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The Exchange

5 Ways We Get Evangelism Wrong and What We Can Do About It

Here are five ways we often get evangelism wrong, along with five ways we can right our perspective on this misunderstood, yet crucially important, practice.

An Inconceivable Challenge: The Story of a Persecuted Pastor in Pakistan

On this International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, let us remember our brothers and sisters who suffer for their faith in Christ every day, including pastor Eleazar Sidhu in Pakistan.

Juneteenth and the Great Commission

By now, many of us have heard of the holiday Juneteenth, though many Christians still don’t celebrate the day or recognize the fruitful mission work birthed out of the freedom of African American slaves.

How To Tell a Jesus Story

“Jesus Stories” are simple, short retellings about something Jesus said or did in five minutes or less. They are accompanied by open-ended questions that spark discussion.

Public Evangelism in an Age of Relativism

There is no such thing as a neutral ideological vacuum. We must stand for something. And what the new kind of relativistic tolerance is showing is that it is not really tolerant at all. 

There Is One Thing Worse Than Being Lost

There is one thing that is actually worse: being lost and knowing that nobody is looking for you. Would this metaphor accurately describe the North American Church?

The Body of Christ and the Temptation of a Crowd

Since it’s now 2023, most of us think that we’re beyond the old understanding of the "church" being a building. We are now more spiritually sophisticated. Or are we?

The Impossibility of Being a Pastor

Every pastor who regularly preaches has wondered, “Did that message make a difference? Will anything happen?” We’re all together in this. But maybe our penchant for "excellence" is holding us back.

The Danger of ‘Make-Believe’ Orthodoxy

True orthodoxy is found only in obedience. Period. It is not found, despite the insistence of some, primarily in portentous intellectual agreement to approved theological codes.

How Are Church Finances Coming Out of COVID and Headed Into a Potential Recession?

To understand what churches can anticipate in 2023, let’s take a closer look at recent financial trends and current forces impacting churches. 

Gospel Renewal in an Age of Deconstruction

Deconstruction provides an excellent lens through which to identify error, deceit, and corruption. But on its own, it fails to provide a new way forward.

Stepping Away From Un-Christian Politics

Because politics are so heated, the season we are in presents Christians with a unique opportunity to live counter-culturally to the typical partisan spin and vitriol.

MLK Was Not Color-Blind, But Color-Courageous

The idea that Martin Luther King Jr. was color-blind is a myth. When we look at the vast scope of his work, instead of taking one quote out of context, we’ll see that King never said that the way to advance racial equality was to ignore our racial differences.

Disarming a Weaponized Church: Moving Forward Amid Turmoil in the UMC

The United Methodist Church currently feels like a war zone. But the way forward is to “beat our swords into plowshares” (Isaiah 2:4) on the anvil of compassion. Here are three principles that can guide us.

Three Scenes: The Open Secret in Christian Adoption Circles and Why It Matters to the Church

In the last two decades, I’ve met countless people who, even though they don’t feel personally called to be adoptive parents, are nevertheless excited about adoption.

Abounding Love: My Life with Chronic Illness

I can recall hearing the words “chronic illness” being spoken from a stage twice in my lifetime. Once was during a worship service during my orientation to Wheaton College in 2016. The other was also at Wheaton College, this time from my own lips as I shared about my illness in chapel the following year.

Doors and Broken Handles: Discerning Where God Wants Us to Go

We have all experienced open and closed doors in our Christian life. But how do we know when a door is really shut? How hard should we pull?

7 Surprising Ways To Prepare Yourself To Share the Gospel

What does it mean to be prepared to share the gospel? Here are seven ways to prepare yourself to be a person that God can use to share his good news—and to whom others will actually listen.

How To Talk With a High School Senior Who Is Reconsidering Fall Plans

If your high school senior is feeling anxious about next year, he or she is certainly not alone. There are a few important ways to engage seniors who are in the throes of the “what’s next” decision.

10 Characteristics of Healthy Relationships

What are the characteristics of healthy relationships? Based on the way God relates to mankind in the first three chapters of Genesis, there are at least ten characteristics of a healthy relationship.

Michael Martin: How Church Boards Can Help Their Pastors Be Healthy

ECFA president and CEO Michael Martin joins “The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast” to talk about his organization’s new leadership standard and how church boards can help provide pastors greater care and accountability.

The Exchange