“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” –Mother Teresa It is Friday night, and 125 friends, new and old, crowd the yard at QC Family Tree. We are gathered to…
Jimmy Carter: Faith as verb
By Bill Leonard Jimmy Carter was president of the United States. Jimmy Carter has built Habitat for Humanity dwellings for 33 years. Jimmy Carter led the Carter Center in eradicating much of the Guinea worm plague in West Africa. Jimmy…
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…
‘Straight Outta Compton’ reveals plight of African-American men in U.S.
All musical bio-movies seem to follow the same script. A group or an individual rises from poverty to the heights of fame. Along the way they get taken advantage of by a manager and end up casting said manager aside….
Millennial ministry: It’s time we drop the adjective
By Aileen Lawrimore Collegiate ministry. My Facebook newsfeed is full of articles that have something to say about ministry to or with young adults (often referred to formally as Millennials). And if you read BuzzFeed, the Huffington Post or other…
Learning to pray from our Muslim sisters
“Do you think its is difficult to pray five times a day,” Jilda asked? “Yes. I think it is difficult,” was my answer. “It is not difficult,” she responded. “I love God. It is not hard.” Each visit with Jilda…
The spiritual practice of listening
By Jayne Hugo Davis When two of my sisters asked me what I wanted as a gift for my 50th birthday, I told them a collection of family stories — their personal recollections of family history, anecdotes or folly that,…
Between the World and Me: A reflection
Over the weekend, I ventured out to Barnes & Noble in Atlanta to pick up a couple books. I bought March, a graphic novel that is a first-hand account of Congressman John Lewis’ life and struggle for civil rights. I…
Churchless believers?
Emerging Paths for Fresh Ministries The religious and church landscape is definitely shifting today! We have the traditional members and churches, the missional communities of faith, the multi-site congregations, workplace ministries and a growing host of faith-based non-profits and para-church…
Cultivating generous giving
By Molly T. Marshall Since my vocation as a seminary president requires travel and presence in varied congregations, which means irregular attendance at my home church, I volunteered to be a member of the stewardship committee. It meets at times…
The grief of baptism
As a hospital chaplain, a colleague of mine recently shared the story of her experience administering the rite of baptism for a baby on the NICU, per the request of the family, prior to a planned terminal extubation. She discussed…
Sermon mistakes
By Doyle Sager I misspoke in one of my recent sermons. I know. You’re not surprised that a preacher flubbed up. You’re only surprised that said preacher would admit it! Yes, I made a mistake in the pulpit! I was…