At a recent staff meeting, a minister assigned to lead our closing segment, which I routinely call “Prayers for the Church,” gave us all a twist. She asked each minister to think of one lay leader in the congregation who…
Who’s blessing whom?
By Scott Dickison Norma is one of my favorite church members. I’m sure pastors are not supposed to have favorite parishioners just like parents aren’t supposed to have favorite children, but hear my confession. I could go on and on…
‘American Sniper’ focuses on a hero. But whose?
American Sniper is a polarizing movie. If you have paid attention to the stories in the media you can see all manner of opinions about whether it is good or bad. Those opinions generally fall along the lines of the…
Your world is too small
By Brett Younger Less than 10 percent of the world’s population speaks English as their primary language. Less than 5 percent of the world lives in the United States. Less than 2 percent of the world is Baptist. Less than…
Virtual assistants, delegation, and monkeys
I have a virtual executive assistant. Her name is Misty. She lives 999 miles away from me. A virtual executive assistant management firm connected us. After observing us for several months, eaHelp.com asked me to be a presenter on a…
Holy dreams
By Molly T. Marshall What makes possible a visionary such as Martin Luther King Jr.? What sustains the hope of an Aung San Suu Kyi, a Mahatma Gandhi or a Marian Wright Edelman? They envision a different world and then…
When bad religion makes headlines
The recent hoopla over using the Duke University chapel for Muslim prayers raises interesting issues, and is just another sign of our highly-religious nation’s deeply troubled understanding of its own convictions. The value of religious principles to our nation’s values…
Pastors as social entrepreneurs
Seldom do I meet a pastor who, when they find out I’m in fundraising, asks about raising money. Ironically, most seminaries don’t teach this elemental aspect of ministry—congregations are nonprofits; contributions are elemental to their growth. However, before congregations and…
God have mercy: A Latina prayer
By Nora Lozano As Martin Luther King Day was getting closer, I decided to approach this observance in a prayerful way. After offering general prayers for justice, peace and racial reconciliation, I asked myself: is this enough? How should I…