I’ve reached my 500th post! It’s really just a credit to the great readership that is developing here at Pastor Dave Online. Most of you are members of our church and you know I love you, but to those few who have stumbled upon the site and continue to keep reading let me say a special thank you to you too. As a way of saying thank you I am offering a give away this week. I am calling it the Hipster’s Theology Gift Set, but it is certainly not only for “Hipsters” (especially since Hipsters don’t actually exist). The theology gift set includes the items seen in the picture:
1. Deep Church: A Third Way Beyond Emerging and Traditional by Jim Belcher (a great book that blends the best of what’s called the emerging church and the orthodoxy of traditional theology. I don’t know of any book that has received such a variety of endorsements. )
2. Seven Swans by Sufjan Stevens ( This album is deeply moving and theologically intriguing. Sufjan is a brilliant folk artist who writes compelling songs about the transfiguration, Abraham, and the death of Christ. It is, personally, my favorite album of his).
3. Martin Luther is My Homeboy coaster (coffee rings are of the devil! And now you can provide your furniture with not-quite-eternal-security by setting your beverages on this coaster.)
4. Love Wins sticker (Our church was handing out these stickers long before Rob Bell wrote his book and I stand by the content of the sticker…not so much the content of his book.)
To enter the contest just post a comment here stating what you believe is the most significant challenge for the church today. Everyone who comments will be entered into a drawing for the prize. The winner will be drawn at random and announced on Friday right here at Pastor Dave Online. You have all week to enter and you don’t have to be a hipster to play (because of course no one really is).
Thanks again, friends.
Dave
Sparrow & Heart Soul Care 
I would have to say that the most significant challenge that the church faces today is the fact that matte believers are spending more time criticizing and disagreeing with one another and not enough time making sure to fulfill the Great Commission. The problem is that the greatest attack on the church that Satan has ever committed is this: he has convinced the church to turn it’s guns on itself while he grabs the world by the back of the neck and drags it straight into Hell. I hope and pray that more churches will realize their crucial role in taking the Gospel to all nations.
I meant “mature believers.” I have sausage fingers… sorry.
I think a challenge the church is facing is it’s trying so hard to be up on culture and standing out from other churches. That in the end the church is not preaching the gospel or living the gospel, it is simply turning into a middle school kid trying to win a popularity contest. I think the American church is so focused on having a big crowd it is forgetting that when two or three are gathered…
I think a challenge the church is facing today is snobby doctrine. We often times think that our understanding of God’s word is greater than everyone outside of our opinions. I feel as though every church faces this. We put on these façades and act like we are understanding of other people’s theology, but the minute they walk away we are mocking or correcting everything they said. There is a difference in being theologically sound and a theological snob. I most def. struggle with this, especially the more I study and seek God and theology. He has been humbling me about it too…
I believe challenge of our church today is to train more disciples to go out and spread the “Good News!” Many Christians fill a pew and remain idle and become way to comfy in that environment, this does nothing for those in true need in our community, NO ONE is going to come to you! There a lot of “lazy” Christians going to a social event, not going into the trenches winning souls. And the Lord said unto the servant, “Go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” Luke 14:23…The key word here is “GO!!!!!” ………..sorry, *are a lot*