Well, it is Tuesday again so time for the High 5, a collection of five articles that caught my eye this week.
Interesting lies from bad church statistics: We have all heard that Christians are just a likely divorce as non-Christians or that adolescence are leaving the church in record high numbers. Turns out, some of these tales are just adventures in misapplication of statistics.
One thing for a missional 2015: As a church community we are trying to grow in being missional (that is, seeing everything we do as part of the mission that God has called His people to). At times that requires a big change in our thinking, at other times, it is changing small things. This article gives the secret for how to revolutionize your missional life this here (spoiler: it is very simple and easy to do)
Common myths about the great commission: Lies we believe about the mission that God has sent us on.
Did pirates really make people walk the plank: Just in case you want to be a buzz kill at our church retreat this weekend (themed "Walk the Plank") here are some "facts" and "history" that ruin a good narrative.
The Strange life of "Lord" Timothy Dexter: We all know eccentric people but Timothy Dexter (18th Century entrepreneur and general bumbling fool) takes the cake. His story starts with him making a fortune following the pseudo-advice of people who wanted to bankrupt him and then gets crazier from there. From the article: "Lord Dexter was one of America’s first famed eccentrics -- yet, in the annals of history, he has been largely forgotten. This is a tragedy. Though he constantly yearned to be accepted, Lord Dexter refused to compromise his strange ways; in doing so, he paved the way for all aspiring American weirdos"