Category Archives: Disappointment in the church

Are Your Church Relationships Otiose? (Vain. Ineffective. Of no use.)

Posted on April 18, 2018 by Dave Edling & Tara Barthel

Q. How can church-going Christians truly build the “ties that bind” and cultivate “the unity of the Spirit through the bonds of peace?” through intimate, safe, authentic relationships that will persevere through conflict? A. “Where a people prays, there is … Continue reading →

Posted in Authentic Relationships in the Church, Biblical peacemaking in the church, Disappointment in the church, HOPE in the midst of conflict | Comments Off on Are Your Church Relationships Otiose? (Vain. Ineffective. Of no use.)

Res Ipsa Loquitur: Destructive Church Conflict Reveals Worldliness

Posted on April 5, 2017 by Dave Edling & Tara Barthel

A few weeks ago I wrote that the most frequently used search term that brings people to this site is “how to fire your pastor.” I lamented that fact because we desperately need God’s supernaturally gifted and theologically trained leaders … Continue reading →

Posted in Biblical peacemaking in the church, Causes of Church Conflict, Disappointment in the church | 1 Comment

The Acts 15 Model for Redeeming Church Conflict as a Model of Progressive Continuity Consistent with All of Scripture

Posted on February 25, 2017 by David V. Edling

Q. Why did you choose Acts 15 as the model for Redeeming Church Conflicts: Turning Crisis into Compassion and Care? A. Acts 15 records the first major conflict in a New Testament church and provides a fairly detailed account of … Continue reading →

Posted in Biblical peacemaking in the church, Causes of Church Conflict, Disappointment in the church, Excerpts from "Redeeming Church Conflicts", HOPE in the midst of conflict | Leave a comment

Easter Sunday: Never Again Need There Be A Conflict Beyond the Power of Redemption

Posted on January 4, 2017 by David V. Edling

Q. In last week’s post you refer to the Acts 15 model for redeeming church conflicts as one consistent with all of Scripture. The four elements you outline—Perspective, Discernment, Leadership, and Biblical Response—are spoken of as a “progressive continuity” that … Continue reading →

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Why is the rampant loss of hope a reality in most church conflicts?

Posted on October 1, 2016 by David V. Edling

One observation Tara and I make in Redeeming Church Conflicts concerns the loss of hope among believers who struggle with conflicts in the church. We spend a significant number of words on that sad dynamic and how to respond biblically. … Continue reading →

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How to Find the Perfect Church

Posted on August 4, 2016 by David V. Edling

“The church is divided and broken. It is filled with sinners and hypocrites. It is not perfect and, in this life, it will never be perfect, but it is nevertheless instituted by God. God has always entrusted his gospel, the … Continue reading →

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Other Things You Can Do Rather Than Fire Your Pastor

Posted on April 20, 2016 by Dave Edling & Tara Barthel

Week after week the most frequently searched topic that lands people at this website is “How to Fire Your Pastor.” If you are a regular reader of this site you may recall that I wrote a three part series under … Continue reading →

Posted in Biblical peacemaking in the church, Conflicts involving church leaders, Conflicts with our youth pastor, Disappointment in the church | Leave a comment

Trust is shattered when a pastor is caught in deception and overt sin.

Posted on December 18, 2015 by Dave Edling & Tara Barthel

All pastors are sinners, just like the rest of us. But some pastors sin in particularly brazen ways. These sins sometimes stay hidden for a certain period of time, but sooner or later, the truth will come to light. And … Continue reading →

Posted in Biblical peacemaking in the church, Church discipline, Conflicts involving church leaders, Conflicts with our youth pastor, Disappointment in the church | Leave a comment

How do you respond when fellow Christians REFUSE to repent / “Get the Logs out of Their own Eyes”?

Posted on October 1, 2015 by David V. Edling

Q. What do you do when you confess to someone in your church, but the person is completely unwilling to see the logs in their own eyes and / or repent / confess to you? Especially when the other person … Continue reading →

Posted in Biblical peacemaking in the church, Causes of Church Conflict, Conflicts involving church leaders, Disappointment in the church | 1 Comment

What difference does church membership make? I do everything in my church except vote …

Posted on December 29, 2014 by David V. Edling

“I am a regular attender, not a member.” Those were the sad words I heard; another person explaining to me the nature of their relationship with the church that they had been attending for eight years. I asked her: “I … Continue reading →

Posted in Church discipline, Disappointment in the church, Lawsuits and Church Conflict | Leave a comment