Online Christian Publication Articles (Containing 'church')

--- title: "Online Christian Publication Articles (Containing 'church')" --- # Online Christian Publication Articles (Containing 'church') Disclaimer: --- The following material is taken from the following publications: 1. [Salt & Light](https://saltandlight.sg) 2. [SELAH](https://selah.sg) 3. [Thir.st](https://thir.st) 4. [YMI](https://ymi.today) All rights belong to these publications and authors of the articles referenced below. Contact: --- The full article can be found on Medium, titled "[Data Visualisation and Analysis of Singapore's Largest Online Christian Publications: Part 2](https://medium.com/@jirehtan/data-visualisation-and-analysis-of-singapores-largest-online-christian-publications-part-2-7a5cc223f838)". For any queries, contact Jireh at [hungryjireh@gmail.com](mailto:hungryjireh@gmail.com). Statistics: --- * Total number of articles: **3644** * Number of articles with titles containing "church": **86** * Percentage of articles with titles containing "church": **2.36%** * Number of articles with descriptions containing "church": **175** * Percentage of articles with descriptions containing "church": **4.80%** Online Christian Publication Articles (Titles containing 'church') --- * Is the Church Missional? * The Church Going Urban * Sex in the Church * Singapore: A Sacrificial Church * Singapore church body condemns Sri Lanka Easter attack as “cruel and unconscionable” * “The Church is always one generation away from extinction”: Rev Miles Toulmin * Church bodies in Singapore issue advisories on need to keep Section 377A * How can the church respond better to those with same-sex attraction? * Singapore church leaders on the passing of Billy Graham * Today’s church tomorrow: Going the way of Kodak? * How the Billy Graham Crusade stirred a 12-year-old Singapore boy to pastor a Vancouver church * Ask Salt&Light: How do I carry my faith out of church and into my workplace? * How do we make church a safe space for those who struggle? * To prepare for revival, establish church and city prayer altars: Suzette Hattingh * Why church history matters in the internet age * Bring the church to where the people are – out in the marketplace: Ed Silvoso * Day 1: A church well-taught * The church at the cusp of change, will it grow or decay? * Church begins on Mondays * Is the Church ready to talk about sex? * My heart broke when my mentees left church * Creatives, this is how to serve in church and not burn out * Gateway to the nations: Is the Singaporean Church mission-minded? * What does 2019 hold for the Church in Singapore? * Experiencing church in a new city * PraySingapore: The day the church filled the National Stadium with prayer... * A young church leader’s journey through sexuality and lust * The mask he wore to church * The art of serving millennials in a Chinese church * The art to straddling church and culture * “What if the poor are billionaires?”: Heidi Baker asks the Church to feed al... * There’s no young people in my church … Should I leave? * How should we respond when a church leader falls? * I was starting to think I wasn’t cut out for church * 26 dead, 20 wounded in Texas church shooting * How to create a safer church community for people with same-sex attraction... * How can the church truly welcome those who identify as transgender? * Church camp is over. Now what? * One girl’s guide to dating well in church * How separate should Church and State be? * How to grow the church – in your office * Hillsong set to plant its first church in Asia * Dude, the church needs you * How to talk to girls in church * What role does the Church play in their churchgoers’ love lives? * Church is family * How to serve each other better in church * My friend left Church because of me * What’s the point of church if we can worship God anywhere? * Where have all my church friends gone? * The Sour Single, the Clueless Church and the Kaypoh Kaki * I had my heart broken in church * Should I step down from leading in church if I struggle with sin? * Exam time: Church how? * How a young atheist ended up in church * Moments and milestones: What shook up the Singapore Church in 2018? * Light Has Won: Hinghwa Methodist Church has a song to sing * Remembering the 1978 Billy Graham Crusade, Part 2: A church united * The Church is God’s finest answer to the problem of homelessness * Why I gave church another chance * The Church is not perfect, but it is beautiful * 3 questions to ask before changing church * Welcoming others into the church family * 7 reasons why every church should have a ministry for NSmen * City Harvest leaders back in court: Church members hope for the best, prepare to... * Everyone deserves a moment with God: Special needs and the Church * Why I left the faith: How the church must do better * Why I changed church * Don’t depend on the church to give you all the answers * 3 Ways the Church Can Love the Disabled * When I Struggled to Fit into My New Church * 4 Lessons From the Life of a Small Church Pastor * 4 Reasons To Consider Serving in Church * What I Learned From My Search For A New Church * My Friend Left the Church Because of Me * How Can I Love the Church that Hurt Me? * Why I Struggled To be Real in Church * Should I Stay If My Church Doesn't Satisfy Me? * When Our Church Leaders Fail * 3 Reasons Why People Stay Away From Church * The Day I Got Tired of Going to Church * To the Church Elder: Why I'm Leaving the Church * Swimming and Church * My Journey From Megachurch to Modest Church * Reaching Out to the Church That Rejected Me * How Should the Church Respond to Health Disorders? Online Christian Publication Articles (Descriptions containing 'church') --- * How God found me when I was ready to leave the Church * Have we forsaken authenticity in our lives, such that the church has become a place only for shiny, happy people? * Thoughts on social justice and the church * At this year’s PraySingapore celebration on October 7, Bishop Rennis Ponniah – head of the Anglican Church in Singapore – called on Christians to pray for opportunities to proclaim the good news... * It is time for youths and young adults to stand up as the next generation of workplace ministers, said Pastor Dr Chew Weng Chee, the senior pastor of the 3500-member church Sidang Injil Borneo Evangel... * Bishop Terry Kee, head of the Lutheran Church in Singapore, has been elected President of the National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS).... * Pastor Rick Seaward, founding pastor of Victory Family Centre, was called home to the Lord on Saturday, March 24, the church confirmed on its Facebook page.... * Church leaders past and present in Singapore react to the death and life of Billy Graham, the most well-known and well-loved evangelist of the past century.... * The warning was reverberant: If Christians are not careful, their church culture can become more important than God’s truth.... * This is the final article in the Urban Shalom series focusing on what it means to be a missional church community in a local urban neighbourhood. * This is a new Salt&Light; series entitled Urban Shalom, focusing on what it means to be a missional church community in a local urban neighbourhood. * This is a new Salt&Light; series entitled Urban Shalom, focusing on what it means to be a missional church community in a local urban neighbourhood. * Church of Singapore (Marine Parade) is a welcome rarity in Singapore’s crowded church scene: It’s that rare assembly where the dialect congregation is its largest congregation. ... * “The family altar is the most broken-down altar at the moment. It is more broken down than the personal altar, the church altar, the city altar and the national altar,” warned Dr Suzette Hatting... * The LoveSingapore prayer unity movement is organising three major celebrations this year, calling for the church in Singapore to gather to pray for the country.... * Very often, the work of the church stays in the church. It’s a massive tragedy, said Ed Silvoso, who brought a powerful message of discipling the nations through the marketplace to Kingdom Invasion ... * Church and state, same-sex marriage, abortion, euthanasia. Name any one of these cultural issues and you are bound to stir controversy.... * Questions. I love questions. Church workers get asked lots of questions about life, the universe and everything.... * Bible reading for 40.DAY 2018 | July 7: Acts 11:26The Antioch Church produced a noble train of martyrs.... * Bible reading for 40.DAY 2018 | July 1: Acts 11:26, Acts 13:1, 2 Timothy 2:15, 2 Timothy 4:3-4The Antioch church was well-taught.... * Where do the majority of Christ followers spend a majority of their time interacting with a majority of the lost world? It is not in the church or even the neighbourhood, but it is in the workplace. ... * Urban Shalom is a new Salt&Light; series focusing on what it means to be a missional church community in a local urban neighbourhood. * Urban Shalom is a Salt&Light; series focusing on what it means to be a missional church community in a local urban neighbourhood. Here, Jonathan Cho and Eunice Lin share their thoughts on community. * This is a new Salt&Light; series entitled Urban Shalom, focusing on what it means to be a missional church community in a local urban neighbourhood. * A new Salt&Light; series titled Urban Shalom focuses on what it means to be a missional church community in a local urban neighbourhood. * This is the introduction to a new Salt&Light; series titled Urban Shalom, focusing on what it means to be a missional church community in a local urban neighbourhood. * In recognition of World AIDS Day 2018 (December 1), Salt&Light; looks at ways the Church cares for HIV/AIDS-infected individuals and families. * If, somewhere in church or at a wedding, you have seen an inviting coffee cart run by Tamar Village, there is one man to thank for it.... * I was having tea with a dear friend. He was on staff at a church and was someone whose life and ministry I held in the highest regard. In the midst of our conversation, he asked: “Why you see me so ... * The mission of the church is amazing. It’s all about transformation. We are all separated from God until we are redeemed by the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross.... * There are no church problems.... * Growing up as the son of visionary church leader Canon Dr James Wong and brother to an Anglican pastor, Timothy Wong was frequently asked when he would follow in his father’s footsteps. ... * For most of us it’s church on Sunday. And come Monday, the church is pushed to the back shelf of our lives as we live life willy-nilly.... * As I was walking out of a church building, suddenly a voice from behind me bellowed, “Georgie, when are you going to retire and go into full time service in the church?”... * Can the Church please unite?... * Both my mentees left the church within the same month: November 2018. I had been mentoring them for close to a year, respectively. They were also the first and only two mentees that I ever had.... * “I don’t think I can go to church with you,” I remember my friend telling me as we were walking back from school. “I’m not holy enough.”... * What new chapters will the Church in Singapore write this year?... * Last August, I moved to Vancouver, Canada and began the process of finding a new church home here.... * Looking for a church to visit, or a suitable event to bring a friend, this Christmas season?... * Recently, a young pastor of an emerging church tragically took his life after battling depression and anxiety.... * I first heard of Alabaster Co when one of the designers in my church shared their Kickstarter campaign on her Facebook feed. That was sometime in late 2016.... * Every time I am asked by my church to go out for street evangelism, a little part of my soul plunges.... * For the first time ever, various houses of prayer throughout Asia came together both physically and virtually for the inaugural One Thing Gathering, hosted by Riverlife Church and Kingdom Community Ch... * Aloysius* serves as a leader in a large church where he has mentored hundreds of youths and young adults for over more than a decade. But beyond the public persona, few others know about his troubled ... * “In our church, the older generation speaks Mandarin, and the newer generation thinks, speaks, and dreams in English. The issue of language comes up in all aspects of church life,” Thomas Liew, Yo... * I first knew of Aarksara when she was a guest worship leader in my home church a few years back. Her energy was not only infectious, you could feel a deep sense of joy and triumph as she sang unto the... * “What would you do about a young woman in church who is pregnant out of wedlock?” I asked.... * If you’ve been going to church for some time, you probably have sung MercyMe’s hit Gospel song, “I Can Only Imagine”, in a worship service. But you probably have never heard of... * It’s becoming somewhat of a perennial question: How can we engage and mobilise millennials for missions, both within the Church and across cultures?... * The saga involving the leadership of City Harvest Church came to an end with the delivery of the verdict of a rare 5-judge Court of Appeal yesterday (1 February 2018). It is easily the most expensive... * The author was listening and responding to a sermon by Senior Pastor Jeffrey Chong of Hope Church Singapore.... * Last Sunday morning, I settled into my usual seat in church – fourth row from the front – strongly feeling the lack of an additional hour of sleep, all for this predictable 90 minutes of service.... * A few months ago, my friend told me he wanted to change Church. One of the reasons he gave was because he disagreed with how the Church was spending money.... * Pastor Yang Tuck Yoong of Cornerstone Community Church had one message only for the 800 over youths gathered at the FOPx Conference taking place from November 23-25, 2017: Let the fire of God burn in ... * One of today’s marks of a good Christian is one’s attendance of Church on Sunday morning.... * Are we as a Church taking care of people?... * While we were sleeping last night, 26 brothers and sisters in Christ were shot dead as they attended church in Texas. At least 20 more were wounded.... * How is your church celebrating the Reformation this year?If you’ve been following the news, the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation – the reason the Protestant Church even exists – falls o... * Sometimes, after a movie, I find myself walking out of the cinema feeling the same way I leave church services on good days.I got this same feeling again when I saw Dunkirk. Nolan’s latest ... * On July 9, the General Synod of the Church of England passed a motion on Welcoming Transgender People.... * The other day in the church lobby I saw someone I knew in conversation with the parents of our mutual friend. I was out of earshot, but the body language was plain to see: The young man’s eye... * A church camp is always amazing. It’s a time of refreshing, recharging and refocusing. It’s where you get to bask in the warm glow of our mountaintop moments.... * I have depression and no one in church knows.... * The longer I sat through the Church service, the more miserable I felt.... * When I was younger in the faith, I used to hate the idea of working in the church office.... * Global church network Hillsong has announced its first Asian outpost – in Bali, Indonesia.... * Theology. Doctrine. Religion. Scary words often scapegoated, seen as potentially divisive and antagonistic to true spirituality. A movement has started to rid the church of boring theological pedan... * There are many beautiful church buildings today. But do you know that for the first 300 years since the church was formed, there were no church buildings? So buildings cannot be what church is about.?... * This might be a picture that has been painted of a pastor’s wife: Sitting quietly beside her husband in the front row at church service, usually with the kids in tow (and in check). They are the... * My family used to be tight-knitted when I was younger, and I was especially close to my father. We would attend church services together every Sunday and do family activities on every other day. It wa... * Growing up, my church mates and I would share traits that we wanted our future life partners to have. We had dreams of how we wanted to lead our families, do great things for the Lord with our partne... * “God why is there no one in church I can talk to?”... * Some time ago, I heard a church friend say that girls are dating guys outside of church because there simply aren’t enough Christian guys to go around.... * When finding a mate in church, I’m often told to look for someone within the church community. The basis given for such advice is the verse, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers”... * Something concerning in the Church today is the attitude where one does whatever is right in his own eyes.... * In November, Pastor Bobby Chaw of City Harvest Church preached a message on how to resolve bitterness caused by unfaithfulness.... * As I spoke to friends about helping cell group leaders as they lead and serve in church, a friend reminded me that everyone in church has struggles and needs – not just those who lead or serve in an... * Dear New Christian,Welcome to the Church family! I’m glad you’ve chosen to follow Jesus and committed yourself to growing alongside a community. It takes tremendous courage to plug yourse... * I spent all my free time finishing work for a church missions project. I was exhausted, irritable, and just wanted to hide from the world.... * The first time I stepped into a church was when I was 12 years old.... * My father pastored a family church for many years before he was made the chairman of the Singapore Centre for Global Missions (SCGM) to lead the local conversation on mission work. His ministry was ... * Last Saturday, a lady from my church met with an accident. She took her last breath in her son’s arms, just as the paramedics arrived. ... * “Jesus chose to live as a human being with two qualifications: Without sin, and empowered by the Holy Spirit,” said Bill Johnson, Senior Pastor of Bethel Church in Redding, California.... * When my church leaders decided we should teach Deuteronomy to our cell groups, many of us groaned in horror. Deuteronomy is one of the books we try to avoid reading as Christians, let alone teach it.... * At one point in time, I was serving in seven ministries and had five church meetings over a single weekend. I’m not trying to tell you how holy I was. In fact, I’m telling you how foolish I was.... * As 2018 comes to a close, we thought that we’d take a closer look on what the local Church has experienced this year. Living up to its designation as the Year of Prayer, 2018 was filled with ma... * My life has revolved around church ever since I was born.... * At the start of this year, I left my previous church of six years.... * My family is a very traditional Chinese family with staunch religious beliefs. So though I’ve wanted to come to church since I was 5 years old, I was not allowed to do so.... * I’ve been asking questions about the church model for awhile now.... * The challenge – to build a cardboard version of one of Kuala Lumpur’s iconic structures – came with the usual church camp caveats.... * About two months ago, I attended a Community Pastoring (CP) seminar organised by Living Sanctuary Brethren Church (LSBC).... * So you’ve been going to church for sometime now and wondering where you fit into the greater story of God’s Kingdom. After all, we are part of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 4:12) and a... * I clearly remember the day I accepted the position to chair REVIVE 2018. I was at church camp when I received a message from the previous chairperson, asking if I’d take over the position to lea... * June is the month of holidays, rest and recuperation but for the typical Singaporean Christian, it’s also the month of the highly-anticipated Church retreats!... * Growing up in a harsh environment where performance was measured and comparisons made in both Church and school, I entered adulthood filled with self-condemnation and doubt.... * I’ve just returned from a week-long mission trip, where I saw the perseverance of 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 in the local church there.... * At the heart of any reformation is the sense that the church of the time has grown stale. When the things of God which are meant to bring new life and transformation become things that enslave and ca... * I was at a planning meeting for small group evangelism recently when someone posed the question of integrating new believers into the main church community. After all, she reasoned, even with short-te... * The Migrant Worker Ministry in Hope Church Singapore was started in 2014, by a few church members who felt the need to advance the Gospel to migrant workers from China who are based in Singapore.... * You are the One is an original worship song co-written by Justin Sabai and Marcus Lee. The duo used to lead worship at their youth service in Church of Our Saviour. This is the full story behind the... * My church has a National Service ministry, where young men are discipled to fight for the things of the Kingdom.... * The return of six former City Harvest Church leaders to the courtroom means the church is again dominating news headlines.... * Several years ago, a life group in Hope Church Singapore found itself with four unique cell members – each of whom had special needs. With no experience in caring for people with special needs, a ... * Editor’s note: This was written by a reader in response to There is a place to be vulnerable and Don’t depend on the church to give you all the answers. ... * I am someone that others might call a church-hopper. I’m only 28, but I’ve changed church four times already.... * When I got my first paycheque, I finally felt like a grown-up. No longer would I have to ask my parents for more allowance to buy clothes and watch movies. Holidays were no longer limited to church ca... * In a Facebook post late on Wednesday night (April 19), Kong Hee, the founding pastor of City Harvest Church in Singapore, apologised “to all I have disappointed, stumbled and hurt in my congreg... * At the age of 20, I became one of the youngest leaders in Singapore nominated to sit on the Local Church Executive Committee (LCEC), the decision-making board that governs each Methodist church.... * Brought up in a church culture where everyone is taught to “just believe”, many Christians grow comfortable and complacent. ... * For the past three years, I’ve been visiting flats in Kampong Glam every week, as part of a church ministry that helps the wheelchair-bound elderly. In the early days, I served in a team of 6... * Last month, I boarded a bus not knowing where exactly it was going to take me, or what to expect over the next 3 days. I had signed up for a church camp in China almost 4,000km away from home.... * Early this year, someone new joined the small church that I attend. He identified himself as a Singaporean working in the United States, temporarily sent back to Singapore for a work project. * I was raised in a small, old-fashioned Pentecostal church in New York, USA. Singing simple hymns every Sunday grew my appreciation for those century-old classics used to praise God. I enjoyed the straightforward and doctrinally sound lyrics, as well as the simplicity and clarity of the music. I began to think that traditional hymns were ... * It's that season of the year again. My church calls it the "evangelism season". My Pastor tells us to rise up in evangelistic fervor, saying that it's the best time to invite friends and family to church. * Unlike many of my peers at college, I did not receive a purity ring* from my family or church when I was in high school. I know that if I had asked for one, I would have been given one * Written By Joanne S. Dionela, Philippines I was born into a fairly religious family. I attended church regularly, and participated in the same church activities as my parents did not just in one church, but two. Nobody ever questioned the state of my salvation. Naturally, I didn't either. In high school, however, my paradigm on faith ... * By Megan Low, Australia On my way to church yesterday, I spotted a worm dangling from a tree. I watched it as I approached and saw that it was slowly climbing up the invisible thread that it had produced. At first I was laughing at it. For the worm was no bigger than three-quarters of ... * By Debra Ayis, Nigeria "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. " - 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV) The seas pound with rhythm, Like rhyme in an ancient song, The daily theme of life flows by, As the church bells go bong, bong, bong, People quickly drift ... * I have been attending the youth service at my church for five years. This was where I planted my roots and grew spiritually. * I am 20. I'm female and I used to struggle with masturbation. It all started when I was in my sophomore year of junior high. I was dating a friend from church who served as a musician in the worship ministry. * This was the question that was explored over the pulpit at my church a while ago. We learned that Christians are not defined by their jobs (or lack of), but by their identities in Christ * "But if not for the grace of God, I am finished!" said the speaker at my church one Sunday. * I don't see, hear, or feel God anymore. Why love God then? Why go to church then? Why believe then? Recently, a friend whom I had led to Christ seemed to have such thoughts. And they were the same thoughts that went through my mind about a decade ago. * Growing up in church, I was actively involved in church activities at a young age. As a youth, I served as a Sunday school teacher as well as a musician in the worship team. From a young age, I knew that God had blessed me with gifts so that I could bless others. * Whenever I visit other continents, a question I am often asked is, "What is the hidden secret behind faith and hope in Africa?" That's when I share about the power of thanksgiving and prayer - the fuel that drives the church in Africa towards faith and hope. * I once met a lady at church who touched me with her behavior. She would raise her hands during worship, and cry and belt out the songs with an obvious ache vibrating in her voice. During prayer time, she would plead with us to pray for her. I wanted to embrace her. * On the last day of 2014, while my church friends and I were gorging on a humongous meal, my dear husband gave us the idea of writing a letter to your future self. It intrigued me so much that I decided to give it a go. * As a Christian, I know it is important to attend church on Sundays, as God has commanded us in his Word: "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another" (Hebrews 10:24-25). * Ask most Christian youth out over the weekends and you'll likely get rejected. "Sorry I'm not free. I have youth fellowship on Saturday, church on Sunday and cell group after church. * By Mayz Jazurat, Thailand I was born into a Buddhist family, but my parents decided to send me to a Christian school. They did so because it was the best school in Chiang Mai and they wanted me to have a good education. While in school, I attended mandatory church services. I always enjoyed the ... * A couple years ago, a colleague of mine invited my friend and I to visit an African church. l settled in my seat at the beginning of the service, expecting a heartfelt but rather demure time of praise and worship, just like the kind of church services I grew up with in Australia. * I looked around at the unfamiliar faces in the congregation, and then back to the front of the church, where the pastor had been preaching for 25 minutes already. I had grown up in a church where a sermon was called a homily, and it was 15 minutes at most. * At the moment, I find forming friendships in church quite challenging. Moving to a new city, as well as health issues, is probably part of the reason. I also have trouble connecting deeply with people at church, even though I join small groups, volunteer for service, and participate in church events. * The church I became a Christian in is probably one of the smallest churches in Singapore. I started attending it because the pastor's wife - who happens to be my husband's aunt - reached out to me during a period of trials. Through her, I found comfort in God's Word and a Christian community who really encouraged me. * At one point in time, I was serving in seven ministries and had five church meetings over a single weekend. I'm not trying to tell you how holy I was. In fact, I'm telling you how foolish I was. * Is it okay to pray for a miracle healing? Can we speak in tongues? Can a woman preach at the pulpit? Should the church support anti-homosexual laws? What's the church's stand on abortion? What should we do with an errant pastor? Is there a "correct" version of the Bible? Can we play the drums in worship? Should Christians drink alcohol? * Since giving my life to Christ nine years ago, l have been on a spiritual odyssey to find a suitable church for my family. I have been happy in some places of worship l visited, and misunderstood in others. * I have always been a regular church attender, and am typically involved in one ministry or another. But there have been times when I wondered if being a part of a local church body is really all that important. I never actually stopped attending, but I have wondered at times, "What's the point?" * Are you guilty of church-shopping? Church-shopping is when people hop from church to church, never quite settling or putting down roots anywhere. This is especially prevalent among people who are setting out on their own for the first time. Perhaps it's the college kid who is trying to find a new place, or the new ... * As a pastor of a local church in Missouri, USA, I remember the advice I first received when I entered full-time ministry. A pastor from another church approached me * "I need a break from church and from y'all to think about what happened," a good friend wrote in a text message to me one day. And with that one message, Jasmine* never returned to my church again. * Seven days after I came into the world, my dad became the pastor of the church that I would grow up in. Unlike my siblings, I never knew a time when my Dad wasn't a pastor. * I was baptized some years ago by immersionÃ¢ÂÂbut not for the reason you might think. At the time, my fiance and I were looking for a church to get married in. * Church is supposed to be the place we feel secure and accepted. But the reality is often different. Many of us struggle to be ourselves in the church because we fear being judged. * I belong to a small church which used to meet all of my preferences. But now, five years and many unforeseeable changes later, our numbers are dwindling. * I used to attend church regularly as a teenager. I loved how you could feel the presence of God when the congregation stood united in singing praises to the Lord. However, I didn't completely understand the importance of community then. * Lately, news of church leaders' failures have become common. We hear of pastors committing fraud, embezzling church money, or getting involved in scandals involving pornography or extramarital affairs. * The sign I saw hanging outside a church intrigued me. It reminded me that nobody in this world is perfect - including those who go to church. If churches were only for perfect people, they would be empty. * Dear Elder, I've been coming to this church for the last six months, and it has disappointed me deeply. It just doesn't cut it. There're many reasons, but I'm going to list the key ones and I'm sure your readers will immediately see where I'm coming from. * Growing up in church has its cons - everyone knows you, and everyone is watching your every action and ready to report you to your parents who serve as deacons, elders, or Sunday school teachers. * Two years ago, my church opened a class for non-believers to explore the beliefs of the Christian faith. In all honesty, we were not sure who would come. * The Church is the body of Christ. Whenever I am in the body of Christ, I feel loved, accepted, understood, embraced, and safe. I can rest in the truth of who I am in Christ. I can be myself. * By Melisa Manampiring, Indonesia In my younger days, I used to be a bookworm. My time was spent mainly in studying, going to school and attending church services. I was dead focused on getting the best grades at school. I was a quiet person and my schoolmates considered me strange. I felt that socializing would ... * I was at my packed church on Easter Sunday (Apr 21) in the central hills of Sri Lanka when a friend told me that bombs were going off at church services around the country. * It was the summer after 9/11. Looking back, I can't quite believe that we went. Everything and anything to do with airports and security was tense, and everyone was on high alert. So much was going on in the world, and yet our church still commissioned and sent out five different groups of teenagers to five different countries. * August 19, 2013, began like any other Monday at Uptown Baptist Church in Chicago, USA. As usual, I handled routine administrative tasks and worked on my sermon for the evening service at our soup kitchen ministry. The church employees were in the office working and chatting. No one knew it would become a day marked by tragedy. * At church as a child, when I was supposed to draw a picture of what I thought heaven would look like, I scribbled yellow crayon all over the page, conveying light and glory. Heaven was a mystery to me, and I feared it would be like my illustration * Do you have FOMO? I first heard this acronym in my church last October, when a university student shared about her struggle to manage her time after entering university; she had to balance her studies, church activities, social activities, and quiet time with God. * Some weeks ago, in my hometown Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia, a would-be suicide bomber charged into a church while it was holding a Sunday service and tried to detonate his vest. By God's grace, the bomb failed to detonate, and the congregation was able to restrain him and subsequently hand him over to the police. * The church was full: full of faces, food, color and noise. And yet, it somehow felt empty. To an outsider, it may have looked like a party . . . but the one person we were there to honor wasn't able to celebrate with us. * I was sexually assaulted by a senior member of my church's staff for four years. I was 21, and was doing an internship at my local church to explore a calling to full-time ministry. She was 42, and a director of the discipleship department. * A few weeks ago, my Bible study group in church was reading Rick Warren's book The Purpose Driven Life together. There was a section from the book that caught my attention. * It started as a simple plan - "Come meet us at the splashpad with your little ones." This email from the Children's Director at our church was a great idea. * One Sunday at church, my five-year-old niece and her family sat in the row in front of me. All of a sudden, she turned back and asked me innocently, "Aunty Agnes, how did you come to church today?" * It was just like any other Saturday night, and I was hanging out with my friends after the church service. * Church was crowded that Sunday. My family and I took seats in the back. A woman standing up from her seat in front of me quickly caught my attention. Her body was perfectly ladylike, with a small waist and a nice hip. * "I'm pretty sure you're not straight." Those words struck fear deep into my heart - the months prior to this conversation with my church friends, the possibility of not being straight - of being like "Them" - had been like an open wound I was trying to ignore. * I will never forget Christmas Day, 2014. It was the day my wife had a panic attack. We were getting ready to leave for church that day. * I was by the side of a church member's father minutes before he took his last breath. Overcome with emotion, I whispered a final prayer for him. It was the first time I'd felt so depressed while praying for someone. * Several weeks ago, my church mate commented about the attitude of an intern working in her organization. Whenever he did not know how to do something, she said, he would keep quiet instead of seeking help, or say that it could not be done. * At every stage of my student life, friends were an important part of my life. The majority of friends I was close to were not Christians. When I entered university, heard the gospel and believed in Jesus, I came to know fellow sisters and brothers in the church and became friends with them. * I was attending church one Sunday, and it was time for our offerings to be collected. Usually, I don't have much money - sometimes, none. But this week, I felt different. * "Hey, how 'bout coffee one of these days?" Guys, admit it, this is a tough question to ask a girl in your church-especially if yours is a particularly small community. Girls, admit it too, you probably wouldn't say yes that readily. These aren't uncommon scenes in the church and there could be multiple reasons why. ... ###### tags:`Christian Publications Book`