In the face of systemic human suffering and need, children’s first instinct is to rely on their church family to increase their effectiveness in responding to said need.
Who’s the Boss?
Our freedom is found not in being without a master, but in the identity of our master. Because there will always be a boss, it very much matters who that boss will be.
4th and 7th for the 2nd Time
Now we come to even more serious situations—not a mere financial crisis but a financial collapse.
Sharks, Life, and Jesus
Hard things happen to those you lead, so help them be ready. Pray for your flock, speak truth into their lives, keep them connected to you and to others in their community of faith.
The Fragility of Ministry
The best things in life are the risky things, the impractical things, but maybe especially, the things that can’t break.
4th and 7th to Go
Before we get too excited about seeing our debts float down river, I must point out that Israel’s system of loans and debts is a world away from our own.
Preaching through Pain: A Contemporary Christian Conversation
What happens when the preacher struggles with their own faith? Mike Cope speaks of finding ways to minister to others from an authentic place even when your heart is broken.
Yet - from Balkan Voices
What is the difference between reasoned encouragement that penetrates the soul and glib phrases that skate off our skin?
Pocket Phrases
When you decide to reach out to someone in the wake of a divorce, death, cancer, addiction, or even if they have skipped a few Sundays, there is a risk that you might say the wrong thing.
Why I Pray The Daily Offices
I had been praying in our worship services and at night with my children, but my daily time in prayer had somehow gone the way of my schedule.
A Whale of a Tale
Nothing "spiritual" today—unless you consider the magnificence of creation something of spiritual wonder.
The Things that Make for Peace: Saying “I’m Sorry”
If the apology becomes about us receiving forgiveness, we’ve lost our focus on the welfare of the other and are just trying to make ourselves feel good.
I Remember - from Rusty Tugman (on His Son's Birthday)
How could I forget the one who made known to me a kind of love that runs so deep it cannot be explained?
I Saw a Captain in Action
The purpose of vision is to lead us on a journey of lessons more than it is about reaching a destination. May we as leaders see a vision for ourselves first.
South from Alaska (bummer)
Alaska was everything and more than I ever expected it to be.
An Update and Reflections on the Church Health Assessment
When church leaders seek a meaningful place to assess the health of their congregation, where do they turn?
Foundations for Worship: Jewish Feasts
Foundations provide support for structures, but that does not mean that the structures will look like the foundation. A house does not look like a basement.
Shabbat and Learning to Let Go
God, creator of the universe, stopped to rest. Not because he had to but because he chose to. God took a day off, then he called it holy!
When Ministers Behave Badly: Why Facebook Forums Will Not Determine the Future of the Movement
We objectify truth, rather than participate in it. We grab onto what we believe is true, and with a white-knuckled grip we wield it as a powerful weapon.
Fixer Upper, Shiplap, and the Importance of Greeting
Greeting others when we gather for worship may seem unimportant, but it participates in the substance of who we are as God’s family.