Andy Stanley Wants Adults to Prioritize Their Kids at Church

After Andy Stanley shared in a sermon that those who attend small churches are selfish, he has since shared in an interview that he regrets how five minutes have undermined what he has worked hard to do all of this life. Stanley shared that he supports those in small churches, and he intended to challenge his listeners to prioritize reaching out to their kids rather than maintaining their own comfort.

Source: Christianity Today

Rob Bell Wants Sermons to Be Disruptive

Former pastor Rob Bell says that he has enjoyed his time away from pastoral ministry because he can preach freely without the burden of “running a church” getting in the way. Bell notes that too many pastors use their sermons to get bigger crowds and buildings, telling people what they want to hear rather than using a sermon for holy disruption.

Source: The Christian Post

Former 7,500-Member ELCA Church Will Close

At one time North Heights Lutheran Church had 7,600 members, making it one of the largest ELCA churches in America. However, the church has broken into contentious factions over the leadership of pastor Mindy Bak. A 2014 membership meeting noted several problems, but some church officials downplayed their seriousness. Today the church is slated to close down and at least one former group of members are meeting at a local hotel.

Source: Star Tribune