By Linley McCord Hannah Okafor not only enjoys school but already has an eye on a chosen profession — even as a rising seventh grader. “I’ve always wanted to be a mechanical engineer,” she said. Now, Okafor has a pretty good chance…
The myth of the elite young athlete
I recently received an email from my brother-in-law that contained several video links. “Tell me what you think.” My brother-in-law wrote. I clicked and opened each link and watched my 8-year-old nephew goaltending a lacrosse goal. The video contained the…
Parenting in the age of Paw Patrol: Drones and the formation of children
My children, like many, enjoy cartoons. While my wife and I are careful to limit the amount of television they watch, our children still have several shows that they frequent more often than others, including a recent Nickelodeon show titled…
When churches want a pastor who can ‘bring in young families’
. please consider sharing this post. Almost every church I’ve ever known has wanted to Attract Young Families. The reasoning behind this includes the following: If we don’t regenerate, everyone will eventually get old and die. It’s energizing to have…
Inclusion reflex
Epiphany: why Jesus talked about children and we should too
Epiphany and the path to common ground I learned about the season of Epiphany from the book of Daily Office Bible readings I stole from the Episcopalians some thirty years ago. First, I wondered why the advent readings focused on…
For unto us a child is born
By David Gushee Follow David:@dpgushee I have had the extremely rare privilege in the last two weeks of holding a tiny human being named Jonah. He entered the world on Dec. 10, weighing not even eight pounds and stretching not…
Practicing Until We Need It
Practicing Until We Need It
Garrison Keillor got it right about children
My wife has an acrylic paperweight which was given to her some years ago. Etched into it is the quote popularized by Garrison Keillor of Prairie Home Companion fame that says, “Nothing you do for children is ever wasted.” I…
“They are children”: Preachers and politicians part ways at the border
While politicians apportion blame for the thousands of unaccompanied Central American children arriving at our border, the faith community looks for ways to help. I over-simplify, of course. We confront a complex tangle of rhetoric and response, and there are…
Gaza children learn NC Christians care about them
As the bombs began to fall, we grieved that we could leave but they could not. My wife, Emily and I are members of Watts Street Baptist Church in Durham, N.C. In November, 2012, we had the unique opportunity to visit…
Missed church last Sunday? What do you need to do?
An increasing number of people miss church on Sundays, or other times during the week when primary worship services or small groups gather. The average number of weeks active Christians attend church is decreasing. The benchmark of at least 48…