Morning Links (June 2): Southern Baptist Convention Edition

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Lost and Found by Ed Stetzer and all 2.99
The Mission of Today's Church: Baptist Leaders Look At Modern Faith Issues by Ed Stetzer and Other's .99
God and the Gay Christian: A Response to Matthew Vines  by various .99
Understanding Sexual Identity: A resource for youth ministries by Mark A. Yanrhouse 7.99



Convention is just a few days away and there's a lot of issues we will be voting, and hopefully, thinking about about. Here are a few thoughts from well known SBC leaders.

4 Trends for Churches to Consider 
Ed Stetzer, a leading SBC missiologist and pollster, has written about four trends the church is currently facing that will also become important in the near future. Mainly we're getting smaller, which has some benefits (Christians of conviction will outnumber nominal believers) but there is much to be concerned about. Mainly, we have to find ways to reach out to millennials.

Southern Baptists' Millennial Problem
Speaking of Millennials, Trevin Wax gives his own ideas as to how to deal with the loss of this age group. He appeals to leaders to consider that our outreach has to take into consideration that millennials are staying single longer.

There is no "Third Way"
Al Mohler recently wrote about the so called "third way" many churches are following in regards to same sex relationships. It was spurred on by a recent decision by a pastor here in Southern California who changed his views on the issue, leading to an exodus of people from the congregation. A church split is always heart breaking, and always the last option, but in this case it was warranted. Mohler challenges the convention to remember one thing in all this: there is no third way. Either you're for it or against it.

A Resolution on Transgender for the SBC
Denny Burke has written about issue of transgender people in the church here. The idea that someone was born male, but identifies as a woman (or vice versa), is now the new issue facing churches. In a great sign of foresight, Burke has drafted a resolution (read it here) that would make clear what the SBC believes on these issues, namely that gender is a gift from God, and to do violence to the body in the form or surgery of hormone therapy, is wrong. Russell Moore also writes about this issue here