Read more…]

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Israel’s in Lockdown This Passover. Was the Last Time This Happened Exodus 12?

Sundown tonight marks the beginning of Passover, a weeklong feast instituted by God in Leviticus 23:4–8. For thousands of years, Jewish families around the world have gathered on this night to recount God’s command to mark their homes with the blood an unblemished lamb, and how those who obeyed were spared from the final plague: death of the firstborn. They remember how God then miraculously brought them out of slavery in Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm (Deut 5:6, 15).  [Read more…]

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Easter Online: Is Your Church Ready?

Image courtesy of Faithlife Media

Now that the president has extended social distancing guidelines through the end of April, churches are preparing for the reality that Holy Week and Easter services will need to take place online only. For those who were still hopeful of an in-person gathering, it’s time to quickly pivot and think through how to invite, welcome, and follow up with visitors digitally while preparing for one of the historically biggest attendance days of the year. [Read more…]

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3 Reasons to Live Stream Your Church Service—and How to Do It with Faithlife

When the coronavirus prevented in-person church gatherings, many churches started thinking about how they should share their services online. The question pastors and church leaders asked: is it better to live stream or to prerecord your sermon? [Read more…]