Father in heaven, source of holiness and true purpose, it is always right that we praise and glorify your name. For today we stand before you, to dedicate to your lasting service this house of prayer. Here is reflected the mystery of the Church. The Church is One, the dwelling place of God on earth: a […]
This weekend was the last in our current 70’s era church. At the end of all weekend Masses we prayed a “Decommissioning” prayer (see below). It provided a poignant closure for our community. But we’re not entirely saying good-bye. This space will continue to serve our parish in important ways. Renamed the “Theatre” Saturday afternoons […]
Leading into our new church dedication my blog will be introducing readers to our new church facility. This week allow me to introduce you to a sweeping new space we’re calling “The Concourse.” Think of it as a kind of Main Street, connecting the church, the new café, the theatre, and the kids and student […]
For the next few weeks my blog will be introducing readers to our new church facility so that when we move in you feel right at home! We’ll begin in the “East Lobby.” Where in the world is the East Lobby you might ask? Well, it’s literally east of the new, main lobby, regulars will […]
This is the time of year when attendance in many churches is down, due to vacations. But as the vacation season comes to an end, (for us in Baltimore County, that would be this week and next) and especially as the school year gets started, you can be sure of one thing: more […]
Fewer Christians are attending church each year. This is true in North and South America, Eastern and Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, you name it. There are lots of reasons why. The culture of religion has been usurped by professional and kids sports. Add that to a list that includes secularization, rejection of authority, the […]
As a Pastor or staff leader, one of the biggest challenges you’ll face is managing and mentoring your staff. You’ll often be involved in things that will take you out of your comfort zone – handling gossip will be one of those things. Unfortunately, your church will never be a healthy growing church if gossip […]
Healthy growing churches are great and that’s what everyone wants for their church. But don’t be fooled: growing churches don’t mean churches without problems. They have challenges just like any kind of church…just different ones. Here are 5: 1. The Pastor Is Less Available When I first came to Nativity I stood by the front […]
We are approaching the 70-day countdown to our new building’s completion. Anyone who has been around our campus recently can see for themselves the amazing progress we’re making. Here’s a brief wrap up of where we are at this point. The construction team has been working off of a day-to-day time-line from the first. This […]
I confess that I take some time every week to look at other church web sites. Nothing wrong with that, you can learn a lot from others and using your neighbor’s good ideas is an entrenched part of the culture of churchworld. But, if I were entirely honest I would have to admit that there […]
