CHRISTIAN ATHEIST : Is a person who believes in God but lives as though God doesn’t exist or is largely irrelevant to the every day business of living.
The term CHRISTIAN ATHEIST is a figure of speech called an oxymoron in which seemingly contradictory terms appear side by side. Other examples of oxymorons that perhaps you have used are:

• It was PRETTY UGLY
• If you want my UNBIASED OPINION
• My response was a DEFINITE MAYBE
• The numbers were GROWING SMALLER
• I had to take the ONLY CHOICE

• The SILENCE was DEAFENING
• I was CLEARLY CONFUSED
• Why don’t you ACT NATURALLY
• It was a GENUINE IMITATION
• She took the LARGER HALF

I was most interested to learn from a family in my church about their recent holiday in another state. Even more so when they had taken the time to visit a very well known church in that state. I asked them what was it that impressed them most about the church and what could we learn from them.

Their reply surprised me. It was the carpark attendants that impacted them and would even prompt them to return to the church again. They told of how the carpark attendants:

• warmly greeted them.
• helped direct them to a convenient section set aside for newcomers.
• escorted them to the church foyer, whilst holding

(33) “TO MINISTER OR TO MANIPULATE”
There came a time when I was awakened to the fact that my life of service as a pastor was being subtly motivated by my need for appreciation from those that I served. For example, following the preaching of a sermon I would feel valued and appreciated when the feedback was warm and encouraging. Then I read Larry Crabb’s book The Marriage Builder and I learned that in marriage, as in all of life, I had two options in the way I was motivated to serve. First, I can serve by way of manipulating people to respond in a way that will meet my …

I recently read an article by Thom Rainer entitled ‘The One Common Factor of Effective Church Leaders’.  He began the article by asking a critical question, “Is it possible to find one common factor in the lives and ministries of the most effective church leaders?” He answered, “I think so” and then went on to say that “The most effective church leaders are being continuously and intentionally mentored…   …it is the difference between good leadership and great leadership for most church leaders.”  Having made his point with some conviction, Thom Rainer however had to conclude that “mentoring is missing in over 90% of church leaders’ lives today.”
After …