What’s happening to today’s Mainline churches has a lot to do with cultural trends, but more important is the birthrate, argues this writer in EthicsDaily.com. Do you agree? What is affecting your church?



By Rob Blezard


By Thom Schultz

You’ve heard of the “Nones” — those whose religious affiliation is None. But there is a growing multitude of church ex-members who have simply left church for a variety of reasons. They’re sometimes called the de-churched. They have not abandoned their faith. They are not Nones. Rather, call them the Dones. What can we do about it? (Photo by Lukas Kastner, used by Creative Commons license.)


By Rob Blezard



So far as I know, the Bible says nothing explicit about subprime loans and the financial implications of such risky economic practice. There is a great deal, nonetheless, that the Bible has to say about such a crisis as we now face. I will comment in turn on a biblical perspective of an analysis of the crisis and a biblical perspective for an alternative economic practice. [Written in 2009, this prophetic article in Sojourners still speaks to our time.] (Photo by Glenn Thomas Hvidsten, used by Creative Commons license.)



It’s that time of the year again, when we stand on the precipice of a new year and look forward to what is in store for us in 2015. Given the events of 2014, the church now also has a monumental opportunity to provide healing, justice, care, and compassion in new and exciting ways — ways I believe are important for the church in the upcoming year. Read them all, inSojourners, and see which fit your context. (Photo by Courtney Dirks , used by Creative Commons license)


By Rob Blezard


By Rob Blezard

As the country marks Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, a veteran activist explains why it would be a mistake to remember King as only a great civil rights leader. In his final years, he began to move toward an ever-more-profound and radical understanding of what would be required to deal with the nation’s domestic and […]


By Rob Blezard

Are you thinking of making some financial resolutions for 2015? Start with these “financial health” questions, since a recent study showed them to have a high correlation with net worth. If you don’t like your current answers, here are some ways to improve your answers for this same time next year, from Forbes.com. (Photo by […]


By Brandon Cox

No church leader I know wants to see another church close its doors. We need every local church, now more than ever, if we’re going to fulfill the Great Commission as soon as possible. But each local church in history has tended to have its own life cycle. Some are revived and have a whole new life. Others disband and dissolve. And many churches limp along in mere survival mode for a couple of decades until their stalwart generation is gone and then close their doors. If you think your church might be dying, here are some possible next moves. (Photo by Tom Blackwell, used by Creative Commons license)


By Rob Blezard

Embracing stewardship through discipleship

The Stewardship of Life Institute (SOLI) is based at the Gettysburg, PA Campus of United Lutheran Seminary. Our mission is to serve stewardship in the ELCA through its seminaries.