“Communicate or die.” That’s the grim truth many churches are grappling with as they seek to fulfill the Great Commission in modern Australia. In a series of three articles, Robert Doyle asks: Does our ‘package’ clearly communicate our message?
Category Archives: Church
Explorations 2: Church, Worship and the Local Congregation
Review
What the church is
Thought
Following on from our feature on denominations, this article by D.B. Knox examines in more detail the biblical doctrine of church.
Here come the Koreans
With the eyes of the world now having left Korea, we might turn our attention to some Koreans now living in Australia. One suspects that they are doing more for ‘world peace’ than the Olympic movement… (more…)
Baptism Revisited
Interchange
Chris Moroney was prompted to write by the article “Ritual and Reality” in Briefing #9:
My experience is quite different. No-one I’ve talked with has chosen the ‘No Frills’ baptism. In the past, I have presented it too negatively, as an option for non-believers. (more…)
The Denomination as Idol
Life
Defining our terms
It seems extreme to suggest that denominations are idols for many Australian Christians, and yet it is hard to come to any other conclusion. How can we justify such a statement? First of all, let’s define our terms.
How to survive your denomination
Thought
In this issue of The Briefing, we look at denominations—those organisations we love to hate. This first article looks briefly at how we should relate to our denomination, and what interplay there should be between the denomination and the local church.
When church is like an ABC documentary
Life
When surveyed about what should be on television, most people say they want more documentaries. The ABC has certainly complied with this wish, giving us documentaries on every conceivable (and inconceivable) subject. We have wandered the art world of Europe, the reproductive cycle of the ant, the history of dance, and the wonders of the cosmos. We have delved into the history of war and the history of love, the history of science, even the history of Christianity.
Is heaven democratic?
Democracy is really an attempt to rebuild the tower of Babel. It is an attempt to gather everybody together under one system whereby mankind can rule the world without reference to God. You might argue that all human government has this characteristic. (more…)
Have evangelicals lost their way?
Thought, Sola Panel
We live in an age of change. Evangelicalism, as much as anything else, is going through transformation, but are the changes for better or worse? For some, Evangelicalism is maturing and evolving into a responsible contribution to Christianity. Others see the changes as a sell-out of principles, and a denial of the faith of our fathers. Whither Evangelicalism?
Giving the Aesthetes a Black Eye
As golf courses are to road builders, so church buildings are to conservationists.
Churches have been scattered all over Australia from the earliest settlement. Church buildings are therefore some of the oldest buildings in our nation and people have a romantic, sentimental attachment to them. Especially people who never go! As one of our ancient sandstone relics comes into view, the eyes of the heritage greeny fill not with dollar signs, but with “Interim Conservation Order”. (more…)