BCoop

“We want a church that moves the world, not a church that moves with the world.“ - GK Chesterton

@ryanburge Where’s Wheaton?

What seminaries are growing? Which ones are declining? I compared the 2024 data from ATS to the same data from 2007 below. Midwestern Baptist is up 290% United Theological is up 244% Southwestern Baptist is down 46% Fuller Theological is down 63%

Today was a good day…. Thankful for @WheatonCollege and the amazing growth it provided over the last 4 years!

It’s wild to me how a deeper dive into science always reveals more of the same… There is a BRILLIANT MIND behind creation!

@howertonjosh He was an absolute BEAST! Love that you have leaned into him... grateful for his life and example... may we all carry suffering this well in our faith journeys!

This prayer comes from Pastor Richard Baxter in the 1600s. Years ago, I saved it for one simple reason: One day, I am going to have to set an example to my kids and my grandkids to show them how a Christian man dies.

@johnintx713 @ryanburge Great add.

@ryanburge We (SBC) have a larger amount of non-SBC students in our seminaries than we once had. Yes, SBCers are going to non-denom churches, but there are also more non-SBCers attending SBC seminaries.

A couple of years ago, I compared the change in seminary students to the change in membership in a bunch of denominations. PCUSA had a 50% dip in members and a 55% drop in seminarians. One outlier? The Southern Baptist Convention. Members are down 16% Seminarians up 14%.

Your understanding of forgiveness and your understanding of love trend together. @BCooP

@johnpauldickson @mgandia283394 @JoshuaBarzon Let’s get ink?

@mgandia283394 @JoshuaBarzon Yep. As it appears in the word stauros — cross — in the oldest manuscript of Luke (c 200), designed to depict Jesus on a cross. It’s marvellous.

which ancient Christian symbol is your favorite?

"If I told you there was one free thing you could do every Sunday that would make your kids happier, healthier, smarter, and closer to you, you'd think I was selling something." Take your kids to church regularly. I don't care if you believe. The data is so lopsided that skipping it is the parenting equivalent of refusing vegetables because you don't like the taste. Grades. Religious teens get As at almost twice the rate of nonreligious teens. In a class of 100, that's 24 A-students instead of 14. Church gives a kid the same academic boost as being born rich instead of poor. College. Working-class religious kids earn bachelor's degrees at double the rate of their nonreligious peers. Middle-class kids do it at 1.5x the rate. For families without a trust fund, this is one of the most powerful forms of upward mobility social scientists have measured. Character. Religious teens are far less likely to lie, cheat, or do things they hope their parents never find out about. They're more likely to care about racial equality, the elderly, and the poor. They reject the idea that morality is whatever works for you in the moment. That kind of kid doesn't happen by accident. It's built. Closeness. 60% of parents of religious teens say they feel "extremely close" to their kid, compared to 50% of nonreligious parents. The kids report the same thing back. They get along better with their parents, talk about hard stuff, and actually want to spend time with their family. Despair. Religious teens are dramatically less likely to be depressed, anxious, lonely, or feel that life is meaningless. 90% of devoted religious teens never binge drink, compared to 41% of the disengaged. Economists named the modern epidemic "deaths of despair." Regular church attendance is one of the strongest known buffers against it. Parents are spending fortunes trying to solve teen mental health. The most evidence-backed intervention is free. Purpose. Religious young adults report higher purpose, gratitude, life satisfaction, and resilience. These are the exact traits every parent says they want their kid to have. Here's why it works. Affluent families already surround their kids with networks of stable, accomplished adults through neighborhoods, schools, and parents' colleagues. Working and middle-class families usually don't. A congregation is often the last institution in American life that puts your kid in weekly contact with dozens of stable, employed, sober adults who know their name. It used to be called "a village." Now it barely exists outside of churches. "But I don't believe." Your kid doesn't need your theology. They need you to show up. "But church is boring." So is sitting through a kindergarten music recital. Parenting is the deliberate choice to be bored on purpose for someone you love. There's a church within 15 minutes of nearly every American home. You don't need money, connections, or credentials to walk in. Nothing else in this country will surround your kid with engaged adults, teach them moral seriousness, and give them a stable weekly rhythm at zero cost. You already drive them to practices that produce far less. The free thing on Sunday produces more, on more dimensions, than almost anything else you do as a parent. You don't have to believe anything. You just have to take them.

He’s one of the most thoughtful and helpful leaders of our generation…

God Bless Ben.

👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽

This is what it looks like when death loses its sting. It has no victory over this man. What a blessing that @BenSasse could share the truth and His light in this interview! God is good.

@howertonjosh @politiyogini @DrFrankTurek Excellent answer.

Protestants do not exclude them as an authority in any sense, but we do not hold them as authoritative in the sense that Scripture is authoritative. Generally speaking, Protestants “rank” authorities like this (it’s called the Wesleyan Quadrilateral)… Scripture Tradition Reason Experience Also, we do not believe church councils “chose” Scripture. We believe they *recognized* Scripture, much like Isaac Newton did not CREATE gravity, he RECOGNIZED gravity.

How can Protestants exclude Church Councils as an authority for "sola scripture" if they are relying on a Biblical cannon chosen by a council through a tradition? @DrFrankTurek @howertonjosh Serious question from a Christian searching for a denomination.

.@JusBrierley has featured much of this conversation in his book/podcasts “The surprising rebirth of belief in God.”

They say a father is the one person who quietly roots for you to outgrow him—to go further, do better, and live bigger than he ever could. There’s something really powerful in that. 🥹💕

The purpose of art was once not to shock or transgress, but to elevate the soul.

Very interesting.

Reflecting on this truth on a Saturday night: “PREACHERS PREACH so that the Church might PREACH!” …but the word of the Lord remains forever." And this word is the good news that was preached to you. 1 Peter 1:25

Not mad about this!

Dadlife is the best!