By Aileen Lawrimore “Well,” the teen said after thinking only for a moment, “I’d like to talk about evangelism.” I was with a group of young people — ages 19-35 — and I had asked what issues of faith they’d…
The spiritual practice of stacking stones
Stacking stones claims ordinary moments of life for God and invites those who pass by to notice the holy ground on which they already stand. Truth be told, an altar was the last thing I expected to find at the…
The spiritual practice of load shedding
By Jayne Hugo Davis Does it ever feel like the demands upon you require more than the resources you have to give? Maybe it’s time or energy that’s in short supply. Maybe it’s money or creativity or answers. Or compassion…
An encompassing Christology
By Molly T. Marshall The Baptist World Congress is assembling in Durban, South Africa, and it holds much promise because of its setting and its theme. South Africa manifests significance for the whole world because of its pursuit of truth…
Looking for new ways to measure ministry?
By Doyle Sager Last month, I wrote in this column about the limitations of the old metrics for tracking congregational vitality: attendance and budgets (or, if you prefer, nickels and noses). These numbers record some things, but perhaps not the most…
The conversation churches do not want to have
By Bill Wilson Our current economy and the ongoing transitions in congregational life and ministry focus have combined to create intense pressure on church staffing models. With finances tight, congregations are being forced to take stock of the number of…
Musical Chairs and the leaders of dying organizations
By Mark Wingfield “I don’t want the ship to go down on my watch.” These words have been uttered, or perhaps muttered under the breath, by many a pastor and organizational leader who has found themselves at the helm of…
Uncluttering
By John Chandler About 25 years ago, a wise and slightly-bored retiree friend told me that he was about to start a new business venture: self-storage units. He had done extensive research on American habits and thought he was onto…
Losing Sunday
By Starlette McNeill I have served as an associate minister at a handfull of churches in the District of Columbia. All were unpaid and offered too few opportunities for mentoring, leadership development, preaching and the ecclesiastical practice of one’s gifts…