The battle is won or lost at the level of imagination. There’s power in imagination. The Holy Spirit’s power is displayed and released at the level of imagination. What do you imagine when you think of small groups that develop...
"We are all missionaries and our mission field is right out that door." I must confess some mixed feelings about that.
Sometimes churches forget all the costs involved with a call to a new minister, and this sample is certainly helpful in preparing that Letter of Call.
The Evangelical Environmental Network, the National Association of Evangelicals and the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference have the exciting opportunity to select up to 60 churches to receive support and funding to make their buildings' energy efficient.
A short excerpt from Tracy Young's book How Do I Make It Right?
Can a fuller understanding of the heroes of the faith and the great cloud of witnesses help us rediscover the purpose and focus of Reformation Day?
Is Reformation Day a thing of the past that doesn’t relate to those who haven’t grown up in the “Dutch church”? Is it something that we should re-energize or let fade away? If we stop celebrating this defining moment of the Reformation do we risk losing our historical roots which help ground us theologically? What do you think?
I'm interested in resources and ideas to help us do better at our greeting and ushering ministries.
Does anybody have a focused prayer ministry for your youth and some examples of what you call this prayer mentorship? We would also love ideas on what has worked well and suggestions for things to avoid if you have experience with this as well.
Check out these tips to use computers for inclusive worship.
Stanley Hauerwas has written an excellent article on being a Christian student at university . His article, "Go with God" is available here and is an excellent read for any current university student, or for seniors in high school getting ready for higher education.
Out of our shepherd’s heart we will begin to intersect our lives with the lives of those we’re leading even when it’s messy and dirty. Only then will we begin to smell like the sheep we lead.
Last week a colleague of mine sent me a link to this hilarious, yet serious, rap on the Heidelberg Catechism. This "cat rap" as I shall call it, is the curious result of a challenge by C.J. Mahaney to rapper Curtis Allen. I hadn't heard of either of these dudes (the term seems fitting), though I've read some good things by Kevin De Young, whose recent book on the catechism occasioned Mahaney's challenge.
No elder will ever get through a period in office without facing the dynamics of family dysfunctions. Understanding these dysfunctions help us gain relational wisdom in congregational life. It essentially comes down to a few questions.
I'd love to be part of an ongoing discussion regarding congregation relational health that includes but is not limited to pastor/staff church relationships.
Let's do everything we can to make this task force a delightful assignment for its members. Will you help? You can start with prayer; you can use the Deacons' Forum; you can respond when they ask for help; and you can talk to your fellow deacons and council members about this task force. Let the deaconal revolution begin!
This is the PowerPoint presentation we use in our "Woody Nook 101" class that introduces new people to our church. You can use it as a sample for building your own.
It is around this time of the year that the demands of community life add up. From school to sports, social life to planning for upcoming events, from regular commitments to unscheduled sickness, the moments seem to press in on us. There is a simple consequence. In busy times I default to the urgent.
I don’t think that the flight crew of that US Airways flight set out to bully Johnnie. I pray, though, that this incident will be another step toward people with disabilities outrunning the prejudices that they face daily.
This Sunday the song involved twirling, stomping, jumping, clapping, leaning, and praying — all motions that the kids chose for the song.
Our friends, family and others who are close – deserve to be known by their names. Our youth deserve to be known by their names because it is simply who they are. It lets them know that we are truly interested in them. It lets them know that we wanting to know who they really are.
