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	<title>Christian Atheist</title>
	<link>http://christianatheist.com</link>
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	<lastBuildDate>Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:38:21 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>Your Prayers Matter</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Dear Church,
My family is overwhelmed with gratitude for your prayers. Thank you for lifting us before God faithfully.
Several of you ask us often how you can specifically pray for us. I always look forward to giving you honest and immediate needs because I know your prayers make a difference.
If you ever don’t know what to [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://christianatheist.com/2010/03/03/your-prayers-matter/</link>
			</item>
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		<title>Your Friendship Matters</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Dear Church,
Thank you so much for treating me like a normal person. I feel that you honor the “office” of the pastor but love and accept me as a person.
I don’t take this for granted. Many of my pastor friends tell me that they feel lonely in ministry. Many have explained that other pastors in [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://christianatheist.com/2010/03/02/your-friendship-matters/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Letters from a Pastor</title>
		<description><![CDATA[People in my church often ask me, “What can we do to help you?”
This week I’d like to dialog about how people can truly help and support their pastor. I’ll write from my perspective and would love to hear yours.
Your Words of Encouragement Matter
Dear Church,
Thank you so much for taking time to share how God [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://christianatheist.com/2010/03/01/letters-from-a-pastor/</link>
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	<item>
		<title>UMC &#8211; Part 6</title>
		<description><![CDATA[This may be the most controversial suggestion I’ll make. I understand that the implications are enormous and complicated. I also acknowledge the “real estate” ownership questions this raises (which is another important issue).
I think the United Methodist Church either needs to become united again or intentionally part ways.
Today, there is a huge divide between liberal [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://christianatheist.com/2010/02/26/umc-part-6/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>UMC &#8211; Part 5</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The United Methodist Church (and other mainline denominations) have many (mostly) empty buildings. To survive and thrive, these churches must learn to work together.
I’d suggest that many UM churches consider merging and become multi-site churches. If you have a strong UM church with limited space and a struggling UM church with an empty building, why [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://christianatheist.com/2010/02/25/umc-part-5/</link>
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		<title>UMC &#8211; Part 4</title>
		<description><![CDATA[(Note: I’m very grateful for the spirit of the discussion this week. I hope these posts don’t come across as arrogant but as humble suggestions from someone who cares. I acknowledge that my ideas may not be possible — or may not work, but hopefully, they will spur on helpful conversations.)
When I was an associate [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://christianatheist.com/2010/02/24/umc-part-4/</link>
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		<title>UMC &#8211; Part 3</title>
		<description><![CDATA[As I continue to think about the future of the United Methodist Church, I’m hopeful that the UMC (and other mainline denominational churches) will attract and retain more young leaders.
To do so effectively would take many fundamental changes. One might include re-evaluating the ordination process.
When I was a UMC pastor, I was an un-ordained “local [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://christianatheist.com/2010/02/23/umc-part-3/</link>
			</item>
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		<title>UMC Part 2</title>
		<description><![CDATA[One of the biggest challenges (in my opinion) for the UMC church involves the itinerant system.
Here is a brief statement about the itinerant system from the UMC:
“The itinerant system is the accepted method of The United Methodist Church by which ordained elders are appointed by the bishop to fields of labor. All ordained elders shall [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://christianatheist.com/2010/02/22/umc-part-2/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Suggestions For My UMC Friends (Part 1)</title>
		<description><![CDATA[A leader from the United Methodist Church asked me if I’d write a few suggestions for the denomination. I was very honored by his request and thought I’d share a few thoughts.
My family attended various Methodist Churches in Texas and Oklahoma. I did my undergraduate work at Oklahoma City University (a UMC school). After graduating [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://christianatheist.com/2010/02/22/suggestions-for-my-umc-friends-part-1/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Too Shallow</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Many of us were taught that to reach people today, we have to make our sermons simple, practical and relevant. While I agree that all three qualities are important, we must never forget they all must be spiritual to change lives!
In our efforts to reach people far from God, some pastors with good intentions are [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://christianatheist.com/2010/02/19/too-shallow/</link>
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