Family and Home Archives

No, the Church in America is Not Dying

To borrow and adapt a phrase from the late Mark Twain, reports of the Church’s death have been greatly exaggerated.

Christianity Today recently ran an article by Pastor Ed Stetzer, the president of LifeWay Research, that drives home this point. In “The State of the Church In America: Hint: It’s Not Dying,” Stetzer corrects this false narrative that the Evangelical Church is on an irreversible downward trajectory.

In doing so, he makes an important distinction – and I’ll quote Stetzer here: “Christianity is represented by people who live for Christ, not check ‘Christian’ on a survey form.”

As he fleshes out this idea, Stetzer separates the 75 percent of Americans who identify with one of three categories – those who say they are Christian because of their family history or heritage; those who do nothing more than attend church every now and then; and, finally, those who acknowledge a personal relationship with Jesus and have experienced a real life-change.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: church, pastors, religious liberty October 14, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

VIDEO: “How Great Is Our God” Around the World

God has given me the privilege of traveling the world. During my senior year of college, I studied in Tokyo. That experience gave me a glimpse of what I was to experience later during my early tenure at Focus, first as the international field director for Asia, Africa and Australia and later as the vice president of our international division.

All told, my travels have taken me to more than 70 countries. During each visit, I’ve had the honor of meeting with fellow believers.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: church, faith, staff October 11, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How to Mourn with the Parents of Stillborn and Miscarried Children

The Gospel Coalition blog recently ran a vulnerably written post where a father described what he and his wife experienced when they lost their child in the womb.

It’s something no one wants to think about, let alone live through. And often, those of us who surround a couple walking through this intense grief feel at a loss as to how to best respond and help.

That’s why I want to share with you John Patton’s post, “How to Mourn with the Parents of Stillborn and Miscarried Children.” It not only explains the pain parents go through, it also provides six wise thoughts on how to help in this heartbreaking situation.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: kids, pastors October 10, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

VIDEO: This Well-Known Christian Couple Almost Divorced Until…

Dr. Greg Smalley, son of popular author and speaker Dr. Gary Smalley, serves as Focus’ Vice President of Family Ministries. Greg’s office is just steps from mine, and I enjoy our regular interactions. Not only is he a marriage expert and popular author with a doctorate in psychology, but he also has a great sense of humor. He’s a fun guy to be around. Greg and his wife, Erin, have been married for 21 years and have four children.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, husband, pastors, wife October 9, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

5 Things to Look for in a Pastor

October is Clergy Appreciation Month, a time when Christians are encouraged to express gratitude to their pastors, ministers and leaders.

But the subject gives rise to a question:

What makes a pastor a leader you can trust and follow and ultimately appreciate, not just every October but the other eleven months of the year?

I’m sure we all have our “non-negotiable” characteristics. I’ve come up with a list of five things (based on Scriptures found in Titus and 1 Timothy 3) that I think Christians may want to look for in a pastor.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: church, pastors October 8, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

A Father’s Final Act of Love

Over the past few days I’ve found my thoughts turning often toward 13-year-old Gracie Johnson, the sole survivor of a freak Colorado rockslide that claimed the lives of her parents, sister, and two other relatives while hiking this past Monday in Buena Vista.

As a Colorado resident this tragedy may be hitting me especially hard, but you don’t need to be a local or even an outdoorsman to be affected by this widely circulating story. The idea of the unthinkable happening and changing our lives in a moment may be a universal fear, and one most of us would prefer not to dwell on.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family, husband October 7, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

“Focus Findings” is Where Research Meets Common Sense

We’ve probably all been there – we’re scanning a news article online or watching a story on a magazine news show and we see something that just stops us cold. It’s a declaration presented in fact, and even backed up by “research” that you know is at odds with what Scripture teaches.

“Christian marriages end in divorce at the same rates as all other marriages, so what does it matter if you don’t marry a believer?”
“Marriage is an outdated institution that demeans women.”
“Everyone knows kids do just as well when they’re raised by same-sex parents as by their biological parents.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: church, family, kids, pop culture October 3, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How “Grace Unplugged” Director Brad Silverman Engages the Culture

One of my passions is to encourage believers to engage the culture with a Christ-like spirit. It doesn’t matter what you do for a living, you can bless the people around you when you’re open to letting God use you in your sphere of influence.

Brad Silverman is one of those Christians who “gets” that. He’s a writer and director of movies. Some may consider Silverman to be something of an anomaly in Hollywood, but he is faithful to that calling.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: church, entertainment, pastors October 1, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Are American Christians Ignoring the Mayhem of the Middle East?

Our 24/7 news cycle is consumed these days with American politicians sparring over the debt ceiling and the implementation of President Obama’s controversial healthcare plan, both important debates to be sure. Meanwhile, the tragic fact that followers of Jesus Christ are being targeted and slaughtered across the globe is given scant attention.

We learned recently of the horrific attack against a Pakistani church by Muslim extremists that killed 85. In Kenya, the jihadists that attacked an upscale mall in Nairobi reportedly killed hostages that couldn’t recite the Koran.

Topics: Current Events/ Family and Home Tags: church, faith, religious liberty September 30, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Fetal Pain Opens Eyes to Preborn Humanity

Recently, a colleague shared an encouraging article with me from Utah’s Deseret News. Titled, “Small survivors: How the disputed science of fetal pain is reshaping abortion law,” the piece does an excellent job of highlighting the humanity of preborn babies.

The article tells the story of twin toddlers, Caleb and Julian, who had been born at 26 weeks and 5 days gestation. Their birth age is noticeably earlier than the 28 weeks milestone the Supreme Court had originally set as the point of “viability” back in 1972.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: kids, parenting, pro-life September 26, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura