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Our Top Posts of 2015

Our Top Posts of 2015

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Our top posts from Seedbed.com

10. 12 Trinitarian Worship Songs Worth Singing by Drew Causey

Some charge the contemporary worship movement as not being trinitarian enough in its content. In today’s post, Drew Causey draws up 12 worship songs that are exemplary trinitarian and that should be on the regular rotation of every worship leader. Add your favorites to the list!

9. One Sin the Church Can’t Afford to Ignore by Bill Guerrant

John Wesley did not consider eating to be a morally neutral act. In fact, wellness and diet were central to Wesley’s message in ways that might seem strange to most American churchgoers today. Read more on the blog from Bill Guerrant, a farmer and leader in the food movement.

8. Sharing Muslim Stories by Omar Rikabi

Last week, Franklin Graham called for a stop to all immigration of Muslims because, “Every Muslim that comes into this country has the potential to be radicalized.” Read this article from Omar Rikabi, a Christian with Muslim family members as he responds to this concerning perspective.

7. 5 Lessons from a Methodist Church that has seen 14,000 Professions of Faith by Paul Lawler

Learn about the heart of a pastor who’s been part of a United Methodist Church that has participated in planting over 140 new churches and seeing more than 14,000 first time professions of faith in the last 7 years. Paul Lawler shares 5 lessons he’s learned along the way today.

6. 12 Things I Learned After 12 Years of Marriage (Which Ended in Divorce) by David Baldwin

A recent article titled, “12 Things I learned in My First 12 Months of Marriage” got David Baldwin thinking about what things someone might learn after 12 years of marriage. With his own marriage ending just shy of their 12th anniversary, he reflected and here shares helpful advice for young couples looking to build a strong foundation for their marriage.

5. 50 Shades of Hell: A Personal Letter for the Human Race by Jeremy Spainhour

Is 50 Shades of Grey worth reading or seeing for the purpose of engaging friends and culture? In this article, Jeremy Spainhour offers a resounding No! both for men and women. He warns us not to let this movie whet your appetite.

4. Is the NIV Bible Translation Missing Verses and Selling Out to Secular Publishing? by Timothy Jenny

Is the NIV Bible translation selling out to secular publishing? You may have read headlines on social media recently claiming that Zondervan is being sued, or that important verses are missing from the NIV Bible. In today’s article, Timothy Jenney separates fact from fiction on these related issues.

3. The United Methodist Church Should Give Up Its Game of Musical Chairs by John A. Murdock

The United Methodist Church employs an itinerant system for its clergy, moving them every few years to a new congregation. John Murdock posits that the UM appointment system is one of the cuts slowly bleeding to death a once vigorous spiritual and cultural bulwark.

2. The Lure of Nondiscipleship Christianity and What We Can Do About It by Denny Heiberg

Is there such a thing as a Christian who isn’t a disciple? Why is Christianity without disciples so enticing? In today’s article, Denny Heiberg shares his heart for discipleship from his many years as a pastor and missionary, and offers reflective questions for how we might move past nondiscipleship faith.

1. Top 10 Reasons to Get Rid of Communion Sunday by Jason Nelson

What is the term, Communion Sunday, all about? Why do we use it? Jason Nelson gives 10 great reasons why we should ditch it altogether, as well as a prescription for encountering a unique kind of grace each week.

Our top posts across our collectives

This has been an incredible year for our collectives as we launched three new collectives.  From preaching to soul care to youth ministry, our writers have offered some of the best insights from all kinds of Wesleyan contexts. However, with all the content we produce, we know you might have missed some of the best stuff. Here’s a sampling of some of the top articles in each of our collectives:

Preaching Collective

Preaching Without Notes: A New Habit to Transform Your Sermons

Jonathan Anderson took the plunge several years ago and gives simple, practical tips on stepping away from notes and into a deeper connection with the congregation.  Jonathan reminds us that a successful sermon isn’t one that pronounces every precise word we intended; rather, its when the Word of God is faithfully proclaimed so that the listeners become more like Jesus.

5 Reasons TED Talks Go Viral and Your Sermons Don’t

Who hasn’t been sucked in by one of the compelling talks offered up by the folks at TED?  Tom Fuerst offers insights from a study of the most viral TED talks to help preachers communicate the message of scripture is a way that intrigues people and invites them into the story God is telling.

Soul Care Collective

Bad Things to Say to a Domestic Violence Survivor

When we discover that someone is a domestic violence survivor we want to do or say something that will help, but far too often our words do more harm than good.  This guide helps reveal and explain the pain caused by some common things well-intentioned people say to survivors of domestic violence.

6 Healthy Boundaries for Parents and Kids

Enforcing rules is a simple act that shows Children their parents love and care for them.  Kathy Milans reminds us that everyone needs boundaries, especially kids.  She offers six big ones to get every parent thinking through how their rules are helping their children grow.

Worship Design Collective

Eat & Get Out: 7 Social Rules of Engagement for Worship Leaders

There are unwritten rules that are important to follow so that congregation members connect with those leading worship.  Kory Pence offers a view “from the crowd” on the common sense rules that those up front frequently forget.

Five Words for Our Beloved Sound Guys

There is quite possibly no one more powerful in any given worship service than the sound person. They have the ability to make a good song sound horrible (or painful) and a clear message hard to follow.  In this article, Adam Kurihara gets very practical unearthing some important insights for those sitting in this powerful position.

Youth Ministry Collective

7 Great Fall Kickoff Ideas (now with super heroes!)

Launching into the new school year (or the new year) is an important opportunity to capture the attention of students and build momentum for the rest of the weekly programs.  From “Cosmicon” to “The Minimalist,” Eddie Erwin offers 7 ideas for all shapes and sizes of youth ministries to do launch into a new season well.

Welcome To Youth Group! Now What?

What do you do when a visitor comes to your youth ministry?  Do you have a process?  Do you give them a gift?  Do you have someone ready to show them around?  Robert Sturdivant maps out five simple steps you can follow to ensure those visitors don’t slip through the cracks.

Church Planter Collective

Warning: Being Missional May Kill Your Church Plant

Far too many churches are built on personalities and programs.  For too many church planters the church can become “their church” rather than “God’s church.”  Winfield Bevins offers some profound insight into why the church needs the missional movement and how church planters can find freedom there.

5 Things We Require of Every Small Group

Discipleship must be at the center of any church plant strategy and for Wesleyans small groups are at the heart of how we understand discipleship.  Here, Matt Leroy helps take that Wesleyan model and make it accessible for church planters ready to talk discipleship strategy.

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