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New Study Shows Trends in Tithing and Donating |
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Written by Brana Group
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 While theologians debate whether or not the practice of tithing - donating ten percent (or more) of one's income to churches and charitable groups - is a biblical responsibility of Christians, Americans have pretty much made up their minds on the subject. Their views are discernible through their behavior. The giving patterns of Americans are described in new research released by The Barna Group, based on an annual tracking survey conducted by the firm regarding religious behaviors and beliefs. The results of the new research can be compared with outcomes from prior years to follow the trend line.
Whether they believe in the principle of tithing or not, few Americans give away that much money. In 2007, the research revealed that just 5% of adults tithed.
[READ]
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Muslims more numerous than Catholics: Vatican |
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Written by Silvia Aloisi
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 VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Islam has overtaken Roman Catholicism as the biggest single religious denomination in the world, the Vatican said on Sunday.
Monsignor Vittorio Formenti, who compiled the Vatican's newly-released 2008 yearbook of statistics, said Muslims made up 19.2 percent of the world's population and Catholics 17.4 percent. |
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Written by John Wimber
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 Taken from a series teaching from 1980, John Wimber teaches on the Holy Spirit. This is the first of two CD's available at www.vineyardbookcellar.com. Whether you have or have not heard John teach, you will be deeply moved by this teaching.
Listen:
MP3
iTunes
Wimber's teaching influenced many Christians, both inside and out of the Vineyard movement. He is well known for a strong emphasis on "authenticity," and doing nothing for "religious effect." One of the key foundations of his teaching was intimacy with God, rather than religious habit and discipline. He also emphasized the idea that Church services should be casual, informal and led by the Holy Spirit, meaning that worship shouldn't include scripted prayers or structured liturgy. Another characteristic is in the area of teaching, which emphasized preaching extensively from the gospels and using Jesus as the model for Christian believers.
Another point which Wimber emphasized strongly was signs & wonders and the priesthood of every believer, that every Christian has the ability to prophesy and heal the sick. While this is not a new concept, Wimber was a key figure in the introduction of the concept that praying for the sick (or anything else) shouldn't be saved for special healing services, but should take place at every Church service, and out on the streets (by every believer). As a result, many Churches have prayer time after the sermon. (source)
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AUDIO SERMON: Rest and Discipleship |
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Written by Lance Pittluck
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 Matthew 11:28-30
Q: “How are you?” A: “Tired, really busy.” --- Most common words heard before or after every church service. We are living in a world, (primarily the US), that moves at a record pace. Computers, automation, smart phones, and unmanned vacuums have all – NOT – saved nor created more time in a day. Anxiety, nervousness, sleep deprivation are ruling forces in our everyday lives.
Taken from his discipleship series, Lance Pittuck (Senior Pastor, Vineyard Anaheim) addresses the necessity of REST as an essential part of being a disciple of Jesus Christ.
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New Statistics on Church Attendance and Avoidance |
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Written by Barna
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 New Statistics on Church Attendance and Avoidance
With Americans pursuing a growing number of "church" options, some of the traditional measures of church health are being redefined. According to a new study released by The Barna Group, which has been studying church participation patterns since 1984, popular measures such as the percentage of people who are "unchurched" - based on attendance at a conventional church service - are out of date. Various new forms of faith community and experience, such as house churches, marketplace ministries and cyberchurches, must be figured into the mix - and make calculating the percentage of Americans who can be counted as "unchurched" more complicated.
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Written by Bill Faris
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 The passing of Larry Norman, a legend of Christian rock music I first became aware of at age 15, still has the power to move me at 52.
4/8/1947 - 2/24/2008
I feel like a prize in a box of cracker jacks with God's hand reaching down to pick me up. I have been under medical care for months. My wounds are getting bigger. I have trouble breathing. I am ready to fly home.
My brother Charles is right, I won't be here much longer. I can't do anything about it. My heart is too weak. I want to say goodbye to everyone. In the past you have generously supported me with prayer and finance and we will probably still need financial help.
My plan is to be buried in a simple pine box with some flowers inside. But still it will be costly because of funeral arrangement, transportation to the gravesite, entombment, coordination, legal papers etc. However money is not really what I need, I want to say I love you.
I'd like to push back the darkness with my bravest effort. There will be a funeral posted here on the website, in case some of you want to attend. We are not sure of the date when I will die. Goodbye, farewell, we will meet again.
Goodbye, farewell, we'll meet again
Somewhere beyond the sky.
I pray that you will stay with God
Goodbye, my friends, goodbye.
Larry
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Written by Editor
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 Review from WorshipMusic.com added.
Northern Ireland's Kathryn Scott is well-known for her stellar writing
and passionate vocals on the album Hungry (200,000 units sold). Now in
her first studio release, Kathryn builds on these successes with a
fresh offering of songs that flow from the deep river of worship in her
heart. Powered by her rich voice and honest presentation, I Belong
offers eleven original worship songs that cut through life's
complexities, expressing the wonderful truths of her faith and love for
God. |
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FIRST RESPONSE: Radically Rethinking the Church with Alan Hirsch |
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Written by Don Williams
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 Radically Rethinking the Church with Alan Hirsch
I have recently met a quiet, intense radical Christian, Alan Hirsch,
who wants to dismantle 1600 years of church history by reconfiguring
the church as mission rather than the church as community extending or
promoting mission. While this doesn't sound dramatic and seems to
follow a whole line of current thinking on the church as a missional
community, I assure you that Hirsch will not support most of the hip
thinking on this subject today. So here we go, reviewing his book The
Forgotten Ways. We may have more to say on KingdomRain.net as this
conversation continues. Stay tuned and join in. |
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Written by Bill Faris
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 Overcoming Steeple Envy
I was still in my twenties when I first went to one of those
denominational pow-wows for pastors. As a newly-minted assistant
pastor, I circulated among the big boys and observed their way of
talking shop. It was interesting to note how conversations always
seemed to turn to the topic of comparative church size. I actually
heard one man ask another: “How many ya’ runnin’?” I was a little
stunned. Had I somehow wandered into a cattle rancher’s convention?
Now I’m much older and a senior pastor with a church of my own.
Although some things about the professional ministry environment have
changed since those days, one thing hasn’t: when it comes to church
success, size still matters. It is a phenomenon sometimes known as
“steeple envy”. |
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Being a Disciple: Basic DNA |
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Written by Lance Pittluck
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Audio Sermon
Lance Pittluck (Vineyard Anaheim, Senior Pastor) shares with us what the basic DNA is in regards to being a disciple of Jesus Christ. Text Used: John 15:15, Phil 3:10, 1 Cor. 12:13.
Available on iTunes and as an MP3. |
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Tending the Garden of Our Souls |
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Written by Rich Nathan
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 Tending the Garden of Our Souls
Many of us begin the Christian life with great hope and expectation. We
realize that we can’t do life well on our own. Independence from God
never works. Trying to control the world by ourselves only results in
out-of-control lives. Living apart from God’s commandments never
produces freedom. Instead, a bitter crop of bondage, desperation, and
depression results from doing life according to our own rules. |
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Is being a Christian enough? |
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Written by Editor
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 I have an unpopular hobby – talking politics. No screaming, accusing
or blaming – just talking/discussing. This presidential election is
especially interesting in that the last two presidents have succeeded
in polarizing Americans and as such, many people that I have spoken
with, are voting for so many wrong reasons. |
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The Necessity of Community Part 1-6 |
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Written by Mike Safford
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 The Necessity of Community
This six-part study is excerpted from “The Necessity of Community” by Mike Safford.
Part 1: The Church in this Culture
Part 2: An Incomplete View of God and Man
Part 3: Community in the Creation Narrative
Part 4: Man is Created in God’s Triune Image
Part 5: The Necessity of Community
Part 6: A Dramatic Shift to a Healthy View |
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Christian Groups Fight Back |
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Written by Editor
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 You may have already received an email asking you to NOT SEE “The
Golden Compass”, releasing December 7th, 2007. The Christian church
has apparently united for this single cause. We seem to disagree on so
many non-essentials but this, we agree on.
Not since the 1988 release of the “The Last Temptation of Christ” cause
so much uproar in the church. Is it warranted? Don’t know, haven’t
seen nor read the book. Here are some of the things being said. |
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Kingdom Preaching and Teaching Through Mark: ENTIRE STUDY |
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Written by Editor
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 You've asked for it and it is finally available. The entire Mark study is now available. Click here to download the 1.2 MB zip file.
http://www.kingdomrain.net/rss/KR_Mark.zip
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PODCAST: Christ and Culture Part IV |
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Written by J.P. Moreland
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J.P Moreland wraps up this four-part study on Christ and Culture by looking at Hurry and Worry. He encourages us to embrace boredom. Sound strange? Check it out, it's eye-opening.
iTunes
MP3
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Written by Robin Daniel Morrison
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 We hear them on television and at conferences; we read them in articles
and on websites. How do we as the church and individual believers
respond to “prophetic announcements” regarding future events, supposed
“divine judgments or directions” and purported prophetic comments and
perspectives of God via high profile figures in the church? How do we
handle “unfulfilled” words or “competing” words that appear at
opposition with each other? How does the average Christian negotiate
the geography of “prophetic” terminology, coded language, claims of
authenticity and validity? The scope of this article is not to debate
the validity of prophetic gifts or even certain prophetic
personalities/ministries. Rather, what do we do with the information
communicated and couched as “Words or Warnings from God?” |
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Written by Brent Helming
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 Why sing? I’m not asking, “Why do we worship?” Its probably safe to
assume that if you are perusing this web site and reading this article,
you already understand that we were created to be testimonies of God’s
glory (Is. 43:6-7). In other words, we worship because God created us
to worship.
No, my question is not “Why worship?” I’m posing the question, “Why
sing?” Why do we, as the church, engage in singing as one of our
primary forms of worship? It’s true that worship is far more than music
and singing. Worship includes every activity of life (Romans 12:1).
Yet, it is also true that the church, especially the contemporary
church, spends a large portion of time singing together during our
corporate worship. |
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