By Bill Leonard Sometimes I think I’d love a good mystical vision, when God told me exactly what is right and wrong; how to believe and behave. Surely then I could sort out all the theological and ethical dilemmas of…
How weighty are stories in congregational faith formation?
By Kenneth J. Meyers The culture generally addresses human dignity and justice issues before the church can get into gear. Such is the matter when in recent years Americans faced the LGBTQ life concerns with resolve. The cultural consideration recognized…
Unremarkable, but lovely
Scott Dickison A rabbi, an imam and a Baptist minister walk into a university auditorium. No, this isn’t the start of a bad joke. It’s just what happened this past Thursday evening on the campus of Mercer University in Macon,…
When church really isn’t what we think it is
By Amy Butler One of the best things about being a pastor is that over the course of experiencing the pastorate you can collect really great stories. Only some of those stories can be repeated in polite company, but that’s…
Addicted to fear
By Mark Wingfield Americans these days are addicted to fear. Fear, of course, is a natural emotional response that God has given us for good reason. It is fear that helps us not put a hand in the fire or…
Congregational vision is not about successful growing programs
By George Bullard Their name is Legend because there are many congregations who believe the best way to make progress is to have excellent programs, ministries and activities. They measure the success of their congregation by the quantitative and qualitative…
Religious terrorism
By Brett Younger I belong to a religious group that has been responsible for horrible acts of terrorism. The majority of us do not believe these terrorists are being true to our faith, but others insist on painting us all…
Grievous words
By Molly T. Marshall “A soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger” (Prov. 15:1, KJV) was one of the first Bible verses I learned as a child. Not only were we instructed to memorize this instruction,…
Sharing seeds of hope
By Nora O. Lozano La versión en español está disponible aquí. Two weeks ago I once more had the privilege of leading the Latina Leadership Institute Training in Texas. This year was particularly special because we launched the celebrations of…
Compartiendo semillas de esperanza
Nora O. Lozano An English version is available here. Hace dos semanas tuve el privilegio, una vez más, de dirigir el entrenamiento del Instituto de Liderazgo para Latinas (Latina Leadership Institute) en Texas. Este año fue particularmente especial porque iniciamos…
When sticky church becomes stuck church
By George Bullard A ministry acquaintance of mine, Larry Osborne of North Coast Church, an Evangelical Free Church in Vista, Calif., wrote a book several years ago called Sticky Church. The book makes the case that closing the back door…
Avoid thy neighbor?
By Corey Fields I sometimes attend neighborhood watch meetings. The idea behind such gatherings is a very good one. When neighbors know each other and work together, the neighborhood is stronger and crime rates decrease. Most folks I encounter are…