Why I’m Not Giving Up on the Church
Six years ago, I wrote this article for Relevant, and in light of my recent message from Ephesians 4 and my posts earlier this week, I think it is still as relevant as ever. It begins this way, but you can read the entire article here. In 2011 the largest denomination in the United States, the …
Facing Failings in the Character of the Church
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:2-3) If, as Paul writes in Ephesians 2, Christ is our peace, who has reconciled us to the Father, then the calling upon us as God's people is to …
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Moving Beyond Church Idealism: Bonhoeffer on the Gift of Disillusionment with the Church
In my sermon this past weekend, "A Crash Course in Church Growth," I paraphrased some thoughts from Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Life Together about how disillusionment in the church is a gift from God. I mentioned the need to give thanks for the gift of disillusionment with the church that God gives to us. Here are …
A Crash Course in Church Growth (Ephesians 4:1-16)
This past weekend at Eastbrook Church, I continued our series "Ephesians: A Crash Course in Basic Christianity," by looking at Ephesians 4:1-16 with the message: "A Crash Course in Church Growth." The message aims to recalibrate our understanding of what church growth is all about by focusing on the direction of growth outlined by the …
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Matthew Erickson 