By Amy Butler I recall the first time that I realized doctors did not know the solution to every medical problem. My thinking had been: when you have a scary, life threatening medical emergency, you go to see a medical…
3 leadership strategies every pastor should adopt
By Amy Butler I had a spirited conversation with some friends the other day about church revitalization. The topic came up because, in my circles, some version of this question is on everyone’s mind these days: “How can we revitalize…
Got questions? You’re not alone.
By Amy Butler Listening to a friend share devastating medical news this week, I sat listening and found myself unable to come up with any helpful or even appropriate response. Thoughts flashed through my mind as if on repeat film…
Three steps your church can take to confront gun violence
By Amy Butler Often when people comment about living in New York City, they say something along the lines of, “That’s a dangerous place!” or, “I hope you’re being careful!” It’s true that Gotham City is the largest city in…
The Pope who caught us unawares
By Amy Butler My whole city is abuzz with energy around the arrival of a special guest this week. Whether devout Catholic desperate for a once in a lifetime glimpse of the Holy Father or annoyed commuter already well aware…
Displaying an all-encompassing, come-as-you-are love of God
By Amy Butler This week has been another week of heart-wrenching news headlines, enough to make any thinking person despair for the state of the world. While Americans are preoccupied with misguided public servants tenaciously distorting the average American’s understanding…
4 reasons why preaching the lectionary might be right for your church
By Amy Butler I recently returned from a week at Preacher Camp. There are many things to recommend about the experience of retreating with excellent colleagues to plan preaching, and I’ve often written about the gift of this kind of…
Choosing adaptive change
By Amy Butler Church leadership experts offer plenty of recommendations for those of us crazy enough to take on the challenge of trying to help churches move into the future. I sit in these conference meetings and listen. I read…
Finding the better path
By Amy Butler Turns out it’s not all umbrella drinks and movie-worthy sunsets in paradise. For the last few weeks I’ve been visiting my home state of Hawaii, where there is an increasingly critical issue of affordable housing and more…