Sentences with phrase «people in the pews»

The «We» I have in mind here is the institutional church, the power of thousands and even millions of people in the pews of our denominations.

And the saddest thing about having to be on that «demigod» pedestal is that there are too many people in the pews who forcibly place you up there because it's easier to follow a fleshly person than it is to follow Jesus.

There might be a «statement of faith» but like «vision statements» these are usually crafted on high and you'd be surprised how many people in the pews disagree with the official lines, or understand those lines to mean different things.

Why when almost every major denomination on record opposed unilateral U.S. action in Iraq, did most people in the pews support it?

Could it be that these studies are actually comparing the average person in the pew today with the scholars and pastors of the past?

The only thing IMO that most have to keep people in the pews is fear and shame.

This new poll shows pastors have a distinct view of the current election cycle — one that's different from people in the pews, said Stetzer.

Well, you might ask, how do we get people in our pews to act more justly?

The authors are clearly aware that the subject matter is complex and have tried to make this a book for «the ordinary person in the pew», with simplified explanations and summaries at the end of each chapter.

People in the pews yearn for theological depth and authenticity.

It's harder to understand that than to count people in the pews, but it's necessary.

There are people in the pews whose faces I recognize, but whose names I don't know.

There are now persons in the pews who were born in the city, who are secular in their outlook, who are keenly aware of the ways in which their lives are shaped by structures which they do not control and who are concerned that their religious institutions should be active agents of social change.

People in the pew deserve more spiritual protein than is offered by some church - growth dream.

So when people in the pews hear their church leaders espouse this same ideal, that we should be cautious about political partisanship (generously stated), I'm not convinced the people are sophisticated enough to know that they aren't being (or shouldn't be) told to abandon positions on issues that are thought out and held up against the light of scripture.

I remember stepping past the other people in the pew, reaching the church aisle, and I remember nothing else until I was standing in the front of the church.

When we read all the statistics on how little people in the pew know about the actual words of Scripture, why can't we find a pastor who preaches through a book of the Bible or through a series of biblical characters... in the era of story, why do we continue to preach topics and tips?

There has been no «greening of Christianity» among people in the pews, despite efforts by some religious leaders to emphasize environmental stewardship, according to new Indiana University research.

That's the lesson I've taken out of your experiment - it's not about preaching to the crowd but about getting new people in the pews.

We have gay people, Democrats, Republicans, atheists, Muslims, ans all manner of people in our pews on Sunday morning.

Certainly, these are not minor matters and need to be discussed, but they are less pressing for people in the pews.

Many people in the pews have different beliefs than the people collecting from them.

I have even read a few theologians recently who have been pining for the good old days when the average person in the pew couldn't read the Bible for themselves!

So they always put an apocalyptic prophecy in the mix to keep people in those pews and cash landing on the trays as long as possible.

It seems to be a Church hierarchy further distancing itself from people in the pews.»

These are the people in the pew next to you every service.

Which was purest nonsense, as I tried to point out, since the playgoers know they're hearing Shakespeare's words but the people in the pew do not know they're hearing John Smith's.

Don't name names or anything, but tell stories so that people in the pews can be alerted to the spiritual abuse that happens in some churches, and so that spiritual abusers can be put on notice that we aren't going to take it any more.

I viewed the relationship between the people in the pew and the pastor in the pulpit as mutually beneficial.

When pastors preach «It is more blessed to give then to receive» the people in the pews should stand up and shout, «You first!»

This does not mean, as many pastors preach, that the people in the pews are more blessed when they give to the church than when they receive from the church.

«We would be derelict in our duties,» said Appleby, «if we didn't respond to people in our pews that need our help.»

If the people in the pew were biblically literate, they'd be able to keep the preacher in line, and not let him / her act like they knew everything and the congregation didn't.

How extensive was the gap between the people in the pew and the professors in the seminary, and how significant a factor was that in Preus's success?

He would often use words that the people in the pews would not understand.

Many churches teach that saving others is the responsibility of the people in the pews, so we should get involved in personal evangelism.

The talk could go so wrong, and she feared that the 200 people in the pews would be disgusted with her.

Ministry belongs to people in the pew, not to people in the pulpit.

It's not because I think God cares, but because I knew some people in the pews care very much.

When we use the same word for worship, however, we're usually relating numbers of people in the pew to worship talk.

It seems like the people in the pews have the power to define what is Christlike, and their spiritual leaders are only supposed to talk in vague platitudes — or address sins that everyone can agree on like abortion or pornography.

When the political infringes upon God's character and calling, it's important to speak loudly and clearly — even if it upsets the people in the pews.