Write your own blog post to share your ministry experience with others.
This book talks about relationships that are measured by whether friends have "refrigerator rights". And that's only ONE of the delightful ideas you'll find. The subtitle of the book is "Moving From a Come and See to a GO AND BE CHURCH". ..
What happens when our own fears, preoccupations, and self-pity get in the way of our worship of the new born King?
Although it does vary, in most states and provinces, the age of consent is 16. Below age 16, a minor is regarded as unable to give consent; 16 or older and the minor is regarded as able to give consent. That does not mean, however, that everyone who is of age to give consent to sexual acts has given consent ...
Youth Unlimited is offering its quarterly magazine to you, friends of the NETWORK, for FREE! Equip Magazine is intentional about equipping today's volunteer youth worker for ministry to today's youth.
There is a feature that almost every church has on their website, is difficult to navigate and doesn’t integrate into other services easily. This feature is a calendar or listing of events. Services like Google Calendar allow you to embed a calendar easily into your website. ..
Heather DeBoer reflects on life with her sister Jess, who lives with severe multiple disabilities.
As some or many of you know, that YouTube video I linked in this blog two weeks ago of Chorus Niagara singing "The Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's Messiah has "gone viral," as they say. With over 13,000,000 hits and counting, this stirring piece has captivated millions for a few minutes--or more; 13,000,000 is more than one-third of the population of Canada.
Consent is not just permission; consent also implies that we understand the consequences of our actions. Learn more about consent in this blog and in future blogs.
Mary's song of hope becomes more challenging when it moves beyond charity for the poor to judgment: “…but he has sent the rich away empty.” How are we to participate in the kingdom activity of sending the rich away empty? I can’t say I have ever heard a sermon about that.
Connectedness cannot happen by merely rubbing shoulders in the coffee room or with a church handshake or a passing of the peace on Sunday morning or at some church event. And I dare say it rarely happens in a church classroom setting either...
Missions are typically not much on the minds of people or the calendar of congregations in Advent. The focus typically shifts to the coming of Jesus to our world as a baby born in humble circumstances for our good. But Advent is also a season to remember...
It is with great courage that a worship leader deviates from the traditional Christmas carols at Christmas but there may be situations which call for a new song.
We are excited to announce two newly created discussion forums on The Network: Hospitality and Young Adults. We hope these forums will foster discussions for those who participate in hospitality ministries and those who are interested in ministry by, for, or with young adults.
A friend forwarded me this video last week and I couldn't resist posting it for you!How are the kids in your church using their gifts to bless your congregation?
"People resist mission because they are under-discipled, but they are also under-discipled because of the absence of any missional challenge. " The problem is, we’ve become used to seeing discipleship as a passive thing as we sit and enjoy one another as we “huddle and cuddle” together.
Deacons often build their meetings around problems, needs, shortfalls, and concerns. In a way, that's their job, but the wise deacon has her attitude shaped by graceful abundance, rather than by anxious focus on the problems. So how can one deacon make a difference in how a meeting flows?
Over the last thirty years this innovative idea of short term missions has become a standard part of the annual cycle for many churches. Youth teams within the US have been supplemented by international and intergenerational trips of many kinds: hurricane relief, sports and musical teams, mime, etc. Much of the focus has been on making use of such trips in
Have you wondered if you’re in youth ministry for the ‘right’ reasons? How do you know if you really care for the youth you are ministering to? These are tough questions. These are questions that every youth worker, either paid or volunteer, should consider a few times a year. It’s not redundant but rather a reality check.
One of my all-time favourite songs—Christmas or other times—is “Ere zij God”/”Glory to God” (Psalter Hymnal #214). We’ll surely be singing it again during Christmas Day worship, perhaps other times as well. I had never heard this song until we moved to Canada from Venezuela in 1986. Now, though, to take a seriously comical (or comically serious) turn, I’ll relate the story of “Ere zij God” that I recently heard from the spouse of a second-generation Canadian of Dutch heritage.
Journalist Ian Brown applied his skills to plumb the depths of raising a son, Walker, who has severe disabilities resulting from a genetic disorder, CFC. In his quest for meaning, among others he seeks out wisdom from Buddhism, from a shaman at a native healing center, and from Jean Vanier, founder of the L’Arche communities. As a Christian, I can’t endorse all of his conclusions, but reading about his journey helped to enlighten my own path. It’s something that some of us Calvinists call “common grace.”
I feel sorry for people who don’t have the privilege of raising a child who has a disability
Take a deep breath, a good look at your family and friends, and dive right in to emerge some time during the first week of January.
With American Thanksgiving only a few days away, I’m counting my blessings and you’re on the list! Each week you...
